The blog posts assigned for reading today have gotten me thinking about technology and about the ways different generations view it. There is clearly a gap between my generation and my parents' and professors' generations.
I must admit that before I had even read the posts about technology, and thus before I really started thinking about it, I sat down in the library, opened my laptop, plugged in my headphones to listen to music, and placed my cell phone next to me. I did this without even thinking about it because it has become a matter of habit.
I do not think this is necessarily a bad thing, it is just something I do. It does not mean that I cannot go a minute without texting, but maybe it means that I tend to leave myself the option of texting at any moment. I also do not think I use my laptop excessively, but it is often convenient to have it with me. Listening to music might be a bit more of an addiction but it is just because I enjoy it and think it puts me in a good mood. Almost every chance I get I turn music on and I have been doing this since elementary school when I had a giant boom box and ipods did not exist. I do not really even think of this as multi-tasking, if I am doing homework I am probably also listening to music and that is all there is to it.
I think it is this constant presence of technology in my life and the corresponding relative lack of technology throughout the lives of people one generation ahead of me that has created a gap between us. For the most part modern technology has existed as long as I can remember. I have seen the transition away from CDs and from VHS to DVD and the invention of the ipod but none of this seemed like a drastic change in technology it was more like a natural progression.
As I grew up I gradually incorporated technology into my life and had little trouble learning to use it. Admittedly my cell phone can probably do things that I do not even know about but I use it without ever having read a directions manual. I do not claim to be a master of technology, there are many things it can do that I might struggle with, but I think I have a somewhat natural ability for at least basic technological feats. Furthermore, although there are technology related things that I do not know how to work, I have never made a movie or digital story for example, but I think if someone gave me a couple of directions I could learn pretty quickly and painlessly.
On the other hand, technology does not seem to come quite as easily to the generation preceding me. I will say they seem to have done a good job learning to adopt technology and learning to work it but I do not think this comes as naturally. For example, I cannot even describe how long it took my parents to comprehend the fact that all they had to do in order to update the music on their ipods was plug them into the computer. It really is as simple as plugging a cord into the computer and connecting the ipod to the cord but for some reason this was a serious issue. In fact, when my Dad first got his ipod for Father's Day part of the gift was that my sister and I would deal with the computer and itunes so that he did not have to.
I think the difference is that I, and most of my generation, can pretty much figure technological things out for myself, they are somewhat intuitive. But one generation ago technology was not so ubiquitous and so the members of that generation can learn to use technology when they have been taught but for the most part they do not have the ability to just figure it out. I think for the rest of my life I will occasionally be called in to the office to make email attachments open or fix whatever problem Word is having that day. I do not mind doing this, but I find it kind of interesting that I still need to.
I think the writer center will increasingly demand more tutors like you who are confident in their ability to use technology, given the direction academic writing seems to be going. I think that, generally, students from our generation are more experienced with and comfortable using technology, but it may not be so easy for everyone. The older generation you mention, or the "non-traditional" writers, may need help with writing styles that incorporate hypertext, blogging, etc. We will all have to make the leap to technologically-oriented writing sooner or later and I think adapting to technology the way we have will make it easier for us to transition ourselves and guide writers who have a tougher time.
ReplyDeleteThis is true-unlike prior generations, ours is one completely assimilated to the constant use of technology. I remember having to figure out my mother's digital frame for her, her excuse being that it was 'too technologically advanced' for her.
ReplyDeleteYour parents are probably my age. It's so funny to see my peers either struggle or have an early-adopter's knowledge. I'm in the second group, having learned a great deal about how these tools work (even though I cannot write code).
ReplyDeleteAs for multitasking, listening to music can be a writer's helper. It does not seem to play on the same part of the brain, and I often play music when I write.
On the other hand, don't try to text every 10 minutes, or send e-mail, then return to writing. That sort of task-switching breaks the train of thought and leads to shoddy work.
The brain cannot actually multitask, by the way; it cannot perform two similar tasks at the same time. It simply switches between them, but in the case of academic work, the switching hurts the very linear, claim-and-support pattern of academic writing :)