Abstract: Technological Gadgets and Attention Span Decline
The development of technological gadgets, cell phones to be specific, has significantly impacted some aspects of human behavior, especially attentiveness. Students are the most affected individuals, as they face difficulty concentrating in their classes or lectures. Students have become distracted on several occasions while in class, choosing instead to text or peruse social media. Lack of control over technology devices is responsible for the growing attentional disarray. The trend might affect human interactions should concerned parties fail to take necessary steps to end the problem. The writer presents a few fallacies regarding the connection between cell phone use and the loss of thinking capability and reduced attention spans in humans. However, the positions presented by the fallacies might be contested. This is because the misconceptions apply to some people but are not necessarily the absolute truth. Although it may be difficult to revert to the old-school ways of life, it is better to ensure that the gadgets do not have total control over humans.
Education and Attentional Disarray: A Critical Review
1. Summary of the Writer’s Position on Cell Phone Distraction
Turkle reveals that people easily zone off into the world of social media with their cell phones, tablets, iPads, or laptops to the point they hardly have time to interact physically with others. People today prefer virtual interactions over meeting physically and developing a human connection. Studies conducted in different institutions show that students face challenges concentrating whenever they have their devices with them, which affects their ability to stay focused (Colombo et al., 2019). There is a familiar concept known as multitasking. Although many people think this is only a fallacy, multitasking is a serious problem. The truth is that people are forcing their brains to juggle between activities, which might be causing damage to the brain. People need to develop the ability to focus on one thing at a time rather than multiple because, as the proverb goes, “one cannot serve two masters at a go.”
2. Identifying Fallacies in Arguments About Technology and Distraction
Turkle’s first fallacy is that any time people use their gadgets in class, they are probably texting or roaming the web unnecessarily. However, this might not always be true since some people might be doing constructive things on their gadgets. There is also a claim that using gadgets in class causes widespread distraction. True as this might sound, this is not always the case because only a few might get distracted by other people’s acts of distraction. The third fallacy can be found in the example given about Steiker, a law lecturer at Harvard. She took the initiative to prohibit the use of gadgets in her classes by banning phones and laptops in a bid to increase student attention. Although this might help, it does not necessarily ensure that students will be attentive, as no one can have total control over people’s thoughts (Colombo et al., 2019). As Turkle has argued, people will always wander off in their thoughts, even if they do not have gadgets to take away their attention.
3. Agreement with Turkle’s View on the Effects of Mobile Devices
I agree with Turkle’s perspective, as the arguments are evident today. These days, people use their gadgets frequently, following up on something or conversing with others. It is the idea of being together physically, yet distanced. However, failing to concentrate on one thing at a time or lengthy engagements with gadgets might be damaging in the long run. Eventually, people will be very efficient in performing their work and achieving results, yet extremely poor at physical interactions. Furthermore, poor attention spans might affect how people address different issues in their lives since they cannot stabilize and focus.
Balancing Technology and Education – Link to articles about creating a balanced approach to technology use in classrooms.
Reference
Colombo, G., Cullen, R., & Lisle, B. (2019). Rereading America Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and writing. Bedford/St. Martins.
