One Final Experiment

I consider myself to be a fairly tech savvy person. I am constantly using my phone and computer for just about everything: social networking, school work, and entertainment. I am trying to keep up with technology as it evolves, but some times I think, "what's the point?" Younger generations will have more technological knowledge than the previous generation - there's no way to fight it. They have been born into a technological world, where as older generations can be viewed as immigrants or natives to technology.

We are currently in a technological shift: everything is going digital. For those who refuse to acknowledge technology and advance with it, will surely be left behind. But what about the immigrants and natives? Technology has never been a part of their world. For example, my grandparents are the most simple form of people. The technology they interact with is limited to the Tv (to watch Judge Judy and Soap Opera's), the telephone (no cellular device found here), the microwave (which is used solely for defrost) and the car. Besides that, they have no idea how to use a computer, a digital camera, or a cell phone. They rely on their past experiences and the simplicity of life to get by. Is this a bad thing?

I'm lucky to have a younger sister who is 15. She is, by definition, a young person. She is completely surrounded by technology. She goes to school where interactive whiteboards are found in almost every classroom (there are 2 in the library). Many students are equipped with their own laptops and carry them around like a purse (my sister included). All of the students own a cell phone, and all of the students have an ipod or some sort of music playing device. They are all so busy with all this technology that it's hard to believe that they can get any work done.

I love to watch my sister and friends interact. They are so fascinating! Their cell phones are permanently attached to their hands. In fact, they say that if they have their phones surgically removed, they will die.

One Final Social Science Experiement:

Question: What would happen if we take all modern technology away from a young person?
Modern Technology: cell phones, ipods, iPhones, computers and laptops, internet, Blackberries etc.
Purpose: To fully understand how dependent young people are on technology and whether or not they can survive without technology.
Hypothesis: If we took away modern technology from the young person, they wouldn't know how to perform any task.

I think that this would be an amazing experiment because we can talk about technologies take over all day long, but until we see its full effect we'll never understand why or how students have become so dependent on alternative texts and textual practices.