However, college students need to understand that using social networking sites religiously is not just an issue about the amount of time devoted towards schoolwork, but that it can literally change how they think. Social networking sites, along with Google and Wikipedia, are influencing how college students process information. Facebook is a great tool to keep in touch with friends, but the Internet needs to be used for educational purposes. Although the Internet can be used for educational purposes, the usage of sites like Facebook, Wikipedia, and Google have negatively changed the way college students think. Some credit can be laid upon the student, but ultimately we as a society need to fundamentally change how people use the Internet.
One problem the internet caused stated in the documentary is, it is very hard for parents and authorities to regulate what kids do on the computer. Since the internet is so easy to access via new technologies, authoritative figures just cannot be present with the kids all the time. Another issue the internet has caused reported by the documentary is by it being so addictive, it has taken time away from studying, school work and activities such as reading. This is a problem because education is almost a must in today’s society. However, the documentary fails to acknowledge how the internet has helped kids by providing ways to find answers and acquire research and knowledge.
Teachers and professors think the Web is great to a certain point though. Teachers have noticed students are carried away by the Web because they are focusing less on reading. Carr agrees, “…. They don’t necessarily read a page from left to right and from top to bottom. They might instead skip around, scanning for pertinent information of interest… I can’t get my students to read whole books anymore…” (318).
Many teachers do not like “catching plagiarists and bringing them to academic justice.” As she states, it is not hard to just cite the author that originally had the information you are using (Bojar). Plagiarism is becoming a big problem in the school system. Many students do not understand what needs to be cited and what does not. The school system should teach students the proper way to cite, and they should teach them that copy and pasting is not writing a paper. According Bojar to students at the community college have a hard time juggling classes along with his or her family and a job.
A good solution might be to block the access to websites such as Facebook, so that technology can continue to be a tool for knowledge and intellectual advancement, rather than socialization. Many friends of mine use Facebook on a daily basis for several reasons: to chat with other friends, to see what other people’s lives look like, or to keep in contact with people that live far away. All five of the friends I asked said Facebook is a very useful website, but it is also addicting and a waste of time most of the time. Works Cited Bugeja, Michael. “Facing the Facebook.” The Arlington Reader: Contexts and Connections.
Andrew Goldstein may have stated his points in a logical way, but Elena Choy’s wisdom not only responds to the statements that Goldstein has said, but she has even gone so far to provide other reasons to why students take advantage of the laptops. Andrew Goldstein explains how laptops are a distraction in the classroom for several reasons. First, the upraised lids prevent professors from making eye contact; second, students can’t help but see the screens of their fellow peers; third, the use of laptops prevents the student from thinking; and finally, it prevents the student from joining in on in class discussions, because they are so imbedded into copying what the professor has said, therefore committing stenography. At the beginning I found myself agreeing with his statements, but that was before reading the other half of this argument. In this other half of the argument it not only changed my opinion, but it also gave me a bigger picture of why banning laptops, is not a solution.
Humans are supposed to be social. The more time students spend on social sites, the less time they spend socializing in person. Because of the lack of body signals and other non-verbal cues, like tone and inflection, social networking sites are not an adequate replacement for face to face communication. “Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just has hard.’’ (Anne Spencer) Students who spend a great deal of time on social networking sites are less able to effectively communicate in person. Social networks reduce or eliminate face to face socialization.
Hodgkinson claims “Far from connecting us, Facebook actually isolates us at our work-stations. This is a strong claim and one that makes for a strong argument. Although there have been technological advances, there are some that have reduced our progress in other aspects of our lives. In this new world we no longer seek to interact in person, rather we reserve ourselves for online interactions. In order to qualify his claim Hodgkinson states that “We construct an artificial
Florence Foster Instructor David English 102 11 January 2011 I have chosen to write about Brent Staples “What Adolescents Miss When We Let Them Grow up in Cyberspace.” Staples argue that “so called online communities isolate adolescents and hinder their social development” (241). Which I believe to be true, but the world as we know it, is becoming very advanced to technology. So that would basically leave adolescents with two decisions, either they have to jump on board with technology, or be left behind. Which would you prefer? Social interactive technologies, such as instant messaging and texting messaging are beginning to redefine the social networks of today’s youth.
Cyberbullying and Sexting Cyberbullying and Sexting are two technological abuses that have societal and environmental effects on students and adults today. Siegle (2010) commented, “According to an AP-MTV (2009) poll, more than 75% of 14- to 24-year-olds believe that digital abuse is a serious problem for people their age. Yet, only about half believe that what they post online could come back to hurt them” (p. 15). This in itself creates a problem, in character education because rebellious students hide behind devices instead of being accountable for their actions. The use of cell-phones, gaming and the internet is communication tools of choice for this generation.