Online Connection=In Person Disconnection

This week, we explored how participation culture has transformed the online world. It was interesting to see how the digital world has evolved into a place where we all feel connected, regardless of the miles separating us. As humans, we can often feel small and insignificant globally. Still, online trends and digital phenomena allow us to participate in something that makes us think we are a part of something bigger than we are. As much as we laugh at the stupid YouTube and TikTok trends such as the ones Wesch referenced (Numa Numa dance, Soulja Boy dance or the iconic Charlie Bit My Finger), we can’t help but sit in awe of the community connection these silly trends provide us.

(Here is Gary in 2023 redoing his original video...

the content we didn't know we all needed).

I think as teachers in the 21st century; we are now faced with not only needing to stay on top of what is happening in our homeroom and in our school, but in the effort of protecting our students and nurturing their wellbeing, we are forced to be aware of the latest online trends. Most of our students have access to the internet through various avenues, which means the opportunities for them to view and participate in inappropriate content without much effort. Teachers have a similar responsibility to parents to inform our students about digital safety and online etiquette in the same manner we teach bike safety or anti-bullying campaigns.  This new online participation culture can potentially eliminate many in-person interactions that children and youth once frequently participated in.

With much of this participation culture being relatively fresh and new, the adults in the room still look fondly on the days before the overwhelming digital world. Katia took me back to the good old days in our recent lecture about the technology of the past; I will never forget the way I felt so connected to my friends through MSN messenger or how my world changed thanks to Bear share and LimeWire downloads (sorry about the viruses’ dad). My husband and I constantly remind our son that when we were young, if we wanted to play video games with our friends, they had to be in the same room as us. Video games, which used to be a fun social activity on the weekends with friends, have now created an often-lonely world where youth spend hours upon hours with their only interactions through an online chat or platform. While this transformation of being able to participate socially without even leaving our homes offers some pretty cool opportunities, it also offers some potentially damaging side effects to the mental health of our children and youth.

Did you use LimeWire or Bear Share during your childhood?

• 0%Yes I did and still probably have viruses (HAHA)
• 0%I knew about it but never used these programs
• 0%I was not alive during this epic period of time.

As much as we tend to focus on the opposing sides of the new participatory culture, we can’t ignore the positive impacts this could have on our classrooms. We used to write pen pal letters that would take weeks to arrive; now, our students can participate in live video chats with a group of students across the world.  Student-athletes who are required to travel frequently can learn remotely from their teacher through various online learning platforms. Students can participate in online collaborations with their peers in projects in class and continue those collaborations in online at home. Teachers can genuinely personalize and differentiate the content for their students and how they access it. Like any new and different technological advancement, there are pros and cons. The challenge for educators will be balancing allowing our students to participate in the vast online community while ensuring we do not lose the in-person classroom connections.