Technology is constantly advancing and becoming more relevant in daily life. School is just one example of this. Elementary-school children are learning how to navigate computers, while college students may carry around all their class textbooks and necessities on a singular iPad. However, as technology begins to become the norm, we see other things begin to disappear.
No. 2 Pencils are replaced with a stylus. College ruled paper is replaced with a PDF. Textbooks are replaced with laptops and tablets. Whiteboards are replaced with screens.
Some people love these advancements, while others are hesitant about how quickly once-common school necessities are becoming more like memorabilia.
David Tsymbalov, sophomore political science major at the University of Southern California, said he prefers the new advancements.
“Digital makes studying easier,” Tsymbalov said. “Everything is in one place, (including) all your notes, assignments and materials. You do not have to carry around pens or highlighters or multiple different folders. You know where it all is.”
Despite his preference, he said there are some drawbacks to having everything digital.
“Since everything is online, there is a factor of laziness in it,” Tsymbalov said. “You do not need to take the extra step of finding the right book for your class or making sure you have the right assignment in your folder. Having the ‘safety net’ of just thinking everything you need is always with you can lead to forgetting other things, such as finishing a certain homework assignment because you never looked back over it. Also, you do not have to flip through textbooks to find the right answers; you can just Google everything. By cutting to the chase, are we really learning the information that well?”
Ash Bedi, freshman biomedical science major, said she thinks studying without technology is better.
“When you study, you are staring at the same thing for hours,” Bedi said. “When I look at a screen for that long, it strains my eyes. It is so much easier to just look at a page that is right in front of you.”
Rachelle Torres, professor of English said the advantages of technology outweigh the disadvantages.
“Technology allows you to share much more information faster,” Torres said. “As teachers, we have access to multiple ways to teach our students. We can include links to websites or videos, we can pull up PowerPoints and we can find articles and sources within minutes. The internet also helps the students to connect. They can email, text and call. They have so many opportunities to learn from each other and with each other, as well as to be able to communicate with the teacher.”
Though many still love the nostalgic smell of old textbooks, technology presents innovations for learning and conveniences helpful to students.
