7editorial NevarmoreTHE

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Editor-in-ChiefSarah Collins

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NevarmoreTHE

Nevarmore Online Editor

Garrett Bird

Let’s Get Siri-ous About Technology

Facebook Depression

Google It

The sophomores have their noses buried in Chromebooks, but will the “technology way” lead to a life in the slow lane and a head-on collision? While technology continues to push the boundaries, our youth has hit a psychological and mental roadblock.

At any given time, you are likely surrounded by students with screens illuminating their faces. The ability to communicate face to face with peers has been compromised by the invention of texting. When there is a convenient way to reach everyone you know within seconds by cell phone, the easiest way to communicate is usually by text. Calls are a hassle, and texts mostly eliminate any potential awkwardness. A grammatically incorrect text has now replaced a physical conversion and even a phone call. But this positive celluar revolution has caused antisocial behavior.

According to the The New York Times, Gary Small, a professor and neuroscientist, has spotted a pattern in the ways that technology has caused teens to interact. He believes that kids who have grown up using their computers have great technological skills but lack skills for human interaction.

The New York Times also reported the ways in which social networking sites are facilitating those who might be shy or anti-social by presenting a bypass for face-to-face conversations. Many parents, including Laura Shumaker, a San Francisco Bay Area resident, have noticed this trend. Shumaker said that her son was much more reluctant to hold a conversation with someone without technology.

More Face Time

How does your “150 friends” compare to her “1,500 friends”? Could the competitive side of Facebook be drawing teens into depression?

According to “Docs Warn about Teens and ‘Facebook Depression,’” Dr. Gwenn O’Keeffe, the head of the American Academy of Pediatrics social media guidelines, believes that Facebook may be doing just that. O’Keeffe thinks that there are parts to the social media website that may be hurting teens with already low self-esteem. She also believes that because Facebook lacks the ability for users to understand context or tone, a distorted view of reality is presented.

In the same report, Dr. Megan Moreno, a University of Wisconsin adolescent medicine specialist, describes that the effect of Facebook is not the same for all. Those teens who are “well-adjusted” have no problem with the competitive aspects such as number of friends, pictures, and frequency of updates. However, teens who may not be “well-adjusted” may fall into “Facebook depression.”

When someone asks you a random question, is your immediate reaction to search for your smart phone and Google it? If so member, you most likely belong to the “Google Generation.”

After a study led by Betsy Sparrow at Columbia was conducted, Jonah Lehrer presented the information regarding Google and memory on Wired.com. He concluded, “If we know a fact is only a Google away, then we are not going to waste precious synaptic space on it. Better to let a server remember it.”

Betsy Sparrow of Columbia University shared the same research. She states, “We remember less through knowing information itself than by knowing where the information can be found.”

Many people, teens in particular, love the ease of just “Googling” the answer to a question. This may make everyday life easier, the process takes its toll on long term memory. How will we know how to solve bigger problems when we can’t use Google to find the answer? While technology is helpful, teens should also use analytical skills rather than turning to Siri at every bump in the road.

The Evolution of the Conversation

Face Time:

Caveman Style

Face Time:

1950s Style

Cartoon by Zawadi Mutisya

Today’s Face Time?