“The ‘tele’ is there to indicate that my concern is with how our discourse might be affected by electronic technology, not only in the sense that it might be important to learn how to use video for educational purposes, but also to account for the possibility that cognition itself might be changing in a civilization switching to electronics.” – Ulmer
Literally: This means that with the use of advanced technology in a society, it may impact people in different ways. It can impact what we talk about, how we talk about it, and what is important to us etc. This can also change our way of thinking as we continue to rely on technology to understand the world. The integration of technology is concerning in that with the continued use, we neglect other ways of acquiring information. The effects of this can be seen as technology can be found in every institution and the homes of many people, furthering its influence..
Intellectually: The integration of technology within our society leaves us in a place of reliance and disregard for previously learned skills. This can be concerning as technology influences how we interact with one another, how we think, and problem solve. It then becomes more of an extension of us then separate tools used to achieve things, learn, and navigate the world. For example, though computers and videos are used within classrooms to educate effectively, young children who are still developing cognitively, can depend on their abilities alongside the use of technology instead of self confidence on learned skills and memory.
Emotionally: Technology does influence how we live our lives; it influences us through constant exposure, which can be either good or bad. The good thing would be that we can utilize it to complete tasks, learn new things and work efficiently. The bad would be that we forget to retain information in traditional ways, considering that information can be retrieved quickly, and it can be used as tools to further agendas etc. I find myself being completely reliant on my Smartphone to remind me of things and to have an active day. Technology has become so ingrained in my day to day that I can experience not being able to “operate” without my technological devices. This can be said for many people, as it has become extremely important in maintaining a functional society.
Connect: This can relate to a quote in the book “How Computers Change the Way We Think,” by Sherry Turkle. She says “In the 20 years since, computational objects have become more explicitly designed to have emotional and cognitive effects. And those ‘effects by design’ will become even stronger in the decade to come. Machines are being designed to serve explicitly as companions, pets, and tutors. And they are introduced in school settings for the youngest children.” This connects to Ulmer, as both quotes have a sense of concern for the direction that society has taken with the use of technology. It is affecting us from childhood to adulthood as we find navigating the world to be difficult without it. It guides us, deepening the dependence we have with technology.
“Our brains are constantly changing in response to our experiences and our behavior, reworking their circuitry with ‘each sensory input, motor act, association, reward signal, action plan, or [shift of] awareness.’”- Nicholas Carr
Literally: This means that with every new experience our brain undergoes a rewiring that reflects the effects of that event. The type of experience, whether big or small, can still evoke a change in our brain’s circuitry, creating a “pathway” for when we encounter another event that is similar or exact. These pathways help in retaining the information we learned from that experience and that happens through stimulation. Our brains then change based on our senses; what we see, feel, hear and our overall awareness, while going through the event, allowing us to gain certain knowledge and skills. The change happens within a short time as were converting the event into something we can use and understand.
Intellectually: The alteration our brains go through, is to support us in acquiring life skills. When placed under certain circumstances our brain adapts by changing to understand what is happening and allowing our bodies to conform to this new experience. The simplest experience can trigger a response in our brains, where we learn new things with every event that occurs in our lives. With practice or continued exposure, our brain’s level of plasticity allows for information to be processed and saved in the pathways created, whether the event was traumatic or not. This supports the fact that our brains are malleable even when we are adults, considering that our brain exhibits a need for input changes on a cellular level.
Emotionally: I believe the changes our brain makes is just a way to accommodate the highs and lows of life. If our brains did not create new pathways for these experiences, then our experiences would be meaningless. We would end up unprepared and it would be considered a brand new experience we cannot learn from it. Even in adulthood we are always learning whether in academia or just living day to day, so it explains the major changes our brains make in response to the simplest experiences. It is important in ensuring our survival and a way of guidance considering our brains “make space” for information to be registered.
Connect: This can relate to a quote in the book “Teletheory,” by Gregory L. Ulmer, “Similarly television is the institutionalization of video in our civilization, which does not mean that the technology is limited to the purposes of entertainment or information. School has experienced previously some profound changes in adapting to changes in technology ….” This connects to Carr because it describes the adaptation of technology/video within a society and how the medium/ television can be seen as an institution for that specific content. The idea that television can be seen as an institution says that we are constantly learning from the content we consume, which alters how we think. For example it can be a tool used to further nefarious agenda, and as our brains create new pathways for new information, we are susceptible to many internal changes from watching television.
