In Matt Richtel's piece Hooked on Technology and Paying a Price, Richtel
highlights the pressing matter of technological advancement. As companies like Apple,
Nintendo, and Panasonic crank out thousands of products annually, electronics become
ever more present in nearly every realm of daily living. There are individuals who
demand the latest and greatest, no matter the financial or intangible cost. Not only are
these products steadily made available for these individuals, the outdated or used items
are then available at lower price points for those who could not afford them new or
otherwise, thus broadening the number of households affected by the issue Richtel has
identified.

Richtel explains that consumers can become enveloped by the cyberspace that
connects them to all spans of the globe in mere seconds. They have the world at their
fingertips. He is aware that these consumers have varying lengths of time and amounts of
technology exposure as well as differing opinions about their usefulness and potential
dangers, but notes that there are negative affects from the exposure to all of them
nonetheless.

Richtel demonstrates the threats these devices impose on safety, functionality, and
relationships. These links to the outside world pose distractions that can 'have deadly
consequences, as when cellphone-wielding drivers and train engineers cause wrecks'.
Lives have been lost due to the magnetic attraction of a text
message and the cybernetic pull of social media. The urge to latch onto something new
and exciting has become harder to ignore. Scientific studies show that people who use
technology heavily have a difficult time or can no longer block out unnecessary
information. The data flow is never ceasing. There is always some breaking news. They
lose the ability to simply walk away.

The line between what should be retained and what should not be retained is
blurred, making it more difficult to work productively. Interruptions from text messages,
tweets, or Facebook posts split the attention much like multitasking does. You think you
are accomplishing more, but at what degree of accuracy has each task been completed?
Functionality is impaired because humans can only work effectively on a single task at a
time.

Scientists have found that this constant stimulation messes with the chemistry of
the brain, so that when the neural stimulation ceases, the individual loses interest in
whatever they are trying to do. Thus, when this stimulation is removed, such as when all
technology is suspended during a vacation, it affects the focus and the quality of intimate,
social relationships. It is as if the technology overload has removed ones ability to
effectively interact with others in a face-to-face setting. Without the computer screen,
keyboard, or phone as a buffer, proper social etiquette and expectations have been stunted
within the human psyche.

Richtel defines the existence of this problem as: 'technology is rewiring our
brains'. From his use of ample scientific studies discovering a
change in the human brain due to technology exposure, his theory is supported. The
studies show that something is truly happening. He then asks what results because of
these changes; are they positive or negative?

The changes, both outwardly and inwardly, are discussed as being primarily
negative. He says those affected can sometimes be unaware of their own habits and that
heavily using technology 'diminishes empathy by limiting how much people engage with
one another'. This lack of attention in combination with the
abandonment of human interaction is viewed by the masses as a bad, impermissible
action. Humans rely on social interactions to survive, to thrive, to grow, and to learn. This
principle is held central in the realm of psychology in the nature versus nurture debate.
The debate discusses the affects of genetic factors and environmental factors on human
behavior.

Richtel does include an opinion from his subject of choice, Kord Campbell, with
a supportive viewpoint. Mr. Campbell uses technology in every aspect of his life from the
time he rises until he goes to sleep at night. His whole family has electronic devices.
They utilize them regularly, even excessively, as Mrs. Campbell explains. Mr. Campbell
says that, whether he had access to his devices or not, he is a man of obsessive nature.
Regardless of technological presence, he would have found himself immersed in
something else. One could argue if that 'something else' would be a more beneficial
immersion for the Campbell family.

Mrs. Campbell is concerned about the hold technology has on her family. Her
husband cannot make it through a single vacation without his devices and he will, at
times, retreat to playing video games to escape social strains on their relationship. In turn,
his recession into the games adds all the more strain on the situation. It creates a never-
ending paradox that the family is struggling to break.

This problem has also taken hold of her children. For example, Lily, their two-
year-old daughter, only gets an hour of free time each day. She spends that time on her
laptop. Which brings up the question: what two-year-old needs a laptop? Are her parents
condoning the kind of behavior they wish to eradicate in her father? She is so immersed
in whatever activity she is performing at that time that she is completely unaware of
anything going on around her, no matter the amount of noise, importance, or who may be
there. In order to combat this issue, time limits have been placed on the children's
allotted usage and every night after dinner they have a technology-free study session as a
way of being together.

Within the same family, we see a battle between the two viewpoints: one for and
one against. These problems became so troublesome that the family formulated their own
personal in-home policy about what should be done to make corrections. This suggests
that technology can play both the angel and the devil; therefore, something in regards to
constraints on usage should be enacted. This control would reestablish relationships,
bringing back the wholesome family togetherness Richtel's audience desires. The
constraints would also allow for proper functionality. We would be able to know which
information to keep, to practice, and to share; the unnecessary clogs in the drains would
be removed.

Richtel's implied policy is to put down our devices and start spending more time
with one another. He wants us to pay more attention to one another, which is a way we as
humans demonstrate our feelings for one another. It shows that we care more about the
person in front of us than the goal Brazil just scored in the soccer championship. There
must be a point where we recognize that technology, the tools meant to make our lives
easier, are actually the ones ruining it.

