Black Mirror is a British Television Series that can now be found on Netflix in the United States. The 3-episode series follows 3 very different storylines all focused on the addiction of technology and where that will eventually lead society.
Whether it be everyone looking at screens indoors rather than noticing what is going on in the streets around them, people being controlled by screens around them, or people not being able to escape the images of memories displayed on screens around them the series brings to light our obsession with the technology around us and the overall notion of privacy in this digital age.
This relates to a project I have recently begun in my Business Communications course here at Saint Michael's. The project is relating to the communication styles of Generations X, Y, and Z. Generation Z being the up-and coming generation (born in the late 1990s-today). This generation is known for being deeply engrossed in their screens.
It is scary to think that the storylines in each of these episodes are not too far off from what could happen within perhaps 50-100 years. Will Generation Z be able to step away from the Black Mirrors to prevent this from occurring?
Friday, April 15, 2016
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Geek Heresy: Intro & Chapter 1
"Talent is universal, Opportunity is not"
The author brings up an important discussion about how technology creates a digital divide. If we all had access to the same technology, would we have the same opportunity?
The author noted a campaign in 2013 that took place within the Los Angeles Unified School District to provide iPads to all students. This occurred one year after I graduated from high school, and while I was leaving the K-12 system my own school district was instituting this same type of campaign similar with the "one laptop per child" campaign and each student in grades 6-8 were given a laptop to use for the remainder of their time in the district.
Flash forward 3 years I am now a senior in college, this campaign has clearly expanded as one of my roommates is student teaching at an elementary school within the school district I attended for K-12. Each student in her 3rd grade class has a Chromebook to participate in lessons on. The math program has been completely redesigned as to how math is learned and taught. There is no doubt that technology is incorporated into every lesson these students have and will have in the future.
This personally makes me sad. We hear all about how the younger generations are growing up behind screens as opposed to when I was growing up and spent my days outside until the sun started to set. I personally feel that the way I learned in school caused me to think critically and allowed me to develop a strong sense of problem solving on my own. This has allowed me the ability to create my own opportunities. Often today it is too easy to turn to a computer for all the answers.
While at least we live in a western country that we have access to be able to look things up that we don't know about and are able to learn and develop knowledge on particular subjects, the downside is that we have adapted to having less problem solving skills and a smaller work ethic. And I believe that work ethic plays a huge role in creating opportunity.
The author brings up an important discussion about how technology creates a digital divide. If we all had access to the same technology, would we have the same opportunity?
The author noted a campaign in 2013 that took place within the Los Angeles Unified School District to provide iPads to all students. This occurred one year after I graduated from high school, and while I was leaving the K-12 system my own school district was instituting this same type of campaign similar with the "one laptop per child" campaign and each student in grades 6-8 were given a laptop to use for the remainder of their time in the district.
Flash forward 3 years I am now a senior in college, this campaign has clearly expanded as one of my roommates is student teaching at an elementary school within the school district I attended for K-12. Each student in her 3rd grade class has a Chromebook to participate in lessons on. The math program has been completely redesigned as to how math is learned and taught. There is no doubt that technology is incorporated into every lesson these students have and will have in the future.
This personally makes me sad. We hear all about how the younger generations are growing up behind screens as opposed to when I was growing up and spent my days outside until the sun started to set. I personally feel that the way I learned in school caused me to think critically and allowed me to develop a strong sense of problem solving on my own. This has allowed me the ability to create my own opportunities. Often today it is too easy to turn to a computer for all the answers.
While at least we live in a western country that we have access to be able to look things up that we don't know about and are able to learn and develop knowledge on particular subjects, the downside is that we have adapted to having less problem solving skills and a smaller work ethic. And I believe that work ethic plays a huge role in creating opportunity.
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