SWA#2

            Nora Volkow says, “The technology is rewiring our brains.” In the context of Richtel’s article, this means technology is changing humans. We’re thinking and doing things differently. Proof of this is how we do things. The article talks about computers and cellphones; both have made life portable. Instead of having to sit and talk or work, we can do both on the move. “In 2008, people consumed three times as much information each day as they did in 1960” the article states. Adam Gazzaley also adds, “we are exposing our brains to an environment and asking them to do things we weren’t necessarily evolved to do.” This ties back to statements made in articles previously read, “Get Smarter” and “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” All three of these articles talk about the changes humans and the world are undergoing because of technology. We think differently also. Research has shown that multitaskers don’t actually focus on anything well.

            Richtel uses the family scenario to make the reader feel connected. Several times while reading I thought, “Hey, I do this” or “Yeah, mom does that all the time.” I think Richtel uses this connection to emphasize the importance of the issue because majority of people don’t want a family like the family displayed. The dad came close to losing several big opportunities, the mom can’t even bake cookies, and the “bonding time” is spent playing video games. Technology can’t even be escaped during family vacation; something my family is definitely guilty of. When the technologies were finally put away, everyone admitted to having a better time.

            Richtel uses the “myth of multitasking” to prove that multitaskers aren’t really that good at multitasking. Different experiments have been conducted using “heavy multitaskers” against “nonmultitaskers” and the results have shown that multitaskers are poor at multitasking. People considered as nonmultitaskers were able to focus more and be more efficient in the experiment. This doesn’t really change my opinion on multitasking because I was already aware of these experiments. I don’t claim to be great at focusing, but I don’t think multitasking is a problem for me.