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Do You Mind Going Digital? 网络世代ｅ点通

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For the majority of readers, activities like sending e-mail, downloading music files, chatting, and text messaging are nothing special. In fact, they are part of everyday life. This makes us “digital natives,” meaning we were born in an age of instantaneous communication made possible by the digitization of information. This new way of life, claim some researchers, may now be having an effect on how our minds work.

对多数读者而言，寄发电子邮件、下载音乐档案、聊天及发送简讯之类的事再平常不过了。它们其实是日常生活的一部份。这现象使我们成为「数字在地人」，意谓着我们生于一个因信息数字化而诞生的实时时代。一些研究人员声称，这种新的生活方式，现在可能已开始影响我们头脑的运作。

The endless flow of information around us has forced our brains to become more selective. There simply is too much information out there to take it all in. We need to recognize what we need, or else we become lost or distracted. Our brains also have to manage more information and do more things at the same time. This is known as multitasking. Since almost everything digital, from video games to the Internet, involves vision, our brains have developed the capacity to quickly recognize objects. All in all, people have become more efficient digital data processors.

无止尽的信息不断涌现，迫使我们的头脑具备选择性的能力。外界的信息实在多到无法完全吸收，我们得认清自己的需求，否则便会不知所措或分心。我们的头脑也得处理更多信息，并在同时间做更多工作，这便是所谓的一心多用。由于几乎所有数字化的事物，从电玩到网络，都需要视力，我们的头脑已开发出迅速辨识物体的能力。整体而言，人类已成为更具效率的数字信息处理者。

This change is also having a social impact. Children who are used to exchanging ideas and files on the Web may find that conventional schools, books and television don’t hold the same interest for them. In order to stay in the race, the “older” media will need to enter the digital age.

这种改变同时也造成社会冲击，习惯在网络上交换意见和档案的孩童，可能会觉得传统的学校、书本及电视无法引起他们同样的兴趣。为了不在竞赛中遭到淘汰，较传统的媒体便得跟上数字时代。

Isn’t that amazing? Digital information is now changing how we behave. It’s even rewiring our brains!

这不令人感到惊奇吗？数字信息目前正在改变我们的行为模式，甚至还重新改造我们的头脑。

−by J. Michael Cole

Vocabulary

单词发音

digital [ˋdɪdʒɪt!] adj. 数字的; 数位的

download [ˋdaʊn͵lod] n. 下载

have an effect on 影响

take in 接受; 吸收

distracted [dɪˋstræktɪd] adj. 心烦意乱的﹐精神无法集中的

capacity [kəˋpæsətɪ] n. 能力，才能

all in all 总的来说，大体而言  everything being taken into account

impact [ˋɪmpækt] n. 产生〔重要或明显的〕影响

conventional [kənˋvɛnʃən!] adj. 传统式的

More Information

单词发音

text message  传短信息

instantaneous [͵ɪnstənˋtenɪəs] adj. 瞬间的，实时的

digitization [ˌdɪdʒɪtaɪ'zeɪʃən] n. 数字化

mind [maɪnd] n. 头脑，智力

or else 否则; 要不然 or suffer the consequences; underotherconditions

multitasking [͵mʌltɪˋtɑskɪŋ] n. 多重任务处理；多重任务执行

processor [ˋprɑsɛsɚ] n.〔计算机的信息〕处理器

rewiring  重新布线; 重新接线  to install new wiring