A Personal Awakening

This has more to do with 'The Dumbest Generation' then 'Alone Together'- just a thought that I had as I was attempting to do homework. I realized that I actually wanted to put off homework that required a computer and do my reading first because I know how easily distracted I am. I am constantly tempted to use social networking sites when I am on my computer. Its as if being online and seeing the screen REQUIRES me to have facebook, twitter, and skype open in seperate tabs-all while being unable to resist the urge of the buzzing sound my phone makes when I receive a new text.

WHY IS IT SO TEMPTING? I am curious to what all of your thoughts on this are. For the most part the online conversations I have are completely pointless. They are those conversations that two people have when they're bored---but I have things to do. Important things, Things that I am paying (a lot of money) to be assigned to do. Why is it that rather than just getting my work done and then relaxing and getting some extra sleep, I choose to scroll through tweets and creep on Facebook.

I know that I am capable of concentrating when reading a textbook, writing with a pen and paper, and studying for a test. However, when I try to log onto the computer to find sources, type a paper, or check angel, I simply cannot fight the temptation to plug into the online social world and read unimportant statuses and have unimportant conversations. Why is that so appealing? I just can't seem to understand what is so enticing about it all.

  "They may even be recalled as the generation who lost that great American heritage, forever."

I have now finished the book and reflecting over the entire thing, I have come to the following conclusion: Something seriously needs done about the way our generation looks at school and learning. Something needs to be done about educational standards and teaching curriculums. Someone needs to find a way, not neccessarily to take away technology from young children and teens, but to make teens WANT to learn. Its just a matter of finding this mysterious "someone" that will change the country.

Twixters

On page 170, Bauerlein writes about the choices that Twixters make- they pass through service jobs such as waiters, clerks, nannies, and assistants instead of pursuing long term carreer plans. He writes that they move back home with their parents or into a house or apartment with other Twixters and states that we do not form long term relationships leading to marriage. If this is the case, why does everyone (adults) say that you have to go to college and get a degree in order to obtain a job? I have been told how much competition there is in applying for a job. Why, if most Twixters settle for the string of temporary jobs like waitressing, is it so difficult to get a "real job" that will be a long term carreer? I just dont understand.

After reading through some of the posts by all of you in class, my mind kind of tangented off. I started to wonder if in the future, more people could work from home. With our ability to multitask online, a lot of jobs could be done on a home computer. Meetings could be scheduled in video chat. The pages for different companies would allow easy access to all of the company information, services and products for sale, and opening positions. Obviously some parts of the job would need done in person, but there is no reason why someone sitting at a desk in their office couldn't be mostly working from home. The time freed up by driving to work would be open for other more productive things, and it would save so much gas money.

This book is copywrite 2008. Since it has been written, the technological world has advanced so much that some of the information sounds strange to hear. MySpace was from middle school which seems like a different world. Texting is now unlimited...but this reminds me of when you only had a certain amount to use per month. When I got my first cell phone...one of those flip phones that don't even exist now... I had 200 texts a month. I use more that that in a day. Buying CDs seems ancient as well. We download all of our music online- I doubt if some teenagers know if they even sell CDs anymore.

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 I do believe that children can learn things from technology. Programs that teach children about diversity will benifit them in elementary school. Shows like Dora the Explorer teach kids Spanish. I remember Barney the Dinosaur taught me my ABCs in 3 or 4 different languages. There are benifits to technology, but it SHOULD NOT be used as a means of babysitting!!! Parents who sit there child in front of the tv or the computer while they cook dinner are using movies as an easy way of occupying their kids.

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People are abandoning paper books for the digital versions, but can you blame us? Carrying an iPad, kindle fire, or laptop is much easier and less cumbersome than a stack of books. I personally like the non digital versions of textbooks. For pleasure reading, the kindle is fantastic. its easy, portable, and  turns into an internet connection when I need it. However, I like being able to flip easily back and forth between pages or jump to a different chapter in my textbook. The digital versions make that more difficult.