[prof.h.mandingo]

I suggest you look seriously at our self-absorbed youth. My own granddaughter almost ran into someone in the store while playing some Ipad thing. I teach, and I can tell you attention spans are shorter, reading is impossible and students think they can put in acronyms like, BTW (by the way) in papers. It happens at all levels including college.
My friend is a law professor. She constantly has to chide students to put away or turn off electronic devices. I have set time limits and rules for use of the Ipad my granddaughter has. She listens because she is a good kid but it was like I was asking here to walk over hot coals. She is now reading a real book for a summer assignment. I would not allow her to get it online. Am I a Luddite? I don't think so.

[zencycler]

Yes, parental monitoring and time limits are very important. I had 2 programs on my kids computers for this .. one which limited the times when they could use the computer, and another which took periodic screenshots and saved them in a file for my later review.

I told my kids, if you want privacy, use the bathroom or the phone. But I'm reviewing anything you do on the internet, and if you're not using it responsibly, you lose it.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Oh, I don’t completely disagree with the general premise: the stunning development of technology in the last 20 years has most definitely created a culture shock that will probably take a couple generations to really adjust to.

Not to be flippant or lewd but just the fact that the internet is pushing against thousands of years of human behavior and forcing right-handed males to learn how to masturbate with their left is actually pretty remarkable at just that base level. To deny that technology is having a negative impact on human interactions and culture at large, would simply be denial.

The point I was making was that there are no behaviors or beliefs born from our current adjustment to technology that are more insane or nonsensical than some of the Mad Blarney that Newsweek’s published over the years.

[a fool in paradise]

Not all electronic devices are “internet”.

Kindles and cellphones are a nuisance enough.

I don’t own a cellphone. And everyone looks at me like I’M the one who’s crazy.