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November 16, 2016
November 1, 2016
Growing Up Online
"Growing Up Online" is a Frontline documentary that studies the cyber world and its effects on educators, parents and teens in our new digital age. Focusing on a community of secondary students in New Jersey, in-depth interviews provide an interesting and revealing look into the various uses, benefits and dangers of engaging with the online world. Educators discuss the trials they face in teaching students who have grown up immersed in technology, and the work they put in to adapt their classroom content to the next generation. Parents describe their fears about technology and the trouble they have monitoring their children's use of it. Students reveal various kinds of activities they are engaging in online, and they also describe their perceptions of social media and the necessity of having an online presence to keep up with peers. I thought the documentary was excellent and thought-provoking, and I would definitely recommend it to fellow educators and anyone else who plans to work with students of future generations.
1. A survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that in 2004, 67 percent of parents said the Internet has been a good thing for their children. However, this number decreased to 59 percent in 2006. In 2012, 69% of parents of online teens said they were concerned about how their child’s online activity might affect their future academic or employment opportunities, with some 44% being “very” concerned. Cite some reasons why parental support for their children’s independent internet use is decreasing. Why do you think the number of parents who reported the Internet being a good thing for their children has decreased? A vast majority of teenagers have an online presence, and parents have some good reasons for being concerned about their online activity. One concern that has received media coverage is the threat of online predators, people who pretend to be someone else in order to meet children and teens and lure them into harmful situations. Another problem receiving growing media attention is cyber bullying, where students take their bullying online and can humiliate a peer in a world that parents and teachers may not even see. Several cases of cyber bullying have led to suicide. With these threats, parents view the internet as a danger instead of a good thing for their children. In general, parents worry about their children using the internet because there are few ways to monitor and control their activity, and they fear that children will make bad decisions with severe consequences. Even if their children do know who they are interacting with online, the pictures they post and the social media profiles they create may adversely affect their future academic or employment opportunities.
2. More teachers are using tools to try to detect cheating or deter students’ inclination to cheat. In the program, we see the use of plagiarism-detection tools like Turnitin.com and writing assignments completed during class time to make sure students do their own work and generate their own ideas. // How can we as educators stop students from using material they found online as their own work? Should that be considered cheating, in your opinion? As educators of children who have grown up immersed in technology, our students will naturally turn to the internet as a resource for schoolwork. One of the first tasks we need to accomplish to stop students from using material found online as their own work is to educate them about plagiarism. We need to ensure they understand that using someone else's work as their own IS cheating, and encourage them to avoid this pitfall. We hope to see our students succeed in higher education, and academic dishonesty is not tolerated in college courses. In order to prepare our students to succeed, we must be on the same page as these colleges. Assigning in class writing assignments where students must generate their own ideas is a great way for them to practice completing their own work. Later on, when students do complete work outside of class and have access to online sources, it is important to communicate that there will be consequences for cheating, and enforce those consequences if students attempt to use someone else's work as their own.
3. One student claims he "never reads books" but relies on summaries and annotated notes he finds on Web sites. He confesses that he feels guilty about this, stating, "I feel like I kind of cheated it." // In your opinion, should he feel guilty? Why or why not? Although it is all too common to find this type of behavior among today's students, I do believe he should feel guilty. Relying on someone else's study and summary of a book is within the definition of cheating. The intent of the assignments are for students to read an author's work themselves and complete any accompanying work, and if a student never reads the book themselves, they are skipping the majority of the assignment. Using online summaries and notes also goes against the intent of those resources - they are meant to be used for review and were never intended to replace the actual reading of the content they summarize. More importantly, the student is stunting their own education by relying on outside sources instead of doing the work themselves, and this could have devastating long-term consequences for their education.
4. Before the Internet, in order to be seen by the world, you had to be portrayed in some form of mass media, and you had to be famous in some respect -- in the news, in politics or as a celebrity. Now anyone can be seen online by anyone else in the world. Some people have become famous for videos or photos they’ve posted (such as Autumn Edows). // In your opinion, should people like Edows, or others who become “ famous” through their online presence, be considered “celebrities?” Has the ability to create an online persona, and receive worldwide attention for it, affected our cultural values? I do not think people who become "famous" from online pictures or videos should be considered celebrities. While there are a variety of ways to become famous, a true celebrity is someone that many people can look up to or admire, someone with a contribution to society worth celebrating. It is common for a good president or political leader to become a celebrity, or a talented actress or singer. Many people admire the accomplishments of these people, and their growing popularity leads them to become celebrities in that sense. With online attention, anyone can become "famous", whether or not their accomplishment or contribution is worth much value. I do believe this new ability to receive worldwide attention for an online persona has affected our cultural values. Instead of promoting those whose accomplishments are worth our attention and affection, we promote anyone that seeks attention. Our culture is more interested in something that entertains us, even if only for a moment, instead of valuing long-term contributions to society around us. This type of culture encourages people to pursue attention however they can instead of encouraging people to seek out more reputable accomplishments.
5. Shows like "To Catch a Predator" on Dateline NBC contribute to parental anxiety about online media. It is obvious that certain elements of programs like “To Catch a Predator,” and even this documentary, will likely increase parents’ fears. // Cite one current event from the past year where a young person has been affected (positively or negatively) by being active online. (find a link to a news story, describe it in your answer to this question, and provide the link as well). A recent trend among students that has led to several deaths is the "extreme selfie" challenge, where teenagers attempt to take photos of themselves in extreme situations. The trend is promoted online as teens hope to gain likes on social media. This trend has had a negative influence on young people by encouraging them to put themselves in danger. An article by Rolling Stone gives ten recent examples of young people who died while trying to take selfies.
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/pictures/death-by-selfie-10-disturbing-stories-of-social-media-pics-gone-wrong-20160714/accidental-cliff-dive-20160713
6. Teasing, lying, gossiping, threatening, spreading rumors or harassing online (and offline) can severely affect people’s self-concept and self-esteem and have an impact on their emotional state. In the program, we see one girl who describes flirting with boys and then revealing she was just kidding. She explains: "You wouldn’t do that to someone’s face, but online is completely different. ... No one can do anything. You’re at your house, they’re at their house." // In her quote, this teen is describing Suler’s disinhibition effects. Which one do you think it is, and why? This quote is an example of Suler's Effect called dissociative imagination, "It's Just a Game." Under this effect, the girl is separating her online presence from her reality offline, and she views her online activity as a game. She doesn't believe that "rules" apply online, and she believes she can leave all of her flirting and games behind once she leaves her computer. In her quote, she expresses that she believes online games have different rules than reality when she states "You wouldn't do that to someone's face, but online is completely different... No one can do anything."
7. At the end of the program, Greg decides it’s time for him to "disconnect" by going to the Coast Guard Academy, where he will spend seven weeks without cell phones or the Internet. //
Have you ever thought about "disconnecting" from it all? Do you think it would be easy or difficult for you personally? What would you enjoy or dislike about disconnecting?
I have "disconnected" from social media before by deactivating my facebook account, and I would definitely consider doing it again. I found that it was more enjoyable to learn things from my friends by talking to them and hearing about exciting events directly from them, instead of learning about their life from social media, even if I hadn't seen them in a while. I also felt less distracted when I was working, studying, hanging out with people, and other daily tasks because I never needed to check my facebook. That being said, there were some drawbacks to removing myself from social media, such as missing out on an opportunity to connect with friends who live further away and missing some invitations to events that were only posted online. If I were to disconnect again, I would miss these opportunities again. Although I would love to free myself of the distractions once more, I think it would be more difficult this time around since most people my age rely heavily on social media for a lot of communication.
1. A survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that in 2004, 67 percent of parents said the Internet has been a good thing for their children. However, this number decreased to 59 percent in 2006. In 2012, 69% of parents of online teens said they were concerned about how their child’s online activity might affect their future academic or employment opportunities, with some 44% being “very” concerned. Cite some reasons why parental support for their children’s independent internet use is decreasing. Why do you think the number of parents who reported the Internet being a good thing for their children has decreased? A vast majority of teenagers have an online presence, and parents have some good reasons for being concerned about their online activity. One concern that has received media coverage is the threat of online predators, people who pretend to be someone else in order to meet children and teens and lure them into harmful situations. Another problem receiving growing media attention is cyber bullying, where students take their bullying online and can humiliate a peer in a world that parents and teachers may not even see. Several cases of cyber bullying have led to suicide. With these threats, parents view the internet as a danger instead of a good thing for their children. In general, parents worry about their children using the internet because there are few ways to monitor and control their activity, and they fear that children will make bad decisions with severe consequences. Even if their children do know who they are interacting with online, the pictures they post and the social media profiles they create may adversely affect their future academic or employment opportunities.
2. More teachers are using tools to try to detect cheating or deter students’ inclination to cheat. In the program, we see the use of plagiarism-detection tools like Turnitin.com and writing assignments completed during class time to make sure students do their own work and generate their own ideas. // How can we as educators stop students from using material they found online as their own work? Should that be considered cheating, in your opinion? As educators of children who have grown up immersed in technology, our students will naturally turn to the internet as a resource for schoolwork. One of the first tasks we need to accomplish to stop students from using material found online as their own work is to educate them about plagiarism. We need to ensure they understand that using someone else's work as their own IS cheating, and encourage them to avoid this pitfall. We hope to see our students succeed in higher education, and academic dishonesty is not tolerated in college courses. In order to prepare our students to succeed, we must be on the same page as these colleges. Assigning in class writing assignments where students must generate their own ideas is a great way for them to practice completing their own work. Later on, when students do complete work outside of class and have access to online sources, it is important to communicate that there will be consequences for cheating, and enforce those consequences if students attempt to use someone else's work as their own.
3. One student claims he "never reads books" but relies on summaries and annotated notes he finds on Web sites. He confesses that he feels guilty about this, stating, "I feel like I kind of cheated it." // In your opinion, should he feel guilty? Why or why not? Although it is all too common to find this type of behavior among today's students, I do believe he should feel guilty. Relying on someone else's study and summary of a book is within the definition of cheating. The intent of the assignments are for students to read an author's work themselves and complete any accompanying work, and if a student never reads the book themselves, they are skipping the majority of the assignment. Using online summaries and notes also goes against the intent of those resources - they are meant to be used for review and were never intended to replace the actual reading of the content they summarize. More importantly, the student is stunting their own education by relying on outside sources instead of doing the work themselves, and this could have devastating long-term consequences for their education.
4. Before the Internet, in order to be seen by the world, you had to be portrayed in some form of mass media, and you had to be famous in some respect -- in the news, in politics or as a celebrity. Now anyone can be seen online by anyone else in the world. Some people have become famous for videos or photos they’ve posted (such as Autumn Edows). // In your opinion, should people like Edows, or others who become “ famous” through their online presence, be considered “celebrities?” Has the ability to create an online persona, and receive worldwide attention for it, affected our cultural values? I do not think people who become "famous" from online pictures or videos should be considered celebrities. While there are a variety of ways to become famous, a true celebrity is someone that many people can look up to or admire, someone with a contribution to society worth celebrating. It is common for a good president or political leader to become a celebrity, or a talented actress or singer. Many people admire the accomplishments of these people, and their growing popularity leads them to become celebrities in that sense. With online attention, anyone can become "famous", whether or not their accomplishment or contribution is worth much value. I do believe this new ability to receive worldwide attention for an online persona has affected our cultural values. Instead of promoting those whose accomplishments are worth our attention and affection, we promote anyone that seeks attention. Our culture is more interested in something that entertains us, even if only for a moment, instead of valuing long-term contributions to society around us. This type of culture encourages people to pursue attention however they can instead of encouraging people to seek out more reputable accomplishments.
5. Shows like "To Catch a Predator" on Dateline NBC contribute to parental anxiety about online media. It is obvious that certain elements of programs like “To Catch a Predator,” and even this documentary, will likely increase parents’ fears. // Cite one current event from the past year where a young person has been affected (positively or negatively) by being active online. (find a link to a news story, describe it in your answer to this question, and provide the link as well). A recent trend among students that has led to several deaths is the "extreme selfie" challenge, where teenagers attempt to take photos of themselves in extreme situations. The trend is promoted online as teens hope to gain likes on social media. This trend has had a negative influence on young people by encouraging them to put themselves in danger. An article by Rolling Stone gives ten recent examples of young people who died while trying to take selfies.
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/pictures/death-by-selfie-10-disturbing-stories-of-social-media-pics-gone-wrong-20160714/accidental-cliff-dive-20160713
6. Teasing, lying, gossiping, threatening, spreading rumors or harassing online (and offline) can severely affect people’s self-concept and self-esteem and have an impact on their emotional state. In the program, we see one girl who describes flirting with boys and then revealing she was just kidding. She explains: "You wouldn’t do that to someone’s face, but online is completely different. ... No one can do anything. You’re at your house, they’re at their house." // In her quote, this teen is describing Suler’s disinhibition effects. Which one do you think it is, and why? This quote is an example of Suler's Effect called dissociative imagination, "It's Just a Game." Under this effect, the girl is separating her online presence from her reality offline, and she views her online activity as a game. She doesn't believe that "rules" apply online, and she believes she can leave all of her flirting and games behind once she leaves her computer. In her quote, she expresses that she believes online games have different rules than reality when she states "You wouldn't do that to someone's face, but online is completely different... No one can do anything."
7. At the end of the program, Greg decides it’s time for him to "disconnect" by going to the Coast Guard Academy, where he will spend seven weeks without cell phones or the Internet. //
Have you ever thought about "disconnecting" from it all? Do you think it would be easy or difficult for you personally? What would you enjoy or dislike about disconnecting?
I have "disconnected" from social media before by deactivating my facebook account, and I would definitely consider doing it again. I found that it was more enjoyable to learn things from my friends by talking to them and hearing about exciting events directly from them, instead of learning about their life from social media, even if I hadn't seen them in a while. I also felt less distracted when I was working, studying, hanging out with people, and other daily tasks because I never needed to check my facebook. That being said, there were some drawbacks to removing myself from social media, such as missing out on an opportunity to connect with friends who live further away and missing some invitations to events that were only posted online. If I were to disconnect again, I would miss these opportunities again. Although I would love to free myself of the distractions once more, I think it would be more difficult this time around since most people my age rely heavily on social media for a lot of communication.
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