Growing Up Digital Reflection

Growing up in the digital age really does “wire me” for distraction. The amount of technology I have access to on daily basis forces me to constantly multitask and have the desire for instant gratification, just like Vishal, in the article, “Growing up Digital: Wired for Distraction” by Matt Richtel. For him, he loved to make films using software on his computer. He would stay up all night fiddling around with it, but this would take his attention away from his homework completely, forcing his grades to suffer. For me, I love the Internet. I can stay up all night watching movies on Netflix, learning how to do something via YouTube tutorials, and talking to friends on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. I can access the Internet on my laptop or even my smartphone, which makes it a huge distraction when trying to get things done. I even found myself checking my phone when writing this small paragraph.

Vishal, a 17-year-old high school student featured in this article says, “I’m doing Facebook, YouTube, having a conversation or two with a friend, listening to music all at the same time. I’m doing a million things at once, like a lot of people my age. Sometimes I’ll say: I need to stop this and do my homework, but I cant.” I see myself a lot in Vishal; we are similar in more ways than one. I know my grades are important but I’m so addicted to the Internet and on top of me being a procrastinator, it’s almost impossible to divert my attention away from the screen and onto my homework.

When I have one task at hand and I am fully invested in it I will do extremely well, but as soon as I hear a “bing” or a “ring” from either my laptop or my phone, my attention is very hard to get back to my, often so simple, task. Vishal also states, “Without the internet, I also wouldn’t know what I want to do with my life.” I have not decided on a career path because I find it so hard to narrow down my talents to just one job. I have many interests that could take me to many different majors. The Internet provides me with background and insight on specific jobs and majors, from stories about personal experiences and objective descriptions on each job title. I could play all night on website like that because even though its not instantly gratifying, It has a direct impact on my future which is much more interesting than homework.

I also taught myself how to play the piano and cook amazing recipes, as well as read blogs and trending topics around the world that keep me updated on all genres like world news or even “look at this cute puppy.” Some may say that it is a virtual world and our heads are in the clouds, but I learn more about the world on social media than in any classroom, strictly because it is much more appealing to the eye. Scrolling through twitter I can read plenty of different news articles, while seeing what friends are up to, and catching a smile from a funny 6-second video all within a couple minutes.

Some use it to track celebrities like Kim Kardashian but most actual want to be informed on nation-wide issues that are plaguing these social media sites. I agree with what principal, David Reilly, talked about in the article stating, “I am trying to take back their attention from their blackberries and video games. To a degree, I’m using technology to do it.” In order to balance out the good and bad of technology is to teach distracted students, not by taking away an essential device in this day in age, but to teach them the right way to use it and show them how it can be a beneficial thing, not a detrimental invention to society.