Blog 3: An understanding of how changes in technology impact on the way humans communicate, and the ethical issues that surround these changes
''Technology
is everywhere; it has changed every aspect of our lives, the way we buy our
books, listen to our music, how we stay in touch with family and friends; it
rules everything and most importantly how and why we communicate''. (Nejjai,
2012) The use of technology is forever growing and changing; technology has
many benefits but can also have serious repercussions.
The
use of technology has been incorporated into Education in schools
through the use of interaction whiteboards, which you can use to share videos,
play games and hold group discussions. Technology
in the classroom will allow educators ‘’teacher children tools that they will
carry with them through the 21st century’’ (Janelle Cox). As
technology increases educators need to adapt and learn new ways to teach
children. The way children learn in today's modern era is not how their
parents were taught 20 years ago.
The
internet is now an information highway for modern life. The
development of a world wide web has created many opportunities for businesses
and entrepreneurs. Many of these organisations now globally dominate
their fields such as Facebook, Snap chat and Instagram as they now have
worldwide appeal.
The
internet has brought the world closer through the use of technology such as
iphones, computers and tablets that allows us to source information,
communicate and work effectively in many different environments. Kumar. S
(2005) contends that globalisation provides a pathway for businesses such as
Facebook to expand internationally by delivering a fast paced service and has
improved their stronghold and competitiveness in the global market.
Social
media allows everyone to communicate with each other online at the click of a
button. A literature review published by the Young and Well
Cooperative Research found that ‘’social
networking services actually play a vital role in young people’s
lives- delivering educational outcomes; facilitating supportive relationships;
identity formation and promoting a sense of belonging and self-esteem’’. With
many positive attributions to technology also comes the risk of cyber bullying
causing serious mental health concerns in our younger generations.
With
wider access to the internet the percentage of cyber bullying is continually growing.
Statistics from NoBullying.com (modified on 12th June 2017)
shows that 52% of people have reported being cyber bullied and that 95% of teens
have witnessed bullying on social media. Cyber bullying can be seen to be
at the forefront of contributing to high rates of mental health issues and teenage suicide rates
With
cyber bullying rates increasing, begs the question of what can do to prevent it
continuing?
As a future educator and member of society, I think
it is critical for young children to learn the importance of ethics and impractical
social ethics. Social ethics highlights the importance of how to engage with
people in the correct manner, to treat everyone how you would like to be treated
and to always respect one another’s opinion (gay marriage vote is a great
example). With the correct resources and education children should be well
informed on the risks of cyber bullying, how to be a good
neitzen and how the use of the technology can benefit their learning.
Technology
has impacted the way humans communicate; it allows us to access resources in and outside the classroom, to be more
connected to different parts of the world and enables us to voice opinions. With the correct education, technology can see that
cyber bullying comes to a stop and that everyone treats each other with respect
and curiosity.
References
Nejjai,M.
(2012).The changing face of tech in business: how it’s affecting the way we
communicate & do business, Retrieved from: http://www.amadeus.com/blog/06/11/the-changing-face-of-technology-in-business-how-technology-has-affected-the-way-we-communicate-and-do-business/
Kumar, S and Liu D,.
2005. International journal of management and enterprise development. Impact
of globalisation on entrepreneurial enterprises in the world markets,volume
2, issue 1.
10
Ways Social Media Affects Mental Health. (2017). Degreed Blog. Retrieved
20 September 2017, from https://blog.degreed.com/10-ways-social-media-affects-our-mental-health
Philipp, C and Kitty R, 2001. The benefits of social networking
services page 16-17
https://nobullying.com/cyber-bullying-statistics-2014/
A thorough and very interesting post, Emma. You delve deeply into the topic and reveal insight into the ethical considerations you and other educators must be mindful of as they engage with students and tech. A very high standard, supported by good citations.
ReplyDeleteEmma, the first thing that stood out to me in your piece that I valued was how you covered the ethical aspects of how technology can impact humans. The way you presented it through the golden rule “treat everyone how you would like to be treated” and gave an example on marriage equality really shows that you understand what to consider ethically. I especially loved how you incorporated both the negative and positive feature of technology as you talked about smart boards being used in education as a positive but also included the risks and negativity in technology when you talked about the growth of cyber bullying. Furthermore this piece was written with great knowledge and wondering statements to back up your views, the only thing I would say to consider next time is to approach this topic from a more insightful method rather than evidential based. Overall great work.
ReplyDeleteI’m really impressed Emma. You have shown a well-researched post and a clearly stated understanding on this topic. Your developed viewpoint while successfully approaching some ethical aspects in this area of discussion is quite impressive. Perhaps check out the article https://www.useoftechnology.com/effects-technology-children/ for some further stats and ideas on this topic!
ReplyDeletePossibly you could have elaborated on the effects growing technology usage from a cyberbullying perspective has on students, as well as from a parent and school department as future educators. You should also consider discussing how educators can teach children to use technology and the internet safely to help tackle and minimise this issue.
Your blog has given me an educational read on the way humans communicate with technologies and by using my reference provided, I believe will only widen an understanding on the effects surrounding it. Good Job Emma!