The reliance upon technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The reliance upon technology - Essay Example Regardless of the individual device in question, the fact of the matter is that this societal shift impacts upon nearly every aspect of personal life and nearly every relationship that currently exists around the world. The pervasive paradigm shift that has been evidenced has occurred over the past 20 to 30 years has been hailed by many as a great move forward with regards to the overall capabilities and development of the human race. However, there is an alternate view as well; one which warns against the fact that many individuals within society are slowly but surely becoming addicted to the very technology that was initially intended to aid them in accomplishing tasks of different varieties. It is the belief of this author that neither of the sides to this debate has all of the facts or is utilizing them to the correct degree. Rather, technology, although a definite aid in accomplishing tasks that would otherwise take quite a while, has become something an addictive aid that threa tens to reprogram the way in which the human mind and creativity are evidenced; thereby decreasing human potential and creating an unhealthy co-dependence that is evidenced throughout current society and culture. Firstly, it does not take a great deal of analytical or scientific discovery to realize that the way in which technology has reshaped and classified our world is without question. Moreover, a sociological increase into the way in which technology has shifted interpersonal dynamics, relationships, and communication has been conducted by a variety of researchers and convincingly pointed to the fact that the current era of texting, instant messaging, Facebook et al has significantly decreased the amount of time that individuals spend in face-to-face communication and has moved society convincingly towards something of a more introverted nature (Carr 1). Although introversion in and of itself is not necessarily a poor character trait, it must be noted that the overuse and relia nce upon these technological tools which have already been discussed has created a dynamic by which formerly extroverted individuals are merely introverted and carrying out a great deal of interpersonal communication that one might otherwise carry out face-to-face via the Internet or other technologically enabled means. However, communication is not the only thing that suffers from an overdependence upon technology. As many have noted, memory recall and the perennial knowledge that any and all information can be readily retrieved has created a situation in which memory and the ability to recall tidbits of information are placed at a much lower premium than they might have been in an era in which the likes of Google or other prominent technological means by which data can be retrieved had existed. Again, it does not take a great deal of imagination to envision an era in which it was necessary for the schoolchild, or even societal shareholder, to be nominally familiar and remember suc h information as capitals of states, a rough understanding and appreciation for the order and number of presidents, how many chromosomes exists in human DNA, who the first woman in space was, for the year in which the state of Israel was created (Cottler 24). As can be seen, there is something to be said for the amount of memory recall that individual can possess and leverage as a means of readily interjecting key understandings and tidbits of fact, data, and history into conversations and pertinent situations. However, with an overdependence upon technology has, situation in which individuals have placed this premium of memory and recall far down on the list of priorities; choosing instead to

Omega 3 fatty acids and their correlation to mental health Essay

Omega 3 fatty acids and their correlation to mental health - Essay Example The media and fad dieticians have promoted diets that are low in fat. While there is a basis for reducing our intake of fat, the elimination of the essential omega-3 fatty acids may be responsible for the increasing rates of mental illness in the United States. A primary source for the omega-3 fatty acids is from cold water fish. Researchers have been aware that countries with a high percentage of seafood in their diet were less prone to having numerous mental disorders. Noaghiul & Hibbeln (2003) reported that countries with a diet high in seafood consumption such as Iceland and Korea, had far lower rates of bipolar I disorder, bipolar II, bipolar spectrum, and schizophrenia (p.2224). The study found that Germans, who consumed approximately 25 pounds of seafood per year per person, had a prevalence rate for bipolar spectrum disorder that was over 30 times greater that the population of Iceland where the average seafood consumption is almost 10 times that of the Germans (Noaghiul & Hibbeln, 2003, p.2223-2224). Intermediate countries such as the United States, Korea, and Puerto Rico all showed a strong correlation between the amount of seafood consumed and a lower rate of these major mental illnesses (Noaghiul & Hibbeln, 2003, p.2224). Thoug h they could not demonstrate the activity and causal relationship of omega-3, Noaghiul and Hibbeln (2003) concluded that the studies findings were, "†¦consistent with the hypothesis that an insufficient dietary intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids increases the risk of affective disorders" (p.2225). Increasing the consumption of seafood may help to prevent some forms of mental disorders. Some of the predisposition to the affective disorders may be treatable by increasing the intake of the omega-3 essential fatty acids. Andrew Stoll, director of the pharmacology research laboratory at Harvard