Diffusion of Technology / Use of Technology in the Classroom

One of the first times I heard the phrase, "It's cool to be ignorant and not-cool to be smart in America". I didn't really know what to think. Over time, I sort of felt that it wasn't a thing that truly existed. I mean, after all, what does that mean? It's cool to be stupid?

Around this time was when I began going to a 4-year college. Now, i've always been able to understand how and why technology is the way it is. It's a strange, wonderful, and delightfully complicated beast but I love it. I hate technology because of it; but I admire it all the same.

This is where the collegiate world comes in. I hear, over the course of my days, "I'm old fashioned". And this is in reference to using a powerpoint as opposed to just giving a speech. Or, copying an article instead of just making the students find it on their own. It's a strange thing. In the end, not knowing how to use the Internet or a search engine like google becomes a trophy and actually knowing how to use it becomes a negative.

Why has this happened? What could cause the proliferation and ubiquity of computing to become part of a negative part of pop culture? One of these days, i'll try and actually do a project on this.