tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456971920210651577.post8007233803470865769..comments2024-02-25T12:22:59.842-06:00Comments on A Catholic Citizen in America: The "Fast Web" Impairs Thinking — or — Fear and Phaedrus Ride AgainBrian H. Gillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209697542675181894noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456971920210651577.post-69773560313156010912014-02-26T12:44:58.776-06:002014-02-26T12:44:58.776-06:00Jordan Henderson,
Agreed, today's information...Jordan Henderson,<br /><br />Agreed, today's information tech does affect our brains. It wouldn't be much use if it didn't: since learning anything requires change in our neural circuits.<br /><br />It's possible that some folks are adversely affected by having access to large quantities of visual information.<br /><br />People are not identical. We've long since discovered that some of us are more likely to become addicted to substances: even to behaviors like eating or washing, although that isn't a strictly physical addiction.<br /><br />Individual differences affect me, in that I must drastically control my consumption of alcohol. An eighth of an ounce every decade or so, at events like weddings, isn't a problem for me, and neither is the more frequent celebration of Mass. But social drinking is something I simply must not do.<br /><br />The problem, however, in my case is not alcohol. It's how I interact with it. I have no problem with folks who enjoy a pint with the boys on a regular basis: and I certainly will not emulate Carrie Nation.<br /><br />I may be wrong about this, but I think individuals can still notice our personal strengths and weaknesses: and respond rationally to those perceptions.<br /><br />I think kevanlee is right: <b><i>learning</i></b> to deal with reality is a good idea.<br /><br />In the case of folks who discover that, no matter how hard they try, they simply cannot learn to control their behavior in shopping malls, movie theaters, parking lots - or the Internet - they should seriously consider avoiding those areas, virtual and otherwise.<br /><br />My opinion.Brian H. Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13209697542675181894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456971920210651577.post-81441336915529810402014-02-21T13:26:51.369-06:002014-02-21T13:26:51.369-06:00Really thoughtful take on this. Thanks for taking ...Really thoughtful take on this. Thanks for taking the time to read and post. It's cool to see things from this perspective - learn how to navigate the Internet rather than shutting it off.kevanleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03186626172952873494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456971920210651577.post-77858925354381750692014-02-21T13:26:22.106-06:002014-02-21T13:26:22.106-06:00Really thoughtful take on this. Thanks for taking ...Really thoughtful take on this. Thanks for taking the time to read and post. It's cool to see things from this perspective - learn how to navigate the Internet rather than shutting it off.kevanleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03186626172952873494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456971920210651577.post-7483936638763977822014-02-20T20:42:35.344-06:002014-02-20T20:42:35.344-06:00I don't think this is just ludditism or fear t...I don't think this is just ludditism or fear that new information technology will dull our abilities - the concern in Phaedrus.<br /><br />These are not the concerns of those who are reflexively suspicious of technology and Science, on the contrary, there is a growing body of research results that indicate that New Media is affecting our attention spans in dangerous ways. <br /><br />There's a lot about how attention spans have been negatively affected by Internet use in Nicholas Carr's book <i>The Shallows</i>. Here's an article that has some of this summarized.<br /><br />http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/ff_nicholas_carr/<br /><br />The article on the "Fast Web" adds the angle that decision making is directly and negatively impacted by information overload. We may be becoming more able to take in a lot of information quickly, but less able to make good decisions based on this information.Jordan Hendersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06586821482992546930noreply@blogger.com