Gadget_Articles

SAN FRANCISCO — When one of the most important e-mail messages of his life landed in his in-box a few years ago, Kord Campbell overlooked (ignorar/pasar por alto) it. How do you know if you're too absorbed in technology' Times' columnist Tara Parker-Pope spoke with experts, who identified these seven signs. Is It Too Late to Unplug From Your Digital Life' What it takes to tune out (desconectarse) and turn off (apagar) your laptop and other devices. Not just for a day or two, but 12 days. He finally saw it while sifting (filtrar) through old messages: a big company wanted to buy his Internet start-up (compañía de nueva creación orientada al cliente). “I stood up from my desk and said, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,’ ” Mr. Campbell said. “It’s kind of hard to miss an e-mail like that, but I did.” The message had slipped (escurrir) by him amid (en medio de/entre) an electronic flood: two computer screens alive with e-mail, instant messages, online chats, a Web browser (navegador) and the computer code he was writing. While he managed to salvage the $1.3 million deal after apologizing to his suitor (demandante), Mr. Campbell continues to struggle with the effects of the deluge((inuncdación/avalancha) of data (información). Even after he unplugs, he craves (tener ansias/antojo) the stimulation he gets from his electronic gadgets. He forgets things like dinner plans, and he has trouble focusing on his family. His wife, Brenda, complains, “It seems like he can no longer be fully in the moment.” This is your brain on computers. Scientists say juggling (malabarismos) e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined (minimizar/minar) by bursts (explosión) of information. These play to a primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities and threats (amenazas). The stimulation provokes excitement — a dopamine squirt (chorro)— that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored. The resulting distractions can have deadly consequences, as when cellphone-wielding drivers and train engineers cause wrecks (ruina/destrozar). And for millions of people like Mr. Campbell, these urges can inflict nicks and cuts on creativity and deep thought, interrupting work and family life. While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise (indica lo contrario/si no). Heavy multitaskers actually have more trouble focusing and shutting out (rechazar) irrelevant information, scientists say, and they experience more stress. And scientists are discovering that even after the multitasking ends, fractured thinking and lack of focus persist. In other words, this is also your brain off computers. “The technology is rewiring (renovar instalación eléctrica) our brains,” said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse and one of the world’s leading brain scientists. She and other researchers compare the lure (encanto/cebo/atractivo) of digital stimulation less to that of drugs and alcohol than to food and sex, which are essential but counterproductive (contraproducente) in excess. Technology use can benefit the brain in some ways, researchers say. Imaging studies show the brains of Internet users become more efficient at finding information. And players of some video games develop better visual acuity. More broadly (ampliamente), cellphones and computers have transformed life. They let people escape their cubicles and work anywhere. They shrink (reducir) distances and handle countless (innumerables) mundane (rutinarias) tasks, freeing up (quedar libre/desocupado) time for more exciting pursuits (actividad/hobby). For better or worse, the consumption of media, as varied as e-mail and TV, has exploded. In 2008, people consumed three times as much information each day as they did in 1960. And they are constantly shifting (mover) their attention. Computer users at work change windows or check e-mail or other programs nearly 37 times an hour, new research shows. The nonstop interactivity is one of the most significant shifts ever in the human environment, said Adam Gazzaley, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco. “We are exposing our brains to an environment and asking them to do things we weren’t necessarily evolved to do,” he said. “We know already there are consequences.” Mr. Campbell, 43, came of age with the personal computer, and he is a heavier user of technology than most. But researchers say the habits and struggles of Mr. Campbell and his family typify what many experience — and what many more will, if trends continue. For him, the tensions feel increasingly acute, and the effects harder to shake (debilitar). The Campbells recently moved to California from Oklahoma to start a software venture. Mr. Campbell’s life revolves (girar) around computers He goes to sleep with a laptop or iPhone on his chest, and when he wakes, he goes online. He and Mrs. Campbell, 39, head to the tidy kitchen in their four-bedroom hillside rental in Orinda, an affluent suburb of San Francisco, where she makes breakfast and watches a TV news feed in the corner of the computer screen while he uses the rest of the monitor to check his e-mail. Major spats have arisen (surgir) because Mr. Campbell escapes into video games during tough emotional stretches. On family vacations, he has trouble putting down his devices. When he rides the subway to San Francisco, he knows he will be offline 221 seconds as the train goes through a tunnel. Their 16-year-old son, Connor, tall and polite like his father, recently received his first C’s, which his family blames (echar la culpa) on distraction from his gadgets. Their 8-year-old daughter, Lily, like her mother, playfully (alegremente) tells her father that he favors (favorecer) technology over family. “I would love for him to totally unplug, to be totally engaged,” says Mrs. Campbell, who adds that he becomes “crotchety (malhumorado) until he gets his fix (dosis (droga)- chute)).” But she would not try to force a change. “He loves it. Technology is part of the fabric of who he is,” she says. “If I hated technology, I’d be hating him, and a part of who my son is too.” Always On Mr. Campbell, whose given name is Thomas, had an early start with technology in Oklahoma City. When he was in third grade, his parents bought him Pong, a video game. Then came a string (secuencia/cadena) of game consoles and PCs, which he learned to program. In high school, he balanced computers, basketball and a romance with Brenda, a cheerleader with a gorgeous singing voice. He studied too, with focus, uninterrupted by e-mail. “I did my homework because I needed to get it done,” he said. “I didn’t have anything else to do.” He left college to help with a family business, then set up a lawn mowing service (cortar césped). At night he would read, play video games, hang out (pasar el rato) with Brenda and, as she remembers it, “talk a lot more.” In 1996, he started a successful Internet provider. Then he built the start-up that he sold for $1.3 million in 2003 to LookSmart, a search engine. Mr. Campbell loves the rush of modern life and keeping up (seguir ritmo) with the latest information. “I want to be the first to hear when the aliens land,” he said, laughing. But other times, he fantasizes about living in pioneer days when things moved more slowly: “I can’t keep everything in my head.” No wonder. As he came of age, so did a new era of data and communication. At home, people consume 12 hours of media a day on average, when an hour spent with, say, the Internet and TV simultaneously counts as two hours. That compares with five hours in 1960, say researchers at the University of California, San Diego. Computer users visit an average of 40 Web sites a day, according to research by RescueTime, which offers time-management tools. As computers have changed, so has the understanding of the human brain. Until 15 years ago, scientists thought the brain stopped developing after childhood. Now they understand that its neural networks continue to develop, influenced by things like learning skills. So not long after Eyal Ophir arrived at Stanford in 2004, he wondered whether heavy multitasking might be leading to changes in a characteristic of the brain long thought immutable: that humans can process only a single stream of information at a time. Going back a half-century, tests had shown that the brain could barely (a penas) process two streams, and could not simultaneously make decisions about them. But Mr. Ophir, a student-turned-researcher, thought multitaskers might be rewiring themselves to handle the load. His passion was personal. He had spent seven years in Israeli intelligence after being weeded out of the air force — partly, he felt, because he was not a good multitasker. Could his brain be retrained' Mr. Ophir, like others around the country studying how technology bent (dirigir) the brain, was startled (sorprendido) by what he discovered. The Myth of Multitasking The test subjects were divided into two groups: those classified as heavy multitaskers based on their answers to questions about how they used technology, and those who were not. In a test created by Mr. Ophir and his colleagues, subjects at a computer were briefly shown an image of red rectangles. Then they saw a similar image and were asked whether any of the rectangles had moved. It was a simple task until the addition of a twist: blue rectangles were added, and the subjects were told to ignore them. (Play a game testing how well you filter out distractions.) The multitaskers then did a significantly worse job than the non-multitaskers at recognizing whether red rectangles had changed position. In other words, they had trouble filtering out the blue ones — the irrelevant information. So, too, the multitaskers took longer than non-multitaskers to switch among tasks, like differentiating vowels from consonants and then odd from even numbers. The multitaskers were shown to be less efficient at juggling problems. (Play a game testing how well you switch between tasks.) Other tests at Stanford, an important center for research in this fast-growing field, showed multitaskers tended to search for new information rather than accept a reward for putting older, more valuable information to work. Researchers say these findings point to an interesting dynamic: multitaskers seem more sensitive than non-multitaskers to incoming information. The results also illustrate an age-old conflict in the brain, one that technology may be intensifying. A portion of the brain acts as a control tower, helping a person focus and set priorities. More primitive parts of the brain, like those that process sight and sound, demand that it pay attention to new information, bombarding the control tower when they are stimulated. Researchers say there is an evolutionary rationale for the pressure this barrage (descarga) puts on the brain. The lower-brain functions alert humans to danger, like a nearby lion, overriding goals like building a hut. In the modern world, the chime (campanada) of incoming e-mail can override (ignorar) the goal of writing a business plan or playing catch with the children. Throughout (durante/a lo largo de) evolutionary history, a big surprise would get everyone’s brain thinking,” said Clifford Nass, a communications professor at Stanford. “But we’ve got a large and growing group of people who think the slightest (menor) hint (pista) that something interesting might be going on is like catnip. They can’t ignore it.” Mr. Nass says the Stanford studies are important because they show multitasking’s lingering effects: “The scary part for guys like Kord is, they can’t shut off their multitasking tendencies when they’re not multitasking.” Melina Uncapher, a neurobiologist on the Stanford team, said she and other researchers were unsure whether the muddied (poco claro) multitaskers were simply prone (propenso) to distraction and would have had trouble focusing in any era. But she added that the idea that information overload causes distraction was supported by more and more research. A study at the University of California, Irvine, found that people interrupted by e-mail reported significantly increased stress compared with those left to focus. Stress hormones have been shown to reduce short-term memory, said Gary Small, a psychiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles. Preliminary research shows some people can more easily juggle multiple information streams. These “supertaskers” represent less than 3 percent of the population, according to scientists at the University of Utah. Other research shows computer use has neurological advantages. In imaging studies, Dr. Small observed that Internet users showed greater brain activity than nonusers, suggesting they were growing their neural circuitry. At the University of Rochester, researchers found that players of some fast-paced video games can track the movement of a third more objects on a screen than nonplayers. They say the games can improve reaction and the ability to pick out details amid clutter. “In a sense, those games have a very strong both rehabilitative and educational power,” said the lead researcher, Daphne Bavelier, who is working with others in the field to channel these changes into real-world benefits like safer driving. There is a vibrant debate among scientists over whether technology’s influence on behavior and the brain is good or bad, and how significant it is. “The bottom line is, the brain is wired to adapt,” said Steven Yantis, a professor of brain sciences at Johns Hopkins University. “There’s no question that rewiring goes on all the time,” he added. But he said it was too early to say whether the changes caused by technology were materially different from others in the past. Mr. Ophir is loath (reacio) to call the cognitive changes bad or good, though the impact on analysis and creativity worries him. He is not just worried about other people. Shortly after he came to Stanford, a professor thanked him for being the one student in class paying full attention and not using a computer or phone. But he recently began using an iPhone and noticed a change; he felt its pull, even when playing with his daughter. “The media is changing me,” he said. “I hear this internal ping that says: check e-mail and voice mail.” “I have to work to suppress it.” Kord Campbell does not bother to suppress it, or no longer can. Interrupted by a Corpse (cadáver) It is a Wednesday in April, and in 10 minutes, Mr. Campbell has an online conference call that could determine the fate (destino) of his new venture (empresa), called Loggly. It makes software that helps companies understand the clicking and buying patterns of their online customers. Mr. Campbell and his colleagues, each working from a home office, are frantically trying to set up a program that will let them share images with executives at their prospective partner. But at the moment when Mr. Campbell most needs to focus on that urgent task, something else competes for his attention: “Man Found Dead Inside His Business.” That is the tweet that appears on the left-most of Mr. Campbell’s array (plano focal) of monitors, which he has expanded to three screens, at times adding a laptop and an iPad. On the left screen, Mr. Campbell follows the tweets of 1,100 people, along with instant messages and group chats. The middle monitor displays a dark field filled with computer code, along with Skype, a service that allows Mr. Campbell to talk to his colleagues, sometimes using video. The monitor on the right keeps e-mail, a calendar, a Web browser and a music player. Even with the meeting fast approaching (inminenete/que se acerca), Mr. Campbell cannot resist the tweet about the corpse. He clicks on the link in it, glances (ojeada) at the article and dismisses (descartar) it. “It’s some article about something somewhere,” he says, annoyed by the ads (anuncios) for jeans popping up (aparecer de repente/saltar) The program gets fixed, and the meeting turns out to be fruitful: the partners are ready to do business. A colleague says via instant message: “YES.” Other times, Mr. Campbell’s information juggling has taken a more serious toll (cuota/pérdida). A few weeks earlier, he once again overlooked an e-mail message from a prospective (futuro/posible/potencial/esperado) investor (inversor). Another time, Mr. Campbell signed the company up for the wrong type of business account on Amazon.com, costing $300 a month for six months before he got around to correcting it. He has burned hamburgers on the grill, forgotten to pick up the children and lingered (quedarse merodeando/permanecer/entretenerse) in the bathroom playing video games on an iPhone. Mr. Campbell can be unaware (inconsciente) of his own habits. In a two-and-a-half hour stretch one recent morning, he switched rapidly between e-mail and several other programs, according to data from RescueTime, which monitored his computer use with his permission. But when asked later what he was doing in that period, Mr. Campbell said he had been on a long Skype call, and “may have pulled up an e-mail or two.” The kind of disconnection Mr. Campbell experiences is not an entirely new problem, of course. As they did in earlier eras, people can become so lost in work, hobbies or TV that they fail to pay attention to family. Mr. Campbell concedes (Admitir) that, even without technology, he may work or play obsessively, just as his father immersed himself in crossword puzzles. But he says this era is different because he can multitask anyplace, anytime. “It’s a mixed blessing,” he said. “If you’re not careful, your marriage can fall apart or your kids can be ready to play and you’ll get distracted.” The Toll on Children Father and son sit in armchairs. Controllers in hand, they engage (comprometidos/ocupados) in a fierce (violento) video game battle, displayed on the nearby flat-panel TV, as Lily watches. They are playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a cartoonish animated fight between characters that battle using anvils (yunque) , explosives and other weapons. “Kill him, Dad,” Lily screams. To no avail (Para nada=in vain, unsuccesfully). Connor regularly beats (vences=defeat) his father, prompting (incitación = encouragement to act)expletives (palabrotas =curse Word/swear Word) and, once, a thrown pillow. But there is bonding (becoming emotionally close = vinculación emocional/afectiva) and mutual respect. “He’s a lot more tactical,” says Connor. “But I’m really good at quick reflexes.” Screens big and small are central to the Campbell family’s leisure time (tiempo libre/de cocio). Connor and his mother relax while watching TV shows like “Heroes.” Lily has an iPod Touch, a portable DVD player and her own laptop, which she uses to watch videos, listen to music and play games. Lily, a second-grader, is allowed only an hour a day of unstructured time, which she often spends with her devices. The laptop can consume her. “When she’s on it, you can holler (gritar) her name all day and she won’t hear,” Mrs. Campbell said. Researchers worry that constant digital stimulation like this creates attention problems for children with brains that are still developing, who already struggle to set priorities and resist impulses. Connor’s troubles started late last year. He could not focus on homework. No wonder, perhaps. On his bedroom desk sit two monitors, one with his music collection, one with Facebook and Reddit, a social site with news links that he and his father love. His iPhone availed him to relentless (persistent = incesante) texting with his girlfriend. When he studied, “a little voice would be saying, ‘Look up’ at the computer, and I’d look up,” Connor said. “Normally, I’d say I want to only read for a few minutes, but I’d search every corner of Reddit and then check Facebook.” His Web browsing(look around/hojear/book) informs him. “He’s a fact hound (dato que persigue),” Mr. Campbell brags (presumir). “Connor is, other than programming, extremely technical. He’s 100 percent Internet savvy (destreza/inteligencia).” But the parents worry too. “Connor is obsessed,” his mother said. “Kord says we have to teach him balance.” So in January, they held a family meeting. Study time now takes place in a group setting at the dinner table after everyone has finished eating. It feels, Mr. Campbell says, like togetherness. (unidad/unión) No Vacations For spring break, the family rented a cottage in Carmel, Calif. Mrs. Campbell hoped everyone would unplug (desenchufar/disconnect from mains). But the day before they left, the iPad from Apple came out, and Mr. Campbell snapped one up (rush to obtain (quitar de las manos)). The next night, their first on vacation, “We didn’t go out to dinner,” Mrs. Campbell mourned (lamentar). “We just sat there on our devices.” She rallied (gather to support something (concentrarse/congregarse)) the tropos (patrulla) the next day to the aquarium. Her husband joined them for a bit but then begged (to implore/ask for) out to do e-mail on his phone. Later she found him playing video games. The trip came as Mr. Campbell was trying to raise several million dollars for his new venture, a goal that he achieved. Brenda said she understood that his pursuit required intensity but was less understanding of the accompanying surge in video game. His behavior brought (provocar/traer) about a discussion between them. Mrs. Campbell said he told her that he was capable of logging off, citing a trip to Hawaii several years ago that they called their second honeymoon. “What trip are you thinking about'” she said she asked him. She recalled that he had spent two hours a day online in the hotel’s business center. On Thursday, their fourth day in Carmel, Mr. Campbell spent the day at the beach with his family. They flew a kite and played whiffle ball. Connor unplugged too. “It changes the mood of everything when everybody is present,” Mrs. Campbell said. The next day, the family drove home, and Mr. Campbell disappeared into his office. Technology use is growing for Mrs. Campbell as well. She divides her time between keeping the books of her husband’s company, homemaking and working at the school library. She checks e-mail 25 times a day, sends texts and uses Facebook. Recently, she was baking peanut butter cookies for Teacher Appreciation Day when her phone chimed (sonar) in the living room. She answered a text, then became lost in Facebook, forgot about the cookies and burned them. She started a new batch, but heard the phone again, got lost in messaging, and burned those too. Out of ingredients and shamed (remorse/pity/sad), she bought cookies at the store. She feels less focused and has trouble completing projects. Some days, she promises herself she will ignore her device. “It’s like a diet — you have good intentions in the morning and then you’re like, ‘There went that,’ ” she said. Mr. Nass at Stanford thinks the ultimate risk of heavy technology use is that it diminishes empathy by limiting how much people engage (entablar (enter into dialogue with sb, talk to sb)) with one another, even in the same room. “The way we become more human is by paying attention to each other,” he said. “It shows how much you care.” That empathy, Mr. Nass said, is essential to the human condition. “We are at an inflection point,” he said. “A significant fraction of people’s experiences are now fragmented.” I agree with “It Starts with the Individual” by Nicholas Carr, people are multitasking & trying to rush instead of taking the time to do something right. I am guilty of multitasking, texting my friends, making plans & doing homework at the same time. We just cannot bring ourselves to get off the internet and do something meaningful. I am too engaged in the social media world. Nicholas makes a good point that the best way to stop multitasking is to take our time on the task at hand. By simply putting down the phone or stepping away from the computer, we can get multiple tasks done. Disconnecting ourselves from the media and social world & focusing is the best way to stop our multitasking. Although we might say we need to multitask to get through things quicker, quicker isn’t always the way to go especially if the task is very important. If I were trying to do a task, and only that task, I would do a better job on it rather than trying to do five tasks at the same. When you are trying to focus on more than one task you might get confused and end up with something totally different than what you wanted. Nicholas Carr says that ”the only way to change social norms is for individuals to change their behavior.” I believe this is also true because most people lead by example and will follow what everybody else is doing. In conclusion, I believe that multitasking is not an easy habit to break but when you do your life will be much easier and your work will be more efficient. As a student and teenager I use technology a lot but I also do other things that don’t require technology like sports. That is why I agree with the idea that even though for little while we will may be in over fascinated with technology when it first comes out we almost always return normal. That is what the author is trying to get across that technology is good thing and that we aren’t controlled by it and usually over time we find multitasking more stressful then fun so we stop using it. Many don’t agree with idea though. For example many people say that once we start using technology were are unable to let it go. Sure there are some people who become overly addicted to technology but the majority of people use technology that right and don’t become addicted. Really technology has just changed how we waste time as author said “Wasting time YouTube-video-hopping is no worse than wasting time channel-surfing with the remote”. Also most of the time when were searching and talking about is what we’re doing or how were watching something or reading stuff or stuff we want to read about. Allows thanks to technology were have gotten rid of old ways like how we use get calls for are birthdays or how we use to go have to buy a newspaper for sports stats and now were able to look up anything we want within a few seconds without having to leave the comfort of our own home. In response to “Focus on One Thing” by Gary W. Small, I disagree that multitasking is a bad thing because it’s constantly exercising our minds to work harder and better. This could prove to be beneficial when you are older and have a job dealing with computers that you won’t become as stressed out when doing more work. For example, when working as an accountant you have to multitask and work a lot with numbers and if you did this a lot when you were younger your brain would be used to doing these tasks with less stress than a person who didn’t use technology as much. Also, for it can be noted that technology can cause more frustration and make people sloppier. And this may be true, but in my opinion I can see it becoming beneficial to people who can multitask because of technology. Just because some people are having complications with multitasking due to technology it doesn’t mean it is the reason for it happening. It is in human nature to adapt to new ways and technology we have today is a huge leap forward for the human race and it will take time for it to become a part of our lives. This may lead to our brains becoming more functional and completing tasks at a much faster and more efficient rate. So technology isn’t for everyone but it could prove to become a very helpful tool for those who can use it to multitask because they may be able to handle all the stress. I disagree with the article “Email can’t wait “because you can’t multitask and do everything right. Forexample when you try thing’s without rushing. I believe you do things better , then if you do things and you are multitasking. The author say “people can wait on there email” because it isn’t that important but if it’s a text message people stop what they are doing and see who it is or what it say’s . Most people have a strong intuition that they are good multitaskers. And they think that they easily handle doing things as if they were only doing one thing. This shows that people think different then other’s and it’s easy for them to do many things at once. In addition to the switch cost, each time you switch away from a task and back again, you have to recall where you were in that task , and remember what happened last .Fore example you may have to back track the last thing you did and or re-read the same paragraph over. But when you tend to multitask you forget things because you are doing so much at once . Most people that can’t wait on an email , text tweet , or any notification. Bye turning off your phone and doing things at once can be better then multitasking . The other side say’s that multitasking is good and people believe that they can multitask. And why my opinion is still correct because it shows that’s you can do many things better at once . Many of us focus on our electronics too much that we forget about the things that actually matter. I agree because it’s true, you might get hooked on them really easily. For example the William Powers states “the problem isn’t our Iphones and blackberry’s, it’s how were using them, we’ve simply gone overboard” I agree because we’ve become addicted to technology. We depend on it too much; we need to start becoming independent and figuring things out about the world on our own. Another reason is, since you spend so much time online with twitter or Facebook you’ll start losing your inner self and relationships because you will start forgetting the things that are truly important. Furthermore your life will improve if you stop using all the technology and electronics here and there. When your mind is always on the computer or technology, you are not as alert or living your life as much as possible. Some people think that it’s not how the person uses the technology but the technology itself. This might be true because when a new type of technology or electronic comes along it’s the new “big thing” so everyone wants it or wants to use it. As years go new technology comes and more and more people get addicted to technology. They need to learn how to just turn it off because it is affecting them and how they are living, but they need to actually want to turn them off. Nicholas Carr knew life would be excruciating if we were not able to multitask. But with today's technology it seems we juggle more information everyday than we need to. Though it may seem great at first, it takes a toll such as the inability to do work and leaves an imbalanced life. Multitasking with todays's technology can sometimes be beneficial like having to know if your hot friend is single while checking up on a meeting that you missed yesterday. However multitasking in a daily basis can leave people thinking of what to do which leaves the option of multitasking. A majority of what people multitask in is thier "social" life online and their work at a job or school. If this is the case then you are left with either balancing your so called "social" life and having to finish your job or doing homework. Unless we take time off our Iphones, Ipods, and other electronical devices we will consequently have to choose: do I want to know whats going on with my friends or do I want to keep my job. Therefore it is essential that we take time off our Iphones,Androids, and other electronic devices. Some may say that there is no problem multitasking but they will soon realize that they will have to choose to either see the updates and tweets or keeping thier job and/or staying in school. The next time you feel the need to multitask do everyone a favor and ask yourself; is this the most vital task i should be doing at this time or should i continue on my work' I agree with the article “Focus on one thing” because when focusing on one thing you get things done better, it makes you less stressful, and it’s better on your health. When focusing on one thing you tend to get things done better. You’re so focused on one thing that you understand what you’re doing better so you catch your mistakes. When focusing on more than you thing you make more mistakes then you realize because you’re rushing to get both things done. Multitasking can cause you to have more stress. Having more than one thing to think about or do can tend to stress you out mentally and physically. Doing a bunch of different stuff can make your body tired and weak. Another thing multitasking can effect is your health. Multitasking can cause you to have high blood pressure. Having high blood pressure can affect your heart, eyes, brain, and kidneys. You may not get enough oxygen to your heart and it can cause you to have a heart attack or chest pains. It makes you work better, makes you less stressful, and can better your health. So next time you catch yourself doing a bunch of things at once slow down, focus on only one thing, or even take a brake. I disagree with the article “Focus on One Thing” by: Gary W. Small because I always multitask and still get things done right. I also disagree because you get more things done in short amount of time while making sure it gets done right. Multitasking helps a lot of people who want to get things done fast so they have more free time. I also disagree with him saying that multitaskers get things done but they do it with more errors because I could easily do my school work and watch T.V and still not have any errors. Another reason I believe that there is no such thing as multitasking is because as you are multitasking you check your work to make sure you didn’t make any mistakes. He thinks that multitasking is bad and that people should stop but if people did stop multitasking then people would have a lot more problems dealing with trying to create more free time. If people multitask a lot then they would most likely go back and check on their work to fix any errors they may have not noticed while working. I also agree with him to take a break once and a while from multitasking because it could cause a lot of stress on the person but if your confident on continuing then keep on doing it with no mistakes. I agree with “Focus on One Thing,” you make more errors when you have more tasks to do. If you have one task then you don’t have that many errors and get it done correctly. Multitaskers believe that they are getting more done by multitasking, but they are not, they are getting sloppier. Every ping or buzz or ring that we hear from our iPods, phones and other electronic devices interrupts us from focusing on certain things. We anticipate a new and more exciting task than the one we are doing. When we pay attention to things, we pay partial attention and place their brains in heightened state of stress. They no longer have the time to do the tasks of reflecting, contemplating, or making thoughtful decisions. They stay in the state of constant tension and are on alert for new information that they can get at any moment. Once the people who multitask too much get used to the feeling they thrive for perpetual connectivity; it becomes irresistible. One of two strategies for controlling multitasking too much is to first remind yourself that you are doing one or two tasks at a time, not four or more tasks. This may require turning off any electronic devices so that you don’t get interrupted. The second strategy is to make an effort to limit your tech time with regular off-line breaks. This may require writing a letter, having a conversation at a water cooler, or taking a walk in the park. The second strategy maintains mental focus, and improves your quality of your life. The article of Timothy B. Lee is similar to what we teens and adults think about the social network. I disagree with the fact of social network is fun and a need in our lives. The social network may be entertaining for all of us, but can cause problems between relationships. For example, the article names a wife named Mrs. Campbell that she says her husband pays more attention to his electronics than his own children. I believe that this isn't right, even though you are away from a loved one, but it can affect your family. In addition, it can affect you from communicating with people when you come face to face. My experience, in my classroom our teachers gave us a question that deals with my reason. I have a cousin that she's into social network a lot, but when the time it came for her to get a job, it wasn't good. The manager didn't want to hire her because of not being able to have good communication skills and mood with people. I believe that it can prevent you from succeeding or getting a job in the future. On the other hand, I understand that social network has a big impact on young people's lives and adults. For example, they get to meet people from the past that they have a long time they never talked to each other. I believe this because family members you never seen for a long time, you can see them on Facebook. Social network shouldn't take our social lives, but we should be the ones socializing in person not a machine. Our generation has been surrounded with technology since we were born. So it’s normal, almost comforting, to be using devices while finishing a task. I agree with Clifford Nass’s article that we multitask because we like the information that we have never seen, better than the task you are working on at that time. Most young people would rather check what’s new rather than doing what they are supposed to be doing. I think it’s because people want to fit in and they do whatever it takes, which makes them drop what they are doing and do what other people are doing. For example, on Facebook, if one of your friends makes a statues saying “Truth is” and a lot of people like it, then you’ll probably go make a statues saying “Truth is” too. All in all, people multitask to find better information than what they are working on at that time. Yes, I think a lot of older people get bored of doing work for a long time and need something different or exciting to stay awake. As a human being, I know I get distracted a lot and tend to go on the internet rather than do my homework or what I am supposed to be doing. I say that multitaskers know that it’s better than what they are currently working on and that the other information they are looking at is not important but still refuses to do what is needed. For years we have been surrounded by technology. This is how it has been for our generation. I agree with Professor Nass’s article. We are more interested in new information and would rather be reading than the current information we are reading. It’s normal to multitask. Also I think the reason why someone would be on Facebook and Twitter while they are doing homework is because they don’t want to feel left out. They feel like they need to fit in so they will do anything. If they see their friend on Facebook they will have an urge to get on as well. Also, if you are doing something you aren’t very interested in they you will probably want to go on different websites while you are performing that task. On the other hand, older people that multitask are usually bored with their current information. So they think that going on other sites they will find more interesting information. Although most of them that go on other sites know that the new information is not going to benefit them. So it’s not worth their time. Some will check their email often to find something that is better than what they are currently doing. The bad thing about multitasking is that you waste time on other sites, so you are less productive and you’re spending twice as much time than you should be. Instead of multitasking, I think that all people that multitask should just bear with it, so that way they can be more productive and complete their tasks sooner. I agree with the article “The Social Internet”, I agree for the fact that technology has helped me keep in contactFor instance, I have friends who have moved out of state, if it was not for internet or technology in general, the likelihood of us still being in touch is close to nothing. Along with friends that have moved away, there are also times where I have a certain person I go to with my problems or thoughts, although they may not always be within close distance, Also, technology has also helped me make new friendships that I would not have any other way, I found people that I really fit with, and get along really well with,. As well as making new friends and keeping in touch with older friends With technology, life has become a lot brighter with my social life, . However, I can see why some people would say that technology has destroyed things in their life. In my defense, any friendships that are ruined via technology, is between the two, or more people. People say that Facebook, or Twitter have ruined their friendships, but it is not the social network that has ruined friendships, it is the individuals themselves. Although bad things may happen between people with technology, technology has helped every single person in at least one way .that is why I agree with the article. In the end, technology is a very great thing that has happened to society, although. Technology has become a whole new way of a social life for a lot of people. As a high school student and active iPhone user I can very much relate to this article. I understand how hard it is to log off of Facebook and Twitter when all your friends are online. Nobody wants to feel like the outcast which is why I believe you don’t have to put down your phone because multitasking is good. Furthermore, using electronics and multitasking is only making you think more about what is going on in your life. You can quickly find out what assignments were due in school and how to do them. You can Google just about anything now a day which is only furthering your education. Another reason I believe the use of technology is essential and beneficial is because if you need to have a conversation with a friend but you cannot wait until the next time you see them it is very convenient. On the other hand, I disagree because although others may argue that technology is cluttering young teen’s minds and it should be stopped that is not the case. Being in high school surrounded by many people kids texting and tweeting all time has really made me understand how simple it has made the world. Within seconds you could have a full list of everything that happened at school. You can get missed homework within minutes with is only bettering yourself and others using technology. The more technology grows and advances I believe it will only make the world stronger and faster. I disagree with the article “It Starts with The Individual” by Nicholas Carr, because I multitask every day. I listen to music when I wash dishes and do homework. I do my classwork while listening to the teacher. I believe that it is impossible not being able to multitask. It would just be nerve racking to have to achieve one goal at a time. Doing multiple tasks at once is not very difficult. Everyone has a job and most likely, they need to multitask to be able to finish their work. Although the author states that “Life would be intolerable if we weren’t able to multitask”, he believes multitasking causes stress, shallower thinking, weakened concentration and that people need to cut back. Then what will cutting back do for us ' If some people feel the need to cut back because they cannot concentrate then fine, but not everyone is like that. He also admitted that cutting back is difficult and your job may suffer, so why tell people to cut back if it’s the best thing for them to do is multitask' Besides in his last paragraph he says that multitasking is doing too much for one person. It does not take a big toll on people. If you are very busy and certain things are due at certain times multitasking is great to use. If you have too much to do, let some of your tasks go. Who says you have to do things one at a time' In response to “The Sallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains” and “The Big Switch: Rewiring the World from Edison to Google” as a high school student and teenager, I agree that life would be intolerable if we were not able to multitask. Furthermore, I think the internet should be used for looking up information required by your school for assignments or to find out the answer to a curious question to enhance your knowledge. The more multitasking done, the less concentration is used, the less concentration, the more stress and not enough time for giving your brain a chance to rest. Once you get use to multitasking for a year or even longer it gets harder for you not to multitask to “help” you do things better or concentrate. If people work on decreasing their multitasking habits they can better concentrate and focus on something without getting stressed out. Studies show that we juggle more tasks and bits of information than ever before. Finally, the only way to stop is to turn off the cell phones and minimize checking your email to two or three times a day rather than every three minutes a day. If you regularly give your brain an opportunity to rest/relax by concentrating on one thing instead of a dozen, the emotional effects of concentrating will decrease. Response to “You Have To Want To Unplug” I agree with the article “You Have to Want to Unplug” and the reason being for that is I believe that people are getting too attached or addicted to their electronics. And when people realize this they do blame electronics, themselves for it. I think people don’t take the time to get outside and smell the fresh air. People are putting a message out there that technology like our iPods, cell phones, and the internet are more important than the actually world. Like author William Powers stated in “You Have to Want to Unplug”, that we all need to take a break from technology. We need to put everything down for a minute or hour. Even a day! And we need to go and see reality and not become obsessed with our new iPhone 5, because in reality none of the high tech gadget stuff matters. However, yes I can become a little too attached to my phone; waiting to see if that one text from my boyfriend came, or to see who posted a new picture on Instagram. But I can admit it. And being a sophomore in high school and not being allowed to text I’m getting use to the fact you have to put your cell phone and other electronics away for 7 hours, 5 times a week. I believe and agree that we all can become too addicted to our electronics and also that we all need to take a break once in a while and go see what’s outside in the real world. I agree with the article “We’ll Learn Fast,” because I believe that people use technology too much. I feel as if people do get addicted to it, because their on it too much and would rather stay on the computer or the iPad, then go out with their family. I think that people use new technology more than they should because now people don’t really use the yellow pages in the phone book, because they can look it up on the computer. I feel children would rather use Google or something like that to get the answers for their homework now a days because they can. I also feel as if children would rather stay on the computer more and play games then do their homework because they put all kinds of great games on the computer for kids and adults to play. On the other hand, the author says other people are too addicted to technology. However, that her and her husband’s job is basically working with technology. She claims that they aren’t glued to their devises in any way. However, as the story goes on she starts to talk about how more and more technology is coming out and how people are getting distracted. She says that even though more and more technology is coming out that that doesn’t mean that they can’t watch TV, or listens to the radio, or go for a walk in the park. I believe that technology is good when you need to use it but not all the time just for fun. As a teen in today’s society I frequently catch myself multitasking. Nicholas’s article was an eye opener. I agree that multitasking can make life harder than what it needs to be. Multitasking is very convenient, but it will hurt you in the long run. Being in high school I am forced to multitask, in certain classes I have to watch a video and also take notes on what I saw. It can get very stressful at times. Nicholas explained that if you are involved in a certain career, it may suffer because you won’t be available at all times. It was also stated that multitasking helps your brain. It will help you stay focused and attentive. It may be hard to sacrifice your Facebook, Twitter, etc., but it is all worth it. For example if you were told to write a paper, look at a movie, and cook dinner, you would want to multitask. If you actually think about it you would do better on those tasks if you do them one at a time. You won’t be able to write the paper to your best ability because you were too busy looking at the movie. Multitasking is a distraction. It brings along shallower thinking, weakened concentration, reduced creativity, and heightened stress. Multi-tasking can drain you emotionally also. May people may believe that multitasking is the best thing to do, but I can promise you that they are more sleep deprived than people that give themselves enough time to finish all their tasks one by one. That is why I believe that multitasking is not a good lifestyle choice. I agree with the article “Focus on one Thing," because being a multi-tasker yeah sure gets things maybe done faster but not better. I agree with the article because in the article it states that when a person is focused on one thing and not twenty different things, it helps the person stay on that same topic Also, whatever it is that they are doing they will do it correctly and without any flaws. Multi-taskers believe they’re getting more done, but instead they’re just getting faster and sloppier. Also in my opinion people who multi-task are fast and can do a lot more, but it is the slow and steady thinkers that get the job done and done right. On the other hand, what does the other side say about multi-tasking' Well there are some people in the world that can multi-task and be very proficient in their work and at what they do. Out of my experience in the world I know only a few people that can multi-task and are very successful in their line of work. So in fact people who multi-task make more mistakes in their line of work because they are not completely focused on one subject, but many and they are not as good as the ones that take their time and make sure that it is pure and precise work. I agree with the article “It Starts With the Individual,” I agree with this article because Nicholas Carr makes very good points when he says how important technology is but there are also times when you have to shut down the technology and come back to the real world. If you have children then you have a responsibility to be open to them when they need you. If your off isolated somewhere on your cellphone, laptop, or simply listening to an I-Pod your not reach able because you are most likely into what your doing so much that you tune everything else around you out. Even with a job you have an obligation to your boss and the workers in your area but staring at a computer screen all day isn’t the most exciting thing in the world and it also isn’t good for your eyes. On the other hand many other people say that you adapt to technology in a way that becomes addictive and some people can’t put their cell phone or laptop down for even a minute because they think they’re going to miss something. This I can say is true but you have to say for yourself that those things can wait. Emails, text messages, and statuses will always be there you can always go back and check them. The article “It Starts with the Individual”, states that we never stop multitasking because of our endless connections to the internet. I agree because no matter what the situation is, people of the world are continuously multitasking. I believe the main source starts with social networking and other electronic media. Another reason I agree that we are forever multitasking is because every store has many devices to access to online social networks with such as the infamous Apple IPod. On the other hand I also agree that it is not easy to stop because once you log on you are hooked forever. To begin with, cutting back on multitasking is difficult. For example, during school a teacher can give an assignment and then give students permission to listen to music. That makes people get used to using electronics to complete everything. Therefore, an assignment can be completed, a text message can be sent out, and music can be streamed, and a tweet can be sent, which is all one way of multitasking. Finally, I understand that a change in the normal routine of getting on social networks will increase how much control you have over your thoughts. However, because electronic devices are in such high demand it would be hard for companies to stop making more electronics and hard to stop people from buying them. Therefore, the end of multitasking does not start with the people that use them, it starts with the many options being created to reach the social networks such as iPhones . I agree with “It Starts with Individual” that Nicholas Carr wrote because everything in life always starts off with individual work. Before multitasking everyone did things themselves. Individual work is much faster than working with others. The problem today is that everyone is doing more than one thing at the same time. Let’s say that everyone is on the internet, it would help others if you aren’t using your computer to turn it off than others who are working can use computers that aren’t moving so slow. Being on phones to check Facebook, e-mail and etc. is not good because checking every two seconds won’t make things go faster. Multitasking is cutting into your social life and separating you from other things. Your emotions and feelings mix with each other and make a big mess. Multitasking can be the biggest mistake ever. Listing to the radio and doing homework can distract from what you are doing and make you want to do something else. I wonder how the world functions when everyone is multitasking all the time. Sometimes multitasking can be the worst thing that can be used because you can get into a car crash or overcook something on the stove. Everyone shouldn’t multitask at all because no good can come from it at all in life. Most people love to multitask because they say things get done faster. Other people say that it doesn’t make things go faster because you get off task and forget about what you were doing. It’s better to start with the individual things first. The Social Internet By: Timothy B. Lee Tim, the one who’s studied this, believes technology interferes too much with peoples “social” or “real” relationships. I agree because now a days people get too “distracted” when using technology. There are too many accidents because people talk on the phone or are even sending a text message. With teenagers, it’s a very big problem because all they want to do is talk to their friends on Twitter or Facebook. Even in school, some kids do not pay attention because they are too busy texting friends or on Twitter, Facebook, ect. Personally, I get distracted a lot. If I am told to do something and I am on twitter or sending messages to people, 90% of the time I do not end up doing it. Furthermore, some people might like using technology for a lot or even might not get “distracted” so easily. On Facebook you might find old friends, or even make new friends, which is definitely a positive. My Dad made a Facebook and found his side of the family that lives in Alabama, now every year we go down to visit them. When you really think about it, it does help a lot of people but at the very same time it does people no good. I think it depends on what kind of person you are. Even though technology “distracts” or ruins “real” relationships, it could definitely benefit you in many different ways. In the article “It Starts with the Individual”, by Nicholas Carr, I agree with the author that you could honestly put your Blackberry, iPhone, computer, or device that is connected to the internet down for a few days, and check it occasionally. For example, don’t check it every three to five minutes. Check it every couple of hours so you can then spend time with your family! You need to be able to have a decent conversation with your family without facebooking, tweeting, or emailing. It’s important because you need to be able to have social skills and know what’s going on in their lives. Plus, when you are doing all of those unnecessary things on the internet you have to start to multitask, and it gets very hard to concentrate on the things that you are doing with your family. For instance most moms do all of that and drive when it’s illegal! For example I know a mom that facebooks while driving all of the time. Teach your brain to relax for once! It will do a great toll on your lifestyle. People may think that the whole “cutting back” sounds hard, well yeah. It mostly will be its going to be hard to train yourself. Your career may suffer because you’re supposed to be connected socially with your boss, and coworkers. Your job may be at risk but you need to spend time with family and help them with their homework. So please, stop using the iPhone, Blackberry, computer, or device connected to the internet, and do something else. Have you asked yourself why technology is so important today' Just look around and you'll know why. Literally, at every instant of time, you are surrounded by technology. Whether you are working or resting, you are always using technology. It is used everywhere and all the time. Its use has made life easy. We need technology. It's important. You ask why' Well then. Why is Technology Important' lights Places far away have come closer, thanks to technology. The pace of life has increased, thanks to technology. Communication is quick, travel is fast, movement is easy, action is quick, interaction has sped up and so has life. Things that once took hours to complete, can be done in seconds. The world is smaller and life is fast. Courtesy - technology. The discovery of electricity drove all the darkness away and the world lit up. If not for the use of technology, we wouldn't have been able to produce electric power or harness it. Today, it can be generated through various means because of technology. It has been channeled to every small household in the farthest of world's corners, thanks to technology. What made it possible to use renewable sources like hydropower or solar and wind energy to generate electricity' Application of technology. speed How would our basic needs be met so easily if not for technology' Man could meet his needs even before the birth of technology. But it was so difficult then and so rudimentary. Look at today's food - fresh, preserved or processed, food of any type is available at your doorstep just anytime. Clothing' Gosh, there's so much variety and much more comfort with different clothes for different occasions and seasons. Where does technology come into picture' Everywhere. From food to fashion, technology has a role to play. How else would so much of all this be produced' Look at today's shelters - shelters' Tall buildings, big bungalows, luxurious apartments - how would they be built if not for technology! business How does water reach homes' With the help of robust water storage and transmission systems. How do homes get the warmth and cold as and when they need' Due to heating and air conditioning systems. How can food be preserved without getting spoiled' Because of refrigeration. How can civil structures be built under water' How can skyscrapers stand so tall' It's owing to advancements in civil engineering and architecture. Earthquake-resistant and fireproof structures we see today are also a gift of developments in technology. In short, we owe our luxurious lives to technology. Businesses, small and big, need technology to thrive. They are growing and expanding across countries owing to technological advancements. It is technology that gives organizations the strength to spread their wings. If not for technology, how would complex industrial processes be carried out' If not for machines, how would large-scale production of goods be possible' If not for computers, how would the software industry have grown' Growing businesses create employment opportunities for people and technology plays a big role in business growth. That's how important technology is. communication Technology has changed the way people communicate. Communication systems have evolved from pigeons carrying messages to emails and instant messages that travel long distances in seconds. Cellular technology and satellite communication have increased communication speeds and made 'connecting' easier. The Internet has enabled easy exchange of information over long distances. Even now, you could be accessing this page from a web server in some far-off country. Just a few clicks of your computer mouse can take you anywhere on the Internet. You enter an all new world without even realizing it! education Satellite and radio communication have changed the entertainment industry. Channels from all over the world are now available on your TV set, thanks to technology. Television shows and films can reach the masses within minutes after their release. Radio communication has made it possible to broadcast programs to the remotest of locations. The role of computers and Internet in education cannot be ignored. The use of computers in teaching has made learning more interesting. Computers enable better storage and presentation of information, thus making the process of teaching easier and more effective. Educational CDs are available everywhere. Lectures/lessons can be uploaded on websites, as PDFs or even as videos. This has made information more easily accessible and provided for better ways of knowledge sharing. Online degrees and training courses have led to spread of education. Today, people can continue learning even while managing their jobs, because online education gives them the flexibility to do so. And all the information in the world is so widely available, thanks to the world wide web. research Technology is as important in the healthcare industry as in any other. Right from easy communication between healthcare professionals and patients to computer-assisted medical procedures, it's technology everywhere. In the working of patient-monitoring equipment and surgical instruments, there's technology. In various diagnostic procedures from scans to complex therapies, technology has a vital role to play. Many medical procedures are mechanized. Even surgeries are simulated on and assisted by machines. Technological development has never stopped. Nanotechnology has gone on to understand things at their nano level. Space exploration has gone on to explore extraterrestrial life. Genetic research has revealed how various traits or even hereditary diseases are transferred across generations. Processes like cloning and genetic engineering are attempting to alter traits in individuals. Artificial intelligence can make machines learn, thus developing intelligence in them. Fourth generation technologies in mobile communication have achieved amazing speeds in voice and video communication on cellular networks. Things we would never have imagined have come into reality due to application of technology. At the heart of every piece of technology is automation. Technology automates the most complex of processes, be it in communication, education, medicine or any other industry. With the application of technology, critical and time-consuming processes can be executed with ease and in less time. Laborious and repetitive tasks are best done by machines (without getting bored!). People do not have to slog as much as they would have had to, if not for technology. With automation come efficiency and speed. They save human effort and time to a great extent and make life easy and comfortable. Nothing else has changed living the way technology has. And that's exactly why technology is so important today and will always be. The subject of technology addiction is relatively new as compared to drug or gambling addictions. This leads to a heated dispute over whether we need to consider the fervent need for technology and the monotony that the lack of technology causes, as an addiction. There are several qualifications that a craving needs to be termed as an addiction. What Makes an Addiction' The human state survival works on a simple reward system. Every time you attain a biological requirement like food, sex or lactation, the body releases a neurotransmitter called 'dopamine' (in this case, into the brain) that helps us decide the approach to something to be rewarded. This means the phase of wanting something and getting it, and the eventual liking of it is controlled by dopamine. It is this that fuels an addiction. Once you start using a piece of technology (like video games) and eventually start to like it, release of dopamine in the brain creates a reward system for it, which creates an addiction for it. The same example works for cigarettes - nicotine induces a dopamine release, creating the craving for more. An important point here is that people who seek more satisfaction from things, actually are seeking more in terms of dopamine release, and therefore require a larger release of the neurotransmitter, which in turn requires you to pursue that thing even more. Apart from dopamine, there's also 'serotonin', the neurotransmitter that's involved with mood control and sensory perception. Serotonin imbalance is a major cause of depression, suicidal tendencies and aggression. Norepinephrine is another mood control neurotransmitter that also can work as a hormone. It is directly related to stress. Traditionally, all this was considered to apply to sectors that involve more physical activity (like sex) or actual substance consumption (food and drugs), which later translated to gambling too. We are now at the verge of seriously considering the very gadgets that help in making life easier as the gadgets that mark the very difference between success and failure. There have been many arguments over this issue - one side stating that technology addiction satisfies the scientific qualifications (dopamine release), while others say that overusing technology is only a phase that is a let go of the moment we set on something more challenging. But there lies the downside of calling something an addiction. When you're 'addicted' to something, you forget all other needs and wants, concentrating solely on satisfying your now first priority, craving. Students of the International Center for Media & the Public Affairs (ICMPA), along with the Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change, conducted an online study, asking over a thousand students in ten countries across five continents to refrain from using any form of media for 24 hours. A majority of students considered this an impossibility in this modern age. Most kids today have grown with console and a cell phone in their hands, making them take technology for granted and completely shirk the idea of living without it. Most students failed to complete 24 hours, some described signs of withdrawal and early stages of depression, shocked by their total dependence on cell phones, computers and the TV. Only a small minority actually pulled it off successfully. It may thus be said that even if technology addiction cannot be called a medical condition, the cravings and the anxiety related to an addiction still exists. Types of Technology Addiction and its Symptoms An addiction to a piece of technology can be different, depending on the technology. But most of the symptoms remain the same. Internet Addiction is the largest among them all. This includes online gambling, multiplayer gaming, social networking and cyber-sex (porn sites and adult chat rooms). You can tell if you can't live off the grid if: You lie about the time you spend online. Spending 4 hours online and telling your friends that it was only for 4 minutes means you know what you're doing is wrong in some way. This is the major cause of depression due to excessive times spent online. You feel that the Internet provides what real life can fail to. In a way it's true, the fictional characters of 'World of Warcraft' are much more alluring than your school professors, because they are designed to attract. This can start off as something you use to take your mind out of a muddle. You slowly start drifting further away from all contacts to reality without you even realizing it. The time you need to spend online keeps increasing. This means what satisfaction you used to get from 1 hour of online free poker now needs 4 hours. You start to develop a tolerance to the virtual treats and start to think you can spend an eternity online. The effect is strikingly similar to smoking cigarettes, the process that converts a cigarette a day to one every half hour. Performances degrade in real life (whatever is left of it anyway). This applies to education and work alike. The effect is more pronounced in kids and students than an adult employee. The ratio leans towards the former because of the amount of responsibilities on both sides. This is one reason why technology addiction (or gaming addiction, rather) can be thought to be 'cured' as a person grows older. It leads to intense withdrawal symptoms resulting in a feeling of a loss-of-self, depression and aggression. There have been reports of subjects who said they felt suicidal simply because their computer would crash at times. You may also keep getting frustrated because of lack of good bandwidth. Internet addiction is now starting to gain acceptance as a disorder (maybe even calling it a compulsion than an addiction), with reSTART, an Internet addicts clinic outside Seattle, USA (2009). Video Games has always been a cause of concern for most parents whose kids may spend hours in front of the TV, holding the console in their hands and concentrating on nothing else but infiltrating the enemy headquarters. You're a video game addict if: You are too preoccupied with the game to notice anything else around you. The difference between Internet and video game addiction is that video games give you almost no contact with time in real life. You can spend five or six hours at a stretch on the console, thinking only an hour has gone by. You show a general lack of control whenever you see your PlayStation lying there, unable to handle it and eventually starting to play. The addiction has a large negative impact on your life as you remain completely unaware of anything that goes outside. You won't even be connected by the daily news or even your family. A similarity between Internet and video gaming addictions is that both are designed to attract you in any circumstance and once you're hooked, give you a constant sense of being undermined, eventually making you run around the place trying to find the hidden sword that helps you kill the final boss, or spending hours on making social profiles and making yourself look better in your online avatar. It is designed to make you euphoric at the beginning, making you constantly turning towards it for more and more. You start to become more and more apprehensive towards anyone passing judgment on your habits. This works the same way as lying, you feel defensive and in denial of spending excessive hours on the console because you're made to feel that it's wrong. The Smith and Jones Addiction Consultants opening a video game addicts treatment in Amsterdam, Europe (2006) signifies the public acknowledgment of this addiction. Social Networking Addiction is another form of technology addiction, which includes overuse of networking sites leading to Twitter and Facebook addiction. This means you are hooked to your cell phone texting and incessantly updating your Facebook status. You're a social networking addict if: You think social interactions are much better than real life interactions. Abusing the fact that you can rephrase anything you said before you hit enter, or the fact that who you're talking to can't see you, can put you in this category. There's a constant feeling of inferiority, forcing you to stay on top of everything. You feel the uncontrolled urge to update your profile image and status all the time. You need to keep checking what your friends are thinking about on the networking site, rather than having to meet them in person. You start feeling anxious when you're not with your cell phone or the computer. When your modem breaks down in the middle of a conversation on Facebook, you switch to your cell phone at the speed of light. If for some reason you can't, a strong sense of loss takes over, making you wallow in emptiness and increasing your aggression. One reason why this is not rampant is the actual need of technology in the modern age. This is why people don't realize they are in too deep until they realize they can't pull out. It is much harder to hide drug addiction than social networking addiction. The ultimate dependence on technology that we are steadily moving into creates the need to redefine technology addictions constantly. It is evident that compulsive technology overuse is not defined as an addiction because of the need for it. It falls into such a unique category - it does not directly have an impact on health conditions like drinking, smoking and drugs do, it is also not possible to let go of it completely because we always need it. It is this cyclic relation of man and technology that makes it so hard to not get used to it or refrain from using it. How Technology Has Changed Our Lives in the Last Five Years Over the last five years, technology has been rapidly changing and expanding in every field imaginable. Smart phones are now capable of acting as standalone computer devices that can take pictures, search the Internet, send emails and text messages and yes, they even make phone calls. While it might seem that the technology of today has reached its limits, it is still actually spreading its proverbial wings. Only twenty or so years ago, personal computers were becoming small enough and affordable enough for families to buy them for home use. Since then, the world of technology has shown no signs of slowing down and practically every device available today is somehow tied to computer technology. It seems hard these days to fathom the original size of computers and how small they have become in the last ten years, but within the last five years they have become even smaller and somehow more powerful and faster than ever before! The Internet allows people to connect with family, friends, and work colleagues from across the globe in the push of a button. Communication options have literally exploded in the instant avenues of text and video based chat as well as the near instantaneous method of email. Gone are the days where one had to post a letter and wait a week or more for a response and long distance phone calls are unnecessary for anyone with a computer, a webcam, and a speedy Internet connection. Automobiles are now being manufactured with standard GPS and emergency call features for the convenience and safety of drivers and their passengers, making the days of carrying a map completely unnecessary and improving the peace of mind of anyone who must travel the roads alone or at night. Computerized cars are now potentially at risk in much the same fashion as a personal computer as a moderately skilled hacker can theoretically take over basic functions of a vehicle - including its engine. Yes, technological advancement has changed our lives completely, and not always in a good way. Fortunately, there are many people focused on securing our networked technology and police officers as well as trained hacking and computer programming experts work to provide safe and secure technology to the masses. New technology in computer forensics has even opened up the world of police investigations, as personal computers, cell phones, and other portable electronic devices can now be searched in an effort to reliably solve crimes that seem to have little other evidence. Robots that have been designed for military warfare are also finding purpose in cleanup efforts of nuclear issues in such applications as at the nuclear energy facility in Japan that was recently smashed about by the devastating earthquake and tsunami. Because the nuclear reactors have been damaged and they are emitting radiation, even fully outfitted hazardous materials teams are at severe risk of radiation contamination within a few minutes of exposure. Robots are being sent in to clean up the mess, measure radioactivity levels, and even stream live video feeds for scientists to monitor.