June 26

How Does Technology Impact Social Skills?
I see a definite change in social skills due to technology. Kids do not have as many face-to-face/voice-to-voice conversations.  I think this can be harmful because it is very important to develop good interpersonal skills. I see definite problems in communication. I also see that it can cause real issues with listening skills. My students think they are great multitaskers, but they actually just end up missing all of my instructions when they are using technology rather than listening to me.

How Does Technology Impact the Development of Identity?
If technology affects social skills, doesn't it also affect the development of identity? Doesn't the development of social skills impact the development of identity? I definitely think the two go together. Our friends, family, and other social factors play a big roll in our identity development. Maybe we love technology. Our likes and dislikes are a part of our identity. Maybe we "value" technology. Our values are definitely a part of our identity.

How Does Technology Impact the Development of Societies and Cultures and the Ways in Which Children are Socialized?
I think when we watch the news and have a chance to view other countries and the changes that exist because of technology or the lack of technology, we can see the definite impact. There are so many countries that function without the use of technology. These countries are the most poor countries. Our more affluent countries have a great deal of technology available to their members. Technology may also help with the blending of cultures. What I mean by blending is that cultures can be influenced more by other cultures because the "walls" can come down through the use of technology.

How Does Technology Impact How We Respond to Social Issues?
Social Media!!! Need I say more? Information spreads like wildfire thanks to social media. This is not always good information. Rumors fly freely without control. Bullying is an ever increasing issue that our youth have to deal with thanks to social media. People use email and text messaging to ask people out and to break up with them. It is so much easier for us to pass judgement and express our opinions when we don't know the people we are communicating with. It seems like we expect anonymity when we are using technology...isn't it the exact opposite? Aren't we having our identities stolen due to technology? Funny how there seems to be a double standard of opinion there.

How Do Modern Children and Adolescents Differ from Their Predecessors?
Some of the changes I have noticed in today's adolescents include the following: a general lack of respect for others, everything is a right to them rather than a privilege, they all need their own cell phone so that they can talk to their friends, they would rather text than make a phone call (me too), they are extremely talented at computer games and the general use of technology, they have a desire for instant results or instant erasure, they are losing critical thinking skills due to impatience, and they are super smart and talented (when they want to apply themselves).