The Effects Technology Can Have On Your Brain

                

           Your brain is a beautiful thing.  It has the ability to change and process an average of 70,000 thoughts per day.  Now I understand the expression when people say, “My thoughts go ninety to nothing.”  At the speed of the world today with all of our technological advances it has helped us as humans try to keep up with all of our thoughts.   We have become great at multitasking, but the funny thing is that even though we try to handle everything at once, our brains can only process one thing at a time.  Does technology change our thinking process when it comes to the way we communicate?  Does it really help us connect to people or does it make it easier to ignore the people around us?

            According to a recent study done by Dr. Sandra Chapman (2012) adults are staring at screens for at least eight hours a day. We are spending more time with technology than any other activity, including sleeping. Thirty percent of 2-5 year olds know how to operate a handheld computer, and statistics show that more than one-third of smart phone users get online before getting out of bed.  That’s a lot of information people are taking in on a daily basis.  The question is: can our brain handle it all?

            The digital culture is slowly starting to change our brains.  We are becoming more dependent on portable devices that cause our brains to stay in a constant state of divided attention.  People always say that technological advances have many benefits like allowing us to do double the work in half the time. This makes it easy to keep up with friends and family members more efficiently.  Technology can improve eye-hand coordination, increase reaction time, and enhance our ability to pick out information.  All of this seems positive, b­­­ut researchers have shown that we are exposed to three times more information today as compared to four decades ago.  We have immediate access to massive amounts of information at our fingertips.  This information overload can lead to more multitasking and could force us to push our brains to do things it was not created to do.  College students go from being on their personal computers to their cell phones endlessly throughout the day.  All of the switching back and forth between digital devices causes the frontal lobe of the brain to become fatigued.  The frontal lobe is critical to dynamic thinking.  It is the first portion of your brain to develop and the first part to decline.  The function of the frontal lobe is extremely important because it is responsible for strategic attention, critical thinking, judgment, decision- making, problem solving, and innovation. Nilles,Mellissa (2012)  What does this mean about multitasking when this part of our brain becomes fatigued?

            Multitasking contributes to the death of many brain cells.  It takes a dramatic toll on mental processing and causes more errors to occur.  It also leads to the build up of cortisol, the stress hormone, and stress takes away the immune systems first line of defense.  Science demonstrates that your brain is not wired to perform two tasks at once, yet we are so caught up in multitasking thinking we are getting more stuff done when it reality we are becoming more distracted. 

            Dopamine is a cell that is released in the brain in response to a reward as soon as it occurs unpredictably.     For example, when our brains get used to hearing a “ding,” such as text messages or email alerts, dopamine is released.  Our brains want to repeat the feelings of pleasure triggered be the dopamine causing us to desire that one technological “ding”.  Technology is slowly rewiring our brains in detrimental ways leading to weakened focus, shallower thinking, reduced creativity, and lowers our ability to shut out irrelevant information.  This can change the way we communicate and connect with people tremendously. 

            Technology celebrates connectedness with people, and allows you to stay connected with many loved ones.  Communicating through a technological device does not make you avoid the human connection, but makes it easier to ignore humans in that moment.  Technology affects our decision-making encouraging us to just send a quick text message because it’s convenient.  This way of thinking makes it easy to forget others and the people around you when you are actually with the person.  Your attention is divided and you are more distracted while hanging out with a group of friends or your loved ones. While new forms of technology are coming out it has made it easier to avoid the emotional work of being present.  We will eventually get to the point where we would rather convey information than humanity. 

            The bottom line is that our brain is wired to adapt to the things we spend most of our time thinking about.  There is no question that rewiring goes on all the time through the massive amounts of information we constantly pour into our heads on a daily basis.  People miss out on so many things around us including forming complex connections with people the Lord places in our paths to connect with.  Whether God places them there or not you miss the connection.  Do we really want to be conformed to the ways of this world, through technology, causing our thinking process to slowly deteriorate?  What makes us different from all the technology we use is that we have the ability to think and renew our minds. 

Every digital device only has the ability to do exactly what it was programmed to do.  Everything that goes through your head is so important because it wires your brain to a train of thought, to a way of thinking.  When you become caught up in paving a road through your mind it slowly starts to become whom you are.  What you think about yourself is what defines you.  To maintain your brain’s health and your way of thinking, try to practice using technology in intervals.  The first step would be to try spending 15 minutes using technology and 15 minutes without.  Limit your use of technology to certain hours of the day.  Turn off your cell phone and try exercising; go eat lunch with a friend and practice giving them your undivided attention.  Due to the statistic that we spend more time using technology than sleeping try to restrict your use of technology in the evenings to allow your brain time to calm down before you go to sleep.  The positive aspect about our brains being affected by technology is that it does have the ability to grow and repair itself throughout our lifetime.  Challenge yourself to ignore the “dings” of text messages and email alerts and try forming a new complex connection with a friend.  Be aware of when to use technology and when to put the phone down.  Your brain will thank you for not being so overloaded all day every day.    

Sources

Nilles, Melissa.  January 24, 2012. “Technology Is Destroying the Quality of Human Interaction”. Associated Students Newspaper.

Ophire, E Nass, C. Wagner. August 25, 2009. “Cognitive Control in Media Multitaskers”. Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol 106, No.33.

             

           

Emailing Professors can be Tricky: How to Become a Better Communicator Via Email

Rocio Aguilera

Emailing Professors can be Tricky: How to Become a Better Communicator Via Email

            Have you ever had to contact your professor about any issues or concerns you may be having with a class? Maybe it was questions about an upcoming test, a difficult assignment, or -better yet- concerns about an unsatisfying grade. I think we all have been at a point where we find ourselves desperate to contact your professor about something important at an odd time. If anyone has experience this recently, it is almost certain that most used email as the method of communication. College students in today’s society have a variety of ways to reach a professor our side of class; but according to a study done by Hinkle in 2002, email is the most popular and preferred way to communicate between students and teachers outside the classroom (Stephens, Houser & Cowan, 2009). Both parties find it to be beneficial, convenient, helpful teaching tool. However, there is additional research that informs us that educators are concerned and disturbed by the casual and informal way most of their students communicate through email. Thus, it affects the students’ credibility and the teacher’s wiliness to response and help according to the delivery of the message.

            Traditionally, students could only meet with their professors’ face-to face. This had been the only alternative for a student who needed to communicate with his or her professor.  However, electronic mail (email) has taken over in the professional and educational world because it is extremely convenient to both parties. Educational institutes and employers now provide email account to their students/employees. It is highly important that you are aware of how the delivery of your email could determine a better grade or a respond like, “the grade posted is final, no exceptions.” This blog will help you standout from the rest of your peers by providing you with guidelines into becoming a more successful communicator via email.  

1^st - Style of Writing

 The “Golden Rule” in communication is to always consider your audience (the receiver), and adjust or accommodate your delivery to best benefit your audience (Stephens, Houser & Cowan, 2009;Tong &Walther 2010 Walther 2011). The “Interaction Adaptation Theory” explains how individuals tend to accommodate and adopt different communications habits, styles, and CMC depending on whom they are currently interacting with (Stephens, Houser & Cowan, 2009; Walther 2011). This theory helps understand why maybe friends and family might overlook the improper writing through texting or SMSs since it that is considered a norm; however, this theory should be applied to your communication habits when writing an email to your professors. While friends and family might not be concerned or care about misspelled words, typos, and incorrect grammar, those who are considered to be your professional relations might frown upon poor written skills (Hamilton 2011; Stephens, Houser & Cowan, 2009).  Tips to consider in your process.

·      Carefully choose your account in which you are considering to use. Using the University email might be the best choice.

·      Avoid using synonyms like, “TTYL,” or, “ASAP.” Save those for texting.

·      Avoid using all caps lock when writing. It will come off as yelling.

·      As tempting as it may be, do not use any emojis or smiles. Trust me!

·      Be friendly! This will influence the professor to work in your favor (Bolkan & Holmgren 2012).

How to Format

According to Cheryl Hamilton, author of Communicating for Results, email was initially intended for professionals to use for cases like “face-to face isn’t possible and there’s no time to mail a written letter or memo (2011).” Basically and email should be formatted very similar to a formal hand written letter (Hamilton 2011); however, it does not have to include things like the date and sending/receiving address information. A formal email should include a greeting, opening, body, conclusion, and your signature.

·      Greeting: The greeting Should used formal salutation with receiver’s title and last name, such as, “Dear, Dr. Stevenson,” or “Professor Toliver”

·      Opening: It should include a small introduction of yourself, what class you’re rolled in, and an a lead into the main reason for writting. Ex, “My name is Rocio Aguilera, I’m in your CMS 450 Mon-Wend 1:00pm-5: 15 class. I had a question about... ”

·      Body:  The body should have the content of your message.

·      Conclusion: The conclusion has your request for call of action. What do you want your teacher to do in regards to your message? Be specific like?

·      Signature: Always end with a closing greeting and reinstating your name: “Thank you so much, Tiffany” or “Sincerely, Johnathan.”

Style of writing

 The “Golden Rule” in communication is to always consider your audience (the receiver), and adjust or accommodate your delivery to best benefit your audience (Tong &Walther 2010; Walther 2011). The “Interaction Adaptation Theory” explains how individuals tend to accommodate and adopt different communications habits, styles, and CMC depending on whom they are currently interacting with (Stephens, Houser & Cowan, 2009;Walther 2011). This theory helps understand why maybe friends and family might overlook the improper writing through texting or SMSs since it that is considered a norm; however, this theory should be applied to your communication habits when writing an email to your professors. While friends and family might not be concerned or care about misspelled words, typos, and incorrect grammar, those who are considered to be your professional relations might frown upon poor written skills (Hamilton 2011; Stephens, Houser & Cowan, 2009).

·      Proof read what you said several times.

·      Let a friend read it for errors!

·      Word your message in complete sentence and be nice.

It is highly important that as the student adept to these guidelines when emailing any professional contact because it affects your credibility, which will affect his or her willingness to help you (Bolkan & Holmgren 2012). A well-developed email demonstrates to your professor that you have put time and effort into your thoughts- builds your credibility (Bolkan & Holmgren 2012). This means that it is more likely to influence your teacher into helping you boost your grade through email.  I dependently encourage you to give it a try. It may seem rather cheesy at first, but your professor will appreciate your effort.

References

Bolkan, S., & Holmgren, J. (2012). You are such a great teacher and I hate to bother you but.":

 Instructors' perceptions of students and their use of email messages with varying

politeness strategies. Communication Education, 61(3), 253-270. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2012.667135

Hamilton, C. (2011). Communications for results: A guide for business and professions. (9th ed.,

pp. 405-416). Boston: Wadsworth.

Stephens, K., Houser, M., & Cowan, R. (2009). R u able to meat me: The impact of students'

overly casual email messages to instructors. In Communication Education (53 ed., Vol. 3

, pp. 303-326). Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03634520802582598

Tong, S. T., & Walther, J. B. (2010). Chapter Six: Relational maintenance and CMC. In K

. Wright & L. Webb(Eds.), Computer-Mediated Communication in Personal Relationships (pp. 98-118). Peter Lang.

Walther, J. B. (2011). Chapert 14: Theories of computer-mediated communication and

interpersonal relations. In M. Knapp & J. Daly (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Interpersonal Communication (4th ed., pp. 443-479). SAGE.

What's the Buzz? by: Caroline Roberts

It is no secret that over the last decade or so there has been a global revolution for technology, and more importantly the Internet. As we all know one of the most dominant uses for the Internet is for social media sites. In an abstract titled, Social Networking Sites: What They Are and How to Navigate Them, Maria Guzman (2013) states, “Today, over 50 percent of teens and 35 percent of adults in the U.S. are using at least one type of social networking site. If used well, these sites can have many personal and professional benefits. Social networking can be a fun way to communicate with others, and an effective way to expand your social and professional connections.” (p. 1). In my opinion I would not be surprised if the percentage for the use of social media sites among teens and adults is even higher than that. The point is social media sites have in many ways become intertwined within society. It has changed various aspects of the communication process.

The form of marketing I am referring to is known as buzz/viral marketing. It is aimed to produce interest over what is posted on the Internet and this can be good and bad in terms of marketing a product. These messages form upon themselves by the spontaneous action of word of mouth (WOM) and it is very crucial in today’s world of business, considering the rising influence the Internet has on society. The effectiveness of the method “word of mouth” is emphasized in the article, Word-Of-Mouth Marketing Will Change Your Business, the authors Hedges and Chung state that word of mouth marketing “[…] gives brands a powerful and influential way to engage their target audience.” Then they elaborate in the article about how customers are extremely verbal about their opinions specifically when it comes to individual care products like cosmetics.
Buzz/viral marketing has become the most time-efficient channel to market products, websites, and even people such as: artist, actors, and so on. The main point of this form of marketing is to encourage people to convey marketing content to other people. Word of mouth has evolved from buzz/viral marketing and is one of the essential components in relation to buzz/viral marketing being successful. Word of mouth relies on friends, which intends that it is genuine, authentic, and spontaneous.
Also, word of mouth does not work alone it relies on features such as context (time/place), the essential attractiveness, and the basic need for natural appeal to take off. The message being sent must have an effortless transfer. In other words, the process of word of mouth can’t be predictable. When using social media to launch persuasive messages, the messages have to reach a tipping point. In order for messages to reach this tipping point certain things must occur such as: uber influences, and the right kind of people have to start to spread it.
Uber influences are certain people who give your persuasive message the credibility it needs to take off and be spread via buzz/viral marketing. There are three different types of people who are key to making these persuasive messages work they are known as mavens, connectors, and sales people. Mavens are specialized influences, often called early adopters, ahead of the curve, and are considered to be opinion leaders; in other words trend setters. Then there are connectors, who are carriers of the message and are responsible for connecting the message from mavens to others. Connectors generally have large social networks. Lastly, sales people are responsible for selling the idea from the connector to smaller groups. So it is clear for the method of buzz/viral marketing to be achieved successfully many factors must come into play and cooperate cohesively.
Buzz/Viral marketing is becoming the most popular way to advertise. In order to release persuasive messages the means to do so may take the form of video clips, interactive flash games, e-books, images, or even text messages, and various other ways through the Internet. In an article titled, Why Is Viral Marketing So Effective?, Bob Withers (2013) writes about how the professional American wrestler, Chris Jericho, was marketed via Internet in order to
promote his return in 2007. This was accomplished by sharing 15 second video clips, and Withers states, “The videos contained hidden messages and biblical links related to Jericho. On their website, a video required the user to put in his or her name andphone number before playback started. “This then featured the coach and players waiting outside the locker room while Jericho makes a phone call to the user telling him that they just can’t start the season until he buys his season tickets. This led to nearly 200,000 page view phone calls in less than 24 hours.” (p. 3)
This is a great example of buzz/viral marketing put into action in order to persuade people through the Internet. It is key though to remember that in order to accomplish your goal with buzz/viral marketing there are many components that must be involved within the process. If you aspire to really have your viral video to take off and get millions of people to watch and share it, content is essential. As utilized in the Jericho video, the persuasive message should be relatively short and to the point. When the video or whichever form the persuasive message is in the Internet has become a great way to have the message go viral and spread all over the world.
To be more specific a great site that is used to take advantage of buzz/viral marketing is YouTube. The central objective of video marketing on YouTube is for one to benefit from the web site’s traffic. There are numerous methods to increase views on videos posted on this site which involve multiple forms of social media. By posting and sharing the link on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many other social media sites your video can go global in a matter of minutes. Then this is when the process of word of mouth can be beneficial. If your friends have seen it, then they can share it on their social media sites.
Buzz/Viral marketing is only one of many ways to successfully market your product. It’s a new form in advertising that can be very effective if done correctly. Although, Buzz/Viral marketing is a complex term to define, considering it is used in multiple frameworks to define
assorted ideas. The concept of buzz/viral marketing can be compared to the same nature of starting a rumor and then watching it spread like a forest fire. Buzz/Viral marketing is just another marketing approach but the results that can accumulate from it can be astounding.
There is a major impact occurring from the buzz/viral marketing that I find very interesting. In this post I noted instances where messages have taken off from using this evolving concept of marketing but those do not even compare to the millions of messages that have been spread via the internet. Everyday people post on social media sites something as simple as, “I got food poisoning from Dominos!!!” and this one post could persuade hundreds of their friends who read that post through the aspect of word of mouth. The Internet is a powerful thing and can be good or bad for the marketing of products. The Internet is not only creating a new form of marketing but it is creating a new form of communication as a whole and is slowly transforming our society.

References
Chung, S. & Hedges, T. September, 2009. 2013. Word-Of-Mouth Marketing Will Change Your Business.http://www.gcimagazine.com/business/marketing/57035912.html
Guzman, M. 2013. Social Networking Sites: What They Are and How to Navigate Them. http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/hef602/build/hef602.pdf
Withers, B. 2013. Why Is Viral Marketing So Effective?http://www.articles3k.com/article/99/216122/Why_Is_Viral_Marketing_So_Effective/

The Internet and Procrastination

             To the majority of Internet users and social media fanatics, I am sure that you are all more than familiar with the infamous word “procrastination.” Merriam Webster defines procrastination as, “to put off doing something intentionally or habitually.” There are many reasons we procrastinate. With the increase in technology in today’s society the opportunity to procrastinate arises more often than planned. The endless array of information floating around the Internet makes it extremely easy for us to become overwhelmed with distractions, and find ourselves wasting valuable time that we cannot regain. Through this blog post, I will provide you with valuable tips and applications to keep you staying productive during your time online.

            Perhaps you’re are on the Internet for use such as sending and receiving emails, networking with business officials, typing a paper, or using software for a work related/school related project. That is completely understandable. However, the real problem occurs when you get off task and find yourself wasting time on social media sites such Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or YouTube, to name only few examples. You might have a favorite game you play online in your spare time that leads to playing at times when there is something more important to tend to. It’s even easy to get lost in reading online news articles that provide multiple links to information pertaining to the article.

            Academic students are at the top of the list of those who fall victims of this procrastination issue, given that most of our out of class assignments require computer and Internet usage. In the book Counseling the Procrastinator in Academic Settings, Researchers have estimated that in academic settings in North America, over 70% of students exhibit this behavior (Schouwenburg, Lay, Ferrari, and Pychyl 2004). As a current college student, I can say from experience that social media, particularly Facebook, has shaved off an hour or so of my studying time. I could not count the numerous times that I have been in the library and seen half of the students on Facebook. Three out of four college students admit to regular procrastination according to OnlineCollege.net. A study at Ohio State University compared the grades of severe, moderate, and low procrastinators in a study skills class. The worst procrastinators got an average grade of 2.9 while those who procrastinated very little earned an average of 3.6 (OnlineCollege). Although most studies tend to surround college students and how procrastination affects their ability to complete school related assignments and maintain a decent GPA, they are not the only age group affected from online procrastination.

             This online procrastination has become so prevalent in our society that it is now being referred to as “cyberslacking” by many scholars and researchers. The definition of cyberslacking is the use of Internet technology during work hours for personal purposes (Vitak, Crouse LaRose, 2011). Although there are few studies done on cyberslacking behaviors, one study found that 80% of information workers reported using a computer for personal email or messaging while on the job (Garrett & Danziger, 2008). Most people tend to spend their time searching on Google, checking personal email, monitoring social media, visiting new sites, and shopping online. A study done by Salary.com found that 64% if employees visit non-work related websites everyday at work with Facebook being the number one site that kept employees most off task (Salary.com). According to the web information company called Alexa, Facebook is the most visited website in the world (Alexa.com). As of now, the top 3 most visited sites in the U.S. are Google, Facebook, and YouTube.

             One reason many people procrastinate begins with their lack of time management skills. They believe they can easily complete something in a short amount of time when it’s closer to the deadline. Unfortunately, a study by the U.S. Department of Labor has shown that people are generally bad at estimating how long a task will take to complete. Respondents in the study completed by Salary.com said the number one reason for slacking at work was that they don’t feel their job is very challenging. Other reasons include:  they work too many hours, the company doesn’t give an incentive to work harder, they are unsatisfied with their career, and they are just bored.

            Given the endless amount of Internet procrastination sites, its only fair to have a few sites that are available help avoid procrastination. Below I have listed seven applications to help you stay productive while active online. They all function in different ways, but share the same goal in defeating online procrastination.

1. LeechBlock- This is an add-on specifically for FireFox that allows you to block certain websites of your choice. It currently has an estimated 57,000 users. 

2. TinyFilter- This is an extension from Google chrome that functions by a “detect-and-block” method based off of pre-determined filter rules by the user. It’s not only helpful in blocking sites, but it also helps censoring the Internet for children.

3. Nanny for Google Chrome – Allows users a time limit on the usage of particular websites and the ability to choose specific times in which websites are completely unavailable for use.

4. SelfControl- This is a download for Mac users that spend entirely too much time digging through email. This program blocks access to incoming and/or outgoing mail servers and websites for a predetermined time period. This app should help you stay focused, however there is not way around the block once it is initiated.

5. Stay Focused- This is an extension from Google chrome that aims to boost productivity by allowing you to block specific pages, paths, subdomains, entire websites, and in-page content such as videos or images. The only way around this block is to answer a series of challenging questions generated by none other then the app itself.

6. KeepMeOut- This program is available to all users, but is targeted for those who have a little bit more self-control than the rest of the Internet procrastinators. You create a bookmark specifying how long you want to avoid a website and then place it in the bookmark bar. Every time you visit a page that is in the bookmark bar the browser sends a warning.

7. Focus Booster- is an app that is accessible to Windows or Mac users, which suggests that focusing for 25-minute intervals with 5 minute breaks in between is a successful way to stay on track. While it does not actually block any websites in particular, it does monitor how you spend your time online.

             In addition to the seven websites provided, I think its only fair to share a few tips in avoiding procrastination in general. Remember to break a large project down into smaller tasks, choose the time of day in which you are most productive (early bird vs. night owl), limit your social media fix, don’t forget to take a break (no longer than 15 minutes), and set aside separate time to surf the Internet and participate in social networking sites. Even if you personally don’t have a problem with procrastinating online, the chances are that you have a friend or family member that does. Feel free to share this blog information with those around you to get the word out. If you are an individual that frequently battles procrastination, don’t be too hard on yourself. A recent study from the University of Carleton found that if you forgive yourself for procrastinating, chances are you will procrastinate less the next time you go to complete an assignment (Guardian.co.uk).  

Vitak, J., Crouse, J., & LaRose, R. (2011). Personal Internet use at work: Understanding cyberslacking. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(5), 1751-1759. Retrieved June 15, 1991, from    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article

Garret, K., & Danziger, J. (2008). On Cyberslacking: Workplace Status and Personal Internet Use at Work. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(3), 287-292. Retrieved June 15, 2013, from

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.108

Gouveia, A. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.salary.com/wasting-time-at-work-2012/

Knezevik, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from     http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2012/may/09/students-procrastinating-exams

14 Fascinating Studies Done On Procrastination. (2012, January 18). Online Colleges. Retrieved June 15, 2013, from www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/01/18/14-fascinating-studies-procrastination/