Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Technology, as a whole, is great tool, but sometimes the tool is detrimental to growth through experience. It is interesting that, as humans, we tend to take the path of least resistance. We are wired to choose the easy way. Sometimes technology can be harmful to our growth and can limit our beneficial experiences with life. Even when the experience is genuinely fun, we tend to choose the easier path. Video games often provide multiple solutions to a single problem. This allows the user to choose their own path. But more often than not, the user will choose the easiest path that will accomplish their goal.
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It is often difficult to not make the easy choice that will benefit you the most in the short run. There is often little to no incentive to put down the controller, turn off reddit or facebook, and work on improving yourself. For many students especially it's hard to push yourself and do the needed work for a slightly better grade. Video games make life feel easy, they let you distract yourself from other worries. That's fine if you can regulate it, but often you have to choose to walk a path that would be easier to leave alone.
ReplyDeleteI would agree, taking the easy path is our standard default choice. Let's take a look at a video game example, Deus Ex: Human Revolution. This game offers player choice to any situation. Now in order to complete an objective you can either go in and openly attack guards and force your way to the objective. And arguable the gun gameplay is NOT the most fun or flushed out element of DE:HR, but it's the easiest option. Alternatively you can hack computers, you can hide in vents and make your way to the objective in a stealthy manner. These gameplay mechanics are more flushed out and have more shine and polish given to them by the developers. But it is harder, more time-consuming, and takes a lot more patience. Even when I personally find the stealth option to be more fun. I tend to choose the easy path and just blow everything up. It gets the job done. So it's just an exercise in thought, why do we choose the easier path, when the other path results in better overall enjoyment?
DeleteIt would be nice if you took more of a stand on your issue. Are you saying that it is not good that humans choose the easiest path? I think that for the most part, it is good. It helps us to stay productive and efficient. If we have to write a paper for school, we could spend 2 hours writing it just well enough to get an A, or we could spend 4 hours writing it as perfectly as we could. Taking the easiest path gives us 2 extra hours to get some other homework done. The disadvantage is when we spend those 2 hours not doing more to enhance our experience.
ReplyDeleteSorry it's hard to fit a thought into just a paragraph. But I would say that I don't really have a stand on it. I really appreciate your example and I think that is where the dilemma is. With that paper from your example, have I really taken the time to think about what I'm saying? Have I really looked over the words and their meaning? Or have I just allowed Microsoft Word to mark all of my mistakes and auto-correct them? Have I allowed Microsoft Word to suggest a template for me? If so, I've taken the easy path. What have I lost? Problem solving abilities? Critical Thinking? Design and Layout Creativity? It's really just an exercise in thought about what you may be missing out on. I honestly don't feel evil for using spell check on papers, and don't think anyone should.
DeleteI don't know about that. I've found that in video games, I'll often purposely choose the harder path, just to see what's down there.
ReplyDeleteAww yes. But you are speaking about different paths. Let's talk about the same path. You are given one problem with multiple solutions. How do you approach it? Go in guns-blazing and get it over with? Or spend an hour or two sneaking by guards?
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