the pretentious nonconformist

"The unexamined life is not worth living" - Socrates
Is mobile technology killing human resourcefulness? I bring up this question because I recently inherited an iPad from my mom (she got scared away by the keyboard…) and found that it is a great journalism tool. Handwriting recognition, accurate voice-to-text dictation, and a synchronization app that can match when something is recorded to the notes that are being taken down at that same moment? [deep breath] ME GUSTA. In the same vein, I also could be perfectly content with using an old-school recorder with a notepad and jot down the elapsed recording time when an important thing is said…for a hell of a lot cheaper. However, the notes aren’t electronic for easy digital mobility and it takes waaay longer to transcribe interviews with those crazy academic-types. I have versatility of both methods on my side, but when iPads and similarly intuitive tech get full recognition as legitimate media tools, I imagine that journalism students in the future will be too lazy to bother with the older method. Keep in mind, most of them are destined for economic mediocrity and an iPad may be another self-destructive impulse buy! Anyway, is this an example of how technology is causing the atrophy of resourcefulness? Maaaybe. I can think of a number of reasons about how things can go wrong with today’s technology…hard drive crashes, rain screwing up the functionality of the screen, a broken stylus, inadvertently erased data…you’ll never get that hour-long interview with a politician back if you seriously mess up. I haven’t bothered testing the thing out yet, but when I do, I’m bringing the iPad PLUS a notepad and my handy little Sony digital recorder. Wait…digital? Ah fuck it.

Is mobile technology killing human resourcefulness?

I bring up this question because I recently inherited an iPad from my mom (she got scared away by the keyboard…) and found that it is a great journalism tool. Handwriting recognition, accurate voice-to-text dictation, and a synchronization app that can match when something is recorded to the notes that are being taken down at that same moment? [deep breath] ME GUSTA.

In the same vein, I also could be perfectly content with using an old-school recorder with a notepad and jot down the elapsed recording time when an important thing is said…for a hell of a lot cheaper. However, the notes aren’t electronic for easy digital mobility and it takes waaay longer to transcribe interviews with those crazy academic-types.

I have versatility of both methods on my side, but when iPads and similarly intuitive tech get full recognition as legitimate media tools, I imagine that journalism students in the future will be too lazy to bother with the older method. Keep in mind, most of them are destined for economic mediocrity and an iPad may be another self-destructive impulse buy! Anyway, is this an example of how technology is causing the atrophy of resourcefulness? Maaaybe.

I can think of a number of reasons about how things can go wrong with today’s technology…hard drive crashes, rain screwing up the functionality of the screen, a broken stylus, inadvertently erased data…you’ll never get that hour-long interview with a politician back if you seriously mess up.

I haven’t bothered testing the thing out yet, but when I do, I’m bringing the iPad PLUS a notepad and my handy little Sony digital recorder. Wait…digital? Ah fuck it.

  1. ramennoodles21 posted this