Digital Dementia
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Richard Andrew x64 wrote:
Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
Nope, I've always relied on technology, so I just never developed them! :laugh: More seriously, I've never been good at rote memorization. I can learn processes fine, but lists of raw information (e.g. phone numbers, dates) just don't stick. But in a world where internet access is becoming ubiquitous, that may be the more valuable skill to have anyways. Having access to that much information isn't any good if you don't know what to do with it. But, I'm not really sure about that article, how does it relate to video games? I can understand people becoming mentally reliant on smart phones, but video games don't really fill in any gaps in what we use our brains for (except maybe imagination?). They're just a way to fill empty time. (Which of course could be something our brains need, but it doesn't seem to make that connection in the article.) If anything, I would think gamers might develop stronger attention spans, the part of the brain they claim is going unused as a result. Personally, they're one of the few things I can concentrate on, the rest of the time my brain is wandering everywhere else.
I think, generally speaking, that programmers and engineers are better at working things out than they are at memorising facts. For instance, I always did well at maths and other subjects that involved problem solving. I was absolutely hopeless at history, geography and languages because they relied on memory. Of course, the really intelligent folk, unlike myself, can do both.
I may not last forever but the mess I leave behind certainly will.
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
Actually, I've noticed the opposite: As I've gained understanding of the accumulation of technology around us, I've gotten sharper. Indeed, it's been a survival necessity.
One of the underappreciated aspects of the tech explosion is that it's tended to cross-cut Mankind's principal advantage over the lower orders: adaptability. Learning is about adaptation. We incorporate knowledge and behavioral consequences that flow from it to cope with the challenges and hazards around us. However, a great part of the tech proliferating around John Q. Public has subtly insulted that human asset. In effect, it's said to us, "You don't need to be that alert and adaptable. We the swaddling technological environment will learn your oddities and needs, and adapt to them!"
This is not good -- and not because all the tech might disappear some day and leave us dependent on ourselves once again. If we succumb to the "guidance of the machines," (Cf. John Sladek, "This Happy Breed") we will eventually surrender the greater part of our freedom to choose.
To function independently, and at a high level, in the tech-suffused 21st Century, it's become necessary to:
- Take note of the arrival of a new item of tech around us;
- Learn its range of available states and what causes it to enter each of them;
- Acquire new states of our own that are prior and superior to those of the emergent tech.
If we wish to continue to be the masters of our own affairs, this is mandated by the Law of Requisite Variety. And I so wish.
(Yes, I'm quite serious. Consider the hash "smart traffic lights" have made of previously predictable and easily negotiated urban driving patterns, because so many people have failed to acquire new adaptations by which to place the driver in command of them. That's just one example.)
(This message is programming you in ways you cannot detect. Be afraid.)
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
I have been wondering about that myself for several years now. I just can't be sure if the liquor or the digital dependence are to blame.
To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems - Homer Simpson ---- Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction - Francis Picabia
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
"I think we're becoming a generation of avid categorisers, we no longer retain the information we consume, but we know where to find it." This is something a friend and I talked about not so long ago it and we came up with the statement above.
Simon Lee Shugar (Software Developer) www.simonshugar.co.uk "You can be a king or a street sweeper, but everybody dances with the grim reaper" - Robert Alton Harris
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
Richard Andrew x64 wrote:
Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
Much on the contrary: I feel that technology has allowed me to leverage what mental abilities I do have, while compensating for those I lack (rote learning, mostly). It's just like Dr. Kusanagi [^] said: "The machines (...) are the hands and we are the head. Only together do we make humanity."
"Whereas smaller computer languages have features designed into them, C++ is unusual in having a whole swathe of functionality discovered, like a tract of 19th century Africa." -- Verity Stob http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/05/cplusplus\_cli/
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
Daily Mail wrote:
They say that teenagers have become so reliant on digital technology they are no longer able to remember everyday details such as their phone numbers.
Of course they won't memorize phone numbers! Why should they if their smart phones and computers are much more capable and reliable at performing that job for them? There's plenty of other stuff to remember, why waste valuable resources on stuff that modern devices can handle? Tomorrows news: "Cars cause degrade in chinese farmers' physical fitness" (because they drive to town rather than walk 10km every day in order to sell their stuff) And the day after: "Ticket machines degrade commuters' conversational skills" :doh:
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
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I think, generally speaking, that programmers and engineers are better at working things out than they are at memorising facts. For instance, I always did well at maths and other subjects that involved problem solving. I was absolutely hopeless at history, geography and languages because they relied on memory. Of course, the really intelligent folk, unlike myself, can do both.
I may not last forever but the mess I leave behind certainly will.
Herbie Mountjoy wrote:
I was absolutely hopeless at history, geography and languages because they relied on memory.
I had the same issues with history and geography, but I always assumed it was because I had no interest in them. Language has been a more divided thing for me. I can speak my own, and learning new ones hasn't posed much of a problem (of course, then I don't use them and forget, but that's a different issue), but I'm terrible at writing, poetry, and the detailed stuff like breaking down sentences into clauses, stressed/unstressed syllables, etc. Problem is, most schools teach languages with a focus on the stuff I never really grasped in English, which makes it a lot harder to learn another language in that setting. Stuff like Rosetta Stone feels a bit more natural to me, they don't even bother to explain it, they just throw you in and let your brain make the connections on it's own.
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If I don't use things on a regular basis, I forget how it works. Its usually very easy to remember how it works again and I just need a reminder, e.g. reading it again. That's my opinion anyways. I do feel that what out brains think are important to remember has shifted. Your brain probably thinks that it can solve simple arithmetic with a calculator so it doesn't require you to remember it anymore. It now focuses more on how to use a calculator. (just a simple example)
"Program testing can be used to show the presence of bugs, but never to show their absence." << please vote!! >>
I find myself adapting my strengths to the digital assistance. For example, I have a photographic recall of maps. But I get the maps from Google, so that I only have to remember the essential areas. As for 'digital dementia', I really .......c.....c.....not able say.
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
This seems pretty obvious. The old adage that "If you don't use it, you lose it" seems to be true. Most abilities or skills need practice or use to be maintained. Both the brain and the body seem to work this way. If I stop my weight training, my muscle mass decreases and my strength decreases. I use to know the whole Z80 instruction set by the numbers (god I'm getting old!), but that's a pretty useless skill these days so since I don't use it, I don't remember the numbers. Now if I could only figure out how to exercise hair!!
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This seems pretty obvious. The old adage that "If you don't use it, you lose it" seems to be true. Most abilities or skills need practice or use to be maintained. Both the brain and the body seem to work this way. If I stop my weight training, my muscle mass decreases and my strength decreases. I use to know the whole Z80 instruction set by the numbers (god I'm getting old!), but that's a pretty useless skill these days so since I don't use it, I don't remember the numbers. Now if I could only figure out how to exercise hair!!
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Nah, You don't want to exercise your hair, you want to relax your hair. Try a hair softener.
ssadler wrote:
god I'm getting old
Do you have any hair?
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I have some hair on the sides and back of my head. I think the hair that use to be on the top of my head has moved to my nose, ears and probably my rear. :)
There you go then. Talk to each strand. In a calm, soothing voice, as if they were spider plants or african violets, "there there now ..." "Grow my babies ..." "Take flight little ones ..." They need to relax. Softener is like, uhm, good for each strands' thin little soul. Sure it smells funny ... but be strong for them.
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
Yeah, it's tragic, kids these days don't even know how to scribe, perform arithmetic with Roman numerals, or navigate by the sun and stars. They're just so dumb. Technology doesn't dumb us down, it augments our abilities, and kids adapt to the new technology while the old luddites moan about how kids are no longer versed in now-useless skills. Remember that the original computers were people, sitting at desks with pencils and paper, performing menial calculations all day long. Did that make them smarter, or just better at paper calculations? Are we worse off now that machines do those calculations? The idea that technology is making people dumber is nothing new, and it's always been a bit ridiculous: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090921/0117016256.shtml[^] Actually, the real danger I see these days is that the over-emphasis on STEM is kicking the humanities to the curb. We may end up with a glut of mediocre engineers who are borderline illiterate.
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
Obligued xkcd comic[^] I have had always good memory, so actually I've seen an increase in my knowledge capabilities, having access to information I previously hadn't; I attribute this to the fact that I hadn't had access to technology early in my life, so I learned to go along without it.
CEO at: - Rafaga Systems - Para Facturas - Modern Components for the moment...
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
The problem with you young whippersnappers is that you've forgotten all about the mechanics when using your automobiles. You no longer know how to tear down the motor and replace the rings and set the timing. You just want to hop in your cars and go. Besides, you've completely forgotten how to tend to the leather saddles and bridles since you started using those self propelled buggies. The problem today is that young people no longer know how to string a bow, craft an arrow, make an arrow head and hunt down their own food. They depend on the food provided by others. That's what the article sounds like to me. A science fiction author (I'm thinking John W. Campbell, but I could be wrong) wrote a story about spacemen that land on a planet and find the inhabitants surrounded by astounding machines they now longer understand. The spacemen feel compelled to help the people try to regain their lost greatness. In the end they discover that the race has not lost their abilities to maintain their technology, they had advanced beyond the need for it. One of the spacemen points out to his fellow travelers that none of them know how to make a bow and arrow and yet they don't think they are disadvantaged because of it.
Psychosis at 10 Film at 11 Those who do not remember the past, are doomed to repeat it. Those who do not remember the past, cannot build upon it.
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Herbie Mountjoy wrote:
I was absolutely hopeless at history, geography and languages because they relied on memory.
I had the same issues with history and geography, but I always assumed it was because I had no interest in them. Language has been a more divided thing for me. I can speak my own, and learning new ones hasn't posed much of a problem (of course, then I don't use them and forget, but that's a different issue), but I'm terrible at writing, poetry, and the detailed stuff like breaking down sentences into clauses, stressed/unstressed syllables, etc. Problem is, most schools teach languages with a focus on the stuff I never really grasped in English, which makes it a lot harder to learn another language in that setting. Stuff like Rosetta Stone feels a bit more natural to me, they don't even bother to explain it, they just throw you in and let your brain make the connections on it's own.
Maybe the quality of teaching is also relevant. I recall the history and geography teachers at my school were always aggressive, sporty and prone to shouting, whereas the maths, physics and music teachers were more human and encouraging. As for languages, to this day I do not understand terms like pluperfect and genitive. Our teachers seemed to expect an instinctive knowledge of these things. You are absolutely right that having an interest in a subject is essential. We are lucky to be working in such an interesting profession.
I may not last forever but the mess I leave behind certainly will.
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
Absolutely. I can no longer remember 7-digit phone numbers long enough to transcribe them on the phone's number pad. On the other hand, I can remember a number of the easter egg key sequences for Windows 8, and I'm starting to remember at least a dozen of my more used random passwords, and I can remember all sorts of odd arcane stuff about every program I've used in the last 6 months and how to avoid their bugs or use their non-intuitive user interface. Seriously, my memory is no worse than it used to be (well, accounting for my aging), I'm just choosing to remember, or being forced to remember, far more other stuff. Its crowding out the stuff I used to keep memorized.
We can program with only 1's, but if all you've got are zeros, you've got nothing.
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'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain [^] I must confess there is some truth to this as far as I am concerned. I find myself having trouble with simple arithmetic that I normally used to be able to do in my head. Has anyone else noticed a decrease in their mental abilities due to relying on technology?
The difficult we do right away... ...the impossible takes slightly longer.
The only relevant change I notice is that I read almost no printed books now. This had me worrying about literacy especially when I began to find it difficult to find the words to express myself. Ironically, because I was always interested in Computer Science I turned to my computer for the solution. I took computer programming back up and sure enough, that is both analytical and creative enough to engage me and actually improve my cognitive functioning. I cannot say that would work for everyone, but I do think the solution to this problem is simply returning to an intellectually stimulating activity that you may have set aside at some time in your past.
