How Digital Technology Shapes Us
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Narrated by:
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Professor Indre Viskontas
About this listen
Most adults are concerned that children have much too much technology in their lives these days and are spending way too much time on screens. But as Professor Indre Viskontas points out in How Digital Technology Shapes Us, we are not the first to worry that new technology will harm our children and future generations. At least since the beginning of recorded history, we have been underestimating the capacity of the human brain to adapt to and take advantage of emerging technologies. In this course, Professor Viskontas shares some of the most exciting research into this relatively new topic, providing a scientific approach to judging the true pros and cons of our interaction with technology in the digital age.
Many of us believe we are adjusting well to this new digital technology with its constant demands on our time and attention by increasing our multitasking. But multitasking cannot save us because our brain is not capable of true multitasking. What we experience as multitasking is actually our brain flitting back and forth from this task to the next to the next to the next. That we can do, but in the process, we could be losing the ability - and opportunity - to perform deep work, the opportunity for deep reading, and the empathy that builds up when we think deeply about people who are different from us, to truly expand the tribe rather than reinforce tribalism.
The good news is that just recognizing the significance of deep work and deep reading, we can make it a priority and arrange some time to focus on just that without distractions. If we do, those pathways that lead to deeper cognition can become reinforced. We can also help our children focus on the positives of digital media, empowering them to connect with others to find purpose, motivation, and support. We can spend time with them to encourage them to find opportunities for deep reading and deep work in age-appropriate ways.
Digital technology definitely shapes us. But once we learn how it does so, we can make good decisions for our ourselves and our children.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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great survey of Ancient Creation stories
- By Anthony Alemany on 07-13-23
By: Joseph Lam, and others
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Storytelling and the Human Condition
- By: Alexandra Hudson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Alexandra Hudson
- Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
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To examine the connection between the storytelling impulse and our implicit desire to understand our lives and our place in the world, you will go on a globe-spanning, time-travelling, media-traversing tour in the 12 lectures of Storytelling and the Human Condition. Your guide is award-winning journalist, author, and storyteller Alexandra Hudson, founder of Civic Renaissance, a community of lifelong learners, which she invites you to join at Civic-Renaissance.com. In this course, she will illuminate the many ways stories shape our lives throughout history and across cultures.
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Lip smacking every 1 minute
- By Meow on 05-06-24
By: Alexandra Hudson, and others
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Yoga for a Healthy Mind and Body
- By: Heidi Sormaz, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Heidi Sormaz
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
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The 12 half-hour lectures of Yoga for a Healthy Mind and Body, taught by acclaimed yoga teacher Dr. Heidi Sormaz, are the ideal first step for a newcomer and a fascinating journey of discovery for those who already practice. If you think, "I'm not flexible enough to do yoga," you should try this course. Dr. Sormaz reveals that there is a practice that will work for you and help you on your road to a healthier mind and body.
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Great Course not hardly
- By HIYBRID on 07-02-19
By: Heidi Sormaz, and others
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The Brain-Based Guide to Communicating Better
- By: Professor Allison Friederichs Atkison, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Allison Friederichs Atkison
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
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Professor Allison Friederichs will walk you through six lessons that can help you better know your own mind, and thus understand and transform your own methods of communication. You will learn how your brain acquires, processes, and retains information. You can then take that knowledge and apply it whenever you need to convey something to others, with the best possible results. While you may not have any control over how other people communicate, developing your own methods of connection and conversation can have a positive impact on both your personal and professional life.
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Much less informational than expected.
- By David Vollendroff on 08-18-21
By: Professor Allison Friederichs Atkison, and others
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Art of Teaching: Best Practices from a Master Educator
- By: Patrick N. Allitt, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
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Whether your classroom consists of 3 students or 300, it’s important to be as effective a teacher as possible, both for your students and for your own professional and personal growth. The Art of Teaching: Best Practices from a Master Educator is designed to help you achieve new levels of success as a teacher. These 24 lectures will help you develop and enhance your teaching style; provide you with invaluable methods, tools, and advice for handling all manner of teaching scenarios; and open your eyes to how other teachers think about and approach this life-changing profession.
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Created for a video format
- By Jamie on 06-18-19
By: Patrick N. Allitt, and others
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Optimizing Brain Fitness
- By: Richard Restak, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Richard Restak
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
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With its up to 500 trillion synaptic connections, your brain is easily the most powerful machine in the world. Even more incredibly: This amazing machine is constantly changing through a process known as brain plasticity. And you can take advantage of this process to improve and enhance your brain’s jaw-dropping powers - at any age.
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Not up to my standards for the Great Courses
- By R. J Kaucher on 04-24-19
By: Richard Restak, and others
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The US Constitution Through History
- By: Eric Berger, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Eric Berger
- Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
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The history of the Constitution is therefore a history of ideas that define our country and our national identity—and it’s a fascinating and revealing story. The US Constitution Through History gives you the opportunity to explore the story of this powerful document, as well as the way our interpretation of it has evolved. In 24 riveting lectures, Professor Eric Berger of the University of Nebraska takes you on a journey through America’s constitutional history. He takes you inside the minds of the Framers and unpacks the ideas that led to the break from England.
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One of the best Great Courses!
- By NWCP Pediatrics on 12-05-22
By: Eric Berger, and others
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The Power of Mind over Body
- By: Jo Marchant, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jo Marchant
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
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What explains the brain-body connection? How is it that something intangible like stress can really kill? How about the fact that we can and often do worry ourselves sick? And how can we take advantage of the mind’s connection to the body to reduce pain, boost physical performance, and even treat disease? Answer these questions and more in The Power of Mind over Body, a 12-lecture course that will change the way you think about physical health and the brain.
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A treasure!
- By Deivid Gomes on 10-05-24
By: Jo Marchant, and others
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The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch
- By: Molly Worthen, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Molly Worthen
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
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When you think about Christian history, you might think of the first thousand years - the events of Jesus' life, the acts of the apostles, the establishment of the church, and the various councils that established theological doctrine. But the history of Christianity from the Reformation to the present is equally dramatic and profoundly relevant. It's a story about people as much as theology - our cultures, our politics, our relationship to the world.
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History of Christianity
- By Catherine on 12-12-17
By: Molly Worthen, and others
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Synthetic Biology: Life’s Extraordinary New Worlds
- By: Milton Muldrow Jr., The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Milton Muldrow Jr.
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
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Synthetic Biology: Life’s Extraordinary New Worlds is an introduction to synthetic biology for non-scientists, covering the exciting field that is transforming health care, agriculture, environmental science, and many other areas. Using the molecules of life to answer scientific questions and manipulate life for human benefit, synthetic biology encompasses a wide range of applications—from gene editing and metabolic engineering to food synthesis and green technologies.
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Disappointing.
- By Kindle Customer FB on 12-10-24
By: Milton Muldrow Jr., and others
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Holy Land Revealed
- By: Jodi Magness, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jodi Magness
- Length: 18 hrs and 35 mins
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As the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity, the Holy Land (in and around modern-day Israel) is one of the most important regions in the world and the setting for defining events in religious history. Comb through this evidence for yourself with The Holy Land Revealed, which will add new dimensions to your understanding of this dynamic place. Delivered by archaeologist and award-winning Professor Jodi Magness of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, these 36 lectures give you an insider’s look at how archaeology helps us relive this period of civilization.
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The MAJOR disappointment
- By Mark W on 06-10-21
By: Jodi Magness, and others
What listeners say about How Digital Technology Shapes Us
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Marcos Nolasco
- 10-03-21
Up to date, highly informative and captivating
Professor Viskontas does an excellent job of critically summarizing a large amount of data from high-level research. Her diction is excellent, and she masters rhetoric very well, characterizing an excellent teacher. The course is worth every minute, providing highly relevant knowledge on a subject of capital importance.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Mark
- 11-15-20
The Hidden Costs of Our Digital Lives
Professor Viskontas does a fine job guiding us through the growing body of research assessing the social and psychological consequences of our online lives. As you might expect, there’s a wealth of conflicting data, so conclusions are hard to reach. Silicon Valley would like us to believe in the utopian promise of digital technology, but Professor Viskontas’ balanced critical analysis raises some serious questions. I appreciated this course because it made me aware of how the screens in my life are conditioning me (and, even moreso, my children) in ways I had never imagined. The second lecture on distractibility and the downside of multitasking was itself worth the cost of the entire audiobook. Ditto lecture 17 on how the internet reinforces in-group/out-group associations, contributing to the polarization we see in contemporary Western politics.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Mario
- 10-30-24
Very interesting view of all technologies that surround us
She takes a view that is not radical to any side, as we are used to seeing. There are benefits and problems to every technology, and we need to find the right amount. I found very interesting the last chapter about the future and AI, when she explains which fields will most likely be replaced by automation and which will not. She quotes a lot of other authors and during the entire course other sources are used to base her view.
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- Nash
- 06-08-23
Very current…
Great listen…. Enjoyed the topic and how the ideas were presented in this book. Excellent!
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- nonrachitect
- 12-19-20
Beyond my expectation!!!
I’m usually (not always) impressed by the great courses audio programs. But this one, I didn’t expect much. All I wanted was to learn more about digital technology and how I might have some knowledge to talk to my colleagues about it. But as it turned out, the professor is so good at explaining difficult things in such a way that anybody can understand. I am forever indebted to this professor and this amazing audiobook. Thank you.
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13 people found this helpful
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- Patrick Mullane
- 02-26-22
A slanted snapshot of IT/Society
Positive: Provides a precis of what are the key Computer / Societal issues which the general reader should be aware of.
Negative: A bias progressive academic viewpoint that for instance seems unaware of the irony of decrying bias in AI/Machine intelligence yet the author spends much of the course decrying opposing worldviews as unworthy to be on social media.
In summary: worth a listen if free but not worth a credit.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Siri
- 05-06-22
The content is okay
I don’t want to recommend this course to anyone, the lecturer is so ableist that it hurt to listen to her inexperience about anyone that is not a Nero typical with USA citizen.
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- Spitfire
- 03-01-22
Perhaps a book for expectant parents
Another academic writes a book without any meaningful content. Time to get out of the classroom and find the real world.
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