Isolated by the Internet
“Isolated by the Internet”
By: Clifford Stoll “Isolated by the Internet” an essay written by Clifford Stoll pinpoints exactly what researchers believe the internet is doing too much of today’s society. Stoll explains in detail that Internet is breaking apart family values, slowing personal interaction, distancing reality, and robbing personal time. Clifford Stoll has provided evidence that the internet is breaking apart many families and distancing them from one another. For example, Stoll expresses that many parents bring their work home, and spend only six to eight minutes a day talking with their children (106). Furthermore, Stoll states that productivity in the home takes away from playtime that even in our alone time work seeps into even the most intimate of moments (107,108). Although internet is a fast, aid in society it can also slow basic personal interaction “These electronic intermediaries dull our abilities to read each other’s gestures ad facial expressions, to express our feelings, to strike up conversations with strangers, to craft stories, to tell jokes” (106). Clifford Stoll states that it causes a person not to learn basic skills such as how to interrupt, how to speak in front of a large audience, or worst when to talk or be silent. (107) He brings in psychologists and scientist points of view that contradict significantly with those of major computing companies. For example Stoll references to psychology professor Philip Zimbardo who states that technological advances cause shyness which is a basic lack of communication skill, where as Intel stated “This is not about the Technology, per se; it’s about how it is used (105,106). Stoll uses Zimbardo’s personal account to explain computer isolation, Zimbardo will occasionally walk down the hallway and say hello and to some this is shocking and feels it is invading their space (110). The inability to communicate is in part due to the isolation of internet. Clifford Stoll insinuates that
By: Clifford Stoll “Isolated by the Internet” an essay written by Clifford Stoll pinpoints exactly what researchers believe the internet is doing too much of today’s society. Stoll explains in detail that Internet is breaking apart family values, slowing personal interaction, distancing reality, and robbing personal time. Clifford Stoll has provided evidence that the internet is breaking apart many families and distancing them from one another. For example, Stoll expresses that many parents bring their work home, and spend only six to eight minutes a day talking with their children (106). Furthermore, Stoll states that productivity in the home takes away from playtime that even in our alone time work seeps into even the most intimate of moments (107,108). Although internet is a fast, aid in society it can also slow basic personal interaction “These electronic intermediaries dull our abilities to read each other’s gestures ad facial expressions, to express our feelings, to strike up conversations with strangers, to craft stories, to tell jokes” (106). Clifford Stoll states that it causes a person not to learn basic skills such as how to interrupt, how to speak in front of a large audience, or worst when to talk or be silent. (107) He brings in psychologists and scientist points of view that contradict significantly with those of major computing companies. For example Stoll references to psychology professor Philip Zimbardo who states that technological advances cause shyness which is a basic lack of communication skill, where as Intel stated “This is not about the Technology, per se; it’s about how it is used (105,106). Stoll uses Zimbardo’s personal account to explain computer isolation, Zimbardo will occasionally walk down the hallway and say hello and to some this is shocking and feels it is invading their space (110). The inability to communicate is in part due to the isolation of internet. Clifford Stoll insinuates that
Cited: Stoll, Clifford. "Technology." Ed. Stephen Brown. Writing Across the Curriculum: A Prentice Hall Pocket. By Stephen Brown. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2007.