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Overuse of Technology
Of the five issues that shape the environment for using technology cited in table 1.3 of
our text (Roblyer & Doering, 2013), the potential for overuse, and perhaps more importantly,
misuse of technology is of greatest interest to me. Of the three additional references listed in that
table, by far the most worthwhile was the article from The New Atlantis, The Myth of
Multitasking (Rosen, 2008). All three articles basically echo my own observations regarding
this phenomenon of near constant Internet and electronic connectivity so prevalent among
todays youth and young adults.
My impression- the compilation of personal observations involving myself and others
(including a 16 year old daughter), my experience as a physician, and my reading of multiple
other articles reaching the same general conclusion, can be summarized as: multitasking is a
skill that varies in competency between individuals, can be improved with practice, and is not as
effective as many believe. This same topic came up in one of the discussions in EDC 250 or
251. It was apparent there was a bias based upon age of the respondent: the older the individual,
the more likely they were to agree with my perspective; the younger the individual, the more
likely they saw multitasking as a productive and indeed, critical skill. The latter stance
however, is actually consistent with my observation- the more it is practiced, the better one
becomes. Another general observation Ive made is that unsolicited advice is often perceived as
pretentious and intrusive, so many opinions I keep to myself. This applies directly to the topic at
hand- I really dont care if a 20 year old sits in front of two computer screens while
simultaneously listening to music via headphones and texting via a smartphone. While I would
find that scenario unproductive and annoying, I see it as the responsibility of the individual to
make that assessment. There are two definite exceptions, however. As a parent, I have made

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rules regarding my daughters study habits- while she is an excellent student, lack of
concentration while studying (laptop, phone, music) can become an issue. When she is off to
college, it will be beyond my control, but for now we set limitations that I believe will enhance
her focus and facilitate learning. Of all the Learning Theories covered in EDC 251, the
sequential processing of information through sensory register, followed by short- and long-term
memory stores as described by Information-Processing theory, is most consistent with how I
learn and my understanding of neurocognition. Lack of focus impedes this process and reduces
the probability of successful storage in long-term memory.
The second exception to my standard of not offering unsolicited advice involves
distracted driving- most specifically texting while driving. This passionate stance comes as both
a father of that 16 year old (who is a safe driver, but not as good as she thinks she is), a physician
who has cared for way too many motor vehicle accident victims, and as a motorist who believes
most other drivers are idiots- they prove it to me every day. Data from the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration attributes 9 deaths and over 1100 injuries daily in the U.S. to
distracted driving; a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control in 2011 found that
over 30% of U.S. drivers had read or sent text and email messages while driving in the preceding
30 days (CDC, 2011). Texting while driving reaches the same level of irresponsible behavior
that driving under the influence of alcohol does. Morbidity, mortality, and monetary cost of
distracted driving are completely avoidable by common sense and responsible behavior. I have
emphatically impressed this fact upon my daughter and her friends.
M.A.S.H. by Richard Hooker was a favorite book when I was a teen. Later I was a fan of
the television series though it never captured the realism of the book. While there were many
quotable lines from those works, apropos to this discussion comes a quote from the stoic British

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surgeon Charles Winchester in a frantic operating room overwhelmed with multiple trauma
victims: I do one thing at a time. I do it very well, and then I move on. (M.A.S.H. Television
series, episode unknown)

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References
Centers for Disease Control. (2001). Retrieved from
www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclessafety/distracted_driving/
Hooker, R. (1968). M.A.S.H. New York, NY: William Morrow.
Roblyer, M., and Doering, A. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Rosen, C. (2008). The myth of multitasking. The New Atlantis. Retrieved from
www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-myth-of-multitasking