Recently, researchers from
I personally find it very true. Because I tend to watch TV dramas when I’m drawing, but when my friends try to discuss what happened in those dramas, I usually have little idea about what they are talking about. When I try to remember the plot, nothing really comes to me except the faces of the leading characters. The situation is the same with reading online for me. When I read things online, I have to mute the TV, otherwise, my brain will constantly try to decode the messages I hear from the TV. However, when I read from books—the traditional sort of books—I think sometimes I manage to ignore the noises around. Of course it depends on how interesting the book is.
This reminds me of a report saying nowadays many Britons watch TV only because they are surfing online at the same time. So if the researchers from
The same report also said instead of sitting on the sofa together, family members tend to do their individual things. Therefore, new technologies become a destructive force driving families apart. Although I’m not from
So what do you think? Have you successfully done different things simultaneously with different media? And do you think new technologies become destructive force for family unity?
This is really interesting. I have noticed some changes like this but never thought about it so deeply.
ReplyDeleteWhen I am on my laptop, I cannot concentrate on the TV. Sometimes I would rather be watching TV but the internet is for some reason all the more appealing.
I was at a friends house recently and both of his parents were sitting on the couch, both with laptops in their laps. Sitting together - yes, interacting - no.
When around the family, mobile phones can be a huge distraction.
Perhaps technology is interrupting family activities a lot but I do not think it is a "destructive force" just yet... Last semester I did a reading for "Researching Audiences and Reception" which talked of working parents fulfilling their family roles through technology, for example emailing to find out how the kid's day was while they are still at the office. In this way technology is helping to keep a family connected.
It seems to be a battle with two sides...
Your example of two people physically sitting together but mentally doing separate things is really interesting!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I remember that reading. i think it mentioned something like parents use tv to baby-sit kids. so it really depends on how people decide to utilise the technologies.
I always thought that it was a weakness of mine not to be able to do two things at once - sure, I can juggle tasks but I can't do them simultaneously. The research you've cited is relieving.
ReplyDeleteDepending on the task, I can listen to music while I work but on the whole I need to give my attention whole-heartedly to one thing at one time. I know that using different media at the same time doesn't work for me - perhaps with practice I could get better but I think the ultimate result would be a sub-standard performance across the tasks.
Anyway, I do think that technology can have positive and negative effects on the family unit, dependent on the boundaries that are set. In my case, (a small family unit) my partner and I currently enjoy quality time with each other because we are both aware that using technology autonomously is not part of that quality time. This arrangement was arrived at after recognising the adverse effects surfing the net and replying to email was having on our relationship - time for everyone else except each other. So we've limited this type of exclusionary behaviour that technology encourages but continue to use technology throughout the day to promote our intimacy (emails, mobiles, instant messaging etc.). So, in many ways, technology is my relationship glue.
Technology is also used as relationship glue by my partner's sister and her family. They use technology in an inclusive way by having YouTube nights where they sit in the lounge, hook up the computer to the TV and look up funny videos to amuse themselves and the kids.
In some ways this kind of evening is more interactive and inclusive than television - the family is actively engaging with each other and not comotosed in front of the TV.
Thanks for the interesting post! Cheers, Symposium - Tanya