By Adrian Yancelson
Imagine the 12 disciples Instagramming their plates from the Last Supper. Seems a bit silly, but why is it any less silly today?
We used to say “Wake up and smell the coffee.” Nowadays, it’s wake up — to an alarm on a cell phone — and check the Twitter feed.
Instead of enjoying the present, people have developed a need to text others about the experience.
Thomas Billimek, psychology and sociology Chair, said as the reliance on technology increases, the more interaction with people decreases.
“The richness of life is having contact with people,” he said. “While talking to people on the phone, you cannot see their emotions.”
Billimek suggested one way to change the 24/7 smart phone habit is to set the phone on silent or even turn it off during dinner or a movie.
“I doubt the world is going to end in an hour,” he said.
There is nothing wrong in working with technology every day; it’s the pervasive use that can cause problems, he said.
“Technology is a tool,” Billimek said. “It should be a tool that can be used and appreciated, not taken advantage of.”
Starting this fall, for high-demand classes, there will be an automatic charge for an etextbook.
Students will have access to a textbook only electronically unless they pay an extra charge to have a paper version printed.
“If you asked me to search for something, I would definitely go to the Internet to find you an answer, but it’s because the way technology has evolved,” Billimek said.
