Technology Makes Us Smarter

There is no doubt that society as a whole is dependent on technology, but is this a good or bad thing? Many of us are constantly connected to something, whether it be the internet, an Ipod, a cell phone, or television. I know I wouldn’t know what to do without my precious technology. I wake up in the morning to my cell phone, get ready to my Ipod, and depend on my computer and the Internet for school. It’s great that we have this technology, but is it good to depend on it? Yes. I think our dependence on technology has actually had a positive impact on society by making us smarter.

In his book, Everything Bad is Good for You, Steven Johnson discusses the idea of the Sleeper Curve. Basically, The Sleeper Curve is Johnson’s theory on how technology is making us smarter. He first takes a look at video games and the effects of that technology on kids. Video games are getting much more complex. Kids get bored with PacMan and instead want games that are more interactive. Many claim that this dependence children have on video games will make them become loners, or not know how to interact socially, but according to Johnson, studies are showing that the gaming population is actually more social, confident, and more comfortable solving problems creatively. The same concept applies to other technology as well.

We have to be smart enough to keep up with all the new advances in technology that we rely upon so heavily. We have to know how to use the newest IPod touch. Our dependence on technology is causing us to learn how to adapt to things faster and as a result, we are smarter. This is good for us.

So I ask again: Is our dependence on technology bad for us? No. We rely on it and we recognize that fact. It’s this dependence on technology that’s causing us to expand our knowledge and create all these new gadgets to play with. In his book, Upgrade Me, Brian Clegg talks about how we have been adapting everything to fit our needs for centuries. Everything humans depended on in the past was changed to better fit our needs. I think it’s the same with technology. We have adapted clothing to fit our every need and that’s all we’re doing with newer technologies. It’s a good thing.