Too Much Texting?

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Week #8

Title: In this post I’ll be commenting on the article found on http://www.nytimes.com called “Behavior: Texting is Linked to Other Problems” by Roni Caryn Robin.

Comments: I had trouble believing this article. The research sounds legitimate, but it sounds more like a scare tactic than anything else. When I read this article, I could imagine my mother pulling me aside during my high school years after reading this article and questioning me about whether these things happen to me or any of my high school friends. While the research may seem sound, we don’t the extent to which the research has gone into this subject, and brings up questions such as “is this the case across the country, or just for those twenty schools in Ohio?” and “is this research bringing up results that correlate, or is it mistaking one problem for another?” The article makes this issue seem very dire, but fails to answer these questions. This will continue to be an issue as the years go on, and there will no doubt be many more concerned parents fretting at their computers over the possible implications of their child’s texting habits. As a new media student, I will wait patiently for more research to be done in this field before I run out and confiscate all the cell phones that I see along my way to class. I’m not holding my breath.

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Veazie Man Hopes Business is All Downhill

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Week #8

Title: In this post I’ll be commenting on the article found at http://www.bangordailynews.com called “Veazie Man Hopes Business is All Downhill” by Emily Burnham

Comments: This article speaks to me personally because I see a lot of my same thoughts echoed in this article. I enjoy the new media curriculum here at UMaine, but I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to apply what I learn here after I leave and start my own career. I agree with Bagley and his desire to get away from his computer. So much of my time as a new media student is spent in front of my laptop, forced to experience the world around my in small bytes of information. I applaud his entrepreneurial spirit in trying something so radically different from what he was used to. I’m very interested in starting my own business with what I learn in this program, so the appeal is great in taking his path. He did a lot of things right, like making his skis out of all natural products. This is a very inspiring story, and one I plan to take to heart in the years to come.

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Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction

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Week #8

Title: In this post, I’ll be commenting on the article found on http://www.nytimes.com called “Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction” by Matt Richtel.

Comments: I found it really interesting that an article on how our society’s younger generation has grown up with a shorter attention span is six full pages long. It’s length seems to be a statement all of its own, proving it’s point simply by forcing the reader to read all of it if they want to get the full message. The story of Vishal was interesting, and something that I could sympathize with, being both an alumni of Belfast Area High School and UMaine underclassman. Homework is nothing new to me, nor are the distractions that take away from it. This is an important topic in new media because the use of technology in classrooms is increasing. If the technology is causing a reduction in the quality of work that our students are doing, something has to change. Whether it’s the technology or the method of teaching, this may be a decision I will have to take part in later in my life. This article helped inform me on both sides of the issue, and was helpful in giving me the background information I need to begin thinking about this issue.

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The Attention Span Myth

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Week #8

Title: In this post, I’ll be commenting on an article from http://www.nytimes.com called “The Attention Span Myth” by Virginia Heffernan

Comments: I thought this article was really interesting, though slanted at points. The topic is interesting to me mainly because I’ve heard this issue argued again and again amongst teachers, parents, doctors, and anybody else with an opinion as well. Though I’d heard many people talk about it, I’ve never heard a good, solid argument for the more rapid attention span outside of this article. It put it into a new perspective I’d never thought of before. Before reading this article I generally believed in the general argument that a shorter attention span is worse than a longer one, and that our society has been causing our attention span as a whole to decrease. The article doesn’t deny this, but instead argues that it’s a good thing rather than a bad thing. Whether I believe it or not isn’t quite as important as a doctor or a mother, however.

As a new media student, this is important to pay attention to (no pun intended) because of the way modern media is created to tailor to this shorter attention span of its audience. Political speeches that used to be hours long are now no longer than 45 minutes at the maximum. Commercials are thirty seconds or less, and movies cut their scenes to such short segments that often those used to older films are disoriented from the constant change in angle. As I go into a field that is involved in all of these media, I need to be aware of what my audience will be looking for and how long they will pay attention to what I’m showing them. This is why articles like these are so important.

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