Article Response to Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction

After reading an article about the effects of technology on students' study/work habits, I can relate in many ways and parts to the people in this article.

I do have things in common with Vishal. He often gets distracted by watching videos and going on Facebook when he should be doing homework.
This sounds all too familiar to what I do at home. Right now as I type this blog post, I have been distracted by YouTube, Facebook, and MSN Messenger when I should really be working hard on completing this blog post. Vishal's addiction leads to poor marks in school.
Because I have always been around computers as I was a child, I cannot accurately say if I have been affected in the same way that Vishal has been. I do however, believe that if I eliminate procrastination and drifting off into watching videos and socializing using the internet, my marks may rise. In general, I believe my time online has a negative impact on my grades.

Technology does amplify my personality.
For example, photos and comments are shared on Facebook on a daily basis. If I did not use Facebook, not as many people will see photos and comments that I have made. The internet has allowed me to make more friends in real life compared to just making friends without the internet. People these days are closer to each other by the frequent and simple communication techniques that are made possible by the internet.

In my own experience, gaming does affect my sleep pattern. It does not reduce my abilities to retain information though.
In the past, I have been hooked on to games so much that my sleep pattern has been altered to be from 7am to 4pm. In between 4pm and 7am I am playing games.
This however does not happen to me all the time. I have developed control over my gaming patterns. For example, this year is an important year for me. I have decided to sell my gaming platforms and restricted myself from playing games in order to maximize study time. But Facebook, YouTube, and MSN messenger stayed, and that was an issue on it's own.

I believe Alan Eaton does have a point when he says technology has led to a balkanization of students' focus and duration of stamina. But I believe Eaton is only looking at things in a small picture. Like most grown adults who had a childhood absent of technology, they believe technology is bad. They believe technology has corrupted our children and society. The truth of the matter is, everything big that has a big impact on society has it's pros and cons. Without computers and technology, the world would be nothing compared to what we have today. Without computers the death rate would be much higher and the quality of life lower. The benefits of having technology heavily outweighs the disadvantages of not having technology to the point where there is no argument for technology being beneficial. In that case, Alan Eaton's point is worth nothing more than a speck of Amish logic.
Sure, technology has a lot of downsides, but let's be real, nothing amazing comes with no catch. Alan Eaton is full of garbage if he sincerely believes technology is nothing but a distraction and he should re-evaluate his facts and beliefs.

Schools should definitely be embracing more technology. Technology is expensive, but nothing comes without a price tag. The truth of the matter is, without knowledge of technologies, you are almost excluded from the entire world. Money revolves around technology and I can almost guarantee everything in existence today has required technology to exist.
There is a saying along the lines of: A nation's treasure is in it's scholars.
The future depends on the present day students. Since very few people will argue against the fact that technology is the future, a smart plan would be providing technology for present day scholars. Scholars will adapt to technologies faster in the future. This may lead to a brighter technology packed future.

The students in this article are not an accurate depiction of my life.
Considering the fact that the article is attacking technology on it's impact on students doing poorly in school and life, this article is biased.
I know many people in the world that have been positively impacted by the internet and computer use. A small example would be myself an hour ago. I have a biology test tomorrow and I do not completely understand a concept in mutations. But no worry! The internet is a goldmine filled with many pages of information.
The students in the article have blamed technology for the negative sides. Technology's benefits severely outweighs it's cons. If a student cannot control him/herself due to the availability of computers and the internet, that's his/her fault. If someone gets into a car accident due to poor driving, should we blame cars for the accident?

I do admit that I do get sidetracked by technology. But with enough self control, technology should not run your life. With enough self control, technology should only benefit you.

It almost seems as if these students have been chosen particularly because they find other things to blame than themselves for doing poorly in school.
These students are definitely not good deceptions of my life.