What Have I done….


Immediately following this presentation, I was left in a state of shock.
It took me all weekend to digest the bucket of information Jessy dumped on us.
I was questioning all my past actions and thinking about instances where I have probably crossed a line, potentially a legal line. I feel like I am fairly knowledgeable and competent when it comes to computers and technology, but I was also faced with the fact that, in the end, I know nothing about security and privacy.

A picture of the snapchat icon
Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash
For all the pictures and videos I have sent over Snapchat, I am so disheartened and sorry that they will live FOREVER on a server in a faraway and unknown land...

This sparks the consideration that as future educators, we must be mindful as we balance our social, personal and professional spheres for we will be responsible for the vulnerable sector. This puts us in a position where we have a
DUTY OF CARE
and therefore it is of most importance that we reinforce our awareness as we navigate these networked spaces. 


The phone is on the kid, the kid is in the class, the class is in the school, the school is in the district….

It was disheartening to learn that students in middle school have a harder time dealing with the stressors of social media. Their poor brains are still developing and they simply can’t handle the pressure! It’s also not their fault that most adults around them are consumed and coerced into the social spheres and the potential of technology. Most adults did not get the opportunity to have good models to set the example. The promotion for a balance between life and technology is still being learnt for this new age of technology is still fairly recent.

While we won’t get the same level of usage and intensity of phones and computers say between, say a grade two student and a grade 12 graduate, here is a quick list of potent thoughts for reflection from Jessy: 

  • Personal use entitlement
  • Balancing professional expectations
  • Create open dialogue of usage with students and coworkers
  • Understand Social Media culture
  • Reflect on your use with co-workers
  • Learn how to be an ethical User
  • Value of information!
    (When it’s free, it’s because you are the product and they are selling our data!)

“VIDEO GAME PLAY IS POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH WELL-BEING“


This is an article written by Andrew Prizybylski, a researcher that Jessy mentioned during his talk.

“My work is mainly concerned with applying psychological models of motivation and health to study how people interact with virtual environments including video games and social media.” 

I feel like I can trust this gentleman, and I plead for him to save us!

While I can appreciate his statement, on the surface I do not see any problems with playing video games. Nevertheless, I have encountered too many scenarios where young people are staying up for hours on end, unable to detach themselves from the game to catch some shut-eye. 

Suuure, I have had my share of late nights playing Mario Party until 4 in the morning, eating ramen at a sleepover… I am not thinking of these one-off, festive nights that happen once in a blue moon, for these can be quite rewarding!

When individuals are playing for more than 8 hours a day, unless it is some sort of employment, I deplore the lack of moderation. While that sounds a little harsh, I appreciate not everyone has had positive role models for appropriate and healthy actions towards this hypnotizing pastime. I believe talking about it and creating self-awareness is a great first step, and this topic has its place in the classroom.

It’s time to party!

Photo by Egor Ivlev on Unsplash