Research Analysis

Research Analysis
April 27, 2009
English 102
Robyn Minarik

Technology is all around us, everywhere we go technology is used. The internet is one of those technologies that seems to follow us. I can’t remember the last time I went a day without using the internet. I use it to keep in touch with friends, directions, or to find out when the bus is going to be at my stop. If there isn’t a computer around, I just use my cell phone. My generation seems so dependent on the internet and in my essay I wanted to explore the affect of this reliance.
I developed my topic of laziness from previous discussions I've had with my mom. We've talked quite often about how technology is making students lazier and in a way less smart. My mom would always tell me about how they had to use typewriters and had to think way before they typed something because there was no backspace, no spell check. The texts we read helped me develop a better view on this topic so I can have more a background to begin with for my writing. I was influenced to look into the idea of technology and laziness after reading Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut; for example, the invention of ice-nine. Vonnegut uses this disaster to show the side effects of science. After reading Cat’s Cradle, I then read Technology Matter’s by David E. Nye and I noticed similar ideas which further opened my eyes to the affects of technology. Nye rationalizes his feelings about technology by giving examples of disasters that’s happened because of these inventions. All giving examples of how technology can cause bigger problems.
I think the perspective I take on my topic is the college student who has had years of technology that has been making me lazier. I have a firsthand knowledge on this. Instead of looking up how to spell a word in the dictionary I can just left click the word and see how to spell it right. Since I’m a part of this generation that grew up with the internet, I find it particularly interesting and valuable to research how it has affected me. I also thought this topic would target my peers so they can also know the possible side effects. I wanted to achieve a better understanding of the internet in today’s culture so I broadened my research and examined other texts with similar thoughts and ideas. I wanted to examine if the internet and technology was making things for efficient or just hurting us in the long run.
The research part was a bit of a struggle for me because it was hard to find sources that were creditable. I also had a difficult time pulling all my research together in the end to make an interesting paper. It took me awhile to decide what I what angle I wanted to come from with my essay. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to talk more about my response to the authors or how the authors expressed their views. I debated for awhile the two ideas and decided that both ideas weren’t too far apart so I just settled on using both suggestions. I constructed my essay by sitting down and looking over my notes and quotes that I highlighted and thought were important. I took my previous essays and added more detail and quotes to expand on my thoughts and build a better understanding of my purpose.
I decided to use one some of my own examples of how technology has affected me personally; for example, spell check. I include my examples to personalize my example and make the essay more interesting for the reader. I wanted to include my ideas and not just have all scholars ideas as another stakeholder.

Blog #10

A choice I made when writing this essay was to include one of my own examples. I talked and explained about how spell check is making students lazier. I decided to take this approach so I could include more of my own ideas instead of taking scholars ideas. Another choice I made when revising was to take the advise of my peers and include 'the human factor'. I thought that was a great idea and found a way to incorporate it into my essay. I thought that the face to face revision really helped, I was really stuck when I first started writing my rough draft but my peers really opened my eyes to other things I could include to make my essay a lot better. I didn't really find much difference in face to face compared to blogging besides the fact that it was easier to ask my peers questions. If I wasn't sure about what a peer is saying on my blog I couldn't really ask to find an immediate response.

Assignment 8

Technology has been a part of the human life throughout history. Day after day new ideas are being shaped to invent the latest technologies to help enhance our lives. However, technology has brought about countless concerns in today’s society. Everyone has different standpoints regarding new technology. Nevertheless, all around the world, people are questioning where and how technology is influencing us in the present and how it will influence us in the future. My question is; are students becoming less intelligent because of technology? Are online resources, like Google, affecting students academically? Is technology initiating “the dumbest generation”? (Bauerlein)
In my opinion, I believe that today students have grown to be lazy because of technology. Students utilize technology to make more difficult things easier; for example, as an substitution of simply reading over an essay a student would merely press F7 causing the computer to proof-read an essay for them. The easiness of this makes students less probable to personally take a second look at their essays, therefore; the student wouldn’t come across something the computer could have failed to spot. The student would then turn in an essay that does not meet their own intelligence level, which would make them appear less intelligent than they are in reality. Spell check also is making students’ worst spellers. Since students know that they have spell check they don’t have to know how to spell words right. Like in Plato’s Phaedrus, Socrates says, “cease to exercise their memory and become forgetful.”(Carr 3) If you don’t have to know the correct spelling, the correct spelling will not stay in your memory.
The use of technology to make things easier also can be seen as a positive. Although technology compels slothfulness, it also makes things more efficient and time saving.
(Not Finished :(...I have a meeting with the writing center next monday)