Technology, A Learning Inhibitor

In Hampton's article, "The Social Life of Wireless Urban Spaces," technology is identified as a mechanism for isolating one's self in a public space. For instance, cell phone users very rarely react to sudden loud noises in the surrounding area and people on their laptops give off an unfriendly vibe of not wanting to be approached. Although persons using technology may be communicating with others within their social network, they are missing out on the opportunity to interact with the broader diversity present in the public sphere.

Participation in the public arena may lead to the formation of new weak ties or the acquisition of new knowledge. Throughout this course, we have stressed the importance of weak ties as information pathways. When a person creates a private bubble for his or her self by using technology, he or she loses the chance to gain new knowledge from diverse interactions in public spaces. In this sense, technology is acting as an inhibitor to learning.

In class, several students admitted to using technology as a means for avoiding communication with persons in public areas. For instance, they may listen to their iPod, text, or make a phone call in order to avoid surveyors. As I looked around the room, I thought to myself that technology may act in the same way in the classroom setting. Students frequently use their laptops and cell phones during class. Regardless of whether students are using technology to look up material relevant to the class or not, the laptop or cell phone is still acting as a distraction. In the minutes a student takes to type a text message or read an online article, he or she may have missed some important, new, and diverse information from the class.

In conclusion, as much as technology allows us to communicate more easily and frequently with others in our social network, the overuse of it may deprive us of the opportunity to form new relationships and acquire diverse knowledge.