"Are We Too Dependent on Technology?" - an analysis of Terry Brown's Article
- Hendrik Wilpers
- Mar 23
- 7 min read
As seen in the original article :https://itchronicles.com/technology/are-we-too-dependent-on-technology/
, There is so much information to absorb from his work's, which can be seen in the entire reading process:
Pre-Reading:
When pre-reading a text, you have to take a look through article a little. skim through it just based off what you see and what you already know. For example:
Headings:
Are We Too Dependent on Technology?
Subheadings:
Headings: | Subheadings.
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Reading: From reading this document, I've compiled what I knew (K), what i wondered about (W), and what I learned (L):
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When Reading, there was a lot of sentences that stood out to me: And i really needed to write these down to really (and I mean REALLY) express just how i feel:
Details from the Text | Plausible Inferences |
"While we’re not all London cabbies, most of us these days now take turn-by-turn instructions from a GPS device to take the stress out of navigation. But scientists are finding that an underactive hippocampus could have broader implications for our health and well-being, particularly in terms of child development, mental health, and dementia. By not regularly exercising the brain, just like a muscle, it becomes weak and unhealthy. As a result, we suffer declines in cognitive ability and memory power – and that has consequences."
| This part of the text really sets up how a newer age of technological dependence really screws up fully grown adults and their productivity within their workspace. This also is supplemented with the implications that the atrophy of the hippocampus has adverse effects on child development, mental health and even dementia… but then again, if you don’t use the muscle in your body that is literally dependent on how you learn, there’s really nothing to be said when it’s limp as a overcooked noodle. |
"For example, in 2019, $83 billion was spent on corporate training and development across the US. But the average person forgets about 70% of new information within 24 hours, and 80% within a week. Like my long-unused multiplication tables and mental math tricks I learned at school, the rest of it – along with billions of corporate dollars – vanishes into thin air. And it’s not just training materials, of course. Names, numbers, client information, product information, sales scripts – is this crucial information in your head, ready to utilize to give your organization a competitive edge? It could be, according to Kwik. There is no such thing as a bad memory, he says – just an untrained memory that is too dependent on technology ever to be put to use." | OK, first of all, 83 Billion bucks going down the drain is insane, especially when if something as vital as job training. With 70% of new information is lost within 24%, then what is the implication of the loss? This includes client names, information about the product and sales and all the numbers- all these things out one ear. This is due to untrained memory, which is also a result of Hippocampus Atrophy: as this muscle is dependent on memory retention to internalize and systemize new information. And if Poor memory is a result of the lack of engagement of this muscle, then clearly training this like biceps in the gym could help- play a memory game. |
And with these texts comes a lot of technical terms: It's like jargon for specialized fields. This would obviously lead to some unfamiliar words (And some REALLY familiar words that i use on the day-to-day).
Technical Term | Context Clue (i.e., antonym, synonym, examples, description, word parts, definition or any clues in the text | Use each technical term in a sentence |
1. “digital amnesia” | “the brain needs to be constantly challenged to save it from slipping”
“failure to commit that data to memory” | Digital Amnesia has affected Gen Z and Millennials disproportionally. |
2. technology | “the great enabler of the modern age”
“Cars, planes, Google, smartphones, computers, business software” | Technology has become extremely prevalent in our live. |
3. “internet-enabled devices” | “were transforming people’s lives and relationships, we have become even more dependent on technology as an extension of our brains – and the technological devices themselves have gotten smarter and smarter.”
“now have biometrics instead of passwords; they serve as wallets and have voice-activated virtual assistants and apps for almost every task imaginable” | Internet-enabled devices have become incredibly important in our day-to-day lives |
4. “robotic surgery” | “Robots are now routinely used to perform surgery in hospitals, and there are, indeed, a number of benefits to this approach.” “Tomorrow’s surgeon could be an engineer with very little actual medical knowledge whatsoever.” | Robotic surgery is becoming more common in the medical field. |
5. “digital deluge” | “our 200,000-year-old brains are overwhelmed by and outsourced to exponentially improving technologies.” Defined appropriately in a mental sense. | Our brains tend to switch off, when we depend too much on technology. |
A. Supply the missing information below:
1. Topic of the text: Technology and how people depend on it in everyday life
2. Writer’s opinion about the text’s topic: We are dependent on technology in personal and professional terms, however, it has definite consequences affecting our cognitive abilities – such as logic and memory.
3. Support for writer’s opinion (e.g., evidence such as facts, testimonies, examples, etc.):
1. Technology and how we use it: ” But technology is, of course, the great enabler of the modern age. Cars, planes, Google, smartphones, computers, business software – it all makes us more efficient and less prone to errors. But it begs the question – what would happen if we had to go without our contraptions and gadgets?”
2. Over reliance on technology has negatively impacted our cognitive functions: "By not regularly exercising the brain, just like a muscle, it becomes weak and unhealthy. As a result, we suffer declines in cognitive ability and memory power – and that has consequences.”
3. The personal testimony: “Today, if you were to give me a relatively simple sum like 74 + 113 – my hand would instinctively delve straight into my pocket for my smartphone. Why? Because, in all truth, it would probably be quicker – I’ve become so dependent on technology to perform calculations (calculators, smartphones, spreadsheet software) that I’ve lost all confidence in my ability to perform even simple sums in my head.”
Post Reading: The Q & A from moi to toi!:
A. Answer the following rhetorical analysis guide questions.
1. What credentials does the author have which give him/her the authority to write about the topic of the text?
Terry Brown is a product manager and marketing professional who has worked with Telecoms, IT Service Management (ITSM), Managed Service Providers (MSP), Enterprise Security, Business Intelligence (BI) and Healthcare with over 30 years of experience.
2. After considering the author’s profession and affiliation, what possible biases the author might have about the topic?
Based off his profession, I feel his biases against dependence on technology has more to do with the perceived deterioration of work and productivity (As seen with the Training Mag study reference). However, It stands due to his experience in the tech scene to take his word, as he’s able to create an argument based of not only his personal testimony, but also with full studies, references and all.
3. What is the purpose of the text, and how does the author accomplish that purpose? What evidence does the author use to support the main idea in the text?
The Author made the text with the argument that the overdependence of technology has had a negative effect on the Hippocampus based off the study of the Knowledge of London, which included MRI scans of the brain activity. This allows for a clearer image of the mental degradation that was the result of a overdependence on GPS, which is an example of modern tech being over relied to the point we cannot contain our own information.
4. What specific idea/information in the text challenges or surprises you? Why?
What challenged me were parts between “Who needs knowledge?” and “Digital Amnesia”. Reading them felt like the strongest points of the text, when the author mentions knowledge as something being dependent on technology, it gave me that “aha!” moment. I was also surprised when I discovered the term “digital amnesia” from this very text, and I have to say that this point really “hit hard”, and reading it made me feel guilty that I was part of the digital amnesia.
5. Is the style of writing suitable for the intended audience? Is it too formal or too casual? Why?
The Tone is formal, yet it’s also got a casual, conversational twang that makes it really readable. This easily digestible format is ideal for an inclusive readers of all mental and reading levels, which allows for a more democratized flow of information.
Flow Chart:
