724E Media Psych/Week 1/Digital Dependence

Abstract:

Technology impacts the way we think and behave. After this week’s research, I believe that the current and continuing trend in media development is blind dependence on technology. We use technology in our every day with confidence, and we do so without any understanding. (Burke)

Treatment:

With this dependence comes a digital age that is better to pay attention to rather than ignore. The speed at which technology runs impacts our every day. What is considered new today will be old tomorrow. New York experienced a black out due to a relay issue or technology that few of us can explain. While there was several incidents life threatening and otherwise, subway commuters stuck in darkness seemed unfazed.  Instead of reacting, the commuters turned a bad situation into a celebration. Burke describes it by saying, “They lit candles and depended on technology to save their lives.” (Burke) In the video 2015, our world became dependent on technology to provide individual news, locations, and consumer information. With the anticipation of Google glasses, this video not only looks possible but vaguely familiar. 

With such a reliance on technology, the only way to be equipped is to become familiar with its history and our future. Rather than comfortably living in one, we must actively live in both.  It will take learning “new stuff or learning new ways to do old stuff.” (Prensky, 2001) This will impact education and the way we teach our youth to become proficient in media technology.  For example, in the classroom teachers need to take new risks and will need encouragement to try new classroom design ideas and teaching techniques. (November, 2012)

The use of technology in the classroom allows the student and teacher to experiment with media literacy. “Students should be given the ability to craft media that is clear, creative and expresses a sense of vision and personal statement.” (Ohler, 2010) School Train, a video produced by students using mixed media, compares school to a train and students to cars. This type of learning should be immediately recognized as beneficial to students. The message of the video however, is very thought provoking. Are they describing what Prensky calls Digital Native and Digital Immigrant?  The train i.e. the school, is slow—“taking a long time” to get to a destination. This similarity could be known as Digital Immigrant. A school or train could be considered a mode of transportation that has become outdated. While it offers transportation for the student, the train does not offer instant gratification or individual control. On the other hand, a Digital Native could be considered a car. A car, i.e. student writing his or her own story and arrives at a destination in a shorter period of time.

Conclusion:

As a future media psychologist, I see myself transferring in between Digital Native and Digital Immigrant. Both are necessary to survive in today’s world. Having the knowledge of how ink is used on an old printing press, while working in a layered Photoshop file sets a tone for future learning. The challenge will be imparting this knowledge on today’s youth with teachers who are comfortable operating in both schools of thought. This will take creativity, imagination and a permission slip to experiment. More importantly, it will take knowledge—not dependence on technology for both Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants to thrive. 

Reference: 

Burke, J. (Writer), & Burke, J. (Director). Connections, The Trigger Effect [Motion Picture].

November, A. (2012, September 28). Retrieved from Novemberlearning.com: http://novemberlearning.com/blog/

Ohler, J. B. (2010). Digital Community Digital Citizen. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (Vol. 5). MCB University Press.

Images:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEY-L_2Z_hyphenhyphenkCCklY27XpVmvaX7y1gbQjTzela8mP5GnXQ0FCsKhbgerBNmXaZu5jEOS3Hu1ifTrj_gJ4u_CVVZ9z6edzmJV4ixjZ6Q9MNWEuk-Ve5KLkyblwpMybsalMKBuKILCWr2zL/s1600/Students-Love-Technology.gif

Video:

Ante, S. E. (n.d.). Hype and Hope: Test Driving Google's New Glasses. (S. Brin, Producer) Retrieved from Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443779404577643981045121516.html