Digital Nation Journal

 

     The Digital Nation documentary talked about the different aspects of a ‘wired in’ generation. The documentary talked about college kids multi-tasking; using laptops, cell phones, and attempting to listen to the professor’s lecture. It also discussed the use of technology in the armed forces, the use of lap top computers in a failing high school, treating technology addiction, and the use of virtual meetings for business. I was drawn to the effects of technology on the students.

     In the beginning of the documentary a group of MIT students were asked if they were good at multi-tasking. Of course, they all believed they were good at multi-tasking. As an experiment the professor gave a simple quiz that the class should score 90% or higher if they had paid attention and not multi-tasked. The median score was 75%. The students were shocked when they received their scores and had to admit that maybe they were not as good at multi-tasking as they originally thought.  

     The documentary also focused on a failing high school with gang activity. The principle decided that every student should have a laptop computer. The teachers used technology to deliver their lessons. The student’s grades improved dramatically and the gang activity decreased dramatically.            

     I have been in the Information Technology field all of my working adult life. Many of the people I work with are ‘wired in’ 24X7. I have never felt the need to stay connected. Technology is a wonderful tool, but it should be used in moderation.