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Berra Barkana and Juliana Epstein

AP Language and Composition

30 March 2020

Reaction to Tech Over-Reliance

Claim

Claim

Technology can certainly beneneficial to society as it advances or evolves, but its over-reliance is countered by Thoreau as in it draws us away from our inward lives and discourages interpretation outside of the group.

Modern issues that we are facing today

Modern Issues

1. Technology is everywhere

2. Introduction of more burdens

3. Inward vs outward life

1.

Technology is Everywhere

Nowadays, it is practically impossible to escape from technology without putting in a considerable amount of effort to close oneself off, such as Henry David Thoreau did when he isolated himself from society for over two years at Walden Pond. However, he did not have to deal with the difficulties of dealing with modern technological devices. As long as one is in the possession of a screen, one has not "left society at all" (Powers).

2.

The Introduction of More Burdens

The introduction of more advanced technology also brought with it as many burdens as it cured. It pulled people away from the more meaningful experiences of life and brought with it an extreme sense of busyness among the people. This busyness led to people living a life with a loss of depth.

“After all, the man whose horse trots a mile a minute does not carry the most important messages.” - Thoreau

People who became dependent on technology were "more likely they were to fill up their minds with junk and trivia” (Powers).

Quote Explanation

“After all, the man whose horse trots a mile a minute does not carry the most important messages.” - Thoreau

A man whose horse trots a mile a minute is traveling at an extremely fast pace. Here, Thoreau most likely refers to the speed that rumors or gossip travels, as taken from the Roman poet, Virgil, "fama volat," or "rumor flies." Before the factually true information is accessible, the rumor is the first to spread around and attract attention. Of course, knowledge of gossip is not an essential form of information, and can cause negative effects to a person or group of people as well.

3.

Inward vs. Outward Life

Inward life is finding enlightenment from within, rather than "other people or outward sources such as organized religion, scientific observation, and books," and is what transcendentalism suggests (Powers). On the other hand, outward life is the complete opposite. With the introduction of technology, people are becoming more and more reliant on outside sources for validation and happiness, as well as being influenced by peer pressure. By breaking one's dependence on technology, one is also able to break one's dependence on outside sources for personal matters.

Thoreau's Beliefs on Technology

Thoreau

1. Expectations by others

2. Goals

3. Ideas, theories, influences

1.

Expectations By Others

While many people would expect Thoreau to condemn the use of technology, he was actually a supporter and worked to progress technology.

Past Experiences with Technology

Since writing is generally not a profitable endeavor, Thoreau was also a surveyor (of land) and worked in the pencil-manufacturing business. He did extensive research of superior European pencils and was able to match the quality by mixing fine clay with the graphite to allow the pencils to write as smoothly as possible. Working as a surveyor and as a "pencil researcher" requires many technologies.

John Thoreau & Co. cashbox, labels and pencils, from the Concord Museum.

2.

Thoreau's Goals

Thoreau's goals were not to escape civilization. Although the world was less connected during his time, he lived through a major technological shift. He also structured his experiment so that it applies to all generations, primarily the future. It is important to keep in mind that one day, there may be no place that is completely separated from civilization. Instead, Thoreau wanted to see if disconnecting from society, while still being connected at the same time, could bring him the depth and joy that he lost from everyday life. He also attempted to simplify his outward life as much as possible in order to let his inner life take precedence.

3.

Ideas, Theories, Influences

Thoreau's major theory on over-reliance on technology was his idea of zones. After a modernization for the current day and age, a Walden Zone is described as a room where no screens are allowed. In the most ideal cases, every person in the household would have their own Walden Zone, but there should be at least one in the entire home. By zoning a room or even the entire home, the idea becomes a constraint on behavior, which is enough to believe that the idea is good, and the rest will come naturally.

In these cases, technology could also be used to resist technology, such as William Powers' suggestion that "perhaps a canny entrepreneur with an eye to the Thoreauvian future will come up with a device that scrambles wireless signals in any designated space."

Cont.

A Crowd Zone is the complete opposite of a Walden Zone. Crowd Zones are rooms specifically designed for screens and life surrounding them, such as home offices and kitchens.

In order to have the most authentic experience, whole-house zoning is the recommended way. In this case, the entire home becomes a genuine refuge from outward life.

For clarification, Thoreau's idea of withdrawal is not completely from the world, but rather from within the world. His philosophies are also not required to be held forever, but mainly used for sanctuary.

Modern Views of Tech Over-Reliance

Modern Views

1. Regret

2. Taking serious action

3. Distractions

1.

Regret

“In barely one generation we've moved from exulting in the time-saving devices that have so expanded our lives to trying to get away from them -- often in order to make more time. The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug. Like teenagers, we appear to have gone from knowing nothing about the world to knowing too much all but overnight.”

- Pico Iyer

Even what we find "fun" is able to hurt us in the end. It is the balance between the two extremes that will lead to the least regret.

2.

Taking Serious Action for Prevention

In countries like China and Korea, there are special Internet Rescue Camps (IRC). IRCs involve "exercising and doing group activities to wean them from the Internet" (Fackler). In essence, the IRCs are like boot camps for children and teens who are not used to the ideas of that besides their computer screens.

3.

Distraction

"Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries," the French philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in the 17th century, "and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries."

“And the more that floods in on us (the Kardashians, Obamacare, "Dancing with the Stars"), the less of ourselves we have to give to every snippet.”

- Pico Iyer

As we become consumers and are no longer able to think for ourselves, we are sucked more and more into the distractions provided by technology. In this case, conversations also become less and less meaningful.

Video URL:

Statistics

https://app.vyond.com/videos/70ff173b-8017-4d5c-b12d-b40f26ec2f3a

Potential Solutions to Over-Reliance on Tech

Potential Solutions

1. Yoga, meditation, tai chi

2. "Internet sabbath" (Iyer).

a. disconnecting from tech from Friday

night to Monday morning

3. Walden Zones

4. Eating meals with family instead of

separately

5. Going for long walks

6. "Forgetting" phones at home

7. Avoiding social media

8. Moving to a rural place

Works Cited

Sources

Bowles, Nellie. “A Dark Consensus About Screens and Kids

Begins to Emerge in Silicon Valley.” The New York Times, 26 Oct. 2018. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/style/phones-children-silicon-valley.html.

Fackler, Martin. “In Korea, a Boot Camp Cure for Web

Obsession.” The New York Times, 18 Nov. 2007. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/technology/18rehab.html.

Iyer, Pico. “Opinion The Joy of Quiet.” The New York Times, 29

Dec. 2011. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/opinion/sunday/the-joy-of-quiet.html.

Powers, William. Hamlet’s BlackBerry: A Practical Philosophy

for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age. 2013.

Twenge, Story by Jean M. “Have Smartphones Destroyed a

Generation?” The Atlantic. The Atlantic, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/. Accessed 30 Mar. 2020.

Weller, Chris. “Silicon Valley Parents Are Raising Their Kids

Tech-Free — and It Should Be a Red Flag.” Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-parents-raising-their-kids-tech-free-red-flag-2018-2. Accessed 30 Mar. 2020.

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