Global Conference 2011 | The Attention Deficit Society: What Technology Is Doing to Our Brains
Panel Detail:
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
The Attention Deficit Society: What Technology Is Doing to Our Brains
Speakers:
Nicholas Carr,
Author, "The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains"
Cathy Davidson,
Ruth F. DeVarney Professor of English and John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Duke University
Clifford Nass,
Thomas M. Storke Professor, Stanford University
Sherry Turkle,
Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology, MIT
Moderator:
Dennis Kneale, Senior Correspondent, Fox Business Network
Put down the iPad and pay attention: Technology may be rewiring your brain. Scientists say our ability to focus is being undermined by Twitter feeds, smartphones and other digital distractions. Many experts believe excessive use of technology can make users more impatient, impulsive, forgetful and even narcissistic. It may reduce the ability to process information and think deeply and creatively. Distracted drivers have become a menace on the roads. Even worse, tech-obsessed parents spend less quality time with their children, causing not only hurt feelings but potentially stunting a child's vocabulary and development. At the same time, studies show Internet users are more efficient at finding information, and gamers develop better visual acuity. Is the technology that was intended to make us more productive actually dumbing us down? Is its use in the classroom counterproductive? How does it change our culture and society in general?
Global Conference 2013
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, philanthropist Bill Gates and Strive Masiyiwa of Econet Wireless discuss advancing prosperity in Africa.
