Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction

I do have a lot in common with Vishal, I spend a lot of my time on the computer not doing anything productive. I have trouble controlling myself on the computer, I can't stop myself from going on social networks and instant messaging. The websites are always on while I'm working on something. My time on the computer has some positive effect and some negative effects on my grades. When I'm online chatting with friends, asking for help has a positive effect on my grades because they help me understand and I'm able to do my work. It has negative effect on my grades when I'm online on facebook or other websites, I can't control myself to close and start working.

Yes, it does amplify my personality, through technology your able to meet new people and get to know each other through facebook, msn, etc. These technologies helped me make closer friends, meet new friends and increase my social circle/social life. Using technology I'm able to express myself through status and people like me who are shy are able to talk to people on facebook, msn freely.

I think gaming affects our sleeping patterns because when you're playing games you don't keep track of the time and time passes by really fast when you're doing something that you enjoy. This will cause some people to stay up late at night playing these games or going on social networks and chatting with people. I'm one of those people who stays up late on the computer going on social networks and watching dramas and videos. Sometimes it does affect my ability to retain information because if I don't have enough sleep and I can't pay attention during class and I won't be learning anything. Anything that I learned during that lesson wouldn't stay in my head, I wouldn't know anything and this will disrupt me from getting grades I want and need.

Alan Eaton does have a point when he says that technology has led to a  "balkanization of their focus and during of stamina" because technology does disrupt our study sometimes. It distracts us from working because Internet is available for us, it will make people go onto websites that they shouldn't be going on; not doing the work. But I don't think this applies all the time. Technology does help when we are studying in school and some people work better with technology. Technology allows us to research and learn from researching and increase our knowledge. It's doesn't always make a problem, sometimes it's very beneficial.

Schools should be embracing more technology because these days everything is being changed to technology. Schools should follow the trend, by using technology we are able to learn and make different ways of learning and teaching through technology. Now days a lot of teachers asks their students to hand in their work through e-mails. Through teacher's websites and e-mails, we are able to have more interaction/communication with the teachers outside of school.

 I think the students in the article are a realistic depiction of most of the teenager's life. We are highly influenced by technology, we are always on the computer going on social networks, playing games, and surfing Internet. I think the writer of the article has a good grasp of technology among us, teenagers.