Finding balance and being able to pick out what is important is definitely an important skill to have. I am of the mindset that multi-tasking is not actually a thing, however, we are able to switch tasks rapidly. Task prioritization is essential in academia and I suppose, for a successful adult.

I could follow your post quite easily, Meghan, and am jealous of your ability to write without editing!
Two thoughts:

First, I agree with your concern that we are exposed to so much information but we dob’t DO anything about it. I think that I sometimes use the excuse of just reading more (becoming better informed) to avoid action. It is also sometimes overwhelming to me to be exposed to so much information. It is too hard to consider what is important in making a decision. I can’t consider everything because there is just too much!

Second, I think that we can train our brains to read more than 2-3 pages just as we have trained them to flit from source to source. They are pretty malleable. We just need a reason to stay focused and the chance to practice.

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“We are social thinkers, and we are also social rememberers” …this part of the answer really resonated with me. I mean it just makes sense, most of the information that we receive is dependent of secondary sources. And thank you for your concluding paragraph, our social interaction are ever changing and it makes sense that we develop and change with it and hold on to the memories that we do make while doing so.

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I agree, I used to discuss multitasking as if it were my greatest skill set now I feel like I am everywhere and with as many assignments and task that I jump back and forth with I know that I am not putting my all into each individual assignment, just doing it for the sake of getting it done, which is not a good approach. I totally agree with your last statement that BALANCE is truly key, reflexive breaks and well being is important. I think us as grad students focus so much on the end goal that we rarely take time to stop and look back and celebrate the “small” accomplishments we make.

Thank you for sharing this great post. The disturbance from all kinds of new technologies do make contemplation a luxury. When I want to spend one afternoon reading a book, I cannot help checking my emails and am afraid of some emergency may happen. I cannot focus on one thing for a long time because there will always be something attracting me away.

Good point! If the kids spend all their time playing with these digital toys, they have less chances to learn from nature and other people. Lacking of communication with people is not good for kid’s mental health. For adults, they may have the ability to control the technology instead of being controlled by it. Therefore, I agree that there should be an age limit for the use of technology.

I agree with you that we need to find a balance point for using technologies. The convenience brought to us by the technologies is so obvious, but we cannot totally depend on that. We need time to communicate with people, visit foreign countries, and experience the real world.

Alex,

The video made me hate myself for about 3 seconds. Funny stuff!

A few weeks ago I was discussing a similar topic with a few policy hacks. One of them said that Trump creates distractions so that we lose focus on what really matters. I can equate the bear in that video to perjury by the top cop (the AG), nepotism in government (daughter and son-in-law), and hi-fives between fellow misogynists (O’Reilly and Trump).

Many of us are so focused on his daily antics that we soon forget the things that are important. I appreciate your post, and I am going to share this awareness test with others so that they too may temporarily hate themselves.

Thank you for the post!

For a while I have been touting that Facebook should have “kid” accounts that are validated and censored. I also think parents ought to do a better job at screening online activities.

I think the increase in childhood obesity can be linked to kids sitting around on their rumps all day. I am showing my age here, but when I was a kid…I was required to play. No discussion! Kids’ play was a break for parents, but it was also beneficial for kids. Active play helps with the development of social skills, and it is a great form of exercise.

So should there be an age limit? For certain online platforms, yes! Should there be a time limit? Without a doubt!

I completely agree. Most things in life aren’t good or bad for you; they just need to be balanced. We don’t have to eliminate technology and the Internet from the classroom or our lives. Both these things enrich our experiences and supplement our learning as long as we use them healthily.