WAY OT, Modern Technology

Hi all, I just had to write a "short essay" for one of my classes about Modern Technology and the positive/negative effects it has had on our language and society. I'll past it in after this, I figured some of you old timers might like to read it... Let me know what you think! Bryce

Modern technology has changed many different things in our everyday life. Many of the things that used to be a major problem are now much easier to over come. One of the biggest things that modern technology has changed is the way we communicate. What started with telegraphs and letters was replaced by phones and TV’s, and then those were replaced by personal phones! Technology truly has complicated our lives with all of this new stuff, but is it helping to make our lives better?

I asked my grandma what she thought about all of this modern “junk”, as she calls it. She said that when she was growing up, about half of the homes had phones, she said that the main form of communication was by letter, on in person. When my parents grew up, everyone had a land line, but very few people had cell phones. They were over priced, and too large and bulky to be considered a “personal phone”. Now in my time growing up, everyone has a cell phone, and a tablet, and a lap top computer, and so on… How does having all of this technology affect how they are communicating?

I was sitting in a fast food joint one time with a couple of friends, they both had their cell phones in front of their face the entire time, I finally had to ask who in the world they were texting that was more important than their lunch. They both looked at me, and one said that he was texting the other!! So here we are, sitting at a table, and they were texting each other, rather than just talking to each other. That is the negative effect technology has had on our society, people can’t even be bothered to talk to each other. I think it’s great that they are communicating and staying in touch, but these people literally can’t put these cell phones down! Another really bad aspect of technology is the grammar that they are using. Most of these kids can’t even spell a word, they just abbreviate it such as, cuz, kk, etc. When you ask them to write you a properly written sentence, most can’t do it.

Along with the bad there are also a few ways that technology has helped us. I think that it has greatly improved our way of life, and it has made communication easier. What if you realized that you had forgotten to tell you husband to pick up a gallon of milk on his way home, what are you going to do? Write him a letter! This is an instance where a quick call or text could make all of the difference, in your cereal bowl the next morning that is! What if you got lost on your way to a friends house, or forgot his address, well, with your cell phone you can just call him!

I think that in the future, face to face communication will probably not exist. Our language won’t be the same that it used to be, and people will probably start to loose the talent of writing! Already I see kids that never go out side and do anything hands on, they stay inside and play on their video games. People text each other when they are only five feet away, and half the time probably don’t even realize it! So far technology hasn’t been all that bad, but it has raised a few major problems. What will the future hold for us? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!



Bryce Frazier 18972
Mrs. Lindsay – Anthropology

A+!! well said,Good job!

Good work Bryce! I would give you an A+. Good luck with your farming and tractor hobby. Ron Mn.

i like it!!! good job!!

Thanks guys, means a lot!

Now if only I could get the teacher to say the same thing... Bryce

Your report seems good to me. But then I'm not in charge of your grade ! LOL

I see where you say we started with telegraphs. That's funny because I'm always telling everyone that by texting we actually went back in time to that period. I tell them there is a "NEW" invention where you can actually talk to someone ! LOL

Normally, criticism of grammar, punctuation and spelling is "verboten" on these boards, but since this was a school assignment, and you knowingly exposed yourself to the opinions of those assembled by posting it, I paid particular attention to those things, as well as to content.

I was impressed! Excellent in all areas. I have seen some pretty miserable writing samples lately (particularly in resumes and cover letters for employment, where folks should be putting their best foot forward), but am happy to see that at least some of our youth are not feckless. Would be interested to learn your grade on it- I'd have given it an A or A-, depending on how well others did.

It'll probably be a couple of weeks before I get my grade, because we have a week to turn in each assignment, and it was assigned today, PLUS we have a week of "Grace Period"....

I don't have any idea as to why it would take a kid 2 weeks to write this, took me 30min!

I'll be sure to post what I got when I get it! Bryce

So let me get this straight- You did an assignment ON THE DAY IT WAS ASSIGNED? Whatever happened to procrastination? We always did these things on the school bus, on the day we had to turn them in.

"That boy's just not right. . ." LOL

I know, that's what they keep telling me.....

I personally am a "little different" I CAN'T STAND waiting until the last minute to do something. When something is assigned, I do it, and turn it in, period. These other kids lallygag around and finally get it turned in at 10:58 when it is due at 11....

Oh well, to each his own right?!?! Bryce

Just be careful- your attitude coupled with your abilities could make you very successful some day, and I hear that that can be quite a burden. . .

Bryce, you've expressed here what I have long considered a truth. Kinda like the "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" law of physics, the principle applies, perhaps not so precisely, to other areas of life.

In his book "A Nation of Strangers", Vance Packard stated the idea that industrialization (the 18th and 19th centuries' equivalent of modern technology in your premise) took people away from their home communities, weakening the social mores and other elements of the social fabric. The strength of the community had always served as a limiting, disciplining force on individuals. Absent from those influences, some individuals tended to engage in more anti-social behavior in their new locales. Or something like that.

Similarly, other sociologist have posited that the advent of air conditioning drove people inside their homes instead of their front porches and sidewalks, thereby limiting neighborly discourse and eroding the sense of community and restricting the development of positive personal relationships.

So, yes, your point is well-taken and well-expressed. But, time moves on. It is what it is.

Ya I know right... Mom wants me to go to college, I said NO WAY, I am going to go to a trade school for agriculture, and call it good!

She wants me to "make it rich" so that I can buy her a condo in Hawaii. We'll see. Bryce

I see you have already passed english composition. [ Note [if you wan't an A+ not just an A overcome is one word]

There are lots of good jobs in the ag field, some require college, some don't. Before you make a final decision on college vs. trade school, look at some agricultural job placement outfits- Hansen Agriplacement is one, although I can't get their website to come up right now. See what jobs are available, and what the educational requirements are. I'm thinking for the long term, you might still want to consider a college degree. Ag is one of the few areas where you can have a job requiring college, but still get your hands dirty, which I think is what you're saying.

Bryce,

I always enjoy your posts, today's was exceptional!
My wife and I both teach agriculture at a community college and your comments are spot on. Texting by our students was so bad during class that we started requiring all phones be turned off. Surprisingly, they all survived and discovered that they can communicate orally. Our employers tell us over and over that they want graduates that can communicate with customers, peers and others at all levels and in short to have "people" skills.

Now with that said, we are blessed with wonderful students that will embrace technology and change and lead agriculture into the future.

My only career advise is: "Find what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life".

Best wishes in your future endeavors!

Larry

I have been stating for years now (well ever since the internet came on-line), that "The more advances we make in technology, the more we regress sociologically."

I think that the computer has created more (good jobs) than it has replaced.

How refreshing. A kid who actually wants to learn something. Keep up the good work.

Bryce,

There are great jobs out there in Ag Engineering. I would see what scholarships / grades you can get and then make a decision.

I grew up as a mechanic, but would never trade my college degree back.

Nicely done, Bryce. Gives me some hope.

If you don't mind my asking, what is the significance of the number after your name?

Sure, thats "my" number, almost like in a jail!!

Basically I have been in this school ever since it started, and because it is an online school, they have a hard time tracking things down for an individual student, the principal can't just walk do the hall to the math room and grab you by the ear when you do something bad!

Should someone besides this paticular teacher need to look something up on me, they know:

Who wrote it
How to find info on who wrote it
Why the person/student wrote it (class)
Who the teacher is.

The last count was 186573 for total number of students in IDVA, so I am an early bird! This number sticks with my name for however long I am with them, which has been K-10/11 (I am a year ahead in two courses, so I am actually a Sophmore)

Hope this answers your question! Thanks, Bryce

Language has always been fluid. It evolves as people and circumstances change. Look at the English that was spoken just 200 years ago. Those that lived back then would have a hard time understanding us and we would have a hard time understanding them.

I do agree that the new technology has done some great things and some bad things. Laptops have helped doctors in remote regions connect to medical machines, etc., that they never could have before and lives are saved.

You are also correct about the texting. Many times when James and I go out to eat, we will see people sitting together at a table, but not sharing the time together. Both will be totally absorbed with their cell phones.

You are also correct about the children. Too many children spend all their time inside with video games, computers, tv, etc., when the most mysterious and incredible things are just a few feet away out the door.

As with all things, there is a good side and a bad side depending on how its used.

Your paper was well written. Good for you. Let us know how it fares.

Like others have said, you probably need to rethink that decision.

There's a lot more to farming and ag than hooking up a piece of equipment, jumping in the tractor and going.

Thanks! I suspected something like that.

On-line school, eh? All done from home, or is there an actual brick-and-mortar building involved?

Well, no, it is a state endorsed school, so it is actually a public school. They provide me with books, tools, even a computer and printer! I do everything at home, except for big end of the semester tests and stuff!

The really nice thing about it is the amount of time that I end up having for myself. I get up at 6:30 every day and start school. I am usually done by or before 10 and am out the door to go and do what ever I want to! I actually just got back into the house from walking around Grannys 40 acres looking at timber... Fun fun fun!!! Bryce

Byrce, I have been reading your posts for some time now and I must say if you would not have posted your age I never would have guessed. You sure have a good head on your shoulders and come across well advanced for your age/experience. Very refreshing to see - brains and personality!!!. Keep up the good work and thanks for all you share.

Sounds like an outstanding idea to me. Wonder why I haven't heard of it before.

Thanks for the skinny!

Well, you know a lot of people have given me a LOT of crap over the years for not going to school, and not being a super popular jock that everyone loves, or what have you... Anymore kids go to school to hang out with their friends, and quite frankly I don't like people my own age! I actually did try out the local public school during my 7th grade, these three boys always teased me for a number of reasons, my Height, my LARGE feet, and the fact that I was in BSA (FYI not too "cool" by todays standards!) One day the leader of their little gang walked up to me, push me into the lockers and started calling me string bean, I had enough, spun around and laid one on him, and he ended up with a fractured jaw, and a bloody nose on the floor....

I think that school is a waste of time, IF, yes IF, you aren't learning something. I'll sit down a listen to a teacher actually TEACH me something new any day of the week, but if it is busy work, or what I consider to be a waste of my time, then I am GONE!

I have quite a reputation for doing what I want, when I want, and not giving a #$%^ about what you think of it! In Boy Scouts, I was the Senior Patrol Leader for 2 years (at 12 and 13 that is quite an accomplishment!) During that time I pushed the boys to get out and do stuff, and no one ever wanted to, and then one day mom told me

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

MY GOSH is she right! So now I do my own thing on my own time, and that is the way I like it! I plan on getting an education, and then farming, which is a far stretch form most kids dream of being a game designer, or an artist...

I'm like that stupid Dr. Pepper commercial, "unique" Bryce

Good job, well thought out and well written. You have outlined the benefits and the detriments associated with modern technology. This isn't anything new, every technological advance has spawned a different step backward. Keep on thinking your way through things, you'll be fine.

There isn't a darn thing wrong with homeschooling- not a thing. People keep saying, "But your kids won't get the socialization they need!" Right, exactly, that's WHY we are going to home school!!! Why people want their most precious possessions exposed to the "socialization" in our high schools is beyond me. It's jocks, druggies, whores and victims. Take your choice. Your kids will fall into one of those groups or maybe multiple groups. Your kids can get "socialized" undera more controlled setting at church, 4H or any of a million other venues. Then when they move into the world they know what is right and wrong. It doesn't men they won't be able to defend themselves or to interact, in fact they will stand a better chance of interacting properly rather than the rude, asinine excuse for interaction I see around me now.

End of rant. Good on you Bryce. That's a short essay though, I thought there were requirements on length, like at least 10 paras or something. But I'm old and don't remember so good!

I'll tell you one thing technology has changed- availability of parts and ease of finding them. It used to be if you needed a part for, say, a 30 year old chainsaw or lawn mower or a 60 year old baler or tractor, you spent maybe days on the phone, writing letters, waiting for answers, writing of calling back, chasing down leads, making more calls and writing more letters. Today almost anything can be located within an hour and often located, purchased and sent out within that hour. That to me is the biggest step up in technology. No more being tied to a dealer that orders your parts when he feels like it and waiting a week or more for it to come in.

I totally agree, not only about the parts, but also about the schooling. I can tell from the little experience that I have going to school, kids are are MEAN!!! I called em chickens, they will find ANY way to peck you down!! Mom right off the bat put my in home schooling, and then I wanted to go into Cub Scouts, I started as early as I could, and then transferred in to BSA, and then rocketed towards my Eagle, got that and I was GONE like the wind!

Thats the way to do things in my opinion, get in and Get Er Done! Bryce

I was a Cub, Weblo, Scout, Explorer, Scoutmaster and Den Leader over the year. OA too. Sadly, the BSA of my youth has gone to crap.

Good on you Bryce, I never came close to Eagle. That is a true accomplishment.