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Technology and Today's Society

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Submitted By avery1620
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English 101

What sort of influence does today’s technology have on our society? The youth of today are constantly immersed in technological advancements that promote nonstop communication and instant gratification, whether through cell phones, gaming systems, laptops, or MP3 players. But most people are asking, are these technological advancements a good thing? Some people believe that the growth of technology has negatively influenced the social interactions of today's youth because it isolates individuals from reality, hinders communication, and perpetuates the concept of immediate satisfaction. As Clay Shirky states in his article, “Cognitive Surplus”, given that there are around 4.5 billion adults worldwide, "we live, for the first time in history, in a world where being part of a globally interconnected group is the normal case for most citizens." There are positive and negative influences with everything, no matter what the topic. But to have a positive impact, it’s how you choose to use the power of today’s technology and how much influence you let it have on your everyday life.
Some of the negative influences that the constant use of technology has is it can hinder us from being in the moment, communicating and listening to the people around us, and how teens today constantly rely on their cell phones and the internet. As Maggie Jackson states in her article, “What Are We Thinking?”, “We’re too often sacrificing depth for breadth in the ways we make sense of the world.” We are so constantly in tune to our cell phones that we sometimes forget it’s okay to put them down for an hour or two and just focus on what is in front of us. “…Downtime let’s the brain go over experiences it’s had, solidify them, and turn them into long-term permanent memories” as stated by Loren Frank, assistant professor who specializes in learning and memory. I can confess that when

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