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originally posted by: DBCowboy
originally posted by: intrptr
I don't bank, vote or text, I don't even own a 'pooter.
But I'm addicted to this one, how else am I going to find out the truth?
What will you do when you find "the truth"?
originally posted by: DBCowboy
www.debate.org...
An interesting link about a debate on if we really need computers.
I'll open it to you all.
Do we need computers?
I use mine to shop online, check bank accounts, post stupid stuff and opinions on websites, check in with old military buddies, teach my son.
That's it.
I could go actual shopping.
My bank is a 5 minute drive, plus my financial advisor is in the same building.
A phone call would connect me with my old pals.
Libraries and books would serve to teach my son.
And who really gives a crap what I say?
Do we really need computers or have we just gotten lazy? We use our phones for videos, games, and calculators.
We have a vast amount of knowledge at our fingertips, yet we watch cat videos.
Our wisdom, in my opinion, has decreased.
We have grown dependent on our little computer boxes. We have walled ourselves off under the pretense of connecting more. We have more knowledge but less wisdom.
We have become smart monkeys with shinier tools. And all we do if have a better way to fling cyber poo at each other.
I remember a time before computers. Dinosaurs ruled the earth, people died of the consumption, horse and buggies were the main modes of transportation, and we burned witches at the stake.
Has the world become better with computers?
We still fight wars. Diseases still run rampant. Children still go hungry. People still die.
Sure, we can see more, "care" more. Until the next disaster or the next lion gets killed or the next refugee looks sad.
But has it bettered us?
Are we better? Have we evolved?
Are we better off?
Things are easier. But identity theft is a worry now. Hackings, scams, (still waiting on that 10 mil from the Prince in Nigeria), and opinions rule the bandwidths.
If I added up all the time that I had used on the computer constructively, it'd be about 15 minutes/week.
The rest is personal. Fluff. Things that don't matter much.
Yeah, a bit hypocritical, writing this down on a computer and spreading it about the bandwidths of cyber space.
*shrugs*
C'est la vie!
originally posted by: Edumakated
originally posted by: Aazadan
originally posted by: Edumakated
Computers in some ways have actually made us dumber. It causes your mind to atrophy imho. Yes, the conveniences of having information at your fingertips are invaluable, but at the same time it makes us really vulnerable and unable to function without a computer.
This is a well studied concept, it has nothing to do with computers specifically and rather has to do with storing information. Before people could read and write, they remembered stories, documents, etc... much better. With written storage memories declined. A quick example here (which you mentioned) in recent years is phone numbers, it wasn't all that long ago that we remembered hundreds of numbers for people. Now we just press a name to quick dial.
That doesn't necessarily mean we're dumber though. Outside of Jeopardy contestants, do we measure intelligence by the trivia a person knows? I would argue that rather than spending the time memorizing something, and suffering the consequences of not memorizing it, our brainpower has been freed up for other endeavors.
No doubt we are smarter in some ways, but I think dumber in that we are losing our ability to function WITHOUT technology.
originally posted by: DBCowboy
How smart are we, really, if we HAVE to rely on tech to perform?
originally posted by: Aazadan
originally posted by: DBCowboy
How smart are we, really, if we HAVE to rely on tech to perform?
Before computers we relied on paper. Paper is still a technology.
Computers simply allow us to write down more, and to access it faster.
Is your position that society is better off if none of us could write?
originally posted by: DBCowboy
originally posted by: Edumakated
originally posted by: Aazadan
originally posted by: Edumakated
Computers in some ways have actually made us dumber. It causes your mind to atrophy imho. Yes, the conveniences of having information at your fingertips are invaluable, but at the same time it makes us really vulnerable and unable to function without a computer.
This is a well studied concept, it has nothing to do with computers specifically and rather has to do with storing information. Before people could read and write, they remembered stories, documents, etc... much better. With written storage memories declined. A quick example here (which you mentioned) in recent years is phone numbers, it wasn't all that long ago that we remembered hundreds of numbers for people. Now we just press a name to quick dial.
That doesn't necessarily mean we're dumber though. Outside of Jeopardy contestants, do we measure intelligence by the trivia a person knows? I would argue that rather than spending the time memorizing something, and suffering the consequences of not memorizing it, our brainpower has been freed up for other endeavors.
No doubt we are smarter in some ways, but I think dumber in that we are losing our ability to function WITHOUT technology.
Exactly.
How smart are we, really, if we HAVE to rely on tech to perform?
originally posted by: DBCowboy
No. I'll concede the point that we have always relied on technology. I guess I'm just questioning the efficacy of the new tech.
originally posted by: Aazadan
originally posted by: DBCowboy
But do we, should we embrace all tech simply because it's new or easy?
When is it too much?
Where do we draw the line?
It's never too much. What's wrong with things being easy? Is suffering a virtue?
originally posted by: Aazadan
originally posted by: DBCowboy
But do we, should we embrace all tech simply because it's new or easy?
When is it too much?
Where do we draw the line?
It's never too much. What's wrong with things being easy? Is suffering a virtue?