400 Words

Technology plays a large role in how we communicate and interact with each other. Since the introduction of technology the way that humans interact and form relationships has changed. Recently with the creation of the internet, people are able to communicate with each other without even physically talking to one another. Nowadays many people choose to communicate virtually rather than face to face because they feel it is easier. Some people fear that our reliance on technology has created a society-wide epidemic of lack of communication skills that we need in order to form close relationships both in our personal and professional lives. We see this problem a lot in school, particularly middle and high school. Students are so attached to their phones that they cannot pay attention in class because they are too busy being distracted by notifications and social media on their phones. Both Jonathan Haidt and Sherry Turkle describe their arguments as to why students should not use their phones during school. In his essay, Haidt expresses the need to remove phones from schools because of their hindrance to learning and forming connections with classmates. Turkle argues similar points in her piece but also points out how she has noticed that technology has led to a lack of empathy in her students. Many students struggle to form solid relationships today because they are so overwhelmed with technology that they do not have the ability to communicate with each other in person. 

Technology interferes with students’ ability to learn and interact with each other. Students are so addicted to their phones that they feel the need to text or check notifications during class. Phone use has become such a problem in some schools that they have had to implement strategies to combat excessive phone usage because it is affecting students’ learning experience. Even during lunch and other free time, students are mainly on their phones ignoring their classmates. In his essay, Haidt describes a phenomenon known as “phubbing” where one person snubs another by using their phone during a conversation. (Insert quote about phubbing and communication) Haidt highlights how phones make it much harder to be engaged in conversation with one another because of the constant notifications and the need to check your phone immediately. A lot of people now would much prefer texting over talking with someone face to face because of the ease of technology and feeling more in control. Turkle (Insert Turkle Quote) (Analysis) (Wrap Up)  

800 Words

Technology plays a large role in how we communicate and interact with each other. Since the introduction of technology the way that humans interact and form relationships has changed. Recently with the creation of the internet, people are able to communicate with each other without even physically talking to one another. Nowadays many people choose to communicate virtually rather than face to face because they feel it is easier. Some people fear that our reliance on technology has created a society-wide epidemic of lack of communication skills that we need in order to form close relationships both in our personal and professional lives. We see this problem a lot in school, particularly middle and high school. Students are so attached to their phones that they cannot pay attention in class because they are too busy being distracted by notifications and social media on their phones. Both Jonathan Haidt and Sherry Turkle describe their arguments on how phones and technology have changed the way people communicate with one another. In his essay, Haidt expresses the need to completely eliminate phones from schools because of their hindrance to learning and forming connections with classmates. Turkle argues similar points in her piece but also points out how she has noticed that technology has led to a lack of empathy in her students. Many students struggle to form solid relationships today because they are so overwhelmed with technology that they do not have the ability to communicate with each other in person. I agree with both Haidt and Turkle to some extent, I think that phones are posing a serious problem for our generation and our ability to communicate effectively. However, I do not think the solution to this problem is as clear-cut as Haidt believes it could be. I think that we need to find a balance between technology and face-to-face interaction that allows us to stay engaged in learning and form strong relationships with others.   

Technology interferes with people’s ability to interact with each other. A lot of times people’s attention is glued to their phones rather than having a meaningful conversation with others. In his essay, Haidt describes a phenomenon known as “phubbing” where one person snubs another by using their phone during an interaction. He illustrates the negative effects it has on communication, “Research shows that it interferes with the intimacy and perceived quality of social interactions” (Haidt 2). Haidt highlights how phones make it much harder to be engaged in conversation with one another because of the constant notifications and the need to check your phone immediately. A lot of people now would much prefer texting over talking with someone face to face because of the ease of technology and feeling more in control. Turkle argues that phones create a disconnect between people and the real world, “We are forever elsewhere. At class or at church or business meetings, we pay attention to what interests us and then when it doesn’t we look to our devices to find something that does” (Turkle 344). Turkle argues that we use technology to distract ourselves when we are bored. We choose to disengage from situations that we are not interested in because it is so easy to distract ourselves with our phones. I agree with both authors’ perspectives, I think we use technology as an escape from reality when we are uninterested in a conversation or situation. I have experienced phubbing firsthand, and it does not feel good when others are completely disregarding your conversation by checking notifications on their phones. It makes me feel like my thoughts and company are not worth it to them because they are more interested in something on their phone than a conversation with me.     

Students are very susceptible to the distraction of technology which interferes with their learning and ability to form strong relationships. Phone usage is a huge problem in schools, specifically middle and high school because students’ attention is often dragged away from learning because of the constant buzz of notifications. Haidt describes the reality for many students when it comes to the distraction of technology in the classroom, “Their focus is often and easily derailed by interruptions from their device… Many studies show that students who use their phone during class learn less and get lower grades” (Haidt 2). Haidt emphasizes that students are easily distracted by technology and it is partly due to their immature frontal cortex and the fact that phones are too easily accessible during class. He argues that phones should not be in schools at all because they are too much of a temptation for students to resist. Technology is creating more of a divide in the classroom, where students are not engaged in the conversations because they are distracted by their phones. In her essay, Turkle emphasizes the importance of conversation and how it contributes to students’ learning. “In the classroom, conversations carry more than the details of a subject…More than this, conversations with a good teacher communicate that learning isn’t all about the answers” (Turkle 347). Turkle highlights the significance of conversation in learning and how important it is for students to be engaged in the conversation. (ADD MORE COMMENTARY AND OWN POV)

Peer Review Draft

Technology plays a large role in how we communicate and interact with each other. Since the introduction of technology the way that humans interact and form relationships has changed. Recently with the creation of the internet, people can communicate with each other without even physically talking to one another. Nowadays many people choose to communicate virtually rather than face to face because they feel it is easier. Some people fear that our reliance on technology has created a society-wide epidemic of lack of communication skills that we need to form close relationships both in our personal and professional lives. We see this problem a lot in school, particularly middle and high school. Students are so attached to their phones that they cannot pay attention in class because they are too busy being distracted by notifications and social media on their phones. Both Jonathan Haidt and Sherry Turkle describe their arguments on how phones and technology have changed the way people communicate with one another. In his essay, Haidt expresses the need to eliminate phones from schools because of their hindrance to learning and forming connections with classmates. Turkle argues similar points in her piece but also points out how she has noticed that technology has led to a lack of empathy in her students. Many students struggle to form solid relationships today because they are so overwhelmed with technology that they cannot communicate with each other in person. I agree with both Haidt and Turkle to some extent, I think that phones are posing a serious problem for our generation and our ability to communicate effectively. However, I do not think the solution to this problem is as clear-cut as Haidt believes it could be. I think that we need to find a balance between technology and face-to-face interaction that allows us to stay engaged in learning and form strong relationships with others.   

Technology interferes with people’s ability to interact with each other. A lot of times people’s attention is glued to their phones rather than having a meaningful conversation with others. In his essay, Haidt describes a phenomenon known as “phubbing” where one person snubs another by using their phone during an interaction. He illustrates the negative effects it has on communication, “Research shows that it interferes with the intimacy and perceived quality of social interactions” (Haidt 2). Haidt highlights how phones make it much harder to be engaged in conversation with one another because of the constant notifications and the need to check your phone immediately. A lot of people now would much prefer texting over talking with someone face to face because of the ease of technology and feeling more in control. Turkle argues that phones create a disconnect between people and the real world, “We are forever elsewhere. At class or at church or business meetings, we pay attention to what interests us and then when it doesn’t we look to our devices to find something that does” (Turkle 344). Turkle argues that we use technology to distract ourselves when we are bored. We choose to disengage from situations that we are not interested in because it is so easy to distract ourselves with our phones. I agree with both authors’ perspectives., I think we use technology as an escape from reality when we are uninterested in a conversation or situation. I have experienced phubbing firsthand, and it does not feel good when others are completely disregarding your conversation by checking notifications on their phones. It makes me feel like my thoughts and company are not worth it to them because they are more interested in something on their phone than a conversation with me.     

Students are very susceptible to the distraction of technology which interferes with their learning and ability to form strong relationships. Phone usage is a huge problem in schools, specifically middle and high school, because students’ attention is often dragged away from learning because of the constant buzz of notifications. Haidt describes the reality for many students when it comes to the distraction of technology in the classroom, “Their focus is often and easily derailed by interruptions from their device… Many studies show that students who use their phone during class learn less and get lower grades” (Haidt 2). Haidt emphasizes that students are easily distracted by technology and it is partly due to their immature frontal cortex and the fact that phones are too easily accessible during class. He argues that phones should not be in schools at all because they are too much of a temptation for students to resist. Technology is creating more of a divide in the classroom, where students are not engaged in the conversations because they are distracted by their phones. In her essay, Turkle emphasizes the importance of conversation and how it contributes to students’ learning. “In the classroom, conversations carry more than the details of a subject…More than this, conversations with a good teacher communicate that learning isn’t all about the answers” (Turkle 347). Turkle highlights the significance of conversation in learning and how important it is for students to be engaged in the conversation. While Haidt identifies the issue of distraction due to technology and how it can affect learning, Turkle expands on the importance of conversation in the classroom and how it contributes to learning which is absent if students are not actively participating because of their phones. I agree with Turkle that conversations are an important part of the learning experience because it helps you fully develop a deeper understanding of the concepts. Anytime I was struggling to understand a specific topic in class I would make sure to ask questions and actively participate in the discussion which I think helped me improve my grasp of the concept by building a narrative and context behind what I was learning. When students are not engaged in the conversation because they are distracted by technology they are not getting a full understanding of the concept which hinders their learning ability because they are not actively listening.