Author: Nicholas Bonnet

“Technology is altering (rewiring) our brains. The tools we use define and shape our thinking.” 

George Siemens sums up a big 21st century phenomenon with this one-liner. As new technology enters our homes and offices, the way we approach problems is changing. Information is now readily available in a way that it has never been before.

Rote memorization of content is now obsolete. Spending time learning facts and figures that you can access at any point from your smart phone doesn’t make the most logical sense. However, as Seimens states in the Ed Surge article “‘Our Technology Is Our Ideology’: George Siemens on the Future of Digital Learning:

[I’m] worried that, rather than advancing our human potential, many edtech companies and universities are perpetuating the status quo. While machine learning and automation are obviating the need for learners to memorize content and develop routine skills, current edtech solutions still focus on helping learners develop these capabilities, he says. 

As we race to modernize education, we have to be careful about what the platforms are teaching us. Are they reinforcing old fashioned notions of education? Or are they “[driving] students to hone their uniquely human traits—the ones that will help them thrive in an increasingly automated world” (McNeal)?

Every platform has an agenda as well. As we have discussed in this course, it’s important to be cognizant of the fact that where we get out information has biases of its own. Or in the case of social media, the platform will advertise to your belief systems to raise its own profit margins. As discussed in the Tristan Harris TED talk, companies use our own brain chemistry to get us to click more, check-in more, and post more.

But these platforms also allow people from different learning communities to come together and share their expertise. The pipelines created for information in these communities allow for people to recognize that information is every-changing and not static. It also empowers people to contribute even in small ways as part of the big picture.

This is the element that I think is important to focus on. The ability for people to access knowledge from experts in a vast learning community is going to drastically open access to information. Things like MOOPs will begin to challenge antiquated notions of the college experience.

As Siemens says ” “If we do things right, we could fix many of the things that are really very wrong with the university system, in that it treats people like objects, not human beings. It pushes us through like an assembly-line model rather than encouraging us to be self-motivated, self-regulated, self-monitoring human beings” (McNeal).

These statements are true to some extent. However, I also think that these issues have been going on for much longer than the internet and that our online life just exacerbates our natural tendency to “fit-in” or compare ourselves to others. Before Instagram models, there were fashion magazines. Way before the phone, people avoided social interaction with the newspaper.

Miller brings up a good point when he says that we are in control of our lives and we can decide how we want to use our tools. He mentions how his parents use the internet in a much more efficient and productive way, participating but not letting it consume their days. Yes, there is an addictive quality to the internet. It provides constant stimulus and relief from boredom. However, if you are unable to balance your consumption, your social-emotional health begins to decline. Miller mentions several times that he had way better conversations with people when he was off the internet. He was able to focus fully on them and not have the internet in the back of his mind. He also says that he missed out on a lot of social occasions with friends and family. Balance.

Balance is the lesson I have learned about social media use. Share those special moments with the world, but don’t miss out on them by being glued to your rectangle. Use apps such as “Time Out” that warn you when you have reached your daily limit of internet surfing. Avoid following people that are putting forth an unrealistic profile of their lives. Follow people who have an inspirational message and are genuine. It is our tool and we can choose how to control it.

As you think about your own use of social networking and media tools and platforms, what are your thoughts about the issues of safety, security, and privacy?

In 2001, the Patriot Act was born out of the events of September 11th. The government openly said to the public that they were monitoring computers and telephones to find terrorist activity.

I remember the debate well between people back almost two decades ago. One side would say “We have a right to freedom! I don’t want some stranger peaking into my private life.” The opposing view would counter with “It’s for our own protection. They could be stopping thousands of terrorists attacks before they ever occur.”

It’s funny that 18 years later, we are still discussing this issue. Only this time, it revolves around the social media platforms we use everyday.

In my opinion, as soon as you log onto the internet you are forfeiting your right to privacy. Your favorite search engine is building a profile on your search habits. Your go-to shopping website is keeping track of your purchases, updating what they advertise to you, and selling your information to other websites. Even insurance providers purchase your online data from companies to confirm or deny claims.

I have always grown up with some form of the internet for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t great when I was a kid, not like it is now. Ask Jeeves was still the premier search engine for school projects.

I’d imagine that my views on privacy are quite different than those who didn’t have internet growing up. In my mind, if I have to get an x-ray and take off my shoes at the airport, why should my online experience be any different? How about those pages of user agreements no one ever reads? Or the permissions granted to applications you use on Facebook? Privacy is not obtainable if you want to be “plugged-in” to society. That’s the world I was raised in.

What are your concerns?

My concern is not exactly about privacy. It’s more about how our online data is used to manipulate us. Facebook used targeted ads during the last presidential election to spread hate-filled messages and misinformation. Social media determines your political views and makes sure that what you are presented matches what you believe. Social media tricks kids into spending their parent’s money on micro-transactions.

At some point, the data being collected stops helping us. It started innocently enough. Targeted shopping advertisements, helpful automated search queries, and news articles that you might find interesting.

However, when social media begins to impact society as a whole in negative ways, that’s when I start getting concerned. Social media often seems to bring out the worst in people. There is no filter online. The ignorance and hate flows through message boards and comments. People spout hate speech, festering like a sore. Pretty soon, it spurs others to act out against other groups.

Churches get shot up. Gay night clubs get shot up. Schools get shot up.

I firmly believe that social media is one of the top catalysts for domestic terrorism. Security is not what these platforms aim for. Sensationalism makes money. Safety does not.

What are your ideas for addressing them in ways that still allow you to take advantage of the value of social networking and media?

Personally, I am very weary of which platforms to utilize. I do not subscribe to a lot of sites. I am not a part of Twitter. I post occasionally on Facebook to advertise my shows, but I never engage in the community. During vacations, I post pictures to Instagram to store my photos and to let people know where I am and that I am safe.

That’s it.

My solution to my concerns has been to minimize my time in these social media communities. I use them when I need something specifically. I don’t use them to kill time or to follow strangers. I never use social media for news anymore. To get my news, I listen to NPR and go on to the BBC website for articles.

Often, I will use a VPN and clear my cookies to help keep my data collection to a minimum. If you haven’t tried this, I’d recommend it. You’ll notice a difference in your online experience. Ads will be different. News headlines will be more varied on Facebook. Most importantly, your data will be encrypted and protected from hackers.