Lost in Electronica –The Costs of the

“Chaos of Constant Connection”

This presentation contains the fair use of copyrighted

materials

We are Bombarded by Electronic Media

TWITTER

Texting

Cell Phones

MP3 Players

Video Games

Facebook/My Space

Blog

Discussion

Are there times when using cell phones, texting and/or other electronic devices are

inappropriate?If so, when?

The mind now craves junk nourishment• Fifty years ago, boredom

might have followed a two-hour stretch of nothing to do

• Boys today can feel bored after thirty seconds with nothing specific to do

• Continuous stimulation is now the new normal

• Is boredom good or bad?

Turn Off the Electronics• Boredom indicates the presence of available

resources for thought, reflection and civil behavior

• Civil behavior requires patience, forethought and some willingness to tolerate tedium

• Unlike reading and listening to stories, electronics don’t build deeper listening skills or a great range of emotional expression

• We need to maintain effective social contacts with others

The Thinker

Impact of Electronics on Learning

• Increasing learning difficulties and attention deficits has correlated with the advent of the electronic playground

• The constant short-term stimulation of flitting to and fro among digital promptings can impede long-term memory

• Could this be one reason American students don’t do well on international tests?

Can You Hear Me Now?• Dial down the volume on your ipod and listen to

this: one in five adolescents now suffers from hearing loss.

• Playing music too loud is partly to blame.• Keep these numbers in mind:– 60 You can listen all day if you keep the volume at 60%

of the max– 80 for 90 You can boost the volume to 80% for 90% of

the day– 100 If you want to crank up the volume

as high as it’ll go, keep it short – just five minutes a day

Texting While Driving• Teens don’t think texting while driving is

as dangerous as drunken driving• Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of

teenagers’ deaths• Talking on a cell while driving can make a

young driver’s reaction time as slow as that of a 70 year old

• 56% of teenagers admit to talking on cell phone or texting while driving

• 20% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between ages 16-19 were the result of cell phone use

Texting While Driving is Criminal Offense in Utah

• Utah has nation’s toughest law on texting while driving

• Utah treats texting & driving as serious as it pursues drunk driving

• More Utah residents are killed in motor vehicle crashes caused by texting than from car accidents caused by DUI

• If someone is killed in an accident caused by texting, the at-fault driver will be charged with negligent homicide

Face to Face Conversation?

• Teenage girls send or receive an average of 80 text messages a day

• 77% of teens text their friends daily; however, less than 30% actually talk to their friends daily

No texting at the table!

• Do NOT use cell phones or any other electronic device at the table

• Your attention should be focused on the people you’re with

Excessive Cell Phone/Texting Use• Leads to anxiety• Is a distraction at school• Falling Grades• Repetitive stress injury –

damage to thumbs• Sleep deprivation

“Continuous Partial Attention”• Term coined by a former Microsoft Executive• Example: Many kids text while watching tv• Many kids are logging almost 11 hours of media

usage per day

• Students who did a lot of media multi-tasking did worse on tests than did students who didn’t do much media multi-tasking

• Too much media = lack of ability to focus

Turn It Off• Teenagers need LOTS of sleep• Turn off all electronics & digital devices by

9:30 p.m. and go to sleep• Sleep deprivation in teens affects memory

consolidation & behavioral regulation• Even if you get 9-10 hours of sleep per

night but sustain multiple interruptions – from, say, a buzzing iPhone next to your pillow, you will suffer cognitively and feel tired the next day

• Turn it off!

Works Cited• Moore, Steve. In the Bleachers, Ogden Standard Examiner, Sept. 2010• Will, George. Lost in Electronica, Time Magazine, August 23, 2010.• Survey: Teens don’t think texting while driving as dangerous as drunken driving. Ogden

Standard Examinder, September 24, 2010.• http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell/statistics.html• http://

www.utahpersonalinjurylawfirmblog.com/2010/03/more_utah_residents_killed_in.html• http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2010/04/22/2010-04-22_teens_use_texting_more_th

an_any_other_form_of_communication_study.html• http://blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping/6663/no-texting-at-the-table/• Say It Loud: Turn It Down. Readers Digest, November 2010• www.newbroomtraining.co.uk/deaf.png&imgrefurl=http://www.newbroomtraining.co.uk/

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• Conley, Dalton. Wired for Distraction. Time Magazine, 2-21-11