A recent survey from the Pew Research Center reveals the complicated relationship millennials will have with technology by the year 2020. According to the survey, millennials will benefit from the “networked world” of 2020 because it will be easier for them to quickly find answers to pressing questions.
However, the survey also warns that the hyperconnectivity resulting from a technology-laden world could make it difficult for young people to foster deep connections to the people and knowledge made readily available to them.
According to the survey, a stagnation of innovation could occur because of the “quick-fix” aspect of technology-facilitated information exchanges. Because of the speed and ease of exchange, the survey predicts that young people will focus less on critically analyzing the information they are consuming and more on the simple act of accumulating information.
“The human brain is wired to adapt to what the environment around it requires for survival,” said cyberanthropologist Amber Case, who offered feedback on the results of the survey.
“Memories are becoming hyperlinks to information triggered by keywords and URLs. We are becoming ‘persistent paleontologists’ of our own external memories, as our brains are storing the keywords to get back to those memories and not the full memories themselves.”
Consider Case’s arguement, and then think about what would happen if our collective access to all of this stored information is suddenly taken away — we would be completely crippled.
It is important for college students today to deeply consider the results of this survey. Students need to determine how they can analyze — not just collect and store — the large quantities of information made readily available to them.
If we cannot find a way to do this, we will become even further crippled by our inability to think critically without our favorite crutch.
LEARN.
MODAL.
COMPUTING.
STOP LETTING CLUTTERED DESIGNS OVERWHELM YOU AND YOUR WAY OF THINKING.
LEARN HOW TO "SEE" WHAT YOU WANT IN A DESIGN, INSTEAD OF HAVING IT DICTATE WHAT YOU "SHOULD" SEE.