Blog #6 "Big Brother"

Even today in our society i can understand how someone would relate the book 1984  to life in the present. Corporations use information we put up on the internet everyday to label us into certain groups and aim their advertisements at us. We're simply one number out of a group. A lot of this information we're not even aware is being released. Unlike in 1984, we are not being forced to give up our right to privacy, we're handing it over because in some cases it gives us a sense of security. I agree that in some circumstances we must sacrifice a little bit of privacy for more security but not to the extent it is taken. The only way to keep our private life, private, is to limit and pay attention to what we are releasing to "Big Brother" via the internet and other means of technology.

blog #4

    This week in class we talked a lot about how Emerson and Thoreau stressed simplicity. Their view on technology and our dependence on it is completely different from my view now. During the mid to late 1800's, technology was looked at as a distraction by "naturalists" like Thoreau. The values and ethics of the time period are expressed in Thoreau's writing. "We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us in our soundest sleep."- David Thoreau. I think he's trying to say we should stay true to ourselves and not let our modern luxuries run our lives. Thoreau saw that people were relying more on what could make their lives easier, rather than what would make their lives more fulfilling.
    I won't say that technology is ruining our culture, but it definitely has the potential. Millions of people abuse the luxuries we do have and just kind of go through the motions without enjoying what's around them. Instead of going out to enjoy the world, many people are content with sitting at home and watching it on tv. it's just not the same. I think we need to find a happy medium to balance out the equation. It's almost a fact that in our culture today, technology is a necessity for our progression as a nation but not for our survival. I believe i could live and enjoy nature just as Thoreau did for a year, it would just be extremely challenging because of the lifestyle I'm used to. By the end of the experiment, i think i would understand myself a bit better and understand what i really wanted to do with the rest of my life. I think it would be a life changing experience. At the same time, I'm not gonna be the first one to volunteer for that because i think i have a good grasp on reality as it is.

"Dumbest" Generation? Really?

I can't argue with the fact that my generation has the world at our fingertips. We can find anything we want to in a matter of seconds using a computer. But Mark Bauerlein has made a very steep assumption by saying we're the "dumbest" generation, we're simply the most privileged. Give any teenager in any time period access to all the technology we have access to and do you think they would handle it any differently? I really doubt it. Although i agree that many teenagers are abusing the technology we have by using it for gaming and other enjoyable things more than they probably should, a lot of students are using the same technology to further their education and try to gain a better knowledge of the world. How is it we're the "dumbest" generation if by following the Flynn Effect , our generation scores , on average, 15 points or one standard deviation higher on an IQ test than the pervious generation? As Bauerlein said, " Never have the opportunities for education, learning, political action, and cultural activity been greater." He's right, we do have more than enough opportunities and a lot of people take advantage of them every day. Like right now, while I'm typing up this blog, I'm proving Bauerlein wrong. As Olivia said in here blog , "Everybody's participation in class today made me realize that Bauerlein doesn't know anything about us [the supposed "dumbest generation"]."
             His attitude is the stereotypical old man on the porch ( which was said in class today). "Going online habituates them to juvenile mental habits."- Bauerlien. Are you serious? Haha I guess the next time I'm writing a paper for a class, i shouldn't use the millions of sources on the internet because i MAY become distracted like some teenagers do on the net. Almost everything he said sounds like an over-exaggeration. Maybe he said it to provoke change? Maybe he said it to be an asshole? Either way, I believe in some of the things Bauerlein is saying, just not to the extent he's saying them. Students should learn to balance school and free time, and should understand how to take advantage of all the information in front of us. Does anybody else feel the same way? I know i have my own problems sometimes balancing work and play haha