Can our smart phones lower our cultural intelligence?
I have a growing concern that our technological advances work against so much of what is core to cultural intelligence - being fully present, deep-focused consciousness, and becoming more aware of one's identity and culture. Are we becoming better informed global citizens or are we becoming increasingly detached from the society and people around us?
Hi Cassidy
My concern is that the technology although essential in todays world has made us lazy. Even something as basic as remembering phone numbers is now a dying skill. What will happen to us in thousands of years when we have developed technology to do practically everything for us.
Our cars are even starting to react by themselves - it is scary what might be around the corner in the not so distant future for us all. Problem is that when any of these technological crutches disappears or breaks down we don't have the skills or the memory capacity to replace it because we just let the technology do it all...Peter
I agree that memory loss has been a huge problem with technology increase but I'd like to think that we're using the energy we saved from remembering phone numbers into more productive things. If you look at the kids growing up these days, they can do amazing things because their brains have been highly stimulated from a young age. Perhaps they have lot some basic skills like remembering phone numbers but they have been able to advance and fast track other skills that are more important in society today. I think it will just change with our environment and we'll learn to adapt.
Hunting and gathering skills used to be a basic skill and so important to previous societies but because of commercialisation and industrialisation not many of us could survive if we got thrown in the bush, but I'd like to think we've advanced in other ways. I think the same will apply to smart phones and technology :D
Cassidy, I think the 'moral panic' effect (as media studies like to call it) has been amplified too much. Everything will have a positive and negative effect, especially in regards to technological advances. In my opinion, smart phones have made everything more accessible, especially in regards to communication. People are able to keep in contact more easily, and physical distance is not much of an issue as it was before. Also, with smartphones, people are able to respond to emergencies more quickly and efficiently. That being said, I do have serious privacy issues especially in this day and age where data mining has become so pervasive and ubiquitous in smartphone use.
