Maggie's Farm

In media, connectivity is all about getting content out in as many ways possible, as quickly as you can.  There is no worrying about how information is processed.  When there were limited forms of media outlets, the ability to add discussion (Op/Ed pieces in print, news shows on TV) created some context and helped the information flow.  With the myriad resources available today, and the speed at which information arrives, context is being pushed to the side in favor of raw data.  The medium is no longer the message.  The message predominates.

How is this impacting youth?

It's troubling question, leading researchers to address the different potential outcomes.  There are indications that people's brains are becoming 'wired' differently.  But whether that wiring is improving decision making or analysis is open to question.

My point of view is that shortened attention spans and more breadth of knowledge (exchanged for less depth) is the likely outcome, which is not necessarily beneficial.

the immersive nature of 24/7 connectedness creates the illusion that Millennials can somehow tap into a form of collective intelligence just by being online, while looking impatiently for messages every three minutes.