Aidan Anderson

EN 101

Summary/Response Essay

17 November 2020

The New Age

Albert Einstein, a theoretical physicist, once said, “It has become appallingly obvious that

our technology has exceeded our humanity.” (“Quotes about Technology Negative”) In his

quote, Einstein explains that the new technology that is being created is way over our heads. The

uncertainty of the word “humanity” lets readers try to understand the quote in many ways. He

could be thinking about the idea of technology as an act of kindness or being generous to our

world, or how dependent we have become on technological advancements. As I look around

today, I see how technology has influenced our lives. It has let humans reach new heights, but

also how it has changed our lives in a negative way. In Hanna Rosin’s “The Touch Screen

Generation,” she argues that the older generation is not sure what to make of the new technology

coming out because they did not grow up with it and they believe it will fade out as every other

toy would; Rosin correctly affirms that technology is a threat to young children​, that parents use

technology in the wrong way, and t​hat​ the older generation is often leery of new technology.

In Hanna Rosin's article, she clarifies the impacts iPads have on youngsters. She says that

iPads have replaced the TV. To deal with this, parents have dealt with the iPad much like they

deal with TV screen time limits for kids. Guardians have set time restrictions and sometimes

permit them to only play instructive games. This article presents what kind of effect technology

has on youngsters. “iPhones had already been tempting young children, but the screens were a
little small for pudgy-toddler hands to navigate with ease and accuracy. Plus, parents tended to

be more possessive of their phones, hiding them in pockets or purses. The iPad was big and

bright, and a case could be made that it belonged to the family. Researchers who study children’s

media immediately recognized it as a game-changer” (Rosin 488). When iPhones came out,

guardians had unlimited oversight over them. They had the option to hide them and get them far

from youngsters, but since the iPad is a lot larger, it is more open to the babies. Since the iPad

has a greater screen size, young children can use it more than the iPhone. “On the one hand,

parents want their children to swim expertly in the digital stream that they will have to navigate

all their lives; on the other hand, they fear that too much digital media, too early, will sink them”

(Rosin 487). A parent needs their kid to figure out how to swim for two reasons: so they wouldn't

be that one kid who doesn't have the foggiest idea how to swim and so that they wouldn't

suffocate on the off chance that they randomly end up in the water. They could say something

very similar regarding the iPad. Guardians show their children how to work the iPad so they

don't end up being the one who doesn't have a clue how to run an iPad, but they are worried

about letting their kid utilize the iPad to an extreme and never get their face out of the screen.

Parents want their kids to learn how the technology works, but at the same time, they are

wary of it because of how new it really is. They want their children to use technology as a

learning tool and not end up having an avatar girlfriend. (screen time questions) She also says

that “by their pinched reactions, these parents illuminated for me the neurosis of our age: as

technology becomes ubiquitous in our lives, American parents are becoming more, not less, wary

of what it might be doing to their children” (Rosin 487).

 As Rosin says, “Every new medium has, within a short time of its introduction, been

condemned as a threat to young people” (Rosin 497) Parents are worried about what technology

will do to children over time. Seeing young kids today grow up with iPads and smartphones is a

lot different from what I grew up with. It makes me leary thinking about how it can negatively

influence children. I grew up with books and mechanical spinning ABC toys, not smartphones or

computers. I remember the first time my parents gave me a flip phone. I was in middle school

and had no way to contact them when I needed a ride. When I first got it, I had no idea how to

use it because I have never played with one before. I eventually got the hang of it while

practicing every day. Nowadays I see young kids operating phones better than me and I thought I

was good at it. I do think technology has become a threat to young people based on how I see

them act in public and on social media. From when I was a child to now, I see terrible things

posted on social media by these kids just so they “look cool.” Years from now, kids will rely on

technology to do everything.

Parents have been using technology for entertainment purposes instead of educational

purposes. Rosin stated, “Without seeming to think much about it or resolve how they felt, parents

began giving their devices over to their children to mollify, pacify, or otherwise entertain them"

(498). I have seen many kids watching a parent’s phone while eating at a restaurant, walking in

Walmart, and even spending time with Grandma. They sit there laughing and watching or

playing on their phones and as soon as they take it away, the kid throws a fit and cries for hours

over this phone. Starting to give a phone to a kid at a young age is not a good idea because it lets

them grow up without discipline and lets them walk right over the parent without caring.

Growing up for me was reading a book every night and listening to music on my record
player. Today, my little sister, who is nine years old, goes to bed watching Netflix on her brand

new iPhone 11 max pro. Watching her do that every night makes me worried about how she’s

doing in school. I never see her reading or doing homework, which is what I did every night

when I was nine. Rosin says here, “We live in a screen age, and to say to a kid,’ I’d love for you

to look at a book but I hate when you look at a screen’ is just bizarre. it reflects our own

prejudices and comfort zone. It’s nothing but fear of change, of being left out” (Rosin 498).

What she is arguing here is that people are afraid of the change in technology. They are

uncomfortable with it because they did not have it when they were young.

New technology has not only become a threat to young people, but it has also made the

older generation worried and has made parents use it in the wrong way. Technology is becoming

a huge part of our lives and has taken over drastically. As ​Albert Einstein said, “It has become

appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity” (“Quotes about Technology

Negative”).
References

"Quotes About Technology Negative (25 Quotes)". ​Quotemaster.Org​, 2020,

https://www.quotemaster.org/technology+negative.

Madeley, View. "Screen Time Questions". ​Miscellaneous Details​, 2020,

https://miscellaneousdetails.com/2018/06/27/scary-screen-times/.

Rosin, Hanna “The Touch Screen Generation.” ​Acting out Culture: Readings for Critical

Inquiry,​ by Miller, James S. 3rd ed. Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 2015. Pg. 484-499