Technology has indeed become miraculous and immediately available. Maybe that's why so many of us are losing some important skills--like reading comprehension.



Technology. The comedian Lewis CK does a funny bit about how lazy and entitled people have gotten when it comes to technology. He says people gripe about their smartphones if they don't get a signal immediately. He says, "Dude, it's a phone. In your pocket. It's a miracle! When I was a kid we had one phone and it had a rotary dial. You hated people who had zeroes in the phone numbers. Stop complaining!"

Technology has indeed become miraculous and immediately available. Maybe that's why so many of us are losing some important skills--like reading comprehension. People everywhere are now accustomed to getting their information in podcasts or image galleries, or in hieroglyphic text messages. The parts of our brains that look at and digest information in a written form (that doesn't include acronyms) are atrophying.

It's something the editors here at TechRepublic witness on a daily basis. It's why, with a blog titled "Ten free iPhone apps," you'll inevitably get someone posting in the discussion "How come you didn't list any Android apps?" Well, that would be in a blog called "Ten free ANDROID apps," now wouldn't it?

And I don't know why, but the people less likely to comprehend words in a blog are the ones most likely to attack it. People seem to be chomping at the bit to find something to disagree with so they don't bother with any perspective given by an article introduction. They read the title of the blog (that's if we're lucky--sometimes they just tee off from a discussion comment without bothering to read anything in the original source), then skip over the first paragraph that states that it is the personal opinion of the author only, and go ballistic over a few phrases they've chosen at random.


What's your opinion? Do we have collective Attention Deficit Disorder?


http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/career-management/technology-and-the-lost-art-of-reading-comprehension/4492/

In a way I agree. But you also have to consider the reasons for people being on a blog or forum. Usually it's with different intentions from reading a book.
I don't feel like reading a tome on a forum, a blog is slightly different yet again.
And in this day and age our brains get flooded with so much more information that maybe we just have to become more selective with what else we're going (and are willing) to put in there.
Many things got far more complex as well. I mean, try reading the manual of a Smartphone. Drives you nuts and takes 3 days to get through. The old phone with a dial didn't require a manual.
In a way it is demanded of us to read far more than we ever done before. If I just think about myself, almost everything I do, involves reading. Reading manuals, reading mail, reading forums, blogs. And in my spare time I like to ... read a book.

I suppose much verbal interaction got replaced by written interaction, meaning we have to read much much more than let's say 15 years ago. Kind of logical our brains skip bits and pieces.
Reading tomes on a blog/forum is like listening to a monologue, which most don't really enjoy. Hence skipping (I guess?)

There's a psychological bit involved as well, but won't get into that, to avoid writing a tome, making people read even more, haha

Absolutely!
Languages are getting butchered, teens can't communicate properly, strong reactions seem to be the norm and comprehension has taken a beating.

It's a bloody mess I tell you and I can't see it getting any better?

Eh, attention deficit disorder is a hard one to convince me of existing in the first place...Maybe they're just lazy? Information has made leaps and bounds in availability just within the first 10 years of the internet, many people just hinge onto an opinion they agree with and typically don't look any further into the issue. Which, quite frankly, is just plum f*ing lazy...Not their attention span, their ability to logically dissect information and compare it to similar information.

People are just f*ing lazy, really...They want people to refortify their opinion's, you see it all the time on this forum and other dating sites, s*, just about any forum you see it. Everyone just wants to be right and no one wants to do the f*ing leg work to prove it.

I like your closing line there fear..lol
Are you guilty of just that? You say its would be hard
to convince you of it so I wouldn't try despite having
ADHD as 25-40% of dyslexics have ADHD & 25% of ADHD
have dyslexia.
In Canada families are eligible $40,000 on
there tax credit for A.D.D., ADHD, not to mention,drugs
that help with the concentration:methylphenidate) or
(brain candy) Ritalin. I guess my poin here is if the
Medical studies have convinced governments to be so,
then you yourself are guilty of just that. (been lazy)
Now unless you cynicism actually runs deeper than I
thought if thats possible. .lol
let me guess:

Things you may hear comming out of fears mouth?

1) they could have cured Cancer & HIV in the '80s but there's to much money to be made.
HIV was started to get rid of the homosexuals & IV drug
users.

2)Its already in discussion in the G8 summit
meetings to eliminate about 80% of the worlds
population to save mankind, will happen in the
next 30-50 year's???? I wouldn't doubt this.

3)the 'devil' has kept Christianity in business
all these years????

OJ Did it..lol

5) there's no Santa Claus..don't go there man..lol

I woulda done it like "Letterman's tops 10 things" but
when teachers tell ya your lazy long enough, one
tends to act like it.
Lazy? Uninterested? Yes!

I never past a test in school and I never failed one
afterwards~pony quote~
Peace <> out

I had a response here, but after reading that childish s* you put down...F* it.

It appears to me as though what is now "diagnosed" (and often medicated) as ADD is what was once described as "bored" and "inattentive."

It also appears as though our entertainment-centered culture encourages this by its "quick-flip" between scenes and its rapid action. In real life, things don't conclude or even change much in the time frames presented by television and movies. Thus, real life is often viewed as "boring" and too slow-paced for the entertainment generations.

I agree to a large degree with that... whether it can be classified as ADD is another matter entirely. I think technology is making people lazier and more impatient and less willing to work for anything. Sure they simplify our lives and a lot of what they do makes many things from reading to writing to arithmetic a lot more convenient and time reducing. But sometimes I feel it is really just handing crutches to a person fully capable of walking on their own.

They start by saying "I'll just use them when I am tired", then just "Well, just to support me when I am out", then "well without them I cannot really walk..." and finally "I have to have them, I cannot walk without them". if you are given something that can do anything and everything for you... for a large majority, they will just let it do that.

I don't think it is a lack of attention spans, so much as people content to let something else do the work for them. I know I have been guilty of it plenty myself.

~Theatrical~
No sweeping exits or off stage lines

Would make me feel bitter or to treat you unkind

I don't know if "collective Attention Deficit Disorder is what I would call it but the dumbing down/bite size doses of information does seem to be the most popular delivery.

I don't know if people really like it but seems like finding any article that tells the who, what, when, where, how, and why are non-existent. Forget any sort of supporting information. I don't know where opinions got off the editorial page and moved into facts but I am amazed at some of the people who are credited at being "experts" on various subjects.

More often than not it is advertising one aspect of the story over and over. Usually the least important or easily available sound bite. If it is candy coated in sex or money well wow the attention seems to perk.

yes, I think the world of instant messaging, internnet and instant everything, texting, and instant answers, online gaming and instant gratification has created a generation or two of people who lack patience and expect everything on a silver spoon yesterday

ADD is real to those who have it. often quite bright intellectually, it is hard for ADD peeps to tolerate things like repetitive sounds (a distant bass stereo for example), or flickering lights. it is not (as most think) simply a matter of being easily distracted. ADD peeps often focus and concentrate TOO well, to where they show extreme reaction to being interrupted when concentrating. (because they have to work so hard mentally to tune out the ambient surroundings, it is a huge jolt to redirect their attention).

They have a low tolerance to minimal distractions (like pencil tapping or lights flashing) but could sleep well if a bomb goes off

it's a weird life but we get thru

the fun part is that no one really understands us but us and we ain't tellin' no mo' secrets cuz we don't wanna be cured...lol

From what I understand ppl with ADD often are HSPs (High Sensitive Person) and misdiagnosed. Indigos, newage and crystal children are different. Nothing wrong with them, but mostly not understood and the medical world needs to put labels on everything. Doesn't mean to say the medical world, or the label, is correct.

Technology doesn't make our lives easier per say, it makes our lives different.


Better, as in back to the way things used to be? Sounds like the usual bitching from the older generation about the next.
In a way it's odd that everyone takes the negative approach. Who's to say it's a bad development?
I myself was quite shocked to find out how many ppl seem to be dyslectic these days. (and mostly men?)
Yet these ppl do study and learn, they just prefer other means than books if possible. And the internet is of great help with that.

Language is a living, ever changing means of communication. Teens can't communicate with whom? The older generation? Don't think they have a problem amongst themselves?

So easy to not look at the bigger picture of developments. And very convenient if you just want to have a good bitching

very good! Your always very well informed
and make me want to learn. very charismatic person.
So I did some little "leg work" and there is 7 recognized diagnosed types of ADD and #3 is called
over focused ADD. This is alot like what you have descride. Others: Combo AD/HD /inattentive combo AD/HD / Temporal lope ADD / limbic ADD / Trauma ADD / decreased activity ADD / and ring of fire ADD which is
very common is children and is believed this is often
early stages of Bipolar disorder.As well with limbic
ADD the onsets would be more of a hereditary disorber
and would not be treated with psychostimulants as this
will often amplifier the condition if wrongly diagnosed.

So just as crystal is saying in less words, AD/HD
is 'right brained' as they refer to dyslexics.
our emotions and sences are driven from our right
side, so thats that makes us right brained type High sensitive people,Very intuitive visual learners,artistic,athletic.As well as
the visual approach to leaning, the physical hands on
is great for us. (True)
One Dr. that is involved in the biggest on going study
(8 yrs ago) says "its far from being something to
fear,it is something tk embrace".

"Its an asset if managed properly"

"Its like having a Ferrari engine with
bicycle bracks"

I have trouble paying attention at times. But I don't consider it a weakness. My mind is constantly bombarded with adverts and other useless information all day long. Sometimes I'm grateful I didn't soak up the rubbish. Then there's other times when I get annoyed I missed the useful info. But with so much trash going about it's extremely difficult to switch on and off.

Interesting, this was also another form I was reading
today and it is much like what you have just mentioned.
Information overload is an excessive build up of energy that causes the synapses to "rapid fire" and change
the brains chemical balance interfering with normal
function.

Its really an overload of your senses.too much sound
and visual stimulation often all that crap like you are
talking about, vidio game movies ect and it stores and
comes in faster that the right side of the brain can
process it so it will send the info to the left side
for analysis.
The brain can not sort out or screen out, so the chemical balance is lost.
This is generally caused by the lack of Dopamine to the
pre frontal cortex,unlike types of hereditary add/adhd,
That just run out of fuel(dopamine) comming
from deep in the brain. (Basil gangilia) Its also said
that with many AD/Hd the basil gangilia is often smaller with the exception of Trauma or (Hypoxia, low CO; blue baby)

So this overload can cause short memory lose
confusion,headaches and all that excessive games light
noises, videos ect, does retrain the brain and fooling it into thinking thats the way we learn.
The bottom line is its an over stimulation that chooses to shut down to protect itsself from electrical
charges that can result in a seizures.

Interesting read! Google: Information overload ADD/ADHD
Dyslexia Victoria on line.

Bet I still don't get my mad Zebra with Tourette's for xmas though? Drat, drat and double drat!!

No I said I will be there next Christmas with my torette thumbs all the girl ponys think I'm black but
actually I'm white ..but I guess I'll let you call me a Zebra

Used to have that as well, and I haven't got ADD/ADHD or whatever. I'm a HSP (High Sensitive Person). Large groups of people (lots of talking), lights, sounds etc, used to drive me nuts.
Parties, pubs, restaurants (flickering candles) were difficult.
After I had a whiplash some 16 years ago it got really really bad for a couple of years.
These days it doesn't really bother me anymore. It's not a status quo per say.
What does still bother me, and seems to be getting worse, is TL light and halogen. There's a few supermarkets I won't go in to. Those lights flicker, most ppl can't see it, but I do and it makes my head spin.

Uh No... Better as in... able to construct a properly written sentence? Words matter Crystal and we would all have taken up "short hand" a while back to communicate if it was a natural progression of languages. Einstein said, the day we communicate by devices is the day we raise a generation of idiots.
Tell ya what, take away the 15yr olds handset and see what happens. They lost I tell ya!

I'm disgusted watching a family of 4 sitting at a restaurant, all clicking away, occasionally showing each other what popped up on their smartphones. Otherwise, not a word spoken?

No, it's not important communicating with older generations... We're just the ones hiring & firing the snot nosed pukes hahaha