After reading the
first chapter in this book I realized how much we don't have the outer-body
experience and just look at how we are actually use technology. I have always
believed that the media they are talking about within the digital world are
great tools to have as a young adult. I say this because I want children to
have time to be children! I grew up with a bunch of kids that played outside
every single night and I will always have those memories. As a teacher and
eventually future mom, I hate to see the children in today's day and age using
iPads, iPhones, and laptops as their "fun". Sure, they are great
tools, learning games, and will help them learn after all but they need to be
able to communicate with others without media. I don't want their form of mediation to always have been through the internet.
In my life, I
consider technology very important. I met my boyfriend on MySpace six years ago
and I don't think we would have ever met without it. On page 3, they say that
"Cars, trains, busses, for example, don't just allow us to move faster;
they fundamentally change the way we experience and think about space and time,
fundamentally change the kinds of relationships we can have with people who
live far away from us, and fundamentally change the kinds of societies we can
build" which really hits home for me because without the internet,
MySpace, cars and busses, my boyfriend and I would not still be together.
I really thought
that the Case Study 1 was very intriguing because it made me think about how we
actually consider some media a part of our bodies, and brains. It made me think
about myself and how I know that I consider my phone a huge part of my life. If
I lost my phone I would lose my doctor’s appointments, all my friends' numbers,
all of my pictures/memories, and many passwords and ideas I have come up with
over the time I have had the phone. This is a weird idea to think about because
a short time ago, we memorized our friends' phone numbers, we had a camera that
instantly developed pictures so we didn't have to save them to our
phones/cameras, we wrote down passwords on a piece of paper and saved them or
memorized them. If any of these things were forgotten or lost, it wasn't a huge
deal. This brings me to their idea of how it's not just a phone, or just a
camera, or just a reader, it’s all of those things in one- and that is what
makes it so scary.
To close, before I read, I read Lizzie's Blog about how this chapter related much to the two articles we read in class on Thursday. They are making the point that we are amputated by some media and extended by others. I think this is a great way to describe the media today because it isn't all bad, some is helpful and others just hold us back from what could be. I really liked how she pointed out how every day, second of our lives are changing because of new technologies.
To close, before I read, I read Lizzie's Blog about how this chapter related much to the two articles we read in class on Thursday. They are making the point that we are amputated by some media and extended by others. I think this is a great way to describe the media today because it isn't all bad, some is helpful and others just hold us back from what could be. I really liked how she pointed out how every day, second of our lives are changing because of new technologies.
Love the red Courier New, very stylish!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you; I feel that children should have time to experience the world outside of technology, at least to a certain degree. That said, I reflect very fondly upon TV shows I watched when I was young, and websites I used to go on, like Neopets and Bionicle, and oh god, nostalgia bomb. But I also have fantastic memories of playing outside and going on adventures in the forest behind our house; I suppose it depends on the level of exposure we give to our kids. A good balance, I think, is the key. But that's my own bias, really. Someone else might have an entirely different take on the idea.
I especially like what you bring up about memorization -- how, only a little while ago, our own brain was the external hard drive (or the contacts list, or whatever you'd like) and now that we rely so heavily on technology to do that for us, it becomes a little scarier to think about what might happen when you lose your computer (or your phone, or your iPod). But like with anything -- and I agree with you here, too -- "it isn't all bad, some is helpful and others just hold us back from what could be." It's becoming a symbiotic relationship; one fuels the other, etc. We just need to be aware of what's affecting us, if it's good or bad, and how it's shaping our experiences.
I strongly believe that children should be able to enjoy their time as kids without being glued to a technological device. Similar to you a lot of my memories of growing up have to do with being outside playing with the neighborhood kids. I'm not saying that children using digital literacies is bad, I just believe that it should be used in moderation because they definitely can benefit educationally from such devices. Is it the new Kindle that allows parents to set time limits on how long their children can play games and read books? I think it is; when the time limit is up it locks the children out.
ReplyDeleteAlso the iPad has a similar system where parents can control the accessibility of what their children can get on. So if they they want their kids only using the educational apps on the iPad, they set a password and can select what ones their children can use. Everything else can't be clicked on at all. So if the child gets sick of playing the same old apps, he/she doesn't have to stay on it and can get off of it and do something else (hopefully play outside.)
I could not agree more with you when you said that you want the future generations of children to be able to enjoy their childhood. My mom has always told me that I spent the majority of my childhood covered in dirt. I grew up with an older sisters and 15 cousins, so we were constantly outside, running around and playing for hours. I don't ever remember watching T.V. for any extended amount of time and the only "digitial" toys that I had were Giga Pets and a Hit Clips. I agree with Andi when she stated that children using technology with literature is not necessarily a bad thing. As a future teacher, I need to accept the fact that technology is in some way, shape or form, going to be incorporated into my English classroom. I too believe that it should be used in moderation. A child should not have to rely on technology to function in every day life. There needs to be limitations on how much a child can use technology. In my opinion, to live out a healthy and happy life, a child should have the freedom to be outside, in the fresh air and really experience life how we experienced it when we were children. They should be able to learn certain things from the internet and other things from real-life experiences.
ReplyDeleteI definitely get a sick feeling in my stomach when I see small children with high-tech devices. I work at a summer camp, and the amount of times a child told me they had an i-Pad or smart phone was definitely not acceptable. I had a six year old girl who had an i-Pod 5 and both her sisters had i-Phones. I am all for technology, but there is no need for children to have devices that are worth a months paycheck. Have you seen the Leapfrog 'toys' that incorporate the use of tablets? http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leapfrogs-new-toys-turn-mom-and-dads-phone-and-tablet-into-learning-fun-221503781.html
ReplyDeleteI wonder what you have to say about that. I was really disturbed at first, but was glad that at least developers are trying to turn toys into opportunities for learning.
I think it is interesting to think about the way people have changed because of new technology, especially forms that are not usually discussed such as transportation. These modes have really transformed the way humans respond. I have had a vehicle since I was a senior in high school, and when I was abroad last semester I did not have a car, but still had public transportation. My car broke down when I got home and this is the first time in my life where I do not have a ready way of transportation and the effect it has had is ridiculous. There is not really a way to do anything without transportation (unless I am just going around the Fredonia/Dunkirk area) and I have found myself being completely reliant on others.
I am also really interested by the fact that you equate pictures/photographs with memories because that also seems to be an effect of technology.
I think one of the most valid point you make is the importance of a good balance between both the help and hindrance of technology. I really appreciate how you mentioned that you thought technology is, in fact, important but how you believed it's equally important to allow children to let loose and enjoy their youth without the distraction of iPads or cellphones. It's hard to take a definite stand on whether technology is a "good" or "bad" thing. The articles we read in class, for instance, on whether the internet made society "smarter" or "dumber" was a challenge for me because there will never be a clear-cut, black-and-white answer.
ReplyDelete