EDTC Module 4 Post

Module 4's reading was like getting doused with an ice cold bucket of water. I never would have expected a week's worth of material from a Technology class that cautioned against the increasing prevalence of technology! However, in hindsight, I appreciate the objectivity this converse view provided us with. We have been moving forward into the technological era with leaps and bounds, seldom asking questions. People in my generation accept new technological toys as though they're gifts from Santa Claus. We've raced from LiveJournal to Blogger to Myspace to Facebook to Twitter to I-Phones, to all of the above ON I-Phones... And oftentimes, these new tools are able to give us an improved experience of life, oftentimes they ARE good. But the speed at which we accept them is perhaps reckless, and I think Module 4's readings led us all towards that realization. Perhaps we should encounter these new technological advancements with a degree of skepticism, critically examining them and asking whether or not they really improve our quality of life.

When I first heard about Facebook, I dismissed it as a vanity project and as a waste of time. "Why do I need to be friends with people I already see all the time?" I remember asking my friend. Then, one boring day at work led to the creation of a profile, and I've been hooked since. My aunt and uncle asked me the other day how long I spent, per day, on the networking site. I hemmed and hawed at first: "Well... I'm in online classes, so I've got the internet up pretty much all the time, and just check in periodically." But then, considering the hour or two I'll spend on Facebook in bed before falling asleep... I answered with embarrassment, "Probably a couple hours a day." Their widened eyes and "Seriously??" responses made me check myself. Do I ACTUALLY spend that much time on a networking site every day?

I wrote my discussion post on "Unplugging"-- suggesting that teachers assign students to "unplug" from all electronics for a week. People responded that it was an intriguing idea, but I have to wonder if I would be able to unplug for a week. Could I check email just once per day...? Could I peace out from Facebook for a week? Could I avoid texting my friends, and call them instead, even if it was just to communicate a minute detail? I'm honestly not sure... But reading "The Machine Stops" made me want to try!