Friday, July 27, 2012
Distractions
I recently finished reading The Shallows by Nicholas Carr and I thought the book was a great read about how technology has affected our minds. I didn't notice it before but after reading the book I did start to notice some habits I've had while searching through the internet. Carr points out that the effect of the internet has made us more distracted by our surroundings. After he mentioned this I started to notice how distracted I got while searching the internet. When I was reading an article on Yahoo about military service, I ended up just skimming it so I could watch a video about dogs getting stuck in gates. And while I was reading my books I ended up getting bit by a bug and spent the next fifteen minutes trying to kill it completely forgetting about my book or what paragraph I was on. What I'm trying to say is has anyone started to notice how distracted you can get while trying to complete a certain task?
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I think that you and Nicholas Carr make an excellent point. I have been noticing the same thing. While trying to read Brave New World, I was sidetracked several times by the temptation to see if I had received any new notifications on Facebook or if any people that I subscribe to on YouTube had put out new videos. I used to be able to read through an entire book without being distracted, but now, I find that it's harder for me to do so. I agree that technology, especially the Internet, can have many negative impacts on people, including the ability to lower one's attention span. Although technology can be very helpful and entertaining, it's important that we moderate how often we use technology. Carr's observations have certainly given me impetus to watch how frequently I interact with technology.
ReplyDeleteEven though I wanted to deny it at first, I, too, noticed that I had the same habits that Nicholas Carr mentioned throughout the novel. Unlike how I am now, I had stronger concentration skills and used to be less distracted by my surroundings when I was younger. This case most likely is due to the fact that my Internet use was extremely limited before compared to the current me. While during homework or reading textbooks, I have noticed that even the sparkles on my ceiling become interesting to the point where I can stare at them for fifteen or more, ignoring my work that needs to be finished. Also, when writing essays on Microsoft Word, I always find myself clicking on the Internet icon for current news and status updates from friends on social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook despite the fact that I checked ten minutes ago. Every time this happens, my time spent on completing my essay decreases, eventually causing me to write an unorganized essay the very last minute. These new habits that I have slowly attained are becoming more a problem on a regular basis and affecting my academic life, but Carr’s words have made me realize that I need to stop speeding through the streets and actually step on my break at the red light. It made me realize that this frequent Internet use had made me go over the limit, leading me to walk on a path of suffering.
ReplyDeleteI am only on chapter three of this book, but I have realized that I also have done some of the things Carr has mentioned in the novel. I find myself getting distracted while reading the book! I should be farther than chapter three, but just reading about loss of attention and distaractions, gets me even more distracted from what I'm trying to read. I agree with some of
ReplyDeleteCarr's points and now I know that I'm not the only one who has fallen under the spell of all of this new technology.
I also feel that I am becoming more distracted while carrying out tasks, and often I don't even realize this until I finally catch myself off guard. Throughout the novel, Nicholas Carr makes it clear just how much the internet has changed the way we think, and one result is that our minds are easily veered. I find this very true because I am not able to just sit down and work on something fairly simple the way I used to be able to. This process involves constant checks for messages or scrolling through pointless and meaningless pages on the internet, just for the pure sense of relief. If I am using distractions for feeling relieved from focusing on something too long, this makes me concerned about the way our minds are being affected by technology. On top of this, I find it hard to keep myself focused on something for a certain amount of time without becoming tired of the same thing. It can be said that our modern technology contributes to lack of patience and our desire for new excitement.
ReplyDeleteFrom this I can conclude that most, if not all, of us with great internet accessability are really distracted by it. We go online just because we can sometimes. Yes, the internet and other tools are very helpful but only so if used for its helpful purpose. I find it a lot harder to write an essay now than a year ago! In just one year my attention span shortened and I'm using more effort to focus on things, both self- and required enrichment. Even now, the Facebook app on the phone I'm currently using tempts me even though it's 4:30 AM and I checked just moments ago!
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ReplyDeleteI think it is difficult for anyone anymore to complete one task without any sort of distraction. With the help of technology to aid our procrastination skills, completing a task without a distraction is seemingly impossible. Even for myself, a person who does not have a Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr account, technology still invades my ability to perform a task. With my phone right next to me, a text coming in every few minutes or so, it slows down my rate of performance. With any news or media site such as YouTube, it is extremely difficult not to watch any of the new, funny videos that might have appeared in the last hour or so. What I could finish in 15 minutes became 30 minutes. What I could perform in 30 minutes before without technology around me, I now perform in an hour. The Internet is a dangerous thing; it can hurt or help. In this case, it definitely hurts. We should all limit our usage of the Internet or any other technology. Who knows where we could be in a couple of years from now, where our education could be if we continue to use the Internet to this extent.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with both you and Carr. Looking back, when I was in elementary school, I only used the internet when it was absolutely necessary, and I can remember being able to complete three or more books in a week. Now? I find it hard to finish reading a book a month. With so many distractions such as the internet, television, or cell phone, I find it hard to just concentrate on one thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's not just when I'm on the computer. I find that everywhere I go, I have a shortened attention span. When I was at the library earlier today, I was supposed to be doing my homework, but I only was able to finish a chapter and a half in two hours because every little thing that happened distracted me: a baby crying, a book dropping, even the librarians talking with a guest. I find the affects of technology contain more consequences than I thought.
I like the point you bring up because I thought that many times while reading the book. As you said, getting distracted is becoming easier and easier because of the technology that is now at our fingertips. Many times it is hard to stay concentrated on one thing including reading now because of the games, videos and updates that are so easily available for our use. The other thing that is bad about my attention span now is it doesn’t only pertain to my reading but everything I do. One of the main points that have gone across me since reading the book is to get away from the technology because it makes concentration harder with all its distractions. I wonder if I’m the only person to think about what can be accomplished if I never had a computer or TV.
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