Technological Innovation -- at what Cost? Even though technological innovations hold much promise for productivity, there is a price to pay in our educational and social activities. With all the information and entertainment we become distracted and shallow. We don't learn as much as we can and we don't connect to others on a meaningful level.

Our parents had a deeper knowledge of the topic they wrote about. Not too long ago, our parents had to go to the library and spend hours researching a topic, jotting notes on file cards, and getting photocopies of articles that they would use in their research paper. Then they would spread the cards and notes and copies of articles on a desk or table and put together their paper. This was a long and tedious process. Finally, they would type their papers on a typewriter unless...

The student with a smart phone could get several sources for his research topics and download the information to his laptop while he was having lunch with his friends. Later, he could bring up the downloaded material and sort it out, cut and paste, and write his research paper on his laptop. Then he can wirelessly print it. Some instructors allow students to e-mail their papers instead of printing them.
Our ability to do research and write papers has been streamlined, but at what cost? In the hypothetical example of the student having lunch with his friends, was he really with his friends? Chances are they were all looking at…