How is stress related to the usage of technology?

Capstone Proposal and Timeline

Ashley Dixon
Career Life Connections Post-Secondary
Mr. Koshman
September 15th, 2017
How is stress related to the usage of technology?

Introduction

There is no doubt in my mind that technology has forced our brains to adapt at alarming

rates. The evidence from over the past hundred years quite clearly shows how our brains have not

only transformed, but the way they function as well. As James Billington (2014) says, So as we

move forward and technology changes rapidly we face a future where mankinds evolution could

be greatly influenced (How Humans Have Changed over 100 Years). Technology becomes

more advanced almost every day and with that the evolution of mankind is moving along with it.

That being said, society now is already being greatly influenced and that is shown daily at Lord

Tweedsmuir Secondary School. The urge to use your phone or other devices is so strong, and at

such a large school where everyone else does use their technology, the impulse is even more

forceful. Its become normal for our brains to think about the little screen in our pockets because

it is so widely accepted and viewed as common. Due to these facts, I chose my Capstone to be

based around the absence of technology in our modern world. From completing my Capstone I

hope to learn how one can or cannot survive daily life without the use of technology, in a world

so centered around it.

The Goal

The purpose of my Capstone is to understand how stress is related to the use of

technology. In order to learn if this is possible, two other test subjects and I will be going without

the use of technology for three days, to learn firsthand how it feels. Each day the test subjects

including myself, will complete a Perceived Stress Test (copy attached) and answer questions

about their day without technology, and a number of other questions in the form of a video log. A

Perceived Stress Test or PSS, is a ten question test that determines your level of
How is stress related to the usage of technology?

stress in one of three ways. From your possible scores you may have, low, moderate or high

stress. According to Keith Hampton, Lee Rainie, Weixu Lu, Inyoung Shin and Kristen Purcell

(2015) at the PEW Research Center, stress cannot be directly related to technology use, (Social

Media and the Cost of Caring). Although it has been shown that those who use social media are

more likely to be stressed because of others stressful lives being shared online. Therefore the test

will be used to determine if the test subject shave become more stressed or less, over the past

three days. At the end of the three days, the subjects will complete a final summary of their

thoughts and feelings about the test and a few other questions. After all is said and done, I will

edit the results and multiple video logs into one using iMovie, then I will create another Weebly

site to document my results and research supporting it. I believe that in doing this test I will be

able to understand more clearly if it is possible to do every day ordinary things without the use of

technology. Its important to know if as a society we can move forward and become more

advanced and not fully need to rely on our technology all the time. When we depend on artificial

things all the time it becomes dangerous to our evolution.

Connection to My Career and Academic Goals and Conclusion

This topic relates to my future career path as a hopeful doctor. I may being a neurologist or go

into that field, based on my interests. Although I am very interested in how the brain works and

changes, so my Capstone will be more of a passion project. I find psychology very interesting

and the ways the brain works is still being mapped, because of its unpredictability and is able to

change based on medical situations or diseases. As this topic relates to my possible future career,

I believe that it will help me to better decide if the neurology field is one that I would love to be
How is stress related to the usage of technology?

in. Also this project will better show how I may be running future tests that are a part of my job

or research at said job. My Capstone will be beneficial to my academic career now and the future

as I am deciding what field I want to become a doctor in. Therefore my capstone is the best

possible topic that relates to my life now and in the future, along with it helping me to decide

important things about my career that I must know soon.

Capstone Timeline
Expected Completion Date Project or Assignment Notes
9/18 Present Formal Capstone Including timeline and bibliography
Proposal
Complete research on the way
9/22 our brains have changed because
of technology
9/23 Complete hypothesis for test (as
to what is going to happen)
9/24 Interview test subjects before test
begins
9/25 10/5 Complete any other research
needed before tests
10/7 Complete day 1 of test Complete PSS and video log daily
10/8 Complete day 2 of test Complete PSS and video log daily
10/9 Complete day 3 of test Complete PSS and video log daily
10/11 Compile results of tests (The Perceived Stress Test)
Do video log of test subjects
10/12 final thoughts and summary of
said test
10/14 Edit video logs into one Using iMovie: put on a USB in case
condensed video something goes wrong
Write reflection on test and Include quotes from test subjects to
10/15 10/17 results show further understanding and to
back up your point
How is stress related to the usage of technology?

Create a Prezi on the results, Keep Prezi clean and dont include
10/18 10/21 include video and other information on the slides; only put
information learned beforehand necessary information
10/22 Complete Prezi Put on a USB: in case something goes
wrong
10/24 Buy a poster board
11/2 Begin work on poster board
Add all information on poster Information learned beforehand and
11/9 board why our brains reacted the way they
did
11/12 Complete poster board All finishing touches
11/24 Prepare what I am going to say
when presenting
12/1 Finish script for presentation Add practice questions people may ask
after presentation
12/5 Compile all work; to prepare for
presentation

12/22 Prepare for final presentation and Bring iPad to play video log
make any final touches
1/17 Present part of Capstone; Bring poster board, iPad with Prezi and
location TBD video
How is stress related to the usage of technology?

Perceived Stress Test

Bibliography

Satell, G. (2013, October 6). How Technology Is Transforming Our Brains. Retrieved September
13, 2017, from http://www.digitaltonto.com/2013/how-technology-is-transforming-our-brains/
How is stress related to the usage of technology?

Keller, B. (2011, May 21). The Twitter Trap. Retrieved September 13, 2017, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/magazine/the-twitter-trap.html?_r=2&
The Teen Brain is a Work in Progress. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2017, from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/
Ruder, D. B. (2008, October 16). The Teen Brain. Retrieved September 13, 2017, from
http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/09/the-teen-brain.html
Boness, L. (2012, September 13). Teenage brains in the digital world. Retrieved September 13,
2017, from http://scienceillustrated.com.au/blog/features/teenage-brains-in-the-digital-world/
Kerpen, C. (2016, April 21). How Has Social Media Changed Us? Retrieved September 13, 2017,
from https://www.forbes.com/sites/carriekerpen/2016/04/21/how-has-social-mediachanged-
us/#a380ed05dfc4
Hampton, K., Rainie, L., Lu, W., Shin, I., & Purcell, K. (2015, January 15). Social Media and the
Cost of Caring. Retrieved September 13, 2017, from
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/15/social-media-and-stress/
Billington, J. (2014, July 22). How humans have changed over 100 years. Retrieved September
15, 2017, from http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/evolution/how-humans-
havechanged-over-100-years/news-story/860a4610a66fc42e5ade8b88b78ccf31