Is All our Technological Progress Hurting Our Posterity?
"The Dumbest Generation?" and "Where Are We Headed" in the PBS’s Digital Nation
Summary:
Each of these video segments deals with the adverse effects that digital media is having on our and the newest generation. What is argued initially is that educators are seeing a “dumbing down” of students in college, high school, and even down to the elementary level. This loss is seen in the way that student write – “in paragraphs rather than essays” – and in the way that they read – sparknotes, short books, how much they read, etc. They cite data that shows test scores in reading and writing may be going down as a result, and suggest that technology and media is to blame for all of this. The other side of the argument is also offered here, though. Many of the people speaking say that students are learning different by the standards of previous generations. They also admit that there may be some loss that comes with this, but there is also societal gain, and that this loss has come with every new technology. The best example I thought was their reference to the Homeric poems, which in print are thousands of pages long, yet used to be cited from memory. They say that this ability to memorize single things in this volume was lost with the inception of print, but they also point out that this loss comes at the feet of great gains (print). One additional thing that they show is how society is adapting to technology in education, especially video games. They show an elementary/middle school that is based on simple games to encourage learning and exploration. There is also multiple Army recruiting buildings called “The Army Experience” walled with Xboxes playing shooter games aimed at teens that play video games.
Inquiry:
I have mixed reactions to both sides of the argument presented here, and think that a middle ground is more of the right path for society. We’ve all grown up with books, and very few will doubt that kids who read more do better academically. Children are reading less and less as technology becomes more prominent, they are tempted with games more and more, and I believe the claims that the video makes about kids learning differently. I think that these learning differences can be a bad thing, but only when taken to the extreme. I recognize that the advances in society outweigh any small learning loss that comes as an effect, but I still think that as a society we should encourage kids to read physical books, play outside, and just be unplugged. I find more and more that my digital life can be more of a burden than a benefit (sometimes), and I fear that children who grow up totally wired may never catch themselves and see what there is outside of digital media.
I think that our generation (and even more so with the people just a few years older) has a unique position in that we were mostly raised on books and more classical forms of education, and are just recently (last ~10 years) seeing technology being a major part of our life. We all grew up knowing what cell phones were, but they were simple then, never touch-screen smart phones with internet access. This is all that children might ever see even five years from now. We have seen both sides of the situation, something that our children will never see. But is it a bad thing?
Questions:
1) If you were the parent of a young child now, what kinds of digital media would you encourage? Specifically, what new media do you think are most beneficial to children’s education today?
2) One could argue that video games, etc. are good for children “in moderation”. Can this argument be made with books? Is there a point where reading too much can be just as bad as playing too many games? What makes the difference between these thresholds?
3) How did technology influence the young generation before ours (lets say pre-cell phones), how has it influenced us, and how will it influence the next generation (i.e. someone who is being born now)? What will be the defining educational differences between these three groups?
P.S: did anyone else notice Henry Jenkins’ part, and/or the Wooden Mirror? They seemed like fun Easter eggs as I watched.
8 comments:
Firstly, if anyone ever tells me that books are good in moderation, I am going to smack them over the head with a book. I don't see how anyone could ever say that. Books allow us to escape and expand our imaginations and horizons. (If you can't tell, I am an avid reader). If I had a child right now, I would probably invest in a Kindle and get lots of books on that for my child. I think that the use of technology in the classroom is very important for the new generation and it is helpful as these children are brought up in this world. I think that video games also expand horizons, but I think that since many games that are popular (Halo, and First Person Shooter game) can be played with no thought whatsoever, they need to be moderated since they lack the mental stimulation that the wonderful objects called books provide. :)
Kaitline all I have to say is that I would hold down the person who said that as you hit them over the head with a book, preferably a book like Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, something that has a soft cover but a lot of heft. That aside I would also have to say that I would encourage my children to read print books as opposed to Kindle, but that would be my choice of new media object if I were forced to choose. I would also encourage the use of iPods or other similar music devices for their enjoyment and for the fact that I want music to be a big part of my child’s life and an iPod is an easy way to expose them to that. I believe I would put restrictions on the use however because I know I use my iPod to sometimes isolate myself which I don’t always consider a good thing. I think the media object most useful to my child’s education would be something to the effect of the Kindle, because textbooks could be carried around easier and all be in one device. Also a device like the Kindle, I consider, to not be a shortcut to superficially learn something like some other media devices might be. Basically the only kids that will use the Kindle will be the children who would have been reading books anyway, and this device only makes things easier in a physical way, not necessarily a mental way.
I guess I should come to class prepared to fend off some book lovers, because I am going to take the stance that books are good in moderation. While, for the most part, they require more brain activity to enjoy than movies, they are still just sources of entertainment that basically spoon-feed the information to the reader. While a lot can be gained from reading (such as an expanding vocabulary and an increased ability to effectively communicate ideas – something that I lack because I do not read enough), there is still very little thought required to read a book. Because they often seem to be portrayed as ‘bad’ I’m going to use video games as an example for an activity that is more thought provoking than reading:
One perfect example is Zack and Wiki (an adventure puzzle game for the Nintendo Wii and one of the most innovative games I have ever played). It requires the player to analyze the environment and conduct specific tasks in order to complete the puzzle (a link to a gameplay video is posted below). It doesn’t just present information, but requires the player to utilize critical thinking skills in order to solve the dilemma posed by the game. Books display information in a way that help to build some neurological connections, but games like Zack and Wiki develop important critical thinking skills and really teach players how to learn. (As a note, both activities are inactive and neither are good in excess. The best way for anyone to grow is to get out and experience things for themselves. Someone who reads (or plays games) all the time is not going to fully understand the world because they should be getting out and living the adventures that the books describe.)
Zack and Wiki gameplay video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQMTsmU1QHo
(Note: this is the first and easiest level in the game. Note how the player searches the environment for useful items (fails at reaching some) and then learns from mistakes, and applies new different strategies to get what is needed. I have spent several hours on single puzzles later on because they were so complex and difficult. Feel free to check out other gameplay videos or, if you own a Wii, I highly recommend purchasing this game)
Haha. I knew the excess reading question would be a good one. I see from the "reading is good" camp that there is not much hard evidence to support your opinions, however!
My opinion on the matter is that books are wholly positive. There is nothing bad that can happen when a child is reading a book. What I argue, though, (and I have made similar arguments before) is that while reading is a good thing, its positive impact becomes less and less the more frequent the reading becomes. Even reading starts out the most beneficial activity a child can be doing, there is a point where his/her time would be better spent doing something that builds on different skills (painting, playing sports, playing video games, etc).
To be fair, I would make this argument for almost everything, so the same could be said for the child that only plays video games, or only does crafts, etc.
In summary, reading is good, but only when balanced out with everything else in order to create a well-rounded education.
I was hoping for an argument, but I agree with you Sean. Reading is very important for the development of a young brain. I especially believe in the importance of talking to the baby even in the womb, which is why I plan to read to my hypothetical baby in the future. Memorization is also a great way to develop the brain and kids love to absorb information because they need it at a young age. I know how the "I'll do it tomorrow" thing sounds, but I hope that I will eventually get to some the books I hope to read so as to help the development of my eventual child.
This was a fantastic set of blog comments!
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