[DMEC] Essay Finalist: Megabyte of the Teen Scene
I sit down at my desk; wiggle my mouse to get the screen-saver off my over-worked computer. My gaze falls down to the assignment in front of me. I pull up the internet, Google to be exact; click on Myspace which is conveniently located under Favorites. No comments; maybe because it was checked only five minutes ago. I sigh, and stare back at my paper describing this digital essay project trying hard to avoid the pull to see if any of my friends have logged on. I can hear the murmur of the TV; my cell phone beeps. Just another text. Practice has been cancelled.
This is when it hit me: teenagers really don’t realize how much technology we use, the impact it holds on our lives, and how much we could use it to learn. I started interviewing my friends to see how they use technology in their lives.
Of course it was done through the quickest way, AIM. Holly was up first. Now this is the girl who will fall asleep at night with her cell phone stuck to her ear. When asked how does she use her cell phone and what major role does it play, Holly explained that this is one of her main ways to talk to her friends; someone is only a call away whenever she gets bored. Holly just recently moved and so Myspace is dearly valued to her for keeping contact with her friends, but she also believes it somehow starts a popularity contest. The next big subject I talked about with her was about iPods. Once Holly got her iPod working I always found her with yet another gadget glued to her ear. “With our generation we really can’t think or do anything to entertain ourselves,” Holly expressed, “so we have to keep on inventing things before we really start not to do anything.” She was also asked if she was upset that more advanced iPods came out right after she bought hers. She responded with, “I’m fine with the normal ones because I wouldn’t be able to figure out the more advanced ones anyways!”
Another one of my friends, Sara, was asked what was the most important piece of technology that she used. I got a half sarcastic response, with her saying it was her TI-83 calculator because it fascinates her and she uses it all the time. Sara also doesn’t think teens realize how much they use technology in their lives saying, “Seriously, teenage girls walk around with cell phones, digital cameras, iPods, and digital day planners and they don’t even realize how much thought and work went into making those!” I too find that I use all of these devices and much more! I know Spark Notes are a huge hit for students and those come from the internet. Even when I’m playing Scrabble with my family and we are not sure if a word is a word, I will run upstairs and check dictionary.com.
One common phase I hear walking down the halls at school is, “I saw your Myspace” or “leave me a comment sometime and listen to my song on my site!” This is just one more example of how technology is carried into our schools and everyday life. Friday nights are often used by a trip to the movie theatre, which is technology on the big screen. Arcades, Xbox, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) and video games in general connect the advanced world of technology I couldn’t even begin to describe. There are many less common thought about ways that technology is used; for X-rays, finding a cure for cancer, or right down to every component in a space craft.
Most people find it hard to live without certain technology, but is it really all good and can we somehow use it in the classroom to help education grow? Firstly, if you have not been trained in the technological field it can be very hard to understand, or to get a simple iPod to work in less than a day. As much as I wish teens used the internet to better the world most of us just take advantage of it and don’t use it to its fullest extent. I have taken various computer classes over my middle school years and into high school, so I can navigate through simple computer tasks nicely. This can not be said for everyone. When laptops are sometimes used in regular classes, some kids have no clue on how to make a simple Power Point. I believe there is a lot of room to bring MORE technology into our schools to further our education. I see mostly good in it, but on the other side students may fear the challenge of the work getting harder or just plain change. Just like there is so much common technology with cell phones and people don’t even realize, there are starting to get more and more into the classroom. I feel we are the on the edge of an educational revolution and, to be honest, I’m not quite sure I like it. I often get lost in internet searches that lead me in circles! If we get too much technology in schools we will drift away from the teaching methods that have worked for years. Another negative is with students working so much with computers, they would loose an important socializing aspect that schools offer.
The other side of me sees endless opportunity! Students can get connected from all over the world through technology and it would be one great way to gain a better understanding of the world. I already usually find great help on the internet when researching a topic for a project. It is a lot easier than having to look up a book in a confusing library twenty minutes away! Time could be used more efficiently by learning more in one class period. Bringing in more technology would be great, but only if it was done in an effective manner. By seeing how teens work with Myspace, AIM, or doing research on the internet, one can discover how to incorporate digital media into effective ways of learning.
Sylvia M. attends school in Madison, Alabama. She describes herself as “an army brat” very interested in the world around her. This essay was a finalist in the 2006 Global Kids Digital Media Essay Contest. For more information, please visit GlobalKids.org.
