Technology Is Detrimental To Intelligence

Technology is Detrimental to Intelligence

According to Merriam-Webster, technology is the application of scientific knowledge to other fields of inquiry in order to accomplish a task (“Technology”). Light bulbs, refrigerators, microwaves, and computers are all technology. However, this argument will be focused towards technology with self-luminous screens-computers, laptops, tablets, phones, etc. Self-luminous devices are common in everyday life and affect many spheres of life. One sphere affected is intelligence. Technology has a definite impact on intelligence; the impact is negative. Although technology improved human standard’s of life, technology is detrimental to intelligence because technology increases multitasking, technology creates

Focus depends on many factors, and sleep is a factor. Sleep is impacted by melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone responsible for the drowsiness felt by a human that signals him or her to fall asleep. Self-luminous devices suppress melatonin levels in a person’s body. At Rensselaer's Lighting Research Center, studies confirmed that “one hour of exposure to light from self-luminous devices suppressed melatonin by approximately 23 percent” (“Self-Luminous Devices”). Self-luminous devices suppress melatonin, so melatonin is not produced. If melatonin is not produced, then a human does not feel drowsiness: the need to sleep. If a human does not have a signal to sleep, then he or she will not sleep. Without sleep, a person cannot focus. Therefore, the person fails to display intelligence because intelligence depends on how well a person can learn. Technology creates lapses in concentration that prevent a person from learning effectively. Thus, technology is negatively influencing

However, they fail to recognize that a massive amount of time can be spent on a self-luminous device. For example, a person wants to check Facebook before going to sleep. They spot an old friend, they follow them and they share missed moments. Because they have not seen each other in a long time, the process continues for many hours. Before long, it is morning. Then, the conversation ends, but melatonin suppression has already set in. And so, a conversation started during the day lasted the person until late nighttime. Therefore, watching devices during the day does not necessarily prevent melatonin