The PBS video Digital Nation really made me think about my generation and our "multi-tasking" abilities...or lack there of. Digital Nation, more or less, bashed our thoughts surrounding the idea that we are great multi-taskers. In all honesty, I think there is no such thing as a good multi-tasker. When we say, "Oh yeah, I'm a great multi-tasker. I go on facebook, check my flight info, write a paper, listen to music, and talk on the phone all at the same time". What we're really saying is "Hey, I get distracted". To me, it is not multi-tasking if your spreading your mind so thin over a bunch of different tasks and not focusing all your energy on one at a time.
Even now as I write this, I'm distracted. I'm talking to my friend, eating a bagel, sitting in a frat house where people are drinking and shouting, the hockey game is on, music is on downstairs, I'm texting on my phone, and amid all of this I'm tempted to go onto gilt.com and see what the sales are for the day. I know my blog post would be different, perhaps more in depth, if I locked myself in the bathroom-but this is my point. Maybe I get distracted more easily than the average person, so I'm not a good example. As random people are walking by me I'm asking them "Are you a good multi-tasker or do you get distracted easily?"
Here is my tally....
Good Multi-Tasker Easily Distracted
7 33
The questions I asked are as follows....
Me: "Hi, Can I ask you a question? Are you a good multi-tasker?'
Random College Students: Yes I am
Me: "So when your writing a paper, listening to music, going on facebook, and reading other things online you think your sufficiently multi-tasking or doing other things because you're distracted from your initial task?"
Random College Student: "If you put it that way, I guess, yeah, I'm distracted"
In all, 33 out of 40 students said the reason for their "attempted multi-tasking" is distraction.
Feb 27, 2010
Feb 13, 2010
A friend named...CABIN FEVER
Wow. Snow. Originally from New York, a snow storm like our recent 'Snowpocalypse' doesn't really phase me, but the city of Washington, D.C. really didn't know what hit them. Coming from a boarding school in upstate CT, I have never had ONE snow day in my life because everyone lived at school, even the teachers. So having a week off really excited me.
Until I met a friend named Cabin Fever.
Cabin Fever and I went a little crazy this past week, having absolutely nothing to do. Of course nothing was ever on TV, but that is where my computer and I became besties. I thought we were close before, but now I know we've taken our relationship to another level. For a week straight I actually visited the websites on my homepage and READ the articles, instead of just checking my facebook, e-mail, and gilt.com. I really delved into what the internet offers, and yes read many blog posts, to the point where my roommates kept stumbling upon me in my bed, for hours, while on blogger and asked "Ew why are you on myspace?" I realized that being stuck inside of my apt for more than 48 hrs straight really bites the big one, but if I didn't have my computer (not so much my computer, but the Internet) I really don't know what I would have done. It made me think what did the generations before us to when they were hangin' with Cabin Fever? And was whatever they were doing more beneficial than my week playdate with the internet? I really don't know, but it makes me think...
Feb 6, 2010
DIGITAL IMAGES. DIGITAL DIVIDE.
What is the Digital Divide?
Defined in words, it is a gap between societies that have access to information technologies, and those societies who do not.
This is one of the more abstract representations of the digital divide that I found. I believe it is showing how money is actually the motivating force helping other communities and societies that have yet to maintain stable technological progress. I think this image shows how we are using bit of manipulation in the process, that potentially is unnecessary. The ladder represents how the people will be able to make the jump in their own time, the more advanced communities (represented by the puppeteer) leave me wondering how much force we truly need to exert.
Defined in words, it is a gap between societies that have access to information technologies, and those societies who do not.
Easy right? One sentence. One meaning. Very straightforward.
What is more interesting though, is how many abstract meanings we can give it though images and art. What we really think when reading between the lines. We offer our assumptions and even stereotypes by the way we internalize it's definition, and hence relay it as a physical image. Are these forms of art helping bridge the divide by offering awareness? Or is it just the opposite, by potentially morphing people's views?
What does this image say to you? To me, it offers a stereotype of sorts. The communities that haven't reached the point of complete technological transgression are not still living in prehistoric times, and they're most developed tool isn't a log and a stick. I understand it connotes a sense of humor, but if this is our outlook, when will we see equality in the picture? And if other communities don't see us holding them in equal esteem, chances are they probably won't want our help.
This picture shows we are in the progress of bridging this divide. All forms of cultures, societies and communities are coming together to help close the gap. This gap is separating people and helping them hold assumptions, like the previous picture above. The gap, or divide, has been making progress but bridging the divide is a feat that is yet to be accomplished. This is a great image to exemplify if everyone puts in effort, we can unite all people.
What is more interesting though, is how many abstract meanings we can give it though images and art. What we really think when reading between the lines. We offer our assumptions and even stereotypes by the way we internalize it's definition, and hence relay it as a physical image. Are these forms of art helping bridge the divide by offering awareness? Or is it just the opposite, by potentially morphing people's views?
What does this image say to you? To me, it offers a stereotype of sorts. The communities that haven't reached the point of complete technological transgression are not still living in prehistoric times, and they're most developed tool isn't a log and a stick. I understand it connotes a sense of humor, but if this is our outlook, when will we see equality in the picture? And if other communities don't see us holding them in equal esteem, chances are they probably won't want our help.
This picture shows we are in the progress of bridging this divide. All forms of cultures, societies and communities are coming together to help close the gap. This gap is separating people and helping them hold assumptions, like the previous picture above. The gap, or divide, has been making progress but bridging the divide is a feat that is yet to be accomplished. This is a great image to exemplify if everyone puts in effort, we can unite all people.
This is one of the more abstract representations of the digital divide that I found. I believe it is showing how money is actually the motivating force helping other communities and societies that have yet to maintain stable technological progress. I think this image shows how we are using bit of manipulation in the process, that potentially is unnecessary. The ladder represents how the people will be able to make the jump in their own time, the more advanced communities (represented by the puppeteer) leave me wondering how much force we truly need to exert. You know the saying an image is worth a thousand words, so are we too afraid to verbalize the thousands of ideas we put into these pieces of art? Only time will tell.
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