Matthew Wisnioski's Against Technology
Technology advantages and disadvantages
Matthew Wisnioski, in his article “Against Technology,” likens the engagement of people in social media and other forms of digital technology activities as a pathology of the brain. In describing the addiction -level of anticipation for messages and self-expression through tweets, interacting at Facebook to keep loneliness at bay, and playing Angry Birds for hours, the author uses neurological and psychological terms such as dopamine, narcissistic impulses, and synapses. In the next paragraph, he points out that beyond being sources of addictions, current technologies pose a threat to human existence. Referencing British politician, businesswoman, and neuroscientist Susan Greenfield, Wisnioski explains that the brain is designed to evolutionarily adapt to the environment but that digital technologies are changing at a pace so rapid that individuals and governments regulations are unable to keep up. This has led to adverse effects such as the decline in children’s outdoor physical activity and in an extreme case, even the …show more content…
Analytically describing digital technology, he says it has enabled a third and broader category of media. Apart form one-way public (broadcast) media like movies and two-way private (communication) media such as the telephone, civilization now has two-way media operating from private- to public- scale. The author insightfully describes digital as bridging broadcast media and communication media, enabling public to private information movement and vice-versa. Shirley then describes the new media as involving significant economic change. Because no one owns the Internet infrastructure, the Internet is just a set of agreements that bound data movement. With its contents easily accessible to all and the costs low, the Internet has enabled much social and creative behavior, says the
Matthew Wisnioski, in his article “Against Technology,” likens the engagement of people in social media and other forms of digital technology activities as a pathology of the brain. In describing the addiction -level of anticipation for messages and self-expression through tweets, interacting at Facebook to keep loneliness at bay, and playing Angry Birds for hours, the author uses neurological and psychological terms such as dopamine, narcissistic impulses, and synapses. In the next paragraph, he points out that beyond being sources of addictions, current technologies pose a threat to human existence. Referencing British politician, businesswoman, and neuroscientist Susan Greenfield, Wisnioski explains that the brain is designed to evolutionarily adapt to the environment but that digital technologies are changing at a pace so rapid that individuals and governments regulations are unable to keep up. This has led to adverse effects such as the decline in children’s outdoor physical activity and in an extreme case, even the …show more content…
Analytically describing digital technology, he says it has enabled a third and broader category of media. Apart form one-way public (broadcast) media like movies and two-way private (communication) media such as the telephone, civilization now has two-way media operating from private- to public- scale. The author insightfully describes digital as bridging broadcast media and communication media, enabling public to private information movement and vice-versa. Shirley then describes the new media as involving significant economic change. Because no one owns the Internet infrastructure, the Internet is just a set of agreements that bound data movement. With its contents easily accessible to all and the costs low, the Internet has enabled much social and creative behavior, says the