I
found this article to be eye opening in many ways. The first thing that I found
interesting is that technology is a “natural” practice for adolescents today. From
the start of their day to the end, they are always connected virtually whether
it’s through Twitter, Facebook, instant messages, texts and so on. According to
the article, today’s adolescence are reading and writing more than ever before
through the use of technology. The article states “Words are an integral part
of today’s online world, along with images and sound, and young people read and
write thousands of words online each week.”
This
article also talks about online identities of students and how it’s comparable
to the writers of long ago who created characters from their imaginations and
gave them specific traits and likeability. It also mentions how students have
multiple identities online due to the many social networks that are available.
In each of those sites, the student’s identity may be different because of the
audience of that particular sight. For example a person’s identity on a gaming
website will vary from their identity on an educational website.
Many
parents and educators today are concerned that students are becoming socially
isolated because they are always on their electronic devices such as computers,
iPads, phones etc. What they don’t realize is that these students are still
socializing but in a different way. They may be posting a tweet or changing
their status on Facebook or reading someone else’s post online and responding
to that. Nonetheless, they are still socializing using a variety of literacy
practices.
The
article also mentions that according to a research that was done, most of the
reading and writing students do online is connected to pop culture. It plays a
huge role in the discussions students take part in online because it has to do
with music, movies, TV shows and games. Often times students use pop culture as
a way to decide which online “identity” they will socialize with based on that
individual’s likes or dislikes in movies and music. Overall, I found this
article to be very enlightening and helpful in seeing how students today use
new literacies in a variety of ways.
This article is quite similar to the one I selected. It also talked about how adolescents are accustomed to using technology in their everyday lives, which is why these students are now being referred to as "digital natives". I have to agree with you that even though it seems like they are becoming estranged, these students are very much socializing but in different ways. Personally what I find concerning is not that they aren't socializing or using their literacy skills to do so but that most students have become so addicted to this digital technology that many times they are oblivious to their real life surroundings. Also because most of these devices are used in a seated position, students are becoming increasingly accustomed to a more sedentary way of life, which isn't so healthy for them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this relevant article, Fatima. It is very timely as educators and parents are trying to find that right balance of utilizing technology in education. Indeed, there are tricky issues regarding safety and privacy particularly for impressionable and naive adolescents. However, the benefits of engaging and educating students in a language they understand so well and with tools that are part of their everyday lives are so valuable, Right or wrong, this is the culture in which they have lived so their form of connecting, communicating and socializing is their norm.
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