Week 2 Discussion

[John JonesKeymaster]

Reading discussion for Week 2.

Update, 1/20, 4 p.m.: Everyone, I apologize for dropping the ball on this posting and for the concern this caused you all. Thank you to all who have already posted. I have adjusted the due dates for the posts accordingly: your first post will be due at 11:59 p.m. on Wed., 1/21. Your response will be due at 5 on Friday, 1/23.

For future weeks, I will create the forum (and add any possible prompts) before the beginning of the weekend before they are due. That is, you can expect the Week 3 forum this Friday.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by  John Jones.

[jsears3Spectator]

After reviewing the readings for this discussion (Intro and Ch.1 of Net Smart) and organizing my thoughts I have found that overall I was very interested in this reading. I especially found the parts about how our attention works to be interesting (mainly through Ch. 1). Specifically I Rheingold’s thoughts on the process off filtering out outside stimuli in order to focus our attention on task (Net Smart, 42). Following the example he gives, the one where we filter noise in a crown in order to listen to an individual I really had to think why it is so hard to do when surfing the web. In the instance in the crowd we react almost automatically while on the web we don’t perform the same skill. There is a strange phenomenon here where we can’t incorporate a basic skill into a, let’s say unnatural, format such as on the web. Overall, I found the beginning of this text to be a very interesting and it really got the ball rolling on thinking about my thought and attention processes when on the web.

[sbloxtonSpectator]

Jsears,

I found the ideas about filtering to be very interesting as well. I, however, have had to learn and am still learning to filter in crowds and with lots of stimuli. Due to anxiety and a multitude of other reasons, this is particularly hard for me. But the suggestion of meditation that is offered in the first chapter for mindful internet use, is something that I find helpful on an everyday basis. Thus, I believe those who practice mindfulness in everyday life, may find it easier to avoid distractions on the internet. Ironically, I feel more able to filter while on the internet, than while in a crowd.

[vmaddenSpectator]

Out of all of chapter one the one thing that stuck out to me was on page 39. It says that, “The part of your brain that you use to retrieve memories and keep information in your working memory is referred to as the “executive control” or “cognitive control” function.” We can keep up to seven chunks of information in our memory and if we want to work with more than sometimes we swap out current information in order to put the new one in. I found this interesting because 10 years ago I feel into a diabetic coma in which my mind swapped everything from the first 11 years of my life to the point that I only remember people close to me and it is as of today that I am starting to remember only a couple things but they are just blurry images.

Now, I have a memory problem that causes me to not remember as much or to really focus on certain things to remember as well as adding more at the same time. When it comes to the web, I can’t just be on one thing at once. I am always on different web pages trying to learn new things (and through books too). I have the lack of memory and attention span. Once I shift my attention, it is hard to go back on topic. Which is why, a part of my learning disabilities, I have to take quizzes and exam separately from others so I can just focus on the most important thing at the time. I know my brain does function and I actually remember a good amount especially when it comes to talking and I just spit out random facts.

I find the memory and attention to be an interesting factor. Your brain is always refocusing and filing out competing information in order to move from one thing to another. This chapter got me thinking to how I use the web every day and how processing those things are different than day to day things I might learn. Imitation seems to be a key role when it comes to attention and memory.

[JenMSpectator]

The first thought I had as I began reading the Introduction and Chapter 1 of Net Smart is I could not be reading this at any better time than now as I have been struggling for quite some time with distractions while working. Since I am self-employed and work out of my home, I am very easily distracted with all the ways in which I am “connected,” whether it be Facebook or Twitter or clicking on links within articles where I end up reading something that I don’t really care about. I waste a lot of precious time during the day. The issue is that my work is based on production. If I do not produce, I do not make the amount of money I need to make, nor will I meet my deadline, which means I have to pull an all-nighter because I never miss a deadline. I am going to follow the tips Rheingold provides (p. 75) because while I have started to pay attention to how long I allow myself to be distracted, I have not yet taken steps towards curbing my behavior. Now is a good time to do so as I have a lot on my plate and every minute counts.

I found Rheingold’s connection between always-on media, lack of attention, and how this impacts our health incredibly interesting as well. As he describes the conversation he had with Stone in which she described us as always being in a low level of fight or flight (p. 45), a light bulb went off. Since I spend an inordinate amount of time online every single day, I imagine it contributes to my stress levels.

[mike sopranikSpectator]

JenM,
I too have struggled with distractions while working at home. It can be too quiet and then that distracts me, which is still better than having my email up and running or the TV on.
It is too easy to for me to get distracted from a source of media that is always competing for my attention-which I have too little of to begin with.

I’ve started practicing the mind clearing exercise that is mentioned in Reingold’s book. I’ll have to see how it works over time.

[John JonesKeymaster]

Let us know how this turns out!

[John JonesKeymaster]

@JenM, hopefully the readings will provide you with some strategies for addressing attentional problems. If this topic is interesting to you, it may be one you would want to think about proposing to your group for the issue/cause project.

[mike sopranikSpectator]

I found the exercise to clear your mind and focus on breathing a valuable tool to try out. It makes sense that once a person learns to practice Zen meditation, that focus will improve overall (Rheingold pg. 72). This is a critical skill for me to learn, especially when studying.

As with Jen, I am self-employed and in order to concentrate on work/reading, I have to turn off my email and the TV. It is very easy struggle with overload due to media interruptions.

Although I’m not a fan of much of the social networking that is available,my daughter is capable of studying, listening to music and texting all at the same time. This amazes me in her ability to multitask and retain all the different stimuli.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by  mike sopranik.

[Chasity RobinsonSpectator]

Mike,

I also found that this was a great exercise to clear your mind. I liked how the author uses the resemblance of training a puppy to use a pee pad and then eventually it is trained to go outside. I can see how training your mind to concentrate would help. This is something that I need to try.

[pboyle623Spectator]

Mike,
Do you think that age is the key to being able to avoid distraction from media outlets? My son can also study, watch tv, listen to music, and periodically check twitter. I am not sure he is maintaining all the information attempted, but if his grades are any indication it would not be much.
At age 42, having multimedia distractions is not conducive to a productive environment. While working daily, I find myself distracted by thinking about multimedia and websites, email, and Facebook.

[John JonesKeymaster]

On a related note, the research on multi-tasking (pdf) suggests that we don’t multi-task all that well.

[marvarlasSpectator]

While reading the introduction and first chapter of Net Smart, I could not help but realize the pangs of guilt I experienced while reading the “mindful awareness” and “social media” paragraphs, especially when it came to parenting. I must admit, I was once guilty of spending too much time on my mobile device around my family, whether it was browsing Facebook, catching up on my latest Kindle book, or checking emails; there was a time that it was all too much and hindered my presence. I had begun noticing myself becoming more attached to my device but it was not until my oldest son half-jokingly brought it up in conversation one day that I had considered the significance of my internet/mobile usage. I once read that when losing or misplacing a mobile device, humans experience the same physiological response as a near death experience. With more of what we do becoming available via mobile, that all rang too true for me. Once I had acknowledged my usage, it was then time to become mindful of it. Although it took some adjusting at first, with some ground rules and help of my family, I was able to break the bad habit and become more mindful especially during family time and social situations. While the internet and mobile availability have the ability to improve our lives, it also has the ability to distract us from our lives. It is something that we must become more mindfully aware of as technology infiltrates more and more aspects of our lives.

[pboyle623Spectator]

I, too, struggle with letting go of my iPhone. I check it entirely too much, even during family time. This text really made me think about my own usage and how my whole family has become dependent on their device, presumably to avoid interaction and conversation.

[John JonesKeymaster]

As I suggested to some others, this topic—digital distraction—might make a good one for you to propose to your group for the issue/cause project.

[marvarlasSpectator]

@JenM, I too find that when working from home, I tend to get distracted during instances when at the office I normally wouldn’t. I’ve also started to notice while in the office, I am justifying my checking of social media accounts as a “break” from the hard work I do, which sounds healthy, in theory. However, I wonder if this has become not so much a break, but another area where I am losing control of my focus?

[TiffanySpectator]

The Introduction section of NetSmart really caught my attention – specifically the discussion about living mindfully in cyberculture. “Mindfulness” is such a popular buzzword right now; it seems every time I log on, there is a Facebook post or subscriber email touting the benefits of living mindfully. However, despite immense popularity of the word, it seems that so few people are really applying the concept to their lives, especially when it comes to their online interactions. We all have that friend on social media who constantly elicits an eye-roll because of, say, their sarcastic, politically charged yet woefully under-researched article sharing – the detection of which the author refers to as “Calibrating Your Crap Detector,” much to my delight. I thought he was spot-on in his insistence that “[t]he first thing we need to know about information online is how to detect crap” (Rheingold, 16). Similarly, the Introduction section regarding privacy and network smarts was very informative and relevant for many of the same reasons.

The author’s discussion of attention training and setting an intention definitely caught my eye as well. Outside of class, I’m an avid student of yoga, and one of the tenets of the practice of yoga is focusing your attention; this is achieved by setting an intention at the beginning of a session and returning to it again and again as a way of regaining focus. It was interesting to read about concepts that I apply to an important area of my life on a daily basis discussed in regards to online presence, which is also an important part of my everyday life.

[John JonesKeymaster]

FYI, Rheingold is an active Twitter user and he regularly discusses these issues.

[jsears3Spectator]

Marvalas,
I find that report you mentioned to be very interesting, it says a lot that we would liken misplacing our phones to the loss of a love one. I find that part of the problem is the still very new nature of the technology and it’s one that is always changing to keep it feeling new. We want to “play with the newest gadgets and gizmos inherently because in some way shape or form that are amazing to us. However, I like what you did to get over your reliance on the technology and think everyone should make a similar effort.

Tiffany,
Mindfulness is such a buzzword today, I know in the education program you can’t read an article without it being brought up. However, as you pointed out saying and doing are two very different things. It is a hard thing to master, it’s cool that you use yoga as a tool to help aide that mastery.

[vmaddenSpectator]

Mike,
You are right about practicing Zen meditation. I have been doing it for over a year now and it has cleared my mind and made me focus more on many different things. I have seen a growth in myself overall with improvements that I thought were not possible especially with writing my book, but mainly studying and writing papers.

[vmaddenSpectator]

Tiffany,
Yoga and meditation I find as the main key in my life for over the past year or so now. It has helped a lot in many different ways. It’s always a great thing afterwards to regain some focus, if not all.

[tarinkovalikSpectator]

One thing I found really interesting in the Introduction is the area where it mentions “Who Needs to Read This Book, and Why?” I don’t think I fall under any of the categories mentioned. With that, I found this reading very interesting so there are exceptions to the list! Rheingold states that young people are “immersed” in the online world. I am part of that group but the online world is something that does not interest me. If anything social media is too personal, I like my privacy and I don’t care to know what someone is doing at all times of the day.

Like others, I also really liked the text on exercise. Working out clears my mind and really does help me to focus later in the day. It’s interesting that attention on your breath can put you in the “zone”. This makes complete sense. When I am stressed I focus on my breath and everything eases within seconds. Meditation has many benefits and I liked what Rheingold had to say about it. It’s nice to be in his head while reading this text.

[tarinkovalikSpectator]

Marvarlas,

I agree that the internet both has the ability to distract and improve our lives. It’s crazy how much is really out there. But even now we’re in an online class affiliated with WVU and some of us might not be on campus or even in Morgantown. My main distraction is Pinterest. It is so addicting and distracting. The internet is an incredible yet scary thing!

[jablosserSpectator]

I found the discussion about the need to have instant access to the Internet that starts on page 46 to be interesting. Being able to be connected at all times has become an obsession for some, and for others, it is just habit to continually check their online connections. I found the two perspectives about interruptions to be intriguing. One person suggested there was “value in doing one thing at time,” and how he removed interruptions of incoming streams of email, et cetera . I know that I allow my instant access to be a distraction – in fact, while I was composing this post, my Words With Friends alerted me it was my turn, and I did stop and play.

Around the middle of page 45, there is an argument made that “brief distractions from a focal task may improve concentration over the longer run.” I can see where taking a break and looking at some mindless Facebook posts or playing your turn in a game might help to reset your thought process, especially when your mind is tired and needs a break.

I don’t believe there is one correct answer when it comes to Internet distractions. That has to be based upon individual preference. I do see, however, that many have allowed instant access to become a main focal point of their everyday lives, and I can see the problems this may create. While the Internet is a great thing to have, I believe it is like everything else – moderation is the key to maintaining a healthy balance in life.

[JenMSpectator]

Jablosser,

I totally agree with this: “Being able to be connected at all times has become an obsession for some, and for others, it is just habit to continually check their online connections.”

My continually checking my email and social media accounts really is just out of habit more than anything else. So I think retraining my mind, as Rheingold suggests, could work just as well in forming a new, better for my production habit of not continually checking out things online and “getting lost” for hours on end looking at pointless (to me) pictures on Pinterest or reading articles I couldn’t care less about. It gives me hope!

[TiffanySpectator]

@jablosser I’m definitely one of those people who is guilty of habitually checking my online connections. However, I attribute this to the need to give myself a little mental break between tasks, as you discussed. I work at a law firm and it can get pretty cumbersome going through pages and pages of legal documents, so checking Facebook and Pinterest is a welcome break once in a while.

[pboyle623Spectator]

Chapter 1 speaks of our generation being “always on”. I found this very insightful, especially since my family and myself are always on our cell phones. I check Facebook multiple times of day, during periods of insomnia, and often while watching tv.
Dr. Rheingold made interesting observations regarding his class and their attention during his lectures. He utilized various methods to help his class focus after identifying their lack of attention. It was very telling when he mentioned the student who was all over the internet checking email, reading blogs, and visiting various sites, but he was also one of the most attentive students.
The task of learning about attention control and metacognition provide great information on how we ourselves are not tied to the technological world. There are metacognitive strategies that would enable each of us to pay more attention to what’s going on around us. Dr. Stone published great advice in the Huffington Post, creating a list of simple tasks to aide in managing attention.

[jablosserSpectator]

@Ashley

I also found this section to be very interesting. The fact that he pointed out that we aren’t as good at multitasking as we think we are hit home. I often find myself doing more than one thing at a time, but I can tell my attention and my results are not nearly as good as what they should have been or could have been. I think most of us are guilty at being distracted if our phones or computers are out during a lecture. I had a professor that absolutely did not allow cell phones to be out during class, and she asked that we take notes on paper instead of the computer. I can honestly say that I paid complete attetion during that class because I never even thought of getting my phone out to check something.

[AshleySpectator]

It was a small point in the course of the reading, but something that I found very thought-provoking was the discussion on page 55 about the ways that online communications have caused the amount of information to which we have access to surge. Self-publishing both through blogging and through eBooks(and even extending on to physical books at times) have really opened up the floodgates of creative writing, in addition to all of the factual data that can be found online. I agree with Rheingold when he says “that educating readers how to value good writing proved to be a better solution in the age of print” (p.55) and still is a better method today. Being an avid reader, I think that idea of filtering out what is valuable to read in a sea of options really connected me with his other ideas about combating distraction in our modern world.

I also really enjoyed reading about the ways that media affects the brain. Understanding reading as an evolutionary survival trait (p.59) also made me examine the ways that I pay attention to textual input day-by-day. Thinking of staying focused on a task to completion in an era where there are literally millions of other things I could be distracted by as a survival trait makes me far more likely, I think, to try out his suggestions for mindfulness seriously!

[erheyerSpectator]

I’m going to go ahead and assume that it’s not an accident that this is one of our first reading assignments for this class. When I read the title of the chapter I thought to myself, “Yes, please, HELP ME.” I think it’s hard enough to concentrate on school in general, but doing everything online like this while trying to work full time and do an internship capstone and manage responsibilities at home pulls me in every direction possible. And I am definitely one of those people who gets nothing done when I obsess over everything I have to do at one time.

I agree that it takes time and practice to condition your mind to focus. And I find it challenging. It takes so much work to make a conscious act a subconscious reaction. The chapter tells us to limit outside distractions, which I find both obvious and difficult to do. I guess the self-discipline involved must become a habit to adopt as well.

[John JonesKeymaster]

I hope the readings are helpful to you in this way.

[AshleySpectator]

erheyer,

I didn’t even think about the timing of this chapter! It’s a really good point that it was timely to help prepare us for the rest of the course. Hopefully now we will be able to use these techniques to help us stay on top of all the work for this course, despite all of our other responsibilities.

[Chasity RobinsonSpectator]

After reading the Introduction and Chapter 1 of NetSmart, I found the quote “email and its descendants” have triggered two fundamental changes. First, new communication technologies give us increasing control over how, when, and with whom we interact-what Baron calls “volume control.” Second, as we replace much of our spoken interaction with written exchanges, Baron fears that quantity increases and quality suffers.”

I found this to be extremely true. With all of the new technologies many people don’t associate with very many people at all face to face. If you think about how many people do you really talk to on the phone, or meet for an occasional lunch date to catch up with each other. The majority of our time is spent texting, emailing, facebooking, etc.

[erheyerSpectator]

Chasity,

I agree with that too. Social media, has made us less social in a way because we are living through it instead of using it as a tool to show how we are living. I don’t mean to make it sound like it (social media) is a bad thing, because I think it can be a really useful means of communication, but it has made me realize that I’ve become kind of lazy with my interactions with other people. My mom lives out of the country and we stay in touch through facebook and skype. But I actually haven’t had skype call with her in months. Normally, I would worry about not having a conversation with my own mother for that long, but I find myself saying, “Oh she’s okay. She liked my picture last night.” It’s so sad.

[sbloxtonSpectator]

While the reading was not exactly what I had expected, I do feel it is something that will be particularly helpful in maintaining productivity online. Having taken psychology courses, the fact that multitasking isn’t as efficient as we perceive wasn’t a new one for me. Some of the statistics, however, were quite alarming. On page 37, in Net Smart, the author mentions that only “about 2.4 percent” of the college students used in the studies could drive and talk on the telephone without a loss of performance. I feel like this really brings the point home, that we are not as good at multitasking as we think.

The book also mentions mindfulness. I think this is a technique everyone should strive for, not just while online, but in everyday life. Being mindful of what we are saying and doing, not helps with time management, but also with conflict and anxiety. I found this part to be especially enlightening. We are all guilty of clicking links and getting lost in the sea that is the internet.

[Author]

Posts