Major Essay One: English 100 Honors

Major Essay One
27 September 2010

The Ultimate Distraction: Generation Y’s Misuse and Abuse of Technology

The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the availability of modern-day technology to people across the globe. Much of this technology has the ability to create a highly informed society by providing limitless amounts of information available almost immediately. As Mark Bauerlein states in The Dumbest Generation, “We have entered the Information Age, traveled the Information Superhighway, spawned a Knowledge Economy, undergone the Digital Revolution, converted manual workers into knowledgeable workers, and promoted a Creative Class, and we anticipate a Conceptual Age to be” (Bauerlein 8). The basis for this argument rests solely in the fact that today’s youth have an unlimited supply of information and knowledge brought forth through modern-day technology. And yet, despite these great opportunities, research indicates that technology is becoming a major distraction at home and in school. Young Americans are showing a pattern of misuse and abuse of many opportunities technology provides.

Some college students are observing the effects modern-day technology is having on their peers. An article in the W.K.U. Herald was written by a student and focused on how dependent and nearly obsessed many college students are with modern-day technology and culture. Tony Smith’s GenYNot: Take the iThoreau Challenge article asks several reflective questions, “Can you walk for two minutes without seeing a fellow student listening to an iPod or chatting/”txtin” on a cell phone? Can you sit in peace for more than 10 minutes without hearing “one of today’s Billboard’s hottest-hits” as a tinny broken-record-like ringtone?” (Smith, Tony). This observation portrays a dilemma that is becoming widespread in the United States. As students travel to and from class they are constantly ‘plugged-in’ to several forms of media whether it is a cell phone, iPod, or both. It isn’t uncommon for students to walk into each other because their eyes were so intently focused on the small screen of a cell phone. In many instances, when a teacher has his or her back to the class, it isn’t uncommon to see at least one student pull out a cell phone during class. Similarly, if a student sits far enough from the teacher, he or she may be seen wearing headphones and listening to music instead of listening to the day’s lecture.

A group of scientists took it upon themselves to gain first-hand experience at what it would be like without using modern-day technology. The group spent a week in remote Utah without cell phones, computers, or any possible technological distraction. Their goal was to study the brain. On the third day of the retreat the scientists experienced a significant feeling. One scientist recalled, “You start to feel more relaxed. Maybe you sleep a little better. You don’t reach for your phone pinging in your pocket.” The scientists termed this the “three-day effect” (Npr.org). This observation provides the effects technology is having on American youth today. The absence of technology for three days gives a sense of relief and to some, relaxation. That can only mean that being immersed in today’s technology is having the opposite effect on humans and is undoubtedly a large portion of young Americans’ lives. Some scientists were skeptical in believing that technology is harmful but “they did say things like ‘I am not as engaged in my world when I’m constantly using devices as I am when I am away from them.” Furthermore, scientists are asking “how much is too much, when it comes to processing technology…where instead of informing us, distracts us and impedes our productivity? There is growing evidence that the line is closer than we’ve ever imagined” (Npr.org). Scientists agree that there becomes a point when too much technology becomes counterproductive. In many cases, Generation Y is coming under close scrutiny for crossing the line from technological productivity to becoming counterproductive. This evidence alone helps to support Bauerlein’s assumption that “we anticipate a Conceptual Age to be” (Bauerlein 8) because many believe technology is benefiting today’s youth but many aren’t realizing the underlying implications it is currently having.

Cell phones have become great devices for young Americans for communication with parents, a source of safety, and a way of engaging socially with peers. Stanford University did a study of cell phones and arrived at an unsurprising conclusion, “When you check your information, when you get a buzz in your pocket, when you get a ring – you get what they call a dopamine squirt. You get a little rush of adrenaline…You’re conditioned by a neurological response. ‘Check me check me check me check me’” (Npr.org). Any young American cell phone owner understands the reality of this finding. As stated previously, many students operate a cell phone during class and in many other instances it is not necessarily appropriate to do so. A common scenario that exemplifies the Stanford University study’s findings is a college freshman taking an exam in class. As they take the exam, they feel their phone vibrate in their pocket. Luckily, they remembered to put it on vibrate unlike other classmates who let their phones ring and interrupt class. As the student ponders what to do, their mind drifts from taking the exam to wondering who the message is from and what it says. The reality of this situation is that the student begins to focus their attention more on the cell phone instead of the exam that was being taken. Many students, despite age, would attest to being a victim of this scenario.

Cell phones are only one of many forms of technology that are having a counterproductive impact on young Americans today. Mark Bauerlein introduces an alarming yet reflective piece of evidence that discusses the impact television is having on children. He states that “The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to keep two-year olds and under away from the television screen altogether, and to restrict older children to one to two hours of educational programming per day” (Bauerlein 75). Television consumption is beginning to replace many of the essential experiences needed for positive childhood growth. During these critical years of childhood development, “research shows that very young children learn better from live demonstrations than they do from videotapes” (Feldman 166). There has been much research focused on parental reliance on educational videotapes and other media. Bauerlein proceeds to indicate, “But the 1,000+ subjects in the Kaiser study, ranging from six months to six years old, went well beyond that. They averaged fully one hour and 58 minutes per day on screen media” (Bauerlein 75). Similar to cell phone usage, children are viewing excessive amounts of television and research strongly suggests that there are possible negative cognitive consequences. In many cases, this is the beginning of a child’s misuse of technology and isn’t necessarily his or her own fault. The group of scientists in remote Utah would agree that this finding is alarming because they themselves live the effects television and other technology has and it can be inferred through their observations and the American Academy of Pediatrics that technological distractions would be more harmful for younger children.

With technology becoming increasingly important and demanding as time progresses, it will continue to have the same effects that scientists, researchers, and concerned citizens are indicating and finding in studies. Unlike teenagers today, younger children are growing up only knowing cell phones while many will never have a landline telephone in their home again. This reality is similar for computers in homes as well. Technology has and will continue to impose itself in the lives’ of young Americans leading to its misuse and abuse and only worsening as a distraction. Tony Smith concludes his article with a more personal note that questions the technological future of society, “I can hardly imagine what’s in store for the next generation. The generation gap is always increasing; someday iPhones will seem archaic, the internet will be old news and even GenYNot, at over 10 megs per second, our lightening-like live-fast-die-young only-if-it’s-for-the-benefit-of-myself generation will be slow and un-hip” (Smith, Tony). With extensive research and findings, it is difficult to suggest that modern-day technology isn’t a distraction for American youth. Only time will portray the impact these distractions will have had on Generation Y.

Rhetorical Commentary

The purpose of my essay is to convincingly portray that technology is becoming a major distraction to young Americans through its misuse and outright abuse. I chose this topic because throughout my life I have seen the progression of technology and how it affects many in my life, most importantly my friends. Americans born in the early 1990’s are the first to experience such widespread usage of modern-day technology and few fully understand the implications it currently has and will continue to have throughout their lives.

This essay is aimed towards an audience of anyone who is interested in the effects modern-day technology is having on today’s youth. I chose sources that are currently available to the public online, a novel that is currently a national bestseller, and a college level psychology textbook. These sources relate to my audience because most are readily available and have the potential for further research by the reader.

As I began research for this topic I quickly noticed a connection between this essay and my Developmental Psychology class. We recently completed a chapter on infants’ cognitive development and in that chapter contains an article explaining popular cognitive enhancing video programs in relation to any beneficial elements they may have for infants. After reading The Dumbest Generation and many other articles on this topic, I began to see a connection. The article in my psychology textbook reads, “research shows that very young children learn better from live demonstrations than they do from videotapes” (Feldman 166). I began noticing a common criticism that technology is benefiting today’s youth in some ways but making them ‘dumb’ at the same time.

I began realizing how technology affects my life and especially my peers and how much of a distraction it truly is and that many, including myself, misuse technology to the point that we abuse the great opportunities it provides. I am guilty of Tony Smith’s question, “Can you walk for two minutes without seeing a fellow student listening to an iPod or chatting/”txtin” on a cell phone?” (Smith, Tony). I am that fellow student that is commonly texting on my cell phone and occasionally chatting.

As I read more articles and gained a more open mind to this topic, I began to connect many of these assumptions to my own life which has made me strive to portray it to those who are interested in the effects modern-day technology is having on youth. By being a primary source, I have had the opportunity to mix adults’ criticisms of youth and technology with my own experiences. With this in mind, my goals in this essay were to help others open their minds to effects modern-day technology is having on today’s youth. I feel that I have accomplished this goal because I myself have gained a better insight to this topic. It isn’t a topic I felt strong writing about but after completing it I feel that I have opened my mind to my generation’s use of technology. Before immersing myself into this topic I was very hesitant and resistant to even accept Bauerlein’s or many other author’s arguments about the effects modern-day technology is currently having.

In conclusion, I believe my essay has much more room for improvement as well as deeper and further analysis on this broad topic. This essay merely ‘scratches the surface’ and needs to be taken further to completely prove any point. Although there is strong support for this topic, it is still a theory because there are many researchers and observers that are skeptical to the claim that modern-day technology is a distraction to American youth.



Works Cited

Bauerlein, Mark. The Dumbest Generation. New York: Penguin, 2009. Print.

“Digital Overload: Your Brain on Gadgets.” Npr.org. National Public Radio, 24 August 2010. Web. 23 Sept. 2010.

Feldman, Robert S. Development Across the Lifespan. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2008. Print.

Smith, Tony. “GenYNot: Take the iThoreau Challenge.” WKUHerald.com. The Herald, 15 Nov. 2007. Web. 23 Sept. 2010.