It seems
like all we do nowadays has to do something with technology. One way or another
we’re seeking – twitter, texts, Google, and over course, Facebook. One way or
another, information seeking is all the rag, the new trend. It’s the in thing.
Both of my articles I have chosen talk, about this. Seeking information
behavior, if you will. “Seeking” by Emily Yolfe was found in our book; Bedford
Guide, but “ Why we’re all addicted to text, twitter and Google” by Susan
Weinschenk was found online, what a shocker, right? Although both of my authors
are similar, from my perspective, I side more with Susan’s article; simply
because she seems more educated on the subject, making the reader actually
understand what’s she’s talking about.
Now, when
it comes to dopamine levels, both of these authors know their fair share of
information. Emily explains, “Dopamine circuits promote states of eagerness and
directed purpose.” (573) This is something I slightly agree with, I think that
dopamine doesn’t really circuit eagerness any more than it circuits directed
purpose. I don’t think it can only circuit two emotions. Susan argues that “Dopamine is created in various parts of the brain and is critical in all sorts of brain
functions, including thinking, moving, sleeping, mood, attention, motivation, seeking and reward.” Now this is something that
I agree with, dopamine controls a lot more than just two emotions, according to
Susan. I think Susan has a little more knowledge on this information, she
explains this in a way that I actually understand.
Another good topic both of my authors
argue against is the subject of lab rats and human beings. Emily briefly goes
over how rats are conducted in a lab study and were used for shocks of
electrons to their brain. “We actually resemble nothing so much as those
legendary lab rats that newly pressed a lever to gave themselves a little
electric jolt to the brain.” (572) While Susan explains things in a much more
clear, and understandable way: “Research on rats shows that if you destroy
dopamine neurons, rats can walk, chew, and swallow, but will starve to death
even when food is right next to them.” I think this helps the reader understand
what Susan is talking about. In this concept of the dopamine levels, from
reading both articles thoroughly, my personal opinion is that Susan knows just
a little bit more about the subject.
The last thing that both of my
authors talk about in the articles, are how we are never satisfied with the
information we have now. Seeing how everything is at our fingertips, it seems
as if the information seeking is endless. Emily states: “An article by Nicholas
Carr in the Atlantic last year, “Is
Google Making Us Stupid?” speculates that our constant Internet scrolling is
remodeling our brains to make it nearly impossible for us to give sustained
attention to a long piece of writing. Like lab rats we keep hitting “enter” to
get our next fix.” (573) I feel like
this is the only good piece of advice that Emily wrote in her article. Susan
argues that, “…dopamine system is most powerfully stimulated when the
information coming in is small so that it doesn’t fully satisfy. A short text
or twitter (can only be 140 characters!) is ideally suited to send your
dopamine system raging.” When I read this from Susan article I understood this
more than from Emily’s article. Simply because nowadays everything is either
130-140 words or less.
Both of
these authors give very compelling arguments about information seeking, both of
which have got me to think a little bit more on how I conduct my own information
seeking. The big picture is, I think, although Emily makes a valid point here
and there while writing her article; Susan has a little more information on
this subject. I do feel that Susan talks more about what we can actually do to
stop the seeking. Turning off all electronics, that’s a very good conclusion
but not realistic. Everything is electronic today; turning off (unplugging
ourselves) from technology isn’t something that we can actually do.
Worked Cited
Yolfe, Emily. "Seeking." Bedford Guide.
Print
Weinschenk, Dr. Susan. "Why Were All Addicted to Text,
Twitter, and Google." Web.
<http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-wise/201209/why-were-all-addicted-texts-twitter-and-google>.
