Reading Activity 1

The article “Is the Onslaught Making Us Crazy” brings up many valid arguments about the take over of technology.  Jason Russell, a middle aged man was victim to technology overload; he quickly went from a normal sane individual with little web existence to a viral sensation.  He uploaded a video in response to Joseph Kony an African warlord and within days had over seventy million view.  This increased popularity online quickly turned to criticism.  After just over a week Russell “took off his clothes and went to the corner of a busy intersection near his home in San Diego, where he repeatedly slapped the concrete with both palms and ranted about the devil.”   This Internet presence had gotten to his head and doctors diagnosed Russell as having “reactive psychosis”.  Many middle age Internet users are not used to the attention that is received from the most nominal of videos.

Growing up in the technology era has exposed us to more than our parents will ever be able to comprehend.  Many users cannot grasp a youtube video being watched over a few hundred times when many reach millions of view in just weeks.  From interviewing my grandmother Dorothy Baucom, who lived thorough the great depression I have been able to better grasp the lack of understanding many older Americans have.  When many teenagers get online five to ten times a day it is a struggle for some older individuals to check email just once a week.  I can only imagine how overwhelming Internet usage is to this who grew up before the Internet revolution.