[DMEC] Essay Finalist: Teenagers and Technology
For adults, the image of the typical teenager conjures memories of listening to the radio and going to drive-in movies. Times have changed. The typical teenager living in America, including myself, usually distracts himself/herself with a wide variety of technological gadgets and games. These gadgets and games could be educational or leisure related. Maybe it’s an xbox. Maybe it’s an iPod. Maybe it’s a blackberry. Maybe it’s a cell phone. Regardless, technology is the center of an average teenager’s life.
An example of technology that practically every teenager uses is a computer. I use my computer everyday. To put it simply, the computer can be used for almost anything! Because of its versatility, I devote many hours of my life to my computer.
First of all, I almost always use the internet. To paraphrase a recent ad I heard on the radio, the internet is a fun place to explore, but it can also be a dangerous jungle. One very important issue is safety. When is it safe to share personal information online? I know that I probably don’t pay enough attention to this as I should. For example, almost every teenager I know has a myspace page. Some have livejournals or xanga, but nearly everyone has a myspace page. Maybe it’s a fad, but for now, it’s the thing to have. I can decorate it to my liking, add music or even a music video. I can add pics, slideshows, videos, you name it. I can add all my friends at school and even people that I’ve just met. I can write a blog about my day or post a general bulletin to all my friends. I can’t wait to see who’s messaged me or asked to be my friend. It’s an extension of someone’s personality. Because of its frequent use, our school has blocked myspace, so that students can’t access it at school. Some of the more addicted myspacers used a proxy site to bypass the blocking. Soon, the school caught on and blocked it again. I suppose it can be rather addicting, but it’s a creative outlet and it shouldn’t be criticized as often as it is. I agree that students shouldn’t access it during class time, but I don’t think it’s something harmful, at least for the most part.
Myspace is full of personal information, and I’m sure that this information could be easily shared with consumer studies sites in spite of a privacy notice when signing up for a myspace page. How many teenagers actually read the details of the privacy note? I didn’t. I assume that the privacy notice ensures my information is confidential, but I honestly don’t know that for a fact.
Also, teenagers often reveal personal information on their pages that could come back to haunt them. Most teenagers with any sort of common sense know to keep the details of one’s life as general as possible, but I’ve seen many myspace pages that provide very personal information in both their blogs or through the pics on their pages. I think this can be a problem. I can access the internet with ease but so can a crazed lunatic. It’s hard to ignore the talk of murders, rapes, sexual solicitation, and kidnappings associated with the internet. Myspace seems to have had its fair share of controversy lately. I know of a school that disciplined its athletes for the material found on their myspace pages. As athletes do represent their schools and it’s a privilege to be on the team, I think this is fair.
Other than providing personal information to sites, teenagers also have to be careful when researching. How do I know if my information is reliable? I usually use credible sources for my research. In Alabama, we have AVL, which is the Alabama Virtual Library. It is an invaluable resource. We are issued AVL cards through our school, and with our password and the internet, we are allowed access to a wealth of information. When I google my topic, I see thousands of sites containing related information pop up before me. Maybe these sites are legitimate, maybe they’re not. I’m careful not to use student papers or anything that looks “homemade.” We’re normally required to use several sources when researching, so by cross-referencing, it makes it possible to spot discrepancies.
When using this information, students must be careful with copyright laws. It’s so easy to find pictures and multimedia clips that it seems it should be legal. If it were illegal, wouldn’t they put it where you can’t get to it without paying? Not so. I’m sure many students have used jpegs in a PowerPoint for a speech or added a snippet of a song to a video project. What’s the line between legal and illegal? I don’t know for certain, and I think that most adults are unsure as well.
Computers are used for more than internet searching, but not much more. I use my computer to type most of my assignments whereas some students only type their most important papers. It’s easier for me. I also use it to make PowerPoints for speeches. It’s a better visual aid than any poster I could make. Since I’ve started my broadcasting class, I’m also using it to edit my own videos and make my own music, but I’m just learning.
I also store music and pictures on my computer, but I think most teenagers are aware of the dangers of file-sharing. I’m sure many do it anyway, but there are plenty of sites that offer reasonable rates now. I would rather download the songs I want than buy a CD containing many other songs that I don’t want to own.
In conclusion, it’s easy to see how teenagers’ lives revolve around their computers. In spite of its disadvantages, we use it for nearly everything we do. With computers getting smaller and more portable, it’s even easier to use it. Myspace may be a fad, but computers are here to stay.
Kristen M. attends school in Madison, Alabama. She is a very outgoing, extroverted, busy girl; soccer is her life. This essay was a finalist in the 2006 Global Kids Digital Media Essay Contest. For more information, please visit GlobalKids.org.
