Analytical writing practice: Technology and deteriorating ability to think for yourself
Today, I was practising to take the Graduate Entrance Examinations (long story on the why and what that I will share another day). One of the sample task requires me to discuss the extent I agree or disagree that “as people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, the ability of humans to think for themselves will surely deteriorate.”
This got me thinking. And I wrote the following. Please let me know what you think. Analytical enough?
Hope it gets you thinking too.
With technology so easily available to most people, even children are relying on their technological tools like computers and handphones to operate the simplest cognitive tasks. Need to add up a few numbers? Use the calculator button on the iPhone. Need to look up recommendations for investing your money? Google a few websites for information and advice. Want to make a Thai beef salad but do not know the ingredients or a recipe book around? The answer is 5 seconds away in the computer. Even having “no time” to go to the bank is easily solved by internet banking.
It looks like there is a ready answer for any problem, as long as you have access to internet forums, Wikipedia and a technological devise.
Therefore, we can allow others in the forums to solve our problems for us. Why think for ourselves when others, via technological devises, can do it for us?
With technology making information and solutions easily accessible to us, we may need less time to solve problems. We may not need to remember many historical facts, costs of an item, or even the directions to a destination.
This may mean that it frees us to think of real problems in life, and spend the time imagining possibilities, analyzing the pros and cons of several options, and predicting outcomes. We would even have the time and freedom to question the reliability of the sources of information the internet has given us.
Yes, there are some big problems in life that technology can only aid in the problem-solving process, and NOT solve the problem for you.
For example, I would like to enter graduate school, and I am married with 4 children. There is a problem : how to accomplish my educational goal while being here for my family? Relying on the technological advances of an iMac, and Firefox, I am able to surf the internet for information on graduate schools which are within my country of Singapore, or programmes that allow me to study and still earn some money and be at home. Technology can help me email an inquiry to a faculty member, and practice the GRE questions at home.
However, the actual responsibility of “thinking for myself” falls onto myself. No one but myself can answer the questions of “what am I doing this for?”. “What is important to me?”, “What research do I want to be involved with?” and “What are my career plans?”
If I do not have the ability to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses, priorities, support network, and thus solve my own problems, then I would hardly think I have the wits to excel in any graduate school.
My example is only but a single one, which demonstrates that even as we rely on technology to help us, to provide us with information and speed to solve problems, we must not neglect our own ability to think analytically, critically and creatively to solve our problems.
It goes to show, that as we allow our children to use technology, we must still be mindful to teach them to think for themselves – know their values, set their goals, make their mistakes and learn from life. This way, we ensure that the technologically savvy people of tomorrow can still wisely and responsibly make up their own minds, and live with the consequences.
