DRAFT 2 Essay Using Less Technology

 

Imagination and Creativity behind Smashed Screens

What cold and indifferent object has transformed the education in schools dramatically in the past few years? One of the most intriguing experiences for the high school student is the permitted daily and continuous usage of ‘personal’ technology to ‘aid study’. By using ‘personal’ notebook computers, we have word processed hundreds of documents, presented dozens of slides, and spun the hinges of the screen many thousands of times. And we have become smarter than before. However, despite all this, the reality is quite different due to three primary factors: our reliance on technology, our inability to focus on work, and our lack of rest. It will be shown that the current situation may require a major reversal.

In this age, the lunge of laziness has caught up with us. By being permitted to use a computer, all the other materials required for study have been phased out. The dictionary and non-fiction books for example, have all but been replaced by the Internet. Daily note-taking is ‘better-looking’ on OneNote or Word. Even though the traditional types of media are usually more trustworthy and rewarding, we cannot help but choose the quicker way. We are no longer used to using paper-based teaching materials. To promote laziness in an already lethargic bunch of teenagers develops nothing. In addition, we are also losing our memory. By typing daily on a computer, we have grown used to the auto-correct functions of most software. This is prevalent in people with a mastery of all sorts of languages. The spelling for English and the writing of characters in Chinese and Japanese all require regular revision through the traditional medium of pen and paper. We, as part of the generation fluent with technology, cannot throw away fundamental skills in favour of simple, but useless skills in computing.

The second factor is the temptation that a graphical user interface induces in everyone: entertainment. In the past, large classes of around fifty students always had several playing on their portable devices. Now we are allowed to play, right in front of the eyes of teachers. How can we concentrate on work when there is a wonderland of games designed to never render a player bored? The Internet can be used to collect educational materials, but is it not filled with never-ending information on a range of other topics? The trap of surfing the web is too easy to fall into. With the still recent Windows 10, hiding such applications on a separate ‘virtual desktop’ is a function provided for all users. As this example reveals, technology can also prevent rules from being enforced properly. It is impossible to prevent our focus from being diverted; the only solution is to stop using technology.

If we have been able to resist the temptation to become lazy and leisure, we still cannot avoid the negative health effects of staring at a screen, typing on a keyboard, and sitting on a chair, all in a ‘rigid’ manner. No teacher sets the rest breaks. It is up to us to remember to look at a distant object, or relax the body. Some are suited to staring at a screen and do not develop negative effects. Others can gradually lose their eyesight, which can be stopped by using less technology.Technostress is the term referring to both technophobia and technodependency. There is also a VDT syndrome. If we use laptops on a daily basis, we will either turn against it or lose our flexibility and emotions. Most of us will fall somewhere in between, which is the best outcome, however the risk still remains of turning towards one of the dangerous areas:

…we have less time on our hands because we're trying to do more. One of the things that was promised with computers was that we were going to have a lot more time on our hands and be able to relax and do other things, but the opposite is probably true.(Times Higher Education, 1997)

This sums up the entire business of using computers. We need to rethink the purpose of education: have we developed an effective system and increased our logical thinking? Also, computers tend to be expensive and do not fulfil their proposed potential.

It has been demonstrated that the use of technology should be gradually reduced for high school students as they move on into the senior levels. We have seen that folios and investigations are easier if handwritten, and that exams require the use of a good pen, a good memory and good understanding, all skills requiring the screens of computers be smashed. Primary levels of schooling should utilize technology the most, as allocated times for rests are readily available and teachers can easily regulate the behaviour of students when they fall into the trap of leisure. Skills of effective time management, exercise and computer education can also be taught. The usage of non-digital material is obviously difficult and thus should be reserved for senior students.

References

Times Higher Education 1997, Students suffer Technostresshttps://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/students-suffer-technostress/102465.article (accessed 19 September 2016).

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