I discovered an interesting op-ed piece in The New York Times today that really got me thinking about the implications of our dependence upon technology.
Read the article and respond:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/opinion/26brooks.html?_r=1&n=Top/Opinion/Editorials%20and%20Op-Ed/Op-Ed/Columnists/David%20Brooks&oref=slogin
What do you think about what Brooks has to say?
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35 comments:
Brooks has a very enlightening point of view when he wrote this article. In my opinion technology has definitely put people on the map for things of everyday use. The G.P.S. units in cars are very useful and fun to play with. I know this because of experience when my dad received a Garmin G.P.S. system for his birthday. However, my experience I think that the G.P.S. teaches and shows people where to go. Brooks is making it seem as if people will become entirely reliant on such piece of technology. It could be that I am criticizing him too much, but I think that that piece of technology and a huge advancement in turning a computer into a virtual map system. It is like your own personal teacher to help and show where to go so there is less confusion.
In this article it feels as if Brooks is pushing people to think about their own personal uses of technology. I am not totally sure if I like his approach to talking about how we are too dependent on such pieces of hardware. But it does make one think about how much they time they spend on their gadgets.
When I was about half way through this article I first realized how easily he put me into a defensive position. As if he was only testing me on how loyal I am to my own personal gadgets and how much they each mean to me. As the article continued my mind set of being defensive disappeared. I am not completely on board when he started to refer himself as becoming less autonomous because of said technology. There are millions of ideas rushing through my mind when I read this article. I think about technology controlling us versus us controlling it. It really made me think where the inventions and creations are going to take this place we call earth.
Brooks has definitely stepped into some new territory about externalization in our society today. I think that he is a bit eccentric and over the top at times but there are some good points he makes. In our country today it seems that everyone has some sort of device that they are dependent on for information that they would otherwise need to remember. Kids have cell phones, adults have palm pilots and I am willing to bet in five years there won’t be a car out there that isn’t equipped with a navigation system. I think that GPS systems aren’t really doing us much harm, in fact I think that they are most helpful. I mean what really is the difference between printing off directions from MapQuest and following directions dictated to you by a navigation system?
I also highly doubt that such a large amount of people under thirty cannot remember their own phone number. I do agree that today’s Americans do not need to remember as much information as Americans ten years ago, but there are some advantages in this. Now fathers and mothers can have conversations with their children during car rides rather than wasting time being focused on directions that are printed out from online sources. People reach destinations on the first attempt, and the risk of getting lost due to faulty directions from MapQuest is disappearing. So what if people depend more on devices for information then on recalling them from memory… this could allow time for more important social venues.
Americans aren’t necessarily getting dumber; they are just aren’t memorizing directions, addresses and phone number of friends, family and clients. If a person is really that important to you, you will undoubtedly take the time to memorize their phone number. In the end the tings that we need to know we will remember, and the mundane information will be kept in our artificial address books.
I thought “The Outsourced Brain” by David Brooks was very amusing and interesting. As Brooks explains how his new car with a G.P.S. system is amazing, he made me laugh because there is that stereotypical image that men won’t ask for directions even if they are lost. However, although technology can be wonderful and make life so much easier, it was, I guess you could say, scary because he talked about the G.P.S. as a “goddess.” Technology makes life much more fast-paced and modern however I do agree that oftentimes people get way too attached to their gadgets. Technology is a successful resource; however, when it begins to take over someone’s life it can be dangerous. Personally, I think when a person can’t live without their cell phone, their computer, or their iPod, that it is sad. There is so much more to do in this world than talk on the phone or be on the computer all day. I’ll admit that I wouldn’t want to be without my computer or my cell phone but I could if I had to. When people use technology reasonably I think it is very good. For example, G.P.S. systems, smartphones, and consumer preference algorithms are parts of technology that make life a little less stressful for the everyday life. However, these technologies should definitely not take over your everyday thinking. For example, when using a G.P.S. system, I personally think that a person should still have an idea where they are going or have looked up directions on how to get there. When you trust technology blindly, I think that is when a person may run into some obstacles that aren’t fun to deal with. On a different note, I also think that personal information shouldn’t be externalized or if it is then only to a certain extent. Just because technology is practically running the world today doesn’t mean that everyone needs to open up their personal lives and history on the internet, etc… There is definitely something to be said for a trustworthy and/or private person these days. You don’t find many of them and when you do it is surprising. In addition, when Brooks says that young people these days are “forgoing their memory before they have had a chance to use them,” I think this is not true. I think that younger people have just figured out how to not memorize information that isn’t important to their everyday schedule. For example when you have your phone numbers and addresses in your cell phone and your song lists saved to your iPod, those are fewer things you have to remember for when you need or want to use them. I think these are things that are actually saving room in our memory for more important things
I do believe that people have become very dependent on technology. Like the article said that people are so reliable on technology that they really don’t think anymore. In our cars at home we have a GPS systems they are extremely useful when you have no idea where you are heading. You do become somewhat dependent on them because it tells you where to go and you don’t really take a look around your surrounds to figure out where you are. I’m not as dependent on the GPS system because my dad always stressed that you should know where you are going and always look at a compass and maps. One thing that I’m very dependent is spell check. I’m not a good speller and today with the advanced technology spell check either corrects it for you or it gets underlined and I you change it yourself. You never have to pull out a dictionary anymore and manually look it up because there are dictionaries online and other resources. Also today with the cell phones that have built in daily planners and email no one really needs to be at their office because everyone spend their time on the phone. With this said, technology has opened many new doors of opportunity. Technology has helped in many ways school work is so much less stressful with computer and email and internet accesses. Now with cell phones you can be reached any point which can sometimes be a bad or a good thing!
Do I think people are extremely reliable on their technology? Yes a lot of people will say that they are. Today many industries are so connected by cell phones, email and many other things. You here so many people say “If I didn’t have my cell phone my business would not exist!” People love their technology who doesn’t though it has changed us in many ways for the better.
I do agree with what Brooks is saying in his article, The Outsourced Brain. As I was reading what he has to say about today’s technology, I began to realize that my life is made up of each and every one of his examples. I am guilty of using a GPS system for when I am driving to unfamiliar places. I am guilty of not knowing any of my friend’s phone numbers, using itunes and Google 24/7, and being addicted to Tivo. I pretty much rely on technology all throughout each and every day of my life. These things do help us when it comes to memory, but is that a bad thing? It seems like people complain about technology taking over our lives. It makes me wonder why they buy all of these new things and participate with the users. While reading Brooks’ article a got the idea that he thinks that this technology is not a good thing. It seems as though he feels that everything in life is being made “too easy” for us and it is bad that we barely have to use our memory anymore. He is not accusing other people in his article, he is voluntarily admitting that he is guilty of every point he is making. I agree with him to an extent, but at the same time I feel like this is just how the world is today and we should accept it and be happy. I don’t know about you, but I am content with the fact that I do not have to memorize all of my friend’s phone numbers. Things today are done much faster than they were twenty years ago, and in most cases it is a good thing. We can get places faster, and contact people whenever we feel we need to. Technology makes everything in life convenient, and I am thankful for that.
I do agree with what Brooks is saying in his article, The Outsourced Brain. As I was reading what he has to say about today’s technology, I began to realize that my life is made up of each and every one of his examples. I am guilty of using a GPS system for when I am driving to unfamiliar places. I am guilty of not knowing any of my friend’s phone numbers, using itunes and Google 24/7, and being addicted to Tivo. I pretty much rely on technology all throughout each and every day of my life. These things do help us when it comes to memory, but is that a bad thing? It seems like people complain about technology taking over our lives. It makes me wonder why they buy all of these new things and participate with the users. While reading Brooks’ article a got the idea that he thinks that this technology is not a good thing. It seems as though he feels that everything in life is being made “too easy” for us and it is bad that we barely have to use our memory anymore. He is not accusing other people in his article, he is voluntarily admitting that he is guilty of every point he is making. I agree with him to an extent, but at the same time I feel like this is just how the world is today and we should accept it and be happy. I don’t know about you, but I am content with the fact that I do not have to memorize all of my friend’s phone numbers. Things today are done much faster than they were twenty years ago, and in most cases it is a good thing. We can get places faster, and contact people whenever we feel we need to. Technology makes everything in life convenient, and I am thankful for that.
David Brooks article “The Outsourced Brain” was fairly amusing while at the same time made the reader ponder upon society’s dependence on technology. The article describes how the author has no need to remember some of the trivial things in life like directions because of the advancements in technology. I would have to agree with Brooks that society has become greatly reliant upon technology for a lot of things. We rely on GPS navigation systems to give us directions to any place we want to go. Our phones have address books so we never have to remember phone numbers. Computers have the ability to store tons of information and provide it with the click of a mouse. Students no longer have the need to go to the library and check out books because almost everything they need is online. People are getting way too attached to their electronic gadgets. Some people can’t go anywhere without their Blackberry anymore because it holds their entire life inside of it. While using technology to store trivial bits of information opens up more of our brain capacity so that it can store more important things, I don’t think it should become a crutch. Brooks comment about how children are not even using their memory is somewhat true. Children are not developing their memory skills as well as other generations due to technology, but they still use it. The only things they don’t memorize are the things that they don’t find pertinent in their everyday life. These technological advances aren’t awful things as long as they don’t let it consume their lives.
David Brooks talks about how people these days are losing all sense of knowledge to technology. He repeatedly refers to his G.P.S. and uses it as an example of his unknown heaven. The simplicity and knowledge of his G.P.S. has taken over his sense of direction. He talks about how people don’t even have to choose their music, instead it is chosen for them. If we think about it, then we would quickly realize how crazy a G.P.S. is. You can pre program routes, program routes during the middle of it, if you make a wrong turn the G.P.S. will recommend a new route. This is extremely effective when making long trips because it can save you massive amounts of time.
I would say that we have lost a bit of individuality but overall I say our generation is the technology boom. Technology is what the world is moving to and I feel that is a great asset to our knowledge. Sure we may depend on technology these days for almost everything but if that helps business, education, and the environment then what’s the problem? I don’t see one. For example my parents have no grasping on technology, I get calls at midnight from my mom asking “How does the DVD player work?” or “How do I burn a CD?” Today technology is what is making a difference. It is not limiting or even stripping our knowledge as Brooks says, I feel it is enhancing our opportunity to learn and make better decisions. With technology people can communicate much easier, spread the word about an organization or a global problem much easier, improve business, and make education the most advanced of all time. Brooks made me angry and feel helpless. It was like he was degrading our society, placing us lower because we have something other generations have yet to have. Technology, machines doing work for us? No these machines are programmed by humans, and even as humans we can learn new functions and solutions to complicated problems by using machines.
I agree completely with what Brooks has to say. It seems like technology is taking over the human ability to think for its self. I think that the human mind needs to be challenged from day to day to stay sharp. If you just go by every day, letting computers do all of the thinking for you, then your mind won’t grow to its abilities. Brooks used the perfect example to get his point across. A GPS navigation system is depended on by millions of people. Just think, if everyone who had a GPS would use their brain, and read a map then they would be smarter due to brain stimulation. It’s like when parents try to help their kids with math problems, but can no longer do them. If the parents would have been doing math ever since they graduated, then they would know how to do it with ease. It is because they haven’t been using that part of their brain that they lost the ability to do the math problem that their child needs help on. Technology is great, don’t get me wrong, but we need to make sure we are also using our own minds, so that we don’t turn out like a bunch of idiots. It should be a government law that computer companies can no longer make technology so independent of its users. People need to keep their minds working; every grade lower gets dumber and dumber. Americas level of knowledge is dropping way below other countries, because of their work ethic. Brooks identified the problem that technology is outsourcing our own minds, but he didn’t identify what should be done about the problem. I hope that he will write another article on what should be done about the overpowering memory of computers. All in all this was a well written article that I completely agree with.
This article really got me thinking about how people are so dependant on tecnology these days. It is amazing to see how many people really depend on tecnology rather than their own mind. It is really sad in a way. I thought that this article brought up some really good points about how people are so dependant on things that they lose track of thier own mind. People tend to forget that they have a brain that works too. They do not always need to depend on technology to help them. I thought that it was really interesting how he brought up the GPS system and how he cannot survive without it. If there is a direction that is slightly out of the way, he becomes completely confused and imediately turns to the GPS system for help. I thought that this was so interesting.
I also thought that it was interesting that he relied on the GPS system for his opinions on music. This made me really upset, because music is suppose to be an expression to help people with life. When I am stressed, I turn on my favorite band and zone out. Music is not suppose to be something that a machine plants in your brain to think that it is good. I think that this would make anybody go crazy. It is so imortant to have your own opinions about things.
On the other hand, when someone is surrounded with this type of technology, I guess it would be really hard to formulate your own opinions about things. I am so glad that I have bee brought up with a lot of technology, but I still feel that I can make my own opinions about things.
When it comes to having a GPS in the car I think it is a great idea, if you are going on a road trip or you not sure where you are going. My family was thinking about buying a GPS because we always get lost. If we do get one, then we will not learn how to navigate by ourselves, we will be dependent on the computer. This day in age, people rely on computer systems way too much. When it comes to school work, students rely on calculators to do their math homework and Google and Yahoo to find information from.
When David Brooks said, “I read in a piece by Clive Thompson in Wired that a third of the people under 30 can’t remember their own phone number. Their smart-phones are smart, so they don’t need to be. Today’s young people are forgoing memory before they even have chance to lose it.” This made me think about how many people rely on their cell phones. Computers can break; if they break these people are going to be so lost. I know when I broke my cell phone, I could not really function. I could not remember peoples’ phone numbers and plans I had stored in my phone. I do know the phone numbers of my family and emergency numbers, but other than that I could not remember. I just could not believe people could not remember their own phone number. I think that everyone should still know the important everyday information. If we just give-up memory, I do not think we are going to be as smart as we are today. I think that memory is what makes us smart, being able to hold information for tasks that need to be done. We cannot just rely on computers. If you think about it, humans make the computers, so the computers can be only as smart as the creator. Yes, I know technology is developing and becoming more complex, but if we let technology become smarter than humans what is our future going to look like? I personally do not like the idea of letting technology become smarter than humans. People need to be able to think for themselves and just go to a computer when they are stuck and cannot figure it out. If you are lost then turn on the GPS and figure your way back, only use computers when you cannot use your own brain.
This article “The Outsourced Brian” by Brooks is very interesting and slightly amusing. Brooks talks about how he loves the fact that he is becoming less knowledgeable because of technology and he is proud of that. He thinks that it is a good thing that he does not have to remember or learn as much now. Brooks talks about how he is in love with his G.P.S. system and loves that he does not need to remember directions because he can just plug in the destination and the G.P.S. will get him there. I personally do not have a G.P.S. system in any of our cars at home so I have not experienced this first hand. I feel like he is using the G.P.S. well. I know that if I did have a G.P.S. I would definitely use it because I use google maps now to get directions to different places that are not in my city. If I go to Columbus I use Google, but not every time only if I have not been there more enough to remember where I am going. Sometimes, though, I still print off directions just in case I forget. The Google directions are kind of like a safety net for me, so I can see why he likes the G.P.S. system so much. I personally would not like to solely rely on the G.P.S. though because it could malfunction or something so I would still try to remember where I was going and how to get there. I do not think I would go as far as Brooks and just forget all directions because I do not trust the system not to break down on me or malfunction and not turn on. These things happen and that is why people cannot solely rely on technology. I mean of course it is great to have and very helpful but it is not reliable. You always need a backup plan. If people give up trying to remember directions what is next. I think that technology is great but it is starting to make people feel like they do not need to know certain things like directions, for example, when in all reality one day their G.P.S. is not going to work and they are not going to know how to get to a very important meeting. I think that people need to be aware of how much they are letting technology run their lives. It is not a smart idea just to let it be your brain. You have to know things. Of course technology is helpful but it should not be the only thing people rely on. Technology is never certain. Sometimes it gives the wrong answer. People have to be aware that it is giving the wrong answer and know how to get around the wrong answer. What are people going to do if they stop remembering things and all of a sudden there is a huge system malfunction and no one has internet for a week. That week are those people going to be able to get to work? Are they going to be able to survive in their job without the resources of Google or Wikipedia? We have to be able to do things without the help of computers even though it is nice and a lot easier to handle and a lot less to remember on our part. We should be able to think for ourselves and remember things that are important.
I think Brooks makes a valid point by saying that technology is controlling our lives. With the help that new technologies are giving us, I think that the general population is becoming less smart or lazier. With the development of GPS in cars now, people do not have to rely on maps and do not have to really think at all. People can just push a couple of buttons and have the directions to go anywhere in the world. People don’t have to learn to read maps or compasses, a computer does that all for you. On Itunes it suggests music that it thinks that you will like from your pervious selections. People don’t even have to listen to the radio or go sample music to see what they like. We now have a computer that tells us what we should listen to. I think people are losing individuality when computers try and tell us what we like. Also with students and spell check and how students now are not as good of spellers than that of ten years ago. People might be relying too heavily on technology to make day to day tasks easier. I don’t know if I would ever want to give up my latest technological gadgets. My cell phone has all my friends phone number, no of which I know, so I would be lost without it. I look forward to the new advancements, but sometimes its scary to think about how lazy the world could actually become from the new technology.
While I partly agree with Brooks’ point of view I believe he’s exaggerating a bit and is only representing a small part of today’s population. It’s still possible to function and go about everyday life without all the luxuries of electronics, and many people do. I disagree when Brooks said no one knows any of their friends’ numbers because they can just press a button on their phone to be connected to them. I have all of my close friends’ numbers memorized. Brooks is hinting that people today are lazy and I don’t like the way he goes about proving his point. As a defense for the people who do let techonology somewhat take over their life. Technology is so available and easy to use. It’s not that people are lazy, in fact it’s just the opposite. People are able to get more done in a shorter period of time with technology today. And technology does not make a person by molding them. It broadens people’s horizons. Just because someone has to google something does not mean that they have a bad memory, the more a person is reminded of something the more likely they are to always remember it and google is so fast and easy, it’s probably helping peoples memories. I strongly disagree with Brooks when he states that iTunes basically picks the music for you stating what you will or won’t like. Brooks failed to mention websites like pure volume which allow you to look up any band that you want and also provide you with other bands that sound like the band you’re listening to that you may like since they sound alike. This is not telling people what music they like and forcing them to listen to it, it providing them with a broad range of bands that they MAY like. Although I agree with some of Brooks’ ideas most of them I think are very broad and not very well supported. Just because some people rely very heavily on technology does not mean today’s entire society is depending on it and are completely lost without it. Technology is very useful and helps people easily do everyday tasks quickly. And though I admit when I see commercials for unbreakable digital cameras for toddlers I wonder where technology is headed but for the most part I believe people are not lazy, they just want to get as much done in as little time possible and technology helps them to do so.
Greg H. said...
After reading this article I agree completely with Brooks. Many people today are externalizing almost everything they do. But like Brooks, I don't necessarily see why that is a bad thing. Why read a map when you could plug in two addresses and have it do it for you? Why solve long calculus problems by hand if you could use a calculator? The whole point of developing technology is to make things easier. I believe that this is a wonderful thing. As long as people are able to keep a mind of their own and still be able to do it by hand, then I don't see a problem with that as long as people don't become lazy and expect technology to do everything for them. But it would also be stupid to do something the harder way when you could do it the easier way. Why cut the lawn with scissors when you have a lawn mower? Brooks brings up a very good point when he says that we don't really have a mind of our own, but just a part of a large mind where we get all our ideas and knowledge. One thing I did realize while reading this article is that it does have potential for making the reader uncomfortable. It makes you wonder where the world will end up if everyone relies on technology and loses their independence. It forces the reader to ponder questions such as will the majority of jobs today become obsolete because of technology? I can see both sides to a situation. As long as people don't lose a mind of their own then I don't see anything wrong with using technology. But with that society has to realize that technological things do malfunction, and if an event like this occurred, they would need to make sure they were independent enough where they would not have a break down or have a change of plans, because if that were the case, then I would say that person should reassess their thinking.
Like Brooks, I definitely think under those circumstances, technology is a good thing and the benefits will far outweigh the negatives.
I don’t argue the fact that a ton of people today are dependent on technology. But I don’t think it’s taking over their life. There is a degree to where technology is affective in a person’s life. Sure it can help you in your lost like the GPS in a car but the decision is ultimately yours to make.
If you need a GPS to get you from point A to point B every time you get in a car then you have a serious problem. People need to learn a sense of direction, I would think it takes more time to type in your destination then listen to its commands, or you could just learn for yourself and get in your car and go.
Having your iPod telling you what music you like is just stupid. Sure it can rank your songs by the amount you listen to them but that’s about it. People’s likes and dislikes change all the time and an iPod cannot keep up. We should be able to decide for ourselves if we like this song or that song and buy the one we like. Have we grown so dependant that we need our iPod to tell us what we like? It’s a serious step in the wrong direction if so.
In the end technology is very useful to us and can make our lives easier. But it can only go so far to control our lives. People are fully capable of making their own choices and if those choices are wrong so what? That’s how we learn.
Technology sometimes can stop our leaning. In our society today we are so consume to depend in different things like cell phone with all kind of features to G.P.S. system that in some ways make our lives easier but in the process it takes away our learning. You can see this because for example you can have the G.P.S. system in your new car and this way you move around but if someday you are in someone else’s car and he need directions to a place that you normally go using the G.P.S. will you able to give him directions. This is an example of how we stop learning a how technology sometimes replaces the brain. This is not the only example of technology today taking the place of the human brain look at the new I phone ho doesn’t want one I comes whit all kind of features like Google earth , stocks, and video voicemail this way you can view the person without having to be next to it . The point imp trying t make here is that technology also is separating the relationship of human to human because today you don’t have to be next to the person to have a visual conversation you have webcams that allow this. So technology is imp some ways helping globalization but in other cases hurting human kind. Because we don’t have the necessity of taking the time to write down a phone number our phones now save them and we don’t have to memorize a lot of things like in the past because we can save them in our computers that in the in the long run replaces our brains. So we have to stop and think until what point we are willing to let technology replace ourselves and our ability to learn.
Brooks made alot of very good points and I agree with him. Electronic gadgets have done nothing but make things easier for us. I don't think that they're a bad thing, nessacairly. I, personally, would no go out and purchace a GPS unit because i think its just foolish to pay that much money for directions when they are so easily acquired. I feel that electronics have made people think less and rely on their gadgets to think for them. I don't let gadgets rule my life but I do allow them to make things more convienent. I still do all my thinking for my self, I just let the gadgets make the thinking easier.
I use technology constantly, but I am not on it as much as David Brooks. I use my cell phone and laptop constantly. If I need anything, I can look it up on my phone or laptop. Even stupid things that I would use the television for such as the weather, I can now do in a second. I go to Google, and type the city & weather. Instantly, I can get the weather, which I would have to use the television for. We don’t even need newspapers. If we want to see an article or anything, all we have to do is go to the website. Everything is at our hands.
Many people have trouble dealing without technology. I know a lot of people that are addicted to their blackberries, such as my dad. He runs basically his whole business through his phone. He makes appointments, schedule, address book, emailing, getting directions, and etc. There have been two different incidents where we have been on vacation, and the phone either was broke or something has happened to it where he needed a new phone. As soon as he realized there was something wrong with the phone, he immediately was trying to find a new one. My dad couldn’t even wait until we got back from our vacation. He either went to the store or had to get it shipped on express to our condo.
I don’t think it is good to have people that addicted to technology. For some instance that there was a blackout or massive power outage, people would not be able to adapt or know what to do. Basically everyone uses technology for everything. Anymore we don’t even realize what we do. These days’ people have panic attacks if they don’t have their Blackberry or Palm Pilot. I think our society needs to change a little so we are not surrounding our whole society or our whole lives on technology. The only thing that is a backup to technology is more technology.
According to David Brooks article "The Outsourced Brain" I do believe that people have become very reliable on technology. The article describes the how the author does not need to remember some of the trivial things in life as directions due to the advancement in technology. Nowadays there are many people who depend on technology that they do not think anymore. Now the majority of people have GPS systems in their cars which they are very enormous useful when you do not know where to go. When people get lost, they do not look around them to figure out where they are. In this generation people are lazy that they do like to spend time to find out whatever they want. People do not remember phone numbers because our phones have address books. Students do not need to go to the library anymore to find out books due to almost everything they need is online. Computers can store tons of information and provide it with a click of a mouse. Although technology has negative effect in our lives, it makes our lives much easier. People should use their mind to memorize anything rather than relying on the technology because technology may affect their lives. With technology people can communicate much easier, expand their relationships, improve business, and education. Technology is a great thing because it has a lot of benefits which help our lives to do many things much easier.
Brooks has presented an eye opening perspective for many readers. Brooks talks about the externalization of the mind. However I do not have the same perspective that Brooks has. Brooks talks about his own personal experiences of having a G.P.S. in his car and how he simply chooses to not pay attention to where he is in the city but just what the G.P.S. is telling him to do. I believe that even with a G.P.S. you still have to pay attention to details while driving and observe where you are. I’m not sure if I agree with what Brooks has to say about how technology is taking away from what and who we are. Even though technology is continuing to advance people are still able to choose for themselves. Brooks talks about his mind is externalized to the point that he simply choose what is on his ipod because Itunes tells him what is good. I don’t believe that for a second no matter what itunes says is popular does not mean you have to download it people still have the choice in what they do and what they like. There is no possible way that technology is causing a decay in memory. I’m pretty sure that people under the age of 30 are able to remember their own number and others. His article is the effects of technology on his life and not on others.
I think Brooks makes very many good points in his article. I know exactly what he is talking about because my dad has grown to be a huge fan of his own G.P.S. system. He hasn’t had his for more than a year but he already refers to his own as Betty. When we go on long trips and my dad uses her, it is hilarious how he actually talks to her like it’s a real human being. The first thing he does when we get into the car is plug her in, stick her on the window and type in where we’re going.
Even though people, now-a-days, might be relying on technology for anything and everything, I do find that they are very helpful. Just like Brooks mentioned in his article, my dad types in almost every address he has to get to. When they were out here for Parents Weekend, we wanted to find the closest grocery store and he was able to look it up on “Betty”. The GPS comes in handy for more than just directions. You can type in if you’re looking for close hotels or restaurants and it will give you a whole list of the closest places.
What Brooks said about I-Tunes, I feel is correct. A lot of people might not have ever heard of half the people they download but if they think the song sounds good, they’ll download it. Also, what he said about Google is very true. Personally, whenever I’m unsure of something or need to do research, I immediately turn to Google. I don’t think I’m alone in this category either, for most college students favorite research database is Google.
Although some people are continuing to complain about technology “taking over the world”, I am thankful for some of the stuff I have. I don’t have it at my own house, but I’ve talked to people who have TiVo and it sounds so simple and so convenient. With the GPS, being able to get directions to anywhere with a push of a button is much easier than using MapQuest because that has proved to be incorrect at times. Students these days rely on technology in more ways than one and for the people who are complaining about having too much technology available to us, I’m sure they all have at least one of the things Brooks mentioned in his article.
I think that people do take things like their GPS systems for granted. I have only used GPS once so I don’t have much experience with that but one thing that I do depend on is the navigational arrows in cars. It is always nice when someone says to turn west and you have to know which direction west is. This is when it is very helpful to navigational arrows. I pride myself on knowing where I’m going and then getting there without many mishaps. I am someone who has a very good sense of direction, I just love directions in general. GPS takes this love of direction away from me so I don’t know if I would ever like to have it in a car that I drive. Whenever I get lost, which does happen to everyone on occasion, I just use the navigational arrows and think of it as just another adventure. I once spent an extra hour driving somewhere when it should have only taken me 45 min but this was so much fun and I became closer to the people in the car with me. It’s all on how you look at technology on whether it is good or not. You shouldn’t let your life be controlled by it. One thing that I am guilty of is storing phone numbers in my cell. I used to know everyone’s number that I called, but then when I got a cell and all of my friends already had one, I didn’t take the time to memorize everyone’s cell number. I still remember most of their home numbers however, which can also be very helpful. I also pride myself on remembering people’s birthdays. Usually if someone tells me that it is their birthday, I will remember the day and then I will wish them a happy birthday when it comes around. Facebook has taken this away from me because there is that stupid little section on the home page that tells you when people’s birthdays are. This disappoints me because it makes me feel less special when I actually remember someone’s birthday and other people just use the technology of Facebook to ‘remember’ their birthdays. Technology can be a good thing and make our lives much easier but it should be taken with a grain of salt as far as if we should take away our pride of remembering things for technology.
The Outsourced Brain by David Brooks is one of the greatest articles that I have read in a while. I am very thankful that you assigned reading it as a blog. It is not only how it is written that makes it great but the fact that everything that is said in the article is completely true and most people cannot disagree with all the statements that were made.
It is extremely true what Brooks is saying about how people are no longer becoming smarter with technology but in fact are becoming dumber. He explains that everything that people used to have to remember before they no longer have to. There is something that can always figure things out for you whether it is getting directions or solving a math problem. No longer is it necessary for a person to learn how to read a map or even learn their times tables.
One of the things that I enjoyed most in reading this article was how much I related to it. All the things that he had mentioned people using so that in reality they don’t have to think at all but just push buttons I do myself. I am not proud of the idea that I have become dependent on something that is run by two AA batteries but it does show the advancement of technology in society. It is not a good thing at all that people no longer have to think on their own and I am sure it leads to a less intelligent person if all they do is rely on technology. The advancement in technology for the individual can have a devastating in pact but for society as a whole it shows how advanced we have come since such inventions such as the wheel.
The Outsourced Brain by David Brooks is an amazing article that identifies a lot of what society has become when it comes to the advancement in technology. The advancement of technology can be a negative effect on the individual because no longer is it necessary to think, but the advancement of technology on society as a whole shows how far we have come.
“Outsourced Brain” by David Brooks was a very interesting. He makes some crazy, unthinkable points, but then once you think about it, he is right. Our society today is becoming too dependent on the new technology out in the market; it is kind of scary. To some extent I think he is right, as freaky as that sounds. Of course I do not want this to be true that we are losing our memory, personal information, and music taste. Technology has taken a tool on our society. Let’s take my brother for instance. He never really has a favorite anything because it changes so frequently. He changes from one kind of music one week to the totally opposite kind the next week. He spends all his time on the computer either on myspace, facebook, you tube, or a crazy game called world of war craft. I think is does mess with your brain power a little bit. I feel like he is remembering the wrong things. Brook uses the term “externalized” to mean he does not need to use his brain for it anymore because some electronical devices will do it for him. For example his lovely GPS, he says that he does not know how to get anywhere because he always waits to type in the address he is going just to hear the famine voice of his GPS. Whereas, prior to technology advances people would often stress over how to get from point A to point B. The statement he says at the end: “I am one with an external mind” really gets to me because well it is kind of sad that we rely so heavily on other things that we do not stop and think hey, you know what my brain can do this too. Nope, we just let the sometimes quicker option of technology take control and tell us what different songs that we might like because we like this other song. Then we start listening to song that are made by artist that we have never heard before, which means we do not know what the artist stand for. I think I fall into this trap of technology too sometimes, especially with facebook and myspace. I always talk to my friends online and seldom actually get together with all of them and discus different things. This means then that our conversation is then on the web for anyone to read, which is kind of scary and the reason why there are more pedophiles now a days.
David Brooks’ article, The Outsourced Brain, makes a very valid point that people have become very reliant on technology. However, I think there are certain aspects that he is correct about and on the other hand he is wrong about others. He talked about people’s reliance on G.P.S and I think he has a huge point there. He is right people have used the G.P.S so much that people are becoming less and less aware of directions. He also said that people are really attached to their blackberry’s, which just so happens to be very true. In the past people were attached to their cell phones but over the years that has evolved to the blackberry, which seems to dictates people’s lives.
However, he also said that the internet was the downfall of people’s memories, which I think is a little bit unfounded. Personally if I do not know something I look it up on the internet but then I remember it. Sometimes even in my free time I look up random things on the internet that I do not know about and I read up on them to gain a broader understanding of them. If anything I think that the internet has helped the memory of people. It takes time to look things up and in all honesty I do not think that people want to just keep looking things up over and over.
Brook’s article, in my opinion, has some truth to it and some lack of truth to it. People truly have begun to focus a great amount on technology. However, I would not say that technology has contributed to the downfall of people’s memory.
This was a very good article because it shows that the world really does rely solely on technology to run our lives. Then main way that we function is by the way that technology lets us function. I would be curious to see what would happen if all of the technology was disabled for one day. There would a mass panic because everyone doesn’t know what to do with themselves because let’s face it no one could live would technology because it would be chaos. A good example of this would be the millennium because it was scare that computer systems are going to shut down and everything would be lost.
Each person relies on many different parts of technology everyday of their lives because it is an easier way to live. No one says that they would like to live their lives harder than they have to. I this article it talks about how this man uses his GPS and different hardware to make a traveling experience simpler because who would want to figure out where to go when something will do it for you. Also, the money that people make from selling these products are swimming in money because everyone buys them because everyone has to have the latest and greatest technology.
We have all of this technology that runs our lives; I think that we should respect it because it could make our lives a lot harder if we didn’t have it. I know that when I went to other countries to travel that didn’t have some of the things that we have here in the United States it made it complicated to function because I was so used to working with something all of the time. Technology also should be praised for all of the advances that we have taken for making our lives multiple times better than it would be without it. Medical advances have depended on technology to get better and make a difference in the world every day.
This article is very realistic. The beginning of the article begins almost creepy. The author begins by telling us about his devotion and “love” for his GPS. Due to recent technology, it becomes much easier to find compatibility and companionship with electronic objects. People, like the author, lose themselves to items such as blackberry’s and GPS systems. I recently read an article that scared me quite a bit. It was about a toy that was just invented and it is a robot that looks just like a child, called Zeno. It learns to talk, walk, and do anything a normal child would do, plus it can make facial expressions. This disturbs me a little bit, especially when people feel so passionately about their GPS systems. Someone could start to actually think that this toy is his or her child and become severely emotionally attached to it. After the author describes his emotional attachment to his GPS, he goes on to talk about how technology is letting people think less. I think this is a very true statement. Today’s society is letting their equipment remember things for them. People do not have to remember their schedule because they can put it in a palm pilot; they do not have to remember other people’s phone numbers because it can be stored on their phone. I think that this is overall a good thing. Being able to store this type of information takes a lot of stress of off people and lets them think about more important things in life. It gives people a well needed break because society has also become much more time orientated and it seems like there are never enough hours in the day. By being able to store certain information, it lets people relax a few more seconds out of the day and not stress because they are afraid of forgetting about a certain event. I do not think that people are not thinking less but they are able to think about matters that are more important and that is very useful in today’s society. Technology is a great and really helps people, but technology like Zeno may go too far.
Brooks has a touched on a point that I believe will be the downfall of the human race, our dependence on technology. My family just bought a new BMW with voice command GPS. They tell me it’s making their life easier as well as keeping them safer on the highways.
Just the other day I had to choose from pizza take out or Chinese, I stopped and thought about it for a while. My life is laid out for me I really don’t have to do much of anything when it comes to food, laundry, communication, or entertainment, the basic essentials of the college student.
Brook’s touches on the fact that technology is a need of ours, we depend solely on our fast food and cell phones that we forgot about the satisfaction in hard work. Nothing can really remove our dependence on technology so we might as well accept the fact that we are all going to someday go extinct.
I completely agree with Brooks’s point of view on the issue of college applications. And I feel that it is only a matter of time before someone realizes that this discrimination of people who are not as wealthy as others and this is not fair. It is not fair to the kids who really are very bright but do not get into the college of their choice because some kids who may not be as smart as the others but have more money get in. This is not fair for anyone, but the colleges may disagree because it does get the college more money because they are not only getting money from the kids who pay for tuition but also all the kids who want to pay to get into that particular school. So for a college it helps to be a prestigious school that has a lot of kids who want to get in and not a lot of spots because then there is a better chance of someone wanting to pay their way in. I think that this is a form of discrimination on people who don’t have heaps of money which is not fair to any student. I think that something should be done to stop this because it is not fair to anyone and I don’t know exactly who should stop it but it should be stopped. This is going to sound really bad but I don’t really have anything else to say about the matter I think it’s wrong and should be stopped but that’s all I really can say. And I defiantly agree with what Brooks has to say about this startling issue.
This article which is written by an opinion journalist for the New York Times, David Brooks, is very interesting to say the least. I believe that the point that brooks is trying to make is that people including him are dependent too much on new types of technology. Brooks uses himself as an example; he says that as soon as he got a GPS system in his car he feels in love with it. But then after two weeks of having the GPS system, brooks realized that he was too dependent on it. I can definitely relate to what brooks has to say here. For example, my TI 89 graphing calculator, this calculator can basically do everything for me except show me the work that I need to do for each step in a math problem. But I have become so dependent on the calculator, but I did not realize this dependency until I was forced to do homework and take test without it. This year I am taking a math course, where we are forced to not use and calculator and it is a struggle for me because, one I am not a very good math person and two, I cannot have my calculator. Every problem that I seem to do is a struggle and I question my answer, a question that I would not ask myself if I was using my calculator.
I think another point in the article here is that Brooks wants to make the point that people in today’s society are too dependent on technology, that is not necessarily a bad thing but it is just a way of life, it is based on the society that we live in. Brooks uses the example that people do not have to remember all that they used to because now if you don’t remember something you can search it on Google, wikepida, or ask.com.
I would agree with what Brooks has to say in his article. I believe that anymore we as humans are dependent on technology are relying way too much on it. From his examples that Brooks uses about his G.P.S. to his blackberry, it is true that we rely too much on our technology. I’m not fortunate enough to have a G.P.S. in my car and I solely resort to mapquest or verbal directions, however; both of those are still forms of technology that I am dependent on. The internet and cell phones today are the most important means of communication, and as more technology spreads and develops so does the risk of global disasters such as terrorists and new wars being fought. It is sad anymore today, most people don’t even know their friends or those they have to contacts phone numbers. I believe that phone books are something of the past since most everybody has over 200 contacts which whom most don’t even speak too. For me I remember my families numbers, as well as my close friends and at times if I have a significant other, but besides that I am lost.
With technology advancing and us becoming more dependent on it I feels as if Brooks is warning us that what we are so dependent on life will eventually become our downfall. Not only is it technology but it is also the drive from the media to have the best and to be the best. He gives good examples when he talks about how all he has to do is log onto iTunes and have them tell Brooks what songs he likes. I agree with what Brooks has to say, but as advancements in technology continues so does are dependency and there is no signs of slowing.
At first I thought this article was another piece of evidence that shows that Americans are becoming lazy people. But Brooks makes a void defense in saying that this technology gives us more space in our minds to take in more information since the creation of these things that do simple thinking for us. For example, I thought having turn-by-turn directions to a place that a person visits daily is lazy and a waste to have, but if that person has other more important things to think about while unconsciously thinking about how to get to point B, they may miss a turn or get off track with their thinking. I personally still don’t see the point in paying extra money for a G.P.S system because I can get directions on my phone or off of Map Quest. I guess it is because I have been taught to be a penny-pincher that I don’t see why this invention is needed. Although there are in fact some people who are just horrible with directions. They on the other hand vary well may need this invention, especially if they are not capable of driving while thinking. This invention makes me wonder. Have there been any accidents caused by it?
I feel that what Brooks had to say about our worlds dependence on technology is correct. Everyone has a cell phone, computer, car, TV, DVD player, MP3, and so much more. I agree with Brooks when he says that people are becoming extremely relant on technology to get by. Personaly I can't go very long without my cell phone or the computer. My mother has become obsesed with her GPS system. She is completely unable to go any where without it. Even if she knows where she is going and has for years she puts it on. I admit it has come in handy when we are trying to find a place to eat or if we hit traffic it gives us another route to take. In my own life i am able to be a witness to the relience on technology.
Having a cell phone i feel is something tha is necessary in this day in age. It is extremely convent to have a communcation device on you at all times. The fact that you are able to be reached at nearly anytime in the day is a true convence. It is also a very safet thing to have for your protection. When someones car breaks down you can call a tow truck, if a crime is being commited or someone his hurt you are able to call 911 imediately and get a fast response. IT is also nice to no longer not be able to memorize everyone numbers. Even before cell phones people would carry around phone books for just that reason, and now that you can have it all programed in your phone it is that much more convent.
When Brooks talks about how we are memorizing less i feel he is not really understanding the benefit of this. By not having number memorized or addresses and the such we are simply leaving room in our mind to rememember things that are more important. Technology has an effect on everyone on a day by day basis, somepeople claim they can live without it but i feel it someothing that once you have it would be very hard to give up.
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