Reflection

My approach to the sci/tech blog was to wait for inspiration to strike. When it didn’t I had to go looking for answers. I chose the article by Mueller and Oppenheimer simply because the title grabbed my attention faster than the others. I then I to find something that I could use to relate to the article and came across DiSalvo's blog. 

While reading "The Pen is Mightier Then the Keyboard", i quickly decided how I wanted to transform it. I wanted to use the argument that laptops were worse for taking notes and turn it into a post on why this generation is seen as stupid, or ignorant, by previous generations. That is where DiSalvo comes him. He has a brilliant post called "Think Fast, Are We Really Getting Dumber?".

In the post he uses the "IQ dropped 14 points over the last century" as a grabbing technique and then give information on how the IQ test is made and how it is not necessarily an accurate measuring tool for knowledge and wisdom. I used this post and Mueller's article form my piece to bring up the question, What is making us dumb?

By combining the two, I was able to bring up a point that my mother always likes to use when I don't know something "your generation is full of lazy ignorant kids." So I posed the question: is technology making us dumb, or is it our parents?

I quickly steered away from the genetic conversation to avoid controversy, and focused on the technology argument. The article by mueller proposes that handwritten notes are more beneficial than those taken on a laptop. But technology is inescapable, therefore, must be used in everyday life. Laptops are now required by most classes. So in order to succeed, we will need to use the tools available. 

Technology and computers are not making us stupid. They are making it easier to gain the knowledge unknown to us before. We can learn anything we want with just a keyboard and an internet connection.

Mueller, Pam Oppenheimer, Daniel The Pen is Mightier Than the Keyboard: The Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking

DiSalvo, David Think Fast, Are We Really Getting Dumber The Daily Brain

-D