Modern Computer Systems are Detrimental to our Human Instincts
Lenny Miller
Post University

Dependence on Modern Computer Systems is Detrimental to our Human Instincts
With every year that passes, we are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. From the first punch card readers to the iphone 5, computers have had a profound and sustaining effect on humanity. Since computers were first used in the medical field in the early 1960’s, specifically in bio-engineering, the lifespan of the average American has gone up 9.6 years. Computers have essentially shrunk the size of the earth as we know it by aiding us in travel, navigation, communication, and networking. Long gone are the days of months-long voyages and correspondence by pen and paper, taken by ship or horseback. The amount of information made available by computers is vast and practically unending. For these reasons and more, it’s hard to discount the positive impact computers have had on society. However, over-looked in all the praise of computers is the fact that they have eroded our ability to function independently. From math abilities to social skills and the ability to navigate from point A to point B, the negative aspects of computers are starting to outweigh the benefits. Our dependence on modern computer systems is detrimental to our human instincts. How many times in your adult life have you been faced with a fairly simple mathematical equation, such as figuring out a 20% tip on a $50 restaurant tab, only to find yourself pulling out your cell phone calculator? You tell yourself, “This is easy math. I know how to do this,” yet even as an adult, your brain is conditioned to rely on a calculator because there’s never going to be a time when one is not available. Now imagine if you were introduced to calculators at age four and you always had a cell phone at arm’s reach. Computers have taken away our ability to do simple math after doing it in our heads for years. If you were conditioned to rely on computers at childhood, you never even had a chance. “A survey of more than half a million children done by the Sunday Telegraph showed that more technology is counter-productive in improving student achievement. It found that introducing children to computers from 10 years of age could have a detrimental effect and was associated with ‘modest but statistically significant and persistent negative impacts on student math and reading test scores.’" (Lam 2010)
Although the internet has only been around for a relatively small portion of time that modern computing as we know it has existed, it is safe to say that it has had the most impact on society. Go into a random on-line chat room and it won’t take long to find extreme examples of hate speech, derogatory language, and general anti-social behavior. “When communicators share a common social identity, they appear to be more susceptible to group influence, social attraction, stereotyping, gender typing, and discrimination in anonymous computer-mediated communications (CMC). Although CMC gives us the opportunity to traverse social boundaries, paradoxically, it can also afford these boundaries greater power, especially when they define self and group identity.” (Postmes, Spears, Lea 1998) What does this mean? It means that in an anonymous setting, the bad side of people tends to come out. We’re more likely to gang up on others, discriminate, and stereotype. It’s the ugly side of human nature and computers are responsible. Since the dawn of time, man has sought out ways to navigate the earth. Early Europeans used the stars to navigate the seas and explore new worlds. From there, man figured out latitudes and longitudes. He developed the astrolabe and compass. The development of navigation was as important to humanity as math and science. Simple navigation is an instinctual trait. Remembering how to get home after a hunt in the woods can sometimes come down to one’s inherent sense of direction. Unfortunately, modern computers have aided us in launching satellites into orbit around earth and have provided us with the interfaces that make it possible to pinpoint our location anywhere on the globe, using said satellites. It is unfortunate because we have come to rely on these global positioning systems to the point that we are incapable of navigating anywhere on our own. Much like the cell phone or calculator, we have become completely dependent on them and lost our sense of direction. “Montreal’s McGill University researchers reported that excessive GPS use can shrink your hippocampus, part of the brain that helps with spatial navigation.” (Howard 2010). While there are many applications in which computers aid us every day and have had a positive impact on humanity and society at large, there are also many downsides. Because our dependence on computers has negatively affected our ability to do math, hurt our ability to interact socially and in a civil manner, and literally impacted parts of our brain that help us with special navigation, our dependence on computers has had an overall negative impact on our instincts.

References
Lam, M. (2010). Computer use has ‘Persistent and Negative Impact’ on Child’s Maths, Reading Test Scores. The Sunday Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.news.com.au/technology/computer-use-has-persistent-negative-impact-on-childs-maths-reading-test-scores/story-e6frfro0-1225902566080
Postmes, T., Spears, R., Martin, L (1998). Breaching or Building Social Boundaries? Side-Effects of Computer-Mediated Communication. Communication Research December 1998 vol. 25 no. 6. Doi 10.1177/009365098025006006. Retrieved from http://crx.sagepub.com/content/25/6/689.short
Howard, E. (2010). Overuse of GPS may Deplete Brain’s Ability to Navigate on it’s own. Retrieved from http://www.medicaresolutions.com/blog/index.php/2010/12/overuse/