Unplugged Text Set

Text #1

This New York Times Room for Debate article, written by a principal researcher from Microsoft Research, argues that young people spend so much time using technology because academic expectations and constraints on how they spend their free time make technology the only option for social interaction.

Boyd, Danah. "Blame Society, Not the Screen Time." The New York Times. 11 July 2016. Web. 23 August 2016.

Text #2

This article provides two brief arguments from internet experts. The first argues that, although technology has the potential to be an amazing learning tool, people use it in self-centered ways that don't make them smarter. The second technology expert argues the opposite, that easy access to facts and texts and videos shared on social media, open up potential for learning and more meaningful discussions that don't end with a debate over facts.

Keen, Andrew and David Weinberger. "Are Smartphones Making Us Stupid?" Scholastic: The New York Times Upfront. 7 September 2015. Web. 23 August 2016.

Text #3

This relatively long New York Times article is a great text to excerpt. The article moves back and forth between a narrative about technology's impact on an an entrepreneur, Kord Campbell and information about research that shows the negative impacts of technology.

Richtel, Matt. "Attached to Technology and Paying a Price." The New York Times. 6 June 2010. Web. 23 August 2016.

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