This video had some really surprising facts and opinions scattered throughout the report. One of the most striking things I heard was an early quote from Doug Rushkoff stating that "Geeks are normal now." His words hit me a funny way. The word geek always had this negative connotation to it and I often associated social awkwardness with the term. But now, with the immersion of technology, geeks are at the forefront of our society. They are the individuals that we turn to for help when we can't figure some piece of equipment out. I wonder how that shift from social "loser" to social "winner" will effect places like schools? Will the popularity of students now rely on their ability to master technology instead of face-to-face skills?
I definitely found the Internet Rescue School completely shocking! I laughed out loud when I first saw it, to be honest. It seemed like such a silly idea, but then I heard the statement that it was trying to "recapture a childhood lost to the Internet" and I started to really think about it. Are today's children missing out on their childhood? What are they really losing in this trade for constant multimedia connection? It scares me to think that if I am blessed to have children, I am going to have to fight to ensure that they experience a proper childhood rather than become addicted to a technological world. As a teacher, I am definitely thinking about how different children will look in the classroom if all they can think about is being on-line? How am I to relate to a child who cannot relate to just "being a kid"? What does being a kid even mean anymore?
I like your thoughts but I think the word 'geek' has had a positive connotation to it longer than you think---band geeks have been "cool' for some time now...and they use very "old technology".
ReplyDeleteIt is scary to think that children can lose their childhood to technology. Parents really have to stay on top of how much time kids are in front of the computer to make sure that doesn't happen.
ReplyDeleteAfter learning about the Internet Rescue School, I thought that it was great that in South Korea they really seem to put a strong emphasis on internet safety prior to teaching students how to use the technology. It was a little disconcerting thinking about the amount of people crammed into gaming bons. There is a need for technology, but there is a need to recapture ones childhood, but maybe I am wrong and we are evolving this way.
ReplyDeleteI feel that in school the term "geek" will still be used as a negative term. Kids at that age are all about who has the most friends or the coolest friends. These "cool" kids will use the "geek" to their advantage to increase their chances of getting a better grade for themselves. Kids in school are not big on who knows more about a computer and how to operate it..they care more about who has the most coolest friends in the school.
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