As I write this entry, I am listening to Elvis Costello on iTunes, and I keep getting the urge to Google, and tab over to my Facebook and newly acquired Twitter. There's a lot going on, and I can't really resist the urge to play some air drums. (C'mon, Big Tears, Radio Radio, anyone?) So is technology a distraction? I think it really depends on the person.
After reading Part II of Marc Prensky's article on digital natives, I had several thoughts. He bases his conclusions on the amount of time kids spend playing video games. He says that the hours kids spend with the games help reinforce "a very different blend of cognitive skills." I have never really played video games, not when I was a kid and not now. When later in the article Prensky states that "six hours is far less than a Digital Native would typically spend over a weekend watching TV and playing videogames," I thought, "I could never imagine spending that much time in front of a screen!" However, it would be an easy leap to say I spent at least six hours a weekend building with blocks as a kid. So, I may have developed cognitive skills that look different from the typical Digital Native.
Considering this while asking "Is technology a distraction?" begs the questions "What technology?" and "Distracting to whom?" The answer for myself is most technology, including "portable music," is distracting to me. I get too involved. I think I was conditioned to need solitude to focus.
After reading Part II of Marc Prensky's article on digital natives, I had several thoughts. He bases his conclusions on the amount of time kids spend playing video games. He says that the hours kids spend with the games help reinforce "a very different blend of cognitive skills." I have never really played video games, not when I was a kid and not now. When later in the article Prensky states that "six hours is far less than a Digital Native would typically spend over a weekend watching TV and playing videogames," I thought, "I could never imagine spending that much time in front of a screen!" However, it would be an easy leap to say I spent at least six hours a weekend building with blocks as a kid. So, I may have developed cognitive skills that look different from the typical Digital Native.
Considering this while asking "Is technology a distraction?" begs the questions "What technology?" and "Distracting to whom?" The answer for myself is most technology, including "portable music," is distracting to me. I get too involved. I think I was conditioned to need solitude to focus.
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