Having recently completed my dissertation on how yeshiva and seminary students negotiate their use of smartphones during their year of study in Israel, I have been immersed in much of the literature on the subject and, as such, I read Wenge's article with both interest and scrutiny.
To begin, academics have identified three approaches to the study of technology and their presumed impact on society. The first is called ‘technological determinism’ which regards technology as ‘an external agent that acts upon and changes society’ (Bayme, Personal Connections in the Digital Age, p. 27). As it so happens, ‘The Atlantic’ have previously published articles that perfectly reflect this approach, such as Nick Carr’s 2008 article titled ‘Is Google Making us Stupid?’. The second approach, known as the ‘social construction of technology’ (SCOT), argues that people are the primary source of change in both technology and society, and that ‘social forces influence the invention of new technologies’ (Bayme p. 44). The third approach, known as ‘social shaping of technology’ (SST), looks at the way social forces lead to the development of technology, what technology enables in society, how society adapts to the use of any given technology, and how technology subsequently adapts to the way society chooses to use it. It should be noted that particular religious groups – such as some groups of Orthodox Jews – wrestle with and respond to technology in their own way, which means that there is a distinct approach known as ‘religious social shaping of technology’ (RSST).
In terms of Wenge’s article, while there are a number of brief disclaimers about causality, the tone of the article adopts the approach of technological determinism (which I should note, is also the approach adopted by numerous strictly Orthodox Jews towards technology), and the studies cited in the article appear to substantiate that link. As someone both very interested in and troubled by our seemingly obsessive interactions with smartphones, my natural reaction to this article prior to conducting my research would have simply been to nod and sigh while reading this piece. But to quote the title of Danah Boyd’s fascinating book on the social lives of networked teens, ‘it’s complicated’, and as Bayme explains in her excellent book on the topic, the results of empirical research on some of the issues addressed by Wenge are mixed, and ‘as a whole… they do not support the dystopian critique that time spent online detracts from social participation offline’ (Bayme p. 103).
Of course, there are many concerns I share of Wenge, and would fully endorse many of her recommendations. However, I believe that we should tread carefully when considering how we approach conversations about technology. Rather than thinking in terms of how technology impacts ON people (which was the approach that I myself mistakenly adopted as I began this process), we should adopt a SST/RSST approach and ask deeper questions about how technology is used BY people.
Having carried out numerous interviews with yeshiva and seminary students it is clear that technology – and in this case, smartphone technology - doesn’t just shape the lives of others, but is, in actual fact, shaped by the choices and usages of its users. And from my perspective, while I remain troubled by our seemingly obsessive interactions with smartphones, my research suggests that while excess use of smartphones is very dangerous and creates very harmful levels of dependency (which can, in some cases, lead to greater levels of FOMO, insecurity, and possibly even depression), measured and constructive use of smartphones can be incredibly beneficial, and can in many instances enable and strengthen contact and networks between families and friends. So, to give a one word answer the title of the article - have smartphones destroyed a generation? I'd have to say - No.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2017 08:12AM by mlb.
