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Technology​: Has it Gone too Far? - Government Control of the Internet - - Has Technology Gone Too Far? merged files: Writing Project 1.docx - Writing Project 2.docx - English WP4.docx - Writing Project 4.docx...

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1 Professor Lawrence Zuiderweg English 102 Sec 1010 17 February 2016 Technology: Has it Gone Too Far? In today’s generation, technology has increased significantly since the introduction of the phone and computer system. Nowadays, almost everyone ranging from the elderly to elementary school age kids have the latest in technology. For example, kids carry around the newest iPhones and tablets with them wherever they go and they are constantly checking one or more of their social media sites. Technology today has taken over a person’s life; more and more people have less interaction face to face because they find comfort in their social media profiles and are more comfortable talking to people through social media platforms. In Chandra Johnson’s article, “Face Time vs. Screen Time: the Technological Impact on Communication,” she expresses her concern for the decrease of human interaction and the increase of interaction through social media which leads to the problem that today’s generation of kids are not acquiring the social skills and natural sensors for human emotion like the children of the generations before the boom of technology had through human interaction (Johnson, Face Time vs. Screen Time: the Technological Impact on Communication). Johnson is right in saying that the more people interact with a person or with the real world through a screen rather than in real life, the less emotion is attached to the exchange, therefore producing the lack of genuine connection with other people. The way that people communicate and interact with one another has significantly shifted to social media and messaging and or texting rather than the face to face talks or even an occasional late night call. People might be communicating more with their friends and family,

2 but “the quality of that connection may be weaker,” due to the fact that they are mostly quick texts or posts online (Johnson, Face Time vs. Screen Time: the Technological Impact on Communication). Families might be more connected and social with each other online, but it does not have the same quality as if they were together and spending time with one another in real life. The children could be in their room all day long laying in their bed and occasionally texting one another or their parents short and quick text messages. In addition, parents might just be posting on social media every once in a while about their children or posts directed to their children, but there is no actual communication and face to face interaction with their kids. Parents cannot truly know what their child is feeling or how they are doing if they are constantly talking through social media, especially if when they are together the whole family is just sitting on the couch as each member is on their phone and occasionally chiming into the conversation. Similarly, children are on their phones almost all day and they communicate through the social media platforms they have set up and grown up with. Johnson states that, “kids spend way too much time communicating through technology that they aren’t developing basic communication skills that humans have used since forever,” saying that children are lacking basic skills that have been around since civilization could document (Johnson, Face Time vs. Screen Time: the Technological Impact on Communication). Kids are losing the ability to talk to other children in person and are lacking in their detection skills of human emotions. They are less empathetic towards others and most would rather stay behind their phone rather then put it down and have a real conversation with someone else. Their “intrapersonal relationships” are suffering because of the increase of their screen time (Johnson, Face Time vs. Screen Time: the Technological Impact on Communication). Constantly being on the phone and relying on technology for communication and relationships for young children can affect their

3 “concentration and self-esteem,” making it so that their relationships are not as deep in connection and stay on the surface (Johnson, Face Time vs. Screen Time: the Technological Impact on Communication). With children interacting with people over the screen without actually meeting people and spending quality time together in person makes it so that there is less emotion attached and the child thereby loses their ability to be empathetic and have sympathy because they are not interacting with someone and seeing their emotions. Children are relying on ‘emoji’s’ when they text one another to see how the other person is feeling; however, someone could text a happy face and sit there emotionless as they are texting someone. They are losing the ability to recognize emotions and sympathize with others because of the lack of human interaction. Johnson suggests that children of this age should have no amount of screen time “for kids under the age of 2” because that is the time in a child’s life where they are developing rapidly and letting technology in can hinder their development and affect the process (Johnson, Face Time vs. Screen Time: the Technological Impact on Communication). In order to help children gain and facilitate empathy and sympathy, there should be a limit on the technology used and the time that children are allowed to use it in a day. At an early age, exposing children to technology can form a sort of addiction in where children want and need to be on their devices to check social media and their games because they feel empty or lost without it. Children need to learn to do more productive tasks when boredom hits rather than relying on their phones and social media’s to keep them entertained. The big disconnection happening is because at an early age children are exposed to technology and grow up not understanding and feeling comfortable with face to face interaction. They use social media to fill an “intimacy need” they do not get or cannot get in real life either due to their lacking social skills or the lack of attention they get at

4 home (Johnson, Face Time vs. Screen Time: the Technological Impact on Communication). Talking things out and venting emotions to another person in real life is not the same as talking to someone online because there is no “resolution;” the online world is a place children go to for support rather than advice to get help (Johnson, Face Time vs. Screen Time: the Technological Impact on Communication). Technology is growing rapidly and will continue to grow and change in the future. The way that we, as a people, grow with it and learn to live with it can be the difference. Learning to live with technology rather than letting it be the way you live can help people gain back what they lack in emotions and empathy towards others making it so that they learn the sincerity of face to face connection while they gain a genuine connection with people without the hindrance of technology.

5 Works Cited Johnson, Chandra. "Face Time vs. Screen Time: The Technological Impact on Communication." Face Time vs. Screen Time: The Technological Impact on Communication. Desert News National, 29 Aug. 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2016. .

Professor Zuiderweg ENG 102 07 March 2016 Government Control of the Internet The World Wide Web has grown into a massive beast that almost every person in developed countries use every day in order to contact friends and family, update their personal lives to social media, and to continue work from their business on. On the other hand, there is a downside to constantly exposing personal lives on social media platforms and being connected twenty-four-seven. There is little to no privacy when it comes to the lives of people who post what they do online and if there is a single slip-up in what they say or post people bombard them with hateful comments, pictures, videos; One harmless post could even spark the interest of the government and make them suspicious of the person’s intentions in the United States. Similarly, the internet is a good way for the federal government to track down people and get into suspected terrorist attacks, but sometimes they can take it too far and they begin to monitor more people around the world who would never be capable of any terrorist attack. The federal government should be able to be on the internet and use it to track people and keep an eye out for their most wanted, but they should not have full control over what people are allowed to do and look at on the World Wide Web, nor should they invade the privacy of people who are not one of their suspects in on-going cases. The federal government being allowed the access to the control of the internet can cause a stir in people due to the fact that it is a privacy concern when everything is being monitored and watched no matter how small it is. The government could have the control to “remove telephone numbers from phones” and the ability to control IP numbers making it difficult to

access websites on the internet (Harper). In addition, limiting the ability to research online and find websites that pertain to certain research topics the government deems unworthy can lead to a lack of knowledge on behalf of the people. They will become limited in resources and what they are able to learn outside of a classroom. If the government begins blocking and banning certain websites because of certain terms they believe to be not safe, then the people are being stripped of their ability to learn more about the world and the many things that come with living in it. They will not be able to go on the internet to learn more about mental disorders, eating disorders, or anything that the government makes sensitive to the people. Even though it would cut off the “unlawful communications” it also cuts off the “lawful” communication as well (Harper). The positive side would be the decline in the use of unlawful research on the internet, like, ‘how to build a bomb’ or even the underage porn search; however, there will also be restrictions on how far people can research about sensitive topics like ‘terrorist attacks’ or ‘abortion’ because the government would block most websites pertaining to those sensitive topics. Freedom is given to people and they should have the right to research what they want to on the internet without the government interference in what they perceive as the ‘correct material’ for viewing. Government regulation is sometimes taken too far when it comes to the monitoring of people and what they post on their social media platforms. One harmless post about coming to vacation and ‘destroying America,’ can mean one thing in one country, but to America can mean something completely different. On the show “The Internet Ruined My Life,” two best friends decided to visit America for the weekend and ‘destroy it.’ In England, to ‘destroy’ something means to have a great time and party hard until there is no more energy left to do so. To the U.S. government, it meant that they were a threat to the United States and needed to be apprehended once they were off the plane. A case of misunderstanding lead to the mistreatment of two

English people who were held in a cell all night and mistreated and ‘kidnapped’ to another government facility. The government takes posts on the internet too seriously without doing the proper research on the people that post it and they take a lot of posts out of context without knowing the cultural differences in the way that people talk (#Cancel Colbert). Government regulation can however, provide protection to their citizens in the way that they believe is best. In Australia, there is a plan that is in the process of implementation that will allow computer users the safety of the knowledge that if ever a “hacker” attempts to get onto their computer the “Internet Service Provider” is notified and they will pass on the information (Wark). This makes it so that people’s privacy are protected when it comes to an unwanted party attempting to hack the computer. On the other hand, there is constant worry that the government is invading the privacy of many citizens, but the programs that they are planning to implement are geared towards the protection of privacy rather than the complete invasion of it. Furthermore, they are planning to protect the user from suspicious unwanted parties getting private data on personal computers, but do not have any programs that detail the governments involvement with users and their internet usage. The government is trying to get involved in the way that people are using the internet, how they research, and what they post to their social media platforms. There is a lack of privacy dealing with the government and their over intensive searches for the people who post fishy comments online, but do not mean harm in what they say. Even with the programs being implemented in attempting to protect people, the government should not have full reign over the control of the internet due to privacy and censorship problems that will arise along with their control.

Works Cited "#Cancel Colbert." The Internet Ruined My Life. SYFY. 9 Mar. 2016. Television. Harper, Jim. "The Internet Is Not Government's to Regulate." Cato Institute. Orange County Register, 19 Jan. 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2016. . Wark, Robin. "Should Governments Regulate The Internet?" ParetoLogic Inc. Microsoft Corporation, Nov. 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2016. .

Reyes 1 Eliany Reyes Autumn Widdoes Eng 101-1014 April 24, 2016 Implementing Technology in the Classroom As technology evolved it has made its way into the classroom, posing a new challenge to teachers and education in general. Technology has become one of the most exploited resources by students. With its increasing presence in all aspects of their lives, it only makes sense to have technology in the classroom. Because technology plays such an important role in a students everyday life, teachers should implement it more often in their curriculum. I'm going to argue that implementing technology in education is beneficial for students because it allows them to learn outside the regular classroom setting, work independently and in groups. It keeps them interested in learning, provides them with current information, and helps enhance their skills such as their creativity, being fast, efficient, and adapt to changes. Technology allows students to learn outside of the typical classroom setting. It gives them more freedom as to where and how they learn. Professors can post their lectures online that way the information is available to students anytime they need it. This is mostly helpful for students who are sick and cannot attend class or to review and study for exams. Also, many online courses can be made available for students who want to graduate faster. An interesting point made in the article “The Online Challenge to Higher Education” is that the integration of technology is education can lead to “massive online open courses”. The article explains that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, joined by various universities, is creating courses to post online and make them available without charge. There is also an opportunity for these online

Reyes 2 courses to be available worldwide, as it is attracting students from all over the world. This would be an excellent way for students from underdeveloped countries to have access to a great education. These online courses also bring hope to students who wish for lower university tuition rates. The article also emphasizes that “online learning can enable dynamic visualization of data and the ability to interact with that data, allowing the ability to identify new data patterns and influencing factors” (Bonvillian). This goes especially for science courses, where interactive graphics can reinforce the knowledge of content. Regardless of the many benefits of online education, face-to-face education will remain an important component of education. Although it is progressing, online education cannot evaluate written assignments for creativity and presentation. Therefore, the most effective way to improve education is by blending both face to face and online education. Technology allows students to meet their own goals and needs all while working at their own pace. Technology allows “students set their own goals, plan their learning activities, and monitor their current levels of mastery and understanding in preparation for lifelong learning. It moves concepts of school beyond the notion of a place where knowledge is imparted, to one of classrooms, organizations, and societies as knowledge building communities” (Kozma). Some students, especially those from other cultures, who do not feel as comfortable participating in a class discussion are more likely to participate and submit their assignments online. For example, in my sociology class we have a discussion every week, but instead of doing it in class, we post our responses to Blackboard and comment on other students posts. Some people may argue that having students post their assignments online will increase absenteeism. In order to avoid that, teachers can require important assignments to be submitted in the classroom. Also to create a sense of community in the classroom while still using technology, Stephanie Boles, the author of

Reyes 3 the article “Using Technology in the Classroom” argues that “in order to keep the classroom alive teachers can encourage students to discuss and explain to each other what they learned ” (Boles). This mixture of technology and face-to-face discussion will fulfill both the students and teachers interests. Lectures by themselves are not the most effective method in helping students retain information or in keeping them interested in learning. Visual learning style as opposed to a lecture, improves the learning experience of students. For teachers to keep students interested in learning they have to find ways to relate the student to the content. The article “Technology In Today's Classroom: Are You A Tech-Savvy Teacher?” suggests that “the integration of technology into the classroom setting allows teachers the benefit of connecting with students digitally by providing rich learning experiences with which students can relate” (Hicks). Implementing technology in the classroom is an excellent way to reach out to every student and the different learning styles. Technology also allows students to find information faster and easier, making them more efficient in writing assignments and doing research. The development of technology allows students to access digital books, word documents, and blogs at any time. These have been designed to help make finding information much easier. They can be easily purchased and carried around without it being necessary to go through piles of printed books to find information. Although they might not be for everyone, technological devices allow students to have an entire library in their hands that they can access anytime anywhere. Technology has shaped student’s minds, the way they absorb and process information. Brains are easily malleable and adapt quickly to changes, they become accustomed to brief information and begin to only like that style. However, teachers brains take more time to adapt to drastic changes, specially after years of only knowing one way of teaching. Technology has

Reyes 4 increased the ability to be fast. It has also changed the way students reason, make decisions, and draw conclusions. With these types of resources, students have developed and strengthened their ability to scan information. Skimming through articles in the web has become the most efficient way of absorbing information without reading through long and boring books. It also helps to improve and reinforce skills that they already have. A study found that “certain uses of technology had a positive effect on achievement”(Hicks). In fourth grade students, there was a positive relationship between the use of technology, learning games, and math achievement (Hicks). Because of their potential benefits, I think every student should have the opportunity to use some kind of technological device in the classroom. Some people say that most schools lack the money to buy the latest technology. However, the article “Using Technology in the Classroom” argues that thro...