Youths and Their Digithings by Rachael Shapiro

youths and their

digithings

contents Chasing

M. Sllew

Online

the

Relationships:

Cookie 3

Fa l l o n F l e m m i n g

What’s

the

Word

Technolo g y

Handwriting

and

Jules Marg raf

I’ll

Sarah DeMora

Talk

It?

the

Classroom?

Hard

Selfie

Emily Strauser

Drives

Study

Part

Worth

Buddies

Meghan O’Connor

Someday

They

Turbulence

Nicole Agli

Bad

. . . . . .

Laptops

Rich Riskie

Our

Are

Yo u r

World...Maybe

Me 17

. . . . . . . . . .

Generation

Caitlin Musser

Texting

Mind

Control?

Candance Bibb

The

Trouble

with

Yo u

Honestly

Millennials

Save

K a r e n Pe r e z

Makes

and

Cell

Phones

Date

Jeremy Atlas

Technolo g y

Teacher s

Amanda Manzo

Online?

the

World!

Learning

Lia Lanzelotti

Possible

Tech-ucation Jackie Massaro

How

Much

Temporar y

Fix

Erica Spinelli

Really

Brianna Ward

The

Power

Use

Our

Technolo g y

Andrew Balmer

Phones?

sense of relief from many of the students. Multi-tasking is cognitively exhausting-when we do it by choice, being asked to stop can come as a welcome change (Shirky).” His article also cites research which supports claims that multi-tasking has a negative impact on cognitive learning and memory. These culminating reasons led Shirky to finally make the decision to ban technology altogether. Shirky’s sentiments echo Dan Rockmore’s. Rockmore, a Professor of Computer Science at Dartmouth, banned laptops in his classes once they became increasingly common. In his 2014 article “The Case for Banning Laptops in the Classroom” in the New Yorker online, He cites a 2003 study from Cornell University. The study divided students into two groups: students who were able to use their computers freely during a lecture, and students who did not have any access to technology during the lecture. Out of the two groups, the students who were free to use technology during class did not score as well on the lecture quiz, which supports his idea that “multi-tasking degrades task performance across the board.”

Chasing The Cookie

If you give a student a laptop in class, they will need to keep it open. And if they keep it open, they will click on Facebook. And if they click on Facebook, they will need to look at pictures. Looking at pictures will remind them to tweet their brother to wish him a happy birthday. Thinking about his birthday will remind them to click on their Amazon account to make sure his present was delivered. And when they get to the Amazon account they will see all that smartphones are on sale…. Well, those aren’t the exact words to the famous children’s book “To Give a Mouse a Cookie”, but you get my point. I know what you’re thinking, it is a silly parallel to make, right? Almost insulting to college students everywhere. But think about it, how many students with

by: M. Sllew

laptops or other technology tend to multi-task while in the classroom? It is more common than you may think. Over the last few years it has been a hot topic of debate on whether or not to ban laptops in classrooms on campuses everywhere. Maybe you are asking yourself “what’s the big deal?” According to an article written by New York University Professor Clay Shirky, it is a very big deal. Big enough for him to finally ban all technology (including phones) from his classrooms. This may seem like an unusual request since Professor Shirky teaches Theory and Practice of Social Media, and has been teaching students about the internet for nearly two decades. He details his explanation in his 2014 blog “Why I Just Asked My Students To Put Their Laptops Away.” Shirky began noticing students were using their devices to a point where they were becoming such a distraction it was taking away from class time. He initially began asking his students to refrain from using their devices. He noticed when students did put their devices away, it was “as if someone has let fresh air into the room. The conversation brightens, and more recently, there is a

While all of this may be true, why are college students the only ones getting the bad rap? After all, It’s not just students who are embedded in technology, and, after all, this is the world they were raised in. Is banning laptops in the classroom really the issue? Perhaps it is more symptomatic of a larger cultural shift we are witnessing. Have all of us become habitual digital “multi-taskers”? Whenever you are standing in line, or waiting anywhere for that matter, isn’t it more uncommon to see someone without an electronic device? How many times have all of us been in the presence of family or friends, at social gatherings or public events, and have pulled out our smart phones for a quick look? Have we all become digital zombies? Are we all chasing the cookie? Sherry Turkle thinks so. Turkle, a professor of social psychology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been doing research on this subject for almost

“89% of Americans admit they took out a phone at their last social encounter- and 82% say that they felt the conversation deteriorated after they did so.” 30 years. In her newest book “Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in the Digital Age”, she calls for a new cultural movement. We need to spend less time in the digital world and put more face-to-face time in our lives. She feels we are at a cultural crossroad. We need to make a conscientious effort to change our habitual use of technology in order to take control of our lives. She argues the simple art of conversation is culturally imperative, and we have lost the value in it. In her interview with Tim Adams from the digital magazine The Guardian, she cites a statistic that 89% of Americans admit they took out a phone at their last social encounter- and 82% say that they felt the conversation deteriorated after they did so (Adams).” Turkle’s concern is that people are always in limbo between their screen life and their real life, which creates issues in our real lives as we constantly withdraw from it. As a result, we are never giving anyone our full attention. There are definitely digital challenges in the world we live in today, but how are we, as a society going to make changes? And, do any of us want to make changes to live in a world where we limit our use of when and where we use technology? College age students have been raised with technology from the time they were toddlers. During their formative years, should there have been more of a societal awareness on digital etiquette? Should there be more of an awareness on digital etiquette for all of us, and if so, where does it start? All of us are just too busy trying to keep up with an ever-increasingly progressive digital world to stop and take the time to think about how it actually affects our daily life. Technology advancement is occurring at a much quicker rate than we can process. In order to understand the cultural growing pains we are experiencing in the digital/real world, we all need to pause and reflect… maybe we should stop and have a cookie and a glass of milk while we ponder…

M. Sllew is a Writing Arts major. A self-professsed technophobe, she is working hard to overcome her technological challenges.

Chasing The Cookie

by: M. Sllew

M. Sllew is a Writing Arts major. A self-professsed technophobe, she is working hard to overcome her technological challenges.

Although this can seem alarming, this proves that the vast majority do tell the truth on Facebook.

“1 in 4 users lie on Facebook”

Online Relationships:

One in four users who lie in any way only makes up a quarter of the billions using Facebook on a day

Are They Worth It? Fallon Fleming

Okay. So you’re single. And you’re definitely ready to get on out there, and start a relationship. But let’s face the obvious truth: you’re not in high school anymore. You may not even be in college anymore, and you’re afraid you won’t meet anyone. Maybe you’ve forgotten how to flirt, make a move, or even initiate a potential relationship outside of your pet cat or dog.

So what are you supposed to do? According to the Huffington Post, “Thirty-eight percent of Americans who are ‘single and looking’ say they’ve used an online dating site or mobile dating app.” Online dating and relationships are becoming more and more common with each passing year. In her book, Personal Connections in the Digital Age, Nancy Baym discusses the positives and negatives concerning online relationships. She documents an unbiased account of the realities of online relationships, showing the pros and cons. But the truth is that technology is an ever growing aspect of our lives, and because of this, so too will our interactions through these mediums. So the question still remains…is it okay to engage in romantic

“54 Percent Of Online Daters Found Someone Who ‘Seriously Misrepresented Themselves.’”

relationships with the people we meet online? Can we trust the people behind the screen? According to Baym, “Most people, in most cases, seem to err on the side of truthfulness, especially when they are linked to other people and social identities through their self-representations, although they may manipulate their self-presentations strategically and, at times, not entirely honestly.” This seems at least a bit comforting; however, it is not entirely accurate. Across the online universe, there are many virtual worlds. There are Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, eHarmony and other online dating sites, as well as virtual reality games such as Sims, Better Life, and so much more. The amount of places where people self-identify online are limitless. According to Baym’s findings, more people are inclined to be truthful online, so it would be plausible to believe that most people, on each site, are truthful. Upon closer examination, I have found that different social media platforms can have varying degrees of truth and honesty. For example, people on online dating sites, such as Match.com and eHarmony, appear more inclined to lie about some things than not. For example, in the Huffington Post, a research study found that, “54 percent of online daters found someone who ‘seriously misinterpreted themselves.’” This is concerning for many people, and it also differs dramatically from Baym’s claim that people are more inclined to be truthful online. As I continued to study different social medias, I began to find that the levels of truth and deception differed across the board. For example, research done by CNN reported that, “1 in 4 users lie on Facebook.” 5

to day basis. It’s not perfect, but it appears that Facebook is a safer platform than an online dating site, most likely because Facebook has many more personal connections that involve peoples’ real lives and face-to-face interactions, than an online dating site. For example, most people are friends with their families, coworkers, friends, and other individuals who know them personally, making it harder to lie without being called out or simply looking strange and being questioned. On an online dating site, it’s unlikely that you know the other person on the other side of the screen, which can open up opportunities to reinvent oneself. The lies found on dating sites are not always deliberately done to deceive the person on the other end. Many times, according to Baym, they are things like weight or size, and whether or not one smokes or not. These lies are told in the hopes that once the persons involved do meet, their “lies” will become “truths.”

BUT This is not true. Dating is not dead. Wanjuki points out research that states that, “Relationships that start online do just as well — if not better — than ones that start “in real life” and “Online dating sites can help your chances of finding “the one” because it widens the dating pool.” This is great news! Older research may have scared away people from online relationships, but current and up-to-date research shows the many potentials of online dating and relationships.

So, there is hope! Online relationships many times turn into long term, real life relationships. As long as one remains cautious online, there really is no need to be fearful. It isn’t too hard to spot a blatant liar on social media, and the lies on dating sites tend to be minuscule. If you remain aware and actively engaged with someone across multiple platforms, and then hopefully in person, there will be no need to worry! Online dating does not take away from real life, nor is it something to fear when you use online sites intelligently. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and find your online love!

Another fear of online dating is its potential lack of authenticity. In the introduction of her book, Alone Together, Sherry Turkle poses the question, “Does virtual intimacy degrade our experience of the other kind and, indeed, of all encounters, of any kind?” This is a common fear amongst people today: we are often warned that the world on the web and social media platforms have a tendency to connect us to those far away, but create a divide between us and those that are close to us in the real world. The fear extends, as Turkle points out, that technologies will ruin human interaction completely. Likewise, Wagatwe Wanjuki, a writer and social media strategist expressed her fear and frustration that because of social media and online dating sites and apps, “dating is dead.” For single people who really want to find love and long term relationships, this can be discouraging. Especially when the buzz around some of the most popular dating platforms, like Tinder, Meet Me, and more, are known as the places to go when you want to meet an attractive person, hook-up and/or have sex. It seems that no one wants an actual relationship in this day and age.

Fallon Fleming I am a Senior at Rowan University. I am currently a dual major in Writing Arts and Elementary Education. I love God, my family, my kitten, and summer!

Although this can seem alarming, this proves that the vast majority do tell the truth on Facebook.

Online Relationships: Are They Worth It? Fallon Fleming

“54 Percent Of Online Daters Found Someone Who ‘Seriously Misrepresented Themselves.’”

“1 in 4 users lie on Facebook” One in four users who lie in any way only makes up a quarter of the billions using Facebook on a day

Fallon Fleming I am a Senior at Rowan University. I am currently a dual major in Writing Arts and Elementary Education. I love God, my family, my kitten, and summer!

What’s the Word on Laptops in the Classroom?

by Rich Riskie Imagine, for a moment, that you are a college the world would he or she take such liberties? Indeed, student. By the standards of the law in this country, and each of these questions serves as legitimate cause for for all intents and purposes surrounding this article, you concern, amongst a sea of others that have gone unwritare an adult. You have landed yourself at a prestigious ten; however, one must attempt to grasp the ins and school somewhere in the world. Check that—it doesn’t outs of the entire situation by investigating the varying even have to be prestigious. You could simply be attend- perspectives and possibilities before jumping, perhaps ing classes part-time at your local community college. mistakenly, to unsupported conclusions. The key here is you are an adult paying handsomely for Anyone the least bit mindful of their surrounda secondary education somewhere within the realm ings should be well aware of the position the average of the real world. When the time presents itself (early 21st century student has on this issue, as most are digital natives that have grown (and continue and often, surely), you plan to record “…college students are old to grow) along with the present technotes on that shiny, new laptop recently bought with loans, or grants, or enough to vote and go to war. nology. But, what of the educators? tip money, or WHATEVER—but then, They should be old enough to For just a moment, let’s put ourselves in a professor’s shoes. Can you imagquite unexpectedly, your professor decide for themselves whether ine lecturing in front of students that informs the members of the class that laptop activity is not to be permitted they want to pay attention in rarely make eye contact with you? within his or her classroom… class—and to face the con- Whose eyes are consistently fixated Wait—WHAT? sequences if they do not.” on the screens of portable computers? It is your job to make sure the acquiOvertop the static of your sition of knowledge is occurring within your students. brain shorting out, you hear he or she speak briefly of the studies that have been done suggesting laptop usage With informal assessment techniques involving basic, yet vital, class discussion and interaction dwindling due in the classroom serves as nothing more than a distraction. The professor concludes by assuring the class that to different forms of technology, how is this to be done, save from knocking on wood and keeping body parts the move will benefit them greatly in the end. Distraccrossed as you nervously grade exams? tions down, grades up—everyone’s a winner. Makes Undoubtedly, more and more educators are sense, right? becoming fed up with the uncertainty new technology Even if you viewed the professor’s claim as logbrings to the collective learning table. Dan Rockmore, ical, as an adult, how would this make you feel, really? How would it feel to have someone decide things for you a professor at Dartmouth University, is near the top of the list, and has written extensively about his feelings when, ultimately, adult decisions should be matters of surrounding laptop usage in his article, The Case for preference and left to the beholder? Furthermore, what Banning Laptops in the Classroom. Rockmore makes if you were a student in the apparent minority who was note of the universal downfalls he and the majority of able to temper laptop usage in class to a level where it his colleagues are witnessing right before their eyes. was not only beneficial to your learning, but, in your He goes on to reference a landmark study performed humble opinion, essential? Would the professor be at Cornell University in 2003 titled “The Laptop and overstepping his or her bounds then and, if so, why in 7

the Lecture,” which split a class into a “connected” half (laptop use permitted) and a “disconnected” half (laptop use omitted). Upon participating in a post-lecture quiz, the results of the “disconnected” students were, indeed, found to be higher, further substantiating the position of Rockmore and his colleagues. However, as anyone who has ever set up shop at the back of a modern day classroom infested with laptops can attest—and with great confidence—many of these digitally inclined “note takers” are doing anything but taking notes. Assuredly, if students desire to Facebook instead of academically save face, the responsibility of wasting their valuable time and money should fall solely upon them. The question must be asked, then: Why should the conscientious laptop users be penalized for the mistakes of the immature, or irresponsible? Rebecca Schuman, an education columnist for Slate, weighs in on this perspective in her article, In Defense of Laptops in the Classroom. Schuman does not refute the validity of Rockmore’s argument; rather, she believes, even if laptops are proven to be distracting, college students are old enough to make their own choices. In her eyes, it should not take long for distracted students to become bitten by their own bad decisions, and correct the sophomoric behavior reflected by their grades if they so choose. Moreover, this take on the issue provides students performing admirably in class free reign to use laptops as they deem fit. She goes on to say, “…college students are old enough to vote and go to war. They should be old enough to decide for themselves whether they want to pay attention in class—and to face the consequences if they do not.” Many educators might find Schuman’s stance a bit difficult to swallow, however, as livelihoods may be at stake. Additionally, those that care greatly for their students’ wellbeing (most educators, optimistically) will want to do whatever is in their power to appropriately prepare each pupil for his or her own career and life. Many educators view their success (or lack thereof) as their legacy. If laptop use impedes upon an educator’s self-perceived success and legacy, laptops in the classroom will not only be endangered, they will be extinct Clay Shirky, a professor at NYU, is another believer in the banning of laptops, but sees the situation in a far different and much more complicated light. Shirky believes that, even if a student has the best of intentions, technological advancements regarding the laptop and its capabilities have become such that distractions are a guarantee. Using Facebook as an example, Shirky

states, “The form and content of a Facebook update may be almost irresistible, but when combined with a visual alert in your immediate peripheral vision, it is—really, actually, biologically—impossible to resist. Our visual and emotional systems are faster and more powerful than our intellect; we are given to automatic responses when either system receives stimulus, must less both.” According to Shirky, human beings, as a collective whole, do not have as much, if any, choice in the matter of paying attention; surroundings either allow or forbid it. As classrooms over time have typically been set up with the smoothest relay of information in mind (down to the neutrally painted walls), it should come as no surprise that laptops are increasingly viewed as something utterly counterproductive—a true detriment to the learning process. So where does this leave us? Well, let’s jump back to the opening scenario for a moment. You are once again a student paying an arm and a couple of legs for schooling. The professor gives the same opening spiel about laptops and how distracting they have been proven to be. This time around, however, you are newly equipped with the knowledge that corroborates the professor’s decision as not only a good one, but an educated one. Are you now able to view the ban as something more than unfair or unwarranted regulation? Is it possible for you to perceive it as something crucial to the thorough and long overdue cleansing of the learning environment? If not, perhaps you are a student who belongs within the tiny sliver of pie where those that effectively and responsibly rely on laptops in the classroom reside (either that, or you are someone addicted to social media and blowing opportunity). As it goes, it may not be time for you to worry just yet. Many educators who are neutral are unaware of the studies. Aside from that, though, there will always be professors who refuse to ban laptops no matter what the studies say, or those that see things as Rebecca Schuman views them. However, it is undeniable as to which way attitudes are trending. Depending on which side of the spectrum you find yourself, it may be time to brace for the worst, or prepare for the best.

Rich Riskie is a student at Rowan University who majors in Elementary Education and Humanities/Social Sciences. He enjoys writing and finds the following quote to hold words he tries to both write as well as live by: “You ain’t gotta like me. You’re just mad because I tell it how it is and you tell it how it might be.” -Aristotle

What’s the Word on Laptops in the Classroom?

Technology Turbulence: Anxiety Caused by Constant Communication When it comes to online culture, and the new

anxieties and pressures that come along with it, one might be able to answer what brings pressure into their lives. Social media might be one of the popular answers people think about. Maintaining an online image can be stressful and time consuming. One aspect that may not be explored as much are the anxieties and stress that come with text messaging and communicating with others. I began to ask myself during my research, how did these anxieties come to and what are they about? Our constant need for communication is running our lives more than we think it is. Text messaging has become the number one way of interacting with one another. Long gone are the days where we need to wait hours or days for a call, email, or letter back. Our interaction with each other has become immediate and oddly satisfying. At least, that’s how we think it should be.

and receive one. There is a “third space” however, for lack of a better term, that can accurately be described as the waiting time between messages. This wait time has put more stress on us than we may be willing to realize. I recently read an article that

emphasized the pressures

“The three dots shown while of wait time between text someone is drafting a message messages. On iPhones, the in iMessage is quite possibly “typing awareness indicator” or the “...” ellipsis that shows the most important source of up when someone is typing, eternal hope and ultimate let- plays an excruciating role in down in our daily lives” how we perceive communi-

Along with this new way of communicating comes new expectations and the stakes are raised high. Text messaging is seemingly two parts, send a message

cation. Though the typing awareness indicator goes

back to the 1990’s with dial

up internet and buddy lists, it gradually has be-

come a part of us and almost second nature in our daily routine. Around 2005 Blackberry’s BBM was introduced that indicated whether someone was

typing, whether or not the message was delivered and whether it was even read by the other person (Bennett, 2014).

Sometimes the typing awareness indicator comes up, goes away, and never returns. This is a prompt for us to assume the other person decided to not answer us because they don’t deem us or the conversation important and just decided to flat out ignore us. This is a one way street to an unnecessary anxiety that can be felt everyday. However, it seems our response to it is almost automatic, not put there from anything specific but something we just created on our own. The expectation is most likely put there from our own perception of on how the majority of people handle communication, considering mostly anyone who has a smartphone has it attached to their hip 24/7. Since we know most people have access to this communication, when someone doesn’t answer us we get extremely self-conscious and this feeling and expectation can even go as far as ruining our day. Since constant communicating is part of our daily lives we are expected and expect ourselves to be in the know and updated constantly. The typing awareness indicator “conveys that something is being done, but won’t say what” says Paul Dourish, a professor at University of California in Irvine who studies society and technology interaction. It’s no wonder then with the constant stream of information we can achieve using technology, the “...” give us so much anxiety because it’s the one thing we truly don’t know.

students, it is clear that there is no real reason to constantly be interacting on their phones, it’s just a “need to connect” (171). Since Turkle’s study is more focused on adolescents it is obvious that though it is still just as important for students to take time to discover themselves Turkle states that “the text-driven world of rapid response does make self-reflection impossible but does little to cultivate it”(172). Turkle introduces part of her study as “The Collaborative Self ” The students interviewed in this section show a deep connection with their constant communication. Julia, a sixteen year old states how she is uncomfortable until she receives a text back. Ricki, a fifteen year old texts people and when she doesn’t get a response from one person, texts another. It is these actions that adolescents now do not process emotions alone and without their cellphones and a constant need to connect, they don’t feel like themselves (176). This behavior has become the norm for society and we have become accustomed to acting in such a way. Thus I can sum up that indeed our constant anxiety from something as miniscule as “...” is actually our fear that our ability to connect with others is taken away from us.

“the text-driven world of rapid response does make self-reflection impossible but does little to cultivate it”

This article tied in with another study done by Sherry Turkle who studied the communication and online interaction of students from early teen to college age demographic. During her interview with the

Nicole Agli is currently a super senior at Rowan University. She studies Writing Arts and Elementary Education. She enjoys reading, writing, and monitoring her daily online usage.

Technology Turbulence: Anxiety Caused by Constant Communication When it comes to online culture, and the new

emphasized the pressures

Along with this new way of communicating comes new expectations and the stakes are raised high. Text messaging is seemingly two parts, send a message

cation. Though the typing awareness indicator goes

back to the 1990’s with dial

up internet and buddy lists, it gradually has be-

come a part of us and almost second nature in our daily routine. Around 2005 Blackberry’s BBM was introduced that indicated whether someone was

typing, whether or not the message was delivered and whether it was even read by the other person (Bennett, 2014).

Following the birth of the iPhone and iMessage however, this phenomenon has exploded and people are getting anxious from the expectation of the dots. The dots do more than show that the other person is typing, they bring with it expectation of what the message will say. For example, if the dots linger for longer than a couple of seconds, the expectation is that the message will be long and worth reading. Once the message is received, however, the message could be anything but. Maryam Abolfazli, a writer from Washington who has written about online communication said: “The three dots shown while someone is drafting a message in iMessage is quite possibly the most important source of eternal hope and ultimate letdown in our daily lives” Sometimes the typing awareness indicator comes up, goes away, and never returns. This is a prompt for us to assume the other person decided to not answer us because they don’t deem us or the conversation important and just decided to flat out ignore us. This is a one way street to an unnecessary anxiety that can be felt everyday. However, it seems our response to it is almost automatic, not put there from anything specific but something we just created on our own. The expectation is most likely put there from our own perception of on how the majority of people handle communication, considering mostly anyone who has a smartphone has it attached to their hip 24/7. Since we know most people have access to this communication, when someone doesn’t answer us we get extremely self-conscious and this feeling and expectation can even go as far as ruining our day. Since constant communicating is part of our daily lives we are expected and expect ourselves to be in the know and updated constantly. The typing awareness indicator “conveys that something is being done, but won’t say what” says Paul Dourish, a professor at University of California in Irvine who studies society and technology interaction. It’s no wonder then with the constant stream of information we can achieve using technology, the “...” give us so much anxiety because it’s the one thing we truly don’t know.

“the text-driven world of rapid response does make self-reflection impossible but does little to cultivate it”

Nicole Agli is currently a super senior at Rowan University. She studies Writing Arts and Elementary Education. She enjoys reading, writing, and monitoring her daily online usage.

Handwriting and Hard Drives: How We Should Incorporate Technology Into the Classroom by Jules Margraf It’s no secret: technology is necessity in our modern age. Without a computer, Smartphone, or a simple internet connection, life becomes significantly harder. One particular area where life becomes challenging without that internet access is in the classroom. Schools are migrating towards technology-based educational spaces, and the support behind that movement is not one-hundred percent. Why? What could be the problem? There are a plethora of arguments on both sides, and that’s what this article will discuss. Should we be working at shifting our educational environments to be media-based, or should we be altering students’ habits to fit educational environments? Older, anti-technology folks might use N. Katherine Hayles’ article Hyper and Deep Attention: The Generational Divide in Cognitive Modes to argue that this change in the classroom is negative. Hayles discusses the barrier between generations and their attention spans—the older generations having relied on Deep Attention (long points of focus) and the younger generations, specifically “Generation M,” rooted in Hyper Attention (short bursts of attention). To reinforce her ideas, Hayles provides readers with data on the increase of ADD/ADHD diagnoses. Technology and digital media have great impact on these changing attention spans, and Hayles backs this idea through discussion of brain plasticity and the brain’s reaction to digital environments. She states, “Children growing up in media-rich environments literally have brains wired differently from those of people who did not come to maturity under that condition.” Hayles is not the only one to bring this idea to light. In his piece, “The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires Brains,” Nicholas Carr analyzes technology and how it changes our brains. He referenced the findings of Gary Small, a UCLA professor of psychiatry who studied used computers several hours per day, and compared their brain activity against those who

rarely used computers; furthermore, Small made those computer amateurs use computers more than they had before, and then compared their old brain activity to their new, post-computer brain scans. Ultimately, his studies found that brains rewired and adapted to these new computer-based environments. Small stated, “The current explosion of digital technology not only is changing the way we live and communicate, but is rapidly and profoundly altering our brains.” Carr continues his article by stating that “more brain activity is not necessarily better brain activity.” It’s true, media-rich environments are impacting and changing brain activity in people of all ages, but the outcome is not quite as clear. We aren’t sure this is a negative result of our societal delve deep into technology, but we must adapt much the way our brains have. Educational environments have added technology to the classroom in hopes of keeping the attention of students, and “keeping up with the times.” Time spent with media-based electronics has skyrocketed, and now we do everything from banking to ordering food online. Technology is something monumental, and the changes it causes will, in turn, be just as monumental.

“The current explosion of digital technology not only is changing the way we live and communicate, but is rapidly and profoundly altering our brains.” And what about handwriting? If children are typing all the time, who cares about handwritten work? In the Reading Rockets article, “The Importance of Teaching Handwriting,” the author discusses the positives of learning handwriting. The author states, “...labored handwriting creates a drain on mental resources needed for higher-level

aspects of writing, such as attention to content, elaboration of details, and organization of ideas.” He goes on to discuss the way children learn-if they create letters, with their hands, they are also learning the sounds those letters make. As someone who works with children daily, I see this come out during “homework time.” Kindergarteners learning to write a “K” always make the “cuh” sound while doing it. If first graders ask me how to spell something, I sound it out for them and they write the letters they hear. I never actually thought about this aspect of the handwriting discussion. While technology has its benefits, so does oldschool learning. But what is to be said by those pro-technology persons? It wasn’t too long ago that teachers banned calculators in the classroom--they worried that those calculators were negatively impacting students’ learning. If these tiny, technological shortcuts were given to students, how could they make it through everyday life? Counting should be done in the head, right? Some said those calculators made students lazy and stupid, while others were on the side of calculators, happy that they were an efficiency tool children could use in the classroom. Is modern technology comparable to the calculator?

Well, that depends on who we ask. “Technology as a Tool to Support Instruction,” is an article written by Lynne Schrum, previous president of the International Society for Technology in Education. In this article, Schrum separates herself from both anti-technology groups and pro-computer hypemen alike. Learning won’t necessarily become the easiest task in the world, she realizes, but technology in the classroom will definitely aid in the learning process. “Technology can change the nature of learning,” she states. This article, written in 2000 and edited in 2005, predicted that change, long before the technological curve even began. Maybe we should find a happy medium between technology-rich classrooms and old-school learning. “In a technology-rich classroom, students don’t “learn” technology. Technology merely provides the tools to be used for authentic learning. It is a

means, not an end,” she states. Schrum discusses technology in the sense that children use it like notepads and pens. Computers aren’t a necessity in front of each child’s face, but a tool for the classroom that can enrich their learning experience. This article may be outdated, but I enjoy this discussion of meeting media and “traditional” learning. Learning is dynamic and subjective, and technology in the classroom will undoubtedly have a beneficial impact–it’s more about finding a happy-medium, where learning can take place without distraction.

“Computers aren’t a necessity in front of each child’s face, but a tool for the classroom that can enrich their learning experience.” If the changes technology brings are monumental and inevitable, does that mean giving up on curbing our children’s patience? Does the school environment have to be entirely technological with no textbooks, no workbooks or handwriting? Will cursive even matter in ten or twenty years? These questions are all part of that massive shift in the making. Personally, I’d like to see a hybrid of learning types--some Smartboards in classrooms, maybe a few computers for the children to type essays, do research, make projects--and some of the oldschool workbooks and textbooks, too. In high school, we had to use laptops or risk pink slips and detention. I find I read better on paper, and do math problems better with a pencil. The laptop helped me research in literature class and type out essays, but I wanted an in-between. Maybe I’m just a bit too old school for my own good, and I understand that technology means growth and we could all use a bit of that-but I’d still like to find middle-ground. I hope we gravitate towards technology-as-tool classrooms, but not entirely tech-centric educational spaces.

Jules Margraf is a Writing Arts student at Rowan University. Jules enjoys poetry, long walks across the campus parking lot, and screaming at the television during football games.

Our Bad Study Buddies By: Meghan O’Connor

“How much knowledge is being lost and time is being wasted by these students... A lot!” It is impossible to go out into the world today without seeing someone using some type of internet device. Whether it be a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, people have them out and are typing away like it is their job. And yes you might be saying, I use my laptop for work all the time. Everyone does. Sure that is all good and true but I guarantee that if you count the amount of times you pull out a digital advice for personal reasons it will significantly trump the number of times you use it for work during the day. This is because we are becoming addicted to these devices, we need to always be online and connected, constantly checking are notifications least we miss something important or go ten whole minutes without responding to someone. Think about it. When was the last time you were purposefully ‘offline’ for a significant period of time? I bet it wasn’t very long or if it was a long time it was when you lost your phone and you spent that entire hour searching frantically for your lifeline. We are

used to being connected with access to just about everything 24/7 and when that connection is broken you life seemingly becomes futile. Devastation and panic ensues. Now think about the youngest generations, if you are not already a part of that generation yourself. Those college, high school, and now middle school students who have grown up with these devices always at hand are always connected. Their addictions to these devices are much stronger and they seem to be completely lost in life if their internet access is taken away from them. Ever try to take an 18 year old to a place without wifi? They wonder what they did for you to make them suffer so. Can you imagine these students willingly putting their devices away for an hour or two to study for a test or write a report? Probably not and it is very unlikely for any to do so. But here is the real question: How much knowledge is being lost and time is being wasted by these students when they are incessantly checking/updating/perusing through their digital devices while studying? Let me answer that for you. A lot! Larry Rosen, writer for Computers in Human Behavior, completed a study that watched how often students go off-task while studying for a test that will account for a significant part of their final grade. According to this study “students ‘on task behavior’ started declining around the two minute mark” and students only focus on studying 65% of the time in a 15 minute period. This means that if a student put aside one hour to study at least 20 of those minutes will be wasted doing other things. And this is only if they are able to maintain a 65% focus con- 13

sistently through the hour. If their focus steadily decreases after the first 15 minutes it would be unsurprising if less than half the time was used for studying. Half-an-hour of total unproductivity. And don’t forget this is what happens when a student is studying for something they consider to be important. Imagine how much time gets wasted when it is ’less important’. This may seem to have an easy fix. Just tell students how much faster they would get all their studying done if they put a phone away. But the chances of them taking this advice are pretty slim, they are addicted to this lifeline of connectivity. “Attending to multiple streams of information and entertainment while studying…has become common behavior among young people — so common that many of them rarely complete a problem set any other way” says Rosen. Forcing them to stay off devices may seem to be the best option, except many schools require that you be on some type of computer to study or complete homework. What is worse is the amount of knowledge students are able to absorb while multitasking with these digital devices is less than sufficient. Maybe you don’t care about how much of their own time they are wasting, but you should care about how smart they grow to be. These children are our future and they are failing to learn and remember crucial information. When speaking of using digital devices while studying Nicholas Carr, writer of The Web Shatters Focus, Rewrites Brains, states,“Because it disrupts our concentration, such activities weakens comprehension”. No one can argue that the brain is not a magnificent thing, enabling us to do more than we even realize. But it is not magical, and can only do so much at one time. Accord-

ing to Carr we are overloading how much are brain can handle and comprehend at one time when we are trying to study on top of doing a variety of other meaningless things on the internet. In his article Carr states, “The short term storage is fragile: A break

“Learning is suffering, time is being wasted, and memories are failing”

in our attention can sweep its contents from our mind”. Students can only take in a portion of what they are studying when they also reading texts, checking Facebook, and watching funny video clips. Even less of that information will make it into their long term memory and will be available for access in later years. We only transfer a small bit of the information we are trying to learn into our long term memory when we do not focus solely on that single thing, but does that one way focus even happen anymore? Learning is suffering, time is being wasted, and memories are failing us all due to the act of multitasking on digital devices while trying to process important for educational information. Everyone, both adults and students alike, need to realize how harmful the use of digital devices while studying is to comprehension and understanding. It is wasteful to spend our time half focused on learning, especially when only fragments of the information will stick in our memory. If we do not find ways around this digital barricade the chance of having knowledgeable adults running our future world is become more and more slim. Nothing will ever get done because they will not be able to pay attention to a problem long enough to fix it and if the answer is not on google they will be at loss. Knowledge is everything, but it is fading from our memories.

Meghan O’Connor is majoring in Elementary Education and Liberal Studies at Rowan University. She is sequencing in English and Writing Arts.

Our Bad Study Buddies By: Meghan O’Connor

“Learning is suffering, time is being wasted, and memories are failing”

Meghan O’Connor is majoring in Elementary Education and Liberal Studies at Rowan University. She is sequencing in English and Writing Arts.

Some Day I’ll Be, Part of Your World... Maybe

By: Sarah DeMora Dating and relationships have become such a social norm, that people today feel like it’s a job to be in a relationship. If you’re lucky, you’ve been in a committed relationship for awhile now, and are most likely starting to settle down. But, if you’re anything like me, dating isn’t exactly your “forte”. While roaming through Nancy K. Baym’s book, Personal Connections in the Digital Age, and Wagatwe Wanjuki’s article about relationship research, it’s clear that my life is far from un-ordinary. In chapter 5 of Baym’s book, she talks about how people today form relationships online, and how & why they do so. In it, she states:

“We can meet new people and form rewarding new relationships - as well as the common concerns that the people we meet online cannot be trusted and may even be dangerous.” I can relate first hand on online relationships, and just how scary meeting someone new can be. In the last two years, I have met two guys online. In September of 2014, a guy had messaged me on Twitter telling me how cute I was and how he wanted to get to know me. I messaged him for a few days before he decided to give me his number. After that, we started texting all day, every day, about many things. We lived in the same state, which was a good sign, and would talk about real life things. We started to follow one another on other social medias, and we were getting close to the

“meet up” stage. I was very hesitant, for I’ve never been in a relationship, therefore I was nervous enough. But, meeting him for the first time was scary as well. Is he who he says he is? Is he dangerous? Will he hurt me? All these thoughts ran through my head. Luckily, I had great friends who wouldn’t let me go alone the first time meeting him. He, however, was not happy about that, for he wanted our first “meeting” to be a date. And, according to psychologist, advice columnist, speaker, and author, Dr. Joy Davidson; men should let women use their common sense, and accept it. In the long run, this guy was not budging, and moved on fairly quickly. Well, that was the end of that. The next guy started talking to me this past December. We have many mutual friends, and I was able to talk to a few about him before doing anything legit with him. He wanted to see me on New Year’s Eve so he could actually meet me before the new year. I was nervous but said okay. We met at my work, and stayed right in the shopping center. I refused to go anywhere else with him. Meeting someone new is always scary, so going somewhere new or uncomfortable can make the situation much harder or even awkward. Dr. Davidson, however, believes that people should meet somewhere that you’d go on a first real date, not just a check-her-out type prospect. Honestly, you want to be somewhere that is comfortable to you. If walking around somewhere familiar to you that has people you know around is better for you than a dinner or movie, then I say let it happen. 15

A first meeting should not have to be a date, therefore, you shouldn’t need to make it feel like one. Don’t ever feel pressured in going on a date the first time you meet someone from online. Along with just introducing yourself to someone new, there can be “turn-offs” in the first meet as well. Maybe the person doesn’t look the same as they do in their pictures. Maybe they’re taller or shorter than you imagined. And while physical appearance is not always the best/right way to judge a person, we all do it. While meeting the guy at my work, I was a little taken back by his height. I didn’t let it fully affect my feelings, however, it was in the back of mind constantly. Let’s be honest, us women tend to want guys who are taller than us for sentimental reasons. So when this guy came up to me, and I was a few inches taller, it was awkward to me. I’m not proud of these feelings, but hey, we all have them. A meet-up is called a meet-up for a reason. Again, I’m not saying that just saying hello somewhere is the right approach, but a five star restaurant is not exactly right either. Sure, the first time meeting someone is nerve racking no matter where you are or what you are doing, but you should always be comfortable and feel safe. Sometimes the guy will offer to pick you up. If you’re okay with that, go for it. If you’re not, tell them you’d prefer to meet somewhere. Most of the time they will respect you and your decision. Never feel pressured in doing something you don’t want to do. One thing that is for sure, Wanjuki was right:

“Being single in our society can really suck.”

Yes, being single in today’s world really does suck, and in more ways than people realize.

You feel like your life is not going anywhere being single, and many times, you just feel left out among your friends. It’s not an easy situation, nor is it fun sometimes. You feel alone, stupid, and you believe that something is wrong with you. There are bad days, but there are good days as well. Surrounding yourself with family and amazing friends help you to see there are other things in life besides dating and relationships. But one day, the right person will come along. And when they do, and you meet them online, always remember to trust yourself and your judgement. They will respect you for it, I promise. So for now, be the 21 year old Disney lover. Enjoy your family and friends. Because everything happens for a reason, and one day, your prince charming will come along and sweep you off your feet.

I am an aspiring teacher, majoring in American Studies and Writing Arts. I love to write in my free time, and enjoy spending time with my family and friends. Disney is a huge part of my life, and I adore every aspect of it.

Some Day I’ll Be, Part of Your World... Maybe

“Being single in our society can really suck.”

Yes, being single in today’s world really does suck, and in more ways than people realize.

explored the language of selfies on Instagram and started to get to the bottom of why they’re so important to these three teenage girls, as well as how important selfies are to other people.

Talk Selfie to Me By Emily Strauser

inger and Penny are teenage girls. They take selfies and post them on Instagram almost all the time, and they usually have an average of twenty-something likes a day. They wait a while after posting their selfies, and they start getting likes and comments from their friends and classmates from school. They say that they have to “stay relevant” and keep posting their selfies, and their parents can’t understand why they have to keep posting selfies. It wasn’t like they’d die or anything, right? Both of them scroll down Instagram and comment and like on others’ selfies, too. They just posted their newest selfies on Instagram, and about five minutes have passed since then. “I got ten likes already!” Penny cheered.

are part of today’s culture, and everybody knows what they are. i

How (Most) People Translate Selfies

verybody has some kind of opinion on selfies. Some people love them and think they’re fun and self-expressive. Others think they’re self-indulgent and egotistical. No matter what way you slice it, selfies are part of today’s culture, and everybody knows what they are.

In an article in Times Magazine called “The New Greatest Generation,” Joel Stein and Josh Sanburn talk about how millennials are all part of “The ‘Me’ Generation” that uses technology too much and how millennials are all selfish despite how we were raised, which was to be more confident.

“

slice it, selfies are part of culture...

“No way! I loved your selfie. today’s Super cute.” Penny started scrolling down along her screen with a hum, “Maybe Dana’s offline.”

kinds of social media in order to gain some kind of fame, whether this fame come from Facebook friends or followers on Instagram.

Everybody has some kind of opinion on selfies. Some people love them and think they’re fun and self-expressive. Others think they’re self-indulgent and egotistical. No matter what way you slice it, selfies

In an interview with three teenage girls, Ira Glass

For many teens and millennials today, selfies and social media are like a full-time job. The selfies, their comments, and their likes all have meanings behind them.

Likes on selfies mean that people have seen your selfie, but they don’t feel the need to comment for some reason or another. This can range from not liking the selfie enough to outright laziness. Sometimes, somebody may like a selfie to be polite. i

Why “Speak Selfie?”

ow you look in a selfie can mean the difference between lots of comments from your friends and an ignored picture on Instagram, which can make the poster rather anxious. “You definitely feel insecure. Because, like, you expect them to comment, and they don’t, and you’re like, why?” says Ella, 14, during her interview with Glass. Glass also explains that “... these comments are these super-positive, ‘you’re so pretty, OMG, you’re so cute’ kind. And a lot of it is heartfelt, girls just trying to be good friends to each other.”

What Selfies Actually Translate To

Ginger scrolled down on her screen, brows furrowed. Apparently, confidence means narcissism, and what “Dana didn’t comment on my post, but she comment- better way to show that than through our countless ed on yours.” She looked over selfies and even online media such at Penny. “Was my selfie not No matter what way you as Vine or Snapchat? People post good enough?” their selfies and short videos on all

“Hmm, okay. Maybe you’re right,” Ginger murmured.

Across the board, people think that selfies are taken by the narcissistic millennial generation, but they can be taken by anybody that knows how to take one properly, and there’s a hidden meaning that a lot of people don’t understand behind the likes and comments left on the selfies by other people. So, let’s learn how to speak in selfies, comments, and likes. i

may be unwelcomed by the poster.

In commenting on each other’s selfies, teens are creating a chain reaction of people commenting on selfies and building up self-esteem as well as maintaining it. Teens work on updating their selfies daily and looking for approval and confidence boosts from their friends while their parents and adults think they’re just fishing for likes.

elfies generally set some kind of mood depending on the expression on the face, which makes them kind of like emojis in text messages. According to Wolfgang Ullrich in his article “Selfies as a Universal Language,” selfies are extremely similar to emojis In commenting on each other’s in how expressive they are. selfies, teens are creating a chain Emojis are based on human expressions, so it makes reaction of people commenting on sense that they’re so similar selfies and building up self-esteem to selfies.

“

Millennials are said to be super vain for taking so many selfies, posting them on social media, and searching for comments and likes. Honestly, how as well as maintaining it. Comments on selfies mean can we not take selfies different things dependwhen we were raised to be more confident? The cycle of ing on who comments. If a stranger comments on a confidence with teenagers commenting and liking each selfie, then the person who comments wants to get other’s selfies is admirable, and it reinforces what we’ve to know the person in the selfie and become their been taught while growing up: be confident. friends. If a friend comments on a selfie, that means it’s a good selfie, and the post is obligated to comTo “speak selfie” is to be confident and help your friends ment on the friend’s selfie, creating a circle of self-es- maintain their confidence by liking and commenting on teem management between friends. It’s really sweet, their selfies. i actually. Within comments, there are certain things that people can say in them and things people can’t say. Comments generally include phrases such as “So cute, OMG!” or “You’re so pretty!” and the like. Words like “hot” can even be used in comments on selfies, but the word “sexy” is generally not used in comments since it implies some kind of sexual attraction that

Emily Strauser is a Writing Arts student at Rowan University. She enjoys writing creatively, dogs, and chatting with friends on social media.

Talk Selfie to Me By Emily Strauser

are part of today’s culture, and everybody knows what they are. i

How (Most) People Translate Selfies

“

slice it, selfies are part of culture...

“No way! I loved your selfie. today’s Super cute.” Penny started scrolling down along her screen with a hum, “Maybe Dana’s offline.”

kinds of social media in order to gain some kind of fame, whether this fame come from Facebook friends or followers on Instagram.

In an interview with three teenage girls, Ira Glass

“Hmm, okay. Maybe you’re right,” Ginger murmured.

For many teens and millennials today, selfies and social media are like a full-time job. The selfies, their comments, and their likes all have meanings behind them.

explored the language of selfies on Instagram and started to get to the bottom of why they’re so important to these three teenage girls, as well as how important selfies are to other people. Across the board, people think that selfies are taken by the narcissistic millennial generation, but they can be taken by anybody that knows how to take one properly, and there’s a hidden meaning that a lot of people don’t understand behind the likes and comments left on the selfies by other people. So, let’s learn how to speak in selfies, comments, and likes. i

Why “Speak Selfie?”

What Selfies Actually Translate To

may be unwelcomed by the poster.

“

Emily Strauser is a Writing Arts student at Rowan University. She enjoys writing creatively, dogs, and chatting with friends on social media.

Me Me Me Generation

What comes to your mind when you hear that we are basically all a part of this Me Generation? It is now the biggest generation, even bigger than the baby boomers, and yes, you are most likely considered a part of it. People in the Me Generation, also considered the Me Me Me Generation, the millennials, are thought to be narcissistic, lazy, and self-centered. How could people possibly call us narcissistic? Well, they believe that the way we use social media gives us these wonderful personality traits. It is commonly thought that we use social media to boost our self-esteem but the confidence that we get from the feedback on these selfies is seen as self-centered. When did having confidence turn into a bad thing? In an article called Let Me Take a Selfie, Christopher T. Barry states,

swer to is whether or not posting selfies on social media are boosting this generation’s self-esteem or narcissistic attitudes. I want to know how far one actually has to go to be considered narcissistic. I believe that people post selfies to boost their self-confidence. When they take a picture that they like, they like to hear that people like it as well. They post their selfie on social media and when people respond positively, they get a little self-esteem boost. The Me Generation was raised in ways that would give them better self-confidence. It was thought that having good self-esteem would make them successful. In an article called The Newest Greatest Generation by Sanburn and Stein, I found it very interesting when they said,

I can say that I am guilty of posting the occasional selfie, and I do like the positive feedback that I get, but why does that make me narcissistic? With all this being said, the question I want to know the an-

Good self-esteem makes you good at the task at hand, but does it give you enough skills to continue to excel at those things after? You got what you want but now you

“Those who post a high number of selfies are believed to be narcissistic or attention-seeking.”

“It turns out that self-esteem is great for getting a job and hooking up at a bar but not so great for keeping a job or a relationship.”

need to figure out how to keep it. How do you do that? Continue to post selfies on social media so that your self-esteem keeps getting a boost, of course.

Now people are saying that this generation has too much self-confidence. We are viewed as narcissistic and self-centered because we post selfies. This is because it looks as if we only care about ourselves and nothing else. It looks as if we only do the fun things we do so that we can post about it on social media. The millennials are thought to be obsessed with themselves and that they spend more time taking selfies and posting what they are doing on social media rather than enjoying themselves and living in the moment. People view the millennials as a group who works hard so that they can show off their accomplishments. So they don’t really care about graduating from college right? People assume they just post a picture so that everyone else knows they did. David McCullough Jr. made a speech at a high school graduation and gave the graduating students the advice,

“Climb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.”

I liked this quote so much because it made me think about the things I post on social media and why. I also started looking at what other people post to see if they are showing off the good things they do instead of just working hard. It made me question whether what is post is it to show off what I have done or if it is simply because I am proud of myself. I have thought about it and have come to the conclusion that I am sim-

ply proud of myself. I like posting selfies on social media but I have decided that it does not make me narcissistic. I like getting positive feedback, like I’m sure everyone does, but that is not all I care about. Now I am not talking for everyone but I don’t think that just because someone posts a selfie means that all they care about is the feedback they get, even if they are looking for good feedback for a nice self-esteem boost. These millennials of the Me Generation who post selfies left and right are also the people who are giving good feedback to other people posts, whether they are friends with them or not. If they like a picture, especially a selfie, they will like and comment on it. They give other people a confidence boost and I don’t believe they would do that if they were narcissistic. A girl named Melissa, who is a part of this generation, made a video about all of her thoughts on the subject called Confidence and Narcissism and Low Self-Esteem. I loved when she said,

“I am just so tired of when someone takes a selfie and people think they’re like obsessed with themselves because they felt confident enough to take a picture.”

Being confident with who you are is fantastic and I believe that people should continue to post as many selfies as they want. The things people post on social media is up to that person and it should not be the deciding factor of their personality. It is good to have self-confidence and people should not put others down because they are proud of themselves. Although this generation can be viewed as self-centered narcissists, I view them as people with excellent confidence and they are changing the world for the better one step at a time. Hi! My name is Caitlin Musser and I am a junior at Rowan University. My major is Early Childhood Education and my minor is Writing Arts.

Texting or Mind Control? By: Candance Bibb The ways in which we communicate today are very different than it was in earlier times. Prior to the massive technological advances in recent years people were reliant on snail mail and, if they were savvy, email. In those forms of communication, people had the luxury to be patient and wait for a response. These days if a person sends a message and doesn’t get an immediate response he or she experiences a sense of anxiety and panic. How did we get to this point? I grew up with the saying “patience is a virtue.” It seems as though the virtue of patience is no longer a part of our societal makeup.

constantly checking their phones, “we seek more than we are satisfied.” That is also why when people are out to dinner, at a movie, or in a meeting the can not resist the urge to check their phones. Even though they probably did not receive any messages, it is the seeking that drives them to have their phone present even though it is awkward or inappropriate. The way texting has evolved has changed what is now viewed as socially acceptable. People are so obsessed with receiving messages that there is now the problem that even though they did not receive a text, they feel the vibration of their phone in their pocket as if there is an incoming text. Our minds have started to play tricks on us! This phenomenon is called “Phantom Vibration Syndrome.” It is no joke! According to Dr. Michelle Drouin a professor located at Indiana University-Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Indiana, “89% of the undergraduates in her study had experienced these phantom vibrations about every two weeks.” That is a very high number of times for our mind to play psychological tricks on us! If that were me, I would be very worried. In fact I might start to think I was going insane. How is it that we allow ourselves to think that it is ok to fantasize that we have an incoming text, when in reality there is nothing there? In Dr. Michelle Drouin’s study the students stated that it was “bothersome” to have those feelings. Of course it is bothersome! It would bother me too if I started feeling things that aren’t really happening. What brings on these phantom vibrations? The answer is simple, anxiety. The students who had their phones but were not allowed to check it, reported higher levels of anxiety which was reduced once they were able to check their phone. Larry Rosen Ph. D, says the best thing for this is to try to “calm your mind.” In order to calm your mind he suggests taking a ten minute break from messaging about every two hours.

With today’s technology everyone has the ability to carry a mini computer in their pocket. Some people are so connected to their devices that they feel a sense of loss if they do not have it on them all the time. This phenomenon is what has created the anxiety and panic attached to instant messaging. When someone sends a text they assume that the person receiving the text has their phone with them, so they start to think “why is it that they don’t respond immediately?” Their anxiety is relieved when the person who originally sends a text finally gets a response. Not only is the anxiety relieved, but also the pleasure center in our brain is activated and releases the chemical dopamine. So waiting for a text is equivalent to a drug addict waiting for the pleasure of the next dose. In the article “Are You Addicted to Texting?” by Susan Weinschenk Ph.D, she writes that “dopamine induces a loop -- it starts us seeking, then we get rewarded for the seeking which makes us seek more.” So it is more than just a two step process of one: receiving a text and then 2: receiving a reward. The way that dopamine is released can be thought of as a system. There are two types of “systems” that work to get us the reward we seek while we are messaging. There’s dopamine system which induces the “wanting” aspect of the cycle and then there is the opioid system which activates the “liking” aspect of the cycle. The wanting or the craving for the pleasure inducer, in this case the text, is stronger than the liking (opioid) system. That is why people are 21

Some options that he offers are: excersize, sing, listen to music, read a book, or talk on the phone. Or another thing that is great is setting up a schedule for checking your phone. Possibly every 15-20 minutes checking the phone instead of every other minute. This will also lead to less distractions because when you pick up your phone to check it you are more likely to check how your virtual kittens are doing as well. Not only is it just teens and college students who are feeling the side effects of being addicted to texting but “parents say that they, too, feel trapped. For if you know your child is carrying a cell phone, it is frightening to call or text and get no response” (Turkle 174). Sherry Turkle mentions in the passage “Growing Up Tethered” that parents feel the effects of being caught up in the emotions of not receiving an immediate response back to a message.

No one could have predicted this epidemic but hopefully we can find a solution to these problems. By focusing on one task at a time the quality of our work will improve and if we incorporate discipline in our daily routine by restricting our use of instant messaging we can help ourselves reduce the needless anxiety these new forms of communication bring with them.

Candance is a junior at Rowan University. She is currently an Education major. I can also proudly say I like cats and tend to eat cereal for breakfast. Ultimate frisbee and yoga are my favorite sports.

“Teachers made it easy for us to slack off and sneak our cell phones, but it can’t be like that anymore.”

We are in a generation where technology is always on and there is easy access to get on the internet. We have Wi-Fi, data, roaming, and hotspots that it is impossible not to be able to surf the internet and to get distracted by social media, so what is stopping them from using their cell phones? Teachers made it easy for us to slack off and sneak our cell phones, but it can’t be like that anymore.

By: Amanda Manzo

Raise your hand if you have a cell phone… I bet your hand shot up without even having to think about it. Now look around… How many people are on their phones? I bet half of the people around you are and most of them are probably too mesmerized by their phone to even notice you looking at them. How many times do you go to class and most of the students, including yourself, are too indulged with your phones to even half heartedly listen to your professor? Did you ever think why that is? Here’s another thought, if college students are constantly on their phones in class, what do you think the younger generation is like in school, especially since they’re growing up with technology? Cell phones play a huge role in this generation. Children, younger and younger, have cell phones and they may just use them to play games and to text their parents but it doesn’t stop them from being dependent on them. When you were in high school, how many times did you sneak your cell phone out to send a text message? Create a Facebook status? Watch a YouTube video? I know I snuck my cell phone out in probably every class. I constantly got yelled out, teachers threatened to take my phone away, and some teachers did but it never stopped me from using it anyway. But why? Why did I feel the desire to use my phone? Was it because I was dependent on it or was it because of the teacher? I never took much time to consider the different possibilities of not only my cell phone use in school, but also the other

student’s usage. I think it has a lot to do with the teacher and the atmosphere of the classroom. Who wants a teacher that stands in front of the classroom lecturing for an hour? When we were growing up and we weren’t obsessed with our cell phones yet, we would fall asleep when our teacher was boring us. Now, instead of this generation of students falling asleep in class, they are on their cell phones.

Some schools now allow students to use their phones in school and during lunch. The schools are caving into the constant use of technology and I think it’s pathetic. I understand they have to grow with the new and different technology, but the use of technology in schools becomes too much when cell phones are welcomed. The younger generation is going through a “generational shift in cognitive styles that poses challenges to education at all levels, including colleges and universities. The younger the age group, the more pronounced the shift” (Hayles, N. Katherine). It’s too late for our generation because the shift is already noticeable, but we can still save the younger generation. Student’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter as the technology becomes more of a consistent thing in our lives, so teachers need to change up their lesson plans. Instead of sitting behind a desk and talking, teachers need to learn to grab the student’s attention and make them want to learn. 23

1. Dance around, act like a monkey, get the students involved, and make learning fun and soon the students will forget all about their phones. If you are dancing around the class than chances are students will pay attention and want to look at how crazy the teacher looks. 2. Do something unexpected or humorous. Change up your daily routines. Yes, it’s good to have a routine, especially for younger children, but that gets boring and students will soon tune you out. 3.

Dress up as a character in the book your reading, act out the book, or do activities pertaining to the lesson, so students can be up and moving and using their hands for something other than their phone.

4. Hold up images that relates to your lesson and get the students involved. Ask questions about what they think the image is or how it relates to what they are about to learn. Have them write a caption or create a story about the image.

“The schools are caving into the constant use of technology...”

Some examples teachers can try is

Teachers need to give students a reason not to want to be on their phones, not to feel the urge to check their phones when they’re bored, and to want to learn. Rob Weatherhead’s article, Say it Quick, Say it Well: The Attention Span of a Modern Internet Consumer, discusses how we live an “always on world and that the current generation of internet consumers live in a world of “instant gratification and quick fixes” which leads to a “loss of patience and a lack of deep thinking”. Our generation is already lazy, we take the easy way out by finding short cuts and the quickest way to find information, so just imagine what the younger generation is going to be like and how lazy they are going to become when they have all this access to technology and the internet. Students shouldn’t feel like it’s alright for them to pull out their cell phones whenever they want. Teachers need to set ground rules and act like they want to be there. Don’t give up on the students, because of their constant use of technology it’s all they have ever known. Teachers need to do whatever they can to hold the student’s attention.

5. Speak in a different accent. I’m sure that will get them to look up and try to have them respond in the same accent. Students have short attention spans and cell phones only make it worse, so the most important thing to do in class to keep the student’s attention is to have fun! Be enthusiastic. Act like the energizer bunny if that means keeping your students off their phones and engaged in the class. Who wants a teacher like the one from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that speaks in a monotone? I know I’ll definitely need to use my phone then.

My name is Amanda Manzo. I’m 23 and attending Rowan for early childhood. I’m just an overly stressed, overwhelmed, college student trying to maintain a social life while keeping my sanity.

“Teachers made it easy for us to slack off and sneak our cell phones, but it can’t be like that anymore.”

By: Amanda Manzo

“The schools are caving into the constant use of technology...”

Some examples teachers can try is

My name is Amanda Manzo. I’m 23 and attending Rowan for early childhood. I’m just an overly stressed, overwhelmed, college student trying to maintain a social life while keeping my sanity.

Do You Honestly Date Online?

Jeremy Atlas I don’t mean to brag, but I receive, on average, 17 messages per week on my online dating profile. I’m something of an online dating guru amongst my friend group. They’ll always ask me, Hey, how do you get so many messages? As if there is some fool proof way to get more messages and views. As if I had it all figured out. Well, let me tell you, I don’t have it figured out. I lie But you’re probably thinking Wow, 17 messages per week, that’s great! And it is great, aside from the fact that those messages don’t go any further than my inbox. You see, the problem with lying on online dating profiles is that you can’t live up to the lie. My profile consists of one picture of me and Alex Gaskarth, the front man for pop-punk giants All Time Low, and two sentences in my bio – I know every word to Gold Digger by Kanye West, and I know Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low. Surprisingly, not a single message I received was about my Yeezy devotion.

truth, which usually ended the conversation. Maybe this could have been avoided by including a little more information in my bio, but I don’t think that’s the only issue. Regardless of what we may have ended up talking about, once the lie was revealed, all of my credibility went out the window.

“Regardless of what we may have ended up talking about, once the lie was revealed, all of my credibility went out the window.”

The lesson I learned from this online dating profile is the importance of being honest. Not only does being honest in your profile avoid the awkward confrontation I had with revealing the lie, but it also brings in more messages. xoJane blogger Jen Glantz writes about a time she created a 100% honest online dating profile which, to her surprise, received more messages (46) than her real profile (30) in one week. A lot of the messages she received actually pointed out that they liked how honest she was. Some even took her blunt honesty While it felt great to be receiving all those message, I realized shortly that it had become for humor. In a space where most people try difficult to engage in an actual conversation and hide their flaws, it might be refreshing to with a stranger who knew nothing about me see someone so comfortable with themselves other than a lie. It was the lie that drew them that they can be 100% open and honest with in. Plus, when they eventually questioned me complete strangers. about my picture, I was forced to reveal the 25

Creating a safe space isn’t the only upside to being honest. Glantz recalls going on dates with men she met online who seem to be disappointed when she doesn’t look just like her profile pictures. With a more honest dating profile, though, such tragedy can be avoided. She writes, “At least this way, with a profile that’s as honest as my 93-year-old great aunt, the guy on the other side of his computer knows what he’s getting into”. That’s not to say, however, that you ought to air all of your dirty laundry on the world wide web. It means you shouldn’t have to weed through facts about yourself to decide what to put online. We all do it – picking and choosing what information to put up that is a good mix between “here’s two semi-important facts about me” and “here’s everything I’ve wanted to brag about for years”. Put up that slightly embarrassing quality you have. Write about why you have a crippling fear of elevators. Not only are you creating more interesting conversation topics, you’re also revealing your true self and not some internet façade designed to bring in messages. To be fair, being honest online isn’t “It’s hard to get easy. It’s hard to past the fact that get past the fact that we’re practical- we’re practically ly raised to questionraised to question everything we see online. But while everything we see being honest in online” your online dating profile will ultimately yield a more successful profile, something ought to be said about the benefits outside of your romantic life. In her book, Personal Connections in the Digital Age, Nancy Baym lays out how being honest online can actually promote healthy mental growth.

She writes about how being honest and open can be “empowering” and “liberating”. Moreover, she says, “Practicing skills such as assertiveness can help people to work through issues involving control and mastery, gain competence, and find a comfort which they can then transfer to their embodied encounters”. Apparently, this is enhanced when the person receives praise or positive feedback for being their true selves online. So, not only will being honest in your profile help your dating life, it will also help make you a better person. Breaking out of your comfort zone and then being rewarded for doing so is incredibly satisfying. Practicing positive skills online can then transfer over into face-to-face interactions when you finally decide to meet up with that person you’ve been chatting with online. Nowadays, everything online is subject to skepticism. Reading online dating profiles can seem like an art of translation, weeding out the lies and stretched truths to reveal a real person underneath. The next time you’re editing your online dating bio, try and be a little more honest about yourself. Maybe you’ll get some more messages. Maybe you’ll feel better about how you’re portraying yourself online. Maybe you’ll feel a new sense of empowerment having the courage to open up like that to strangers. Ultimately, the worst thing that can come from being honest is someone doesn’t like something you say. Oh well. Better to get that out of the way now. As cliché as it is, maybe honesty really is the best policy.

Jeremy Atlas was born and raised in Marlboro, New Jersey, and is now an Elementary Education major.

Do You Honestly Date Online?

“Regardless of what we may have ended up talking about, once the lie was revealed, all of my credibility went out the window.”

Jeremy Atlas was born and raised in Marlboro, New Jersey, and is now an Elementary Education major.

Americans born in the 1930s and ‘40s...” A survey in 2011, revealed that 75% of Millennials donated money to charity and volunteered their time. One prime example that shows how generous the Me Generation is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. This social media phenomenon started summer of 2014 where more than 17 million people shared their challenge videos online to help raise funds for the ALS Association. Just from July to August 2014, this ice bucket challenge raised a total of $88.5 million! All thanks to Chris Kennedy, a professional golfer and a fellow Millennial, who started the whole movement! Talk about some inspiring and charitable Millennials!

Not only is the Me Generation generous, but also they are intelligent. They are a generation that values education. They are the “...most educated generation in history, according to Pew, with a higher percentage attending college than ever before.” Generation Y is in pursuit of knowledge and their

Millennials Save The World!

illennials are “lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow”. The Me Generation, people born from 1980 to 2000, is always considered to be narcissistic. With a population of 80 million people, they are bound to have an effect on society one way or another. Generation Y is considered to be all about their selfies and social media feeds, but that’s not the only trait people should be focusing on. People of the Me Generation, including myself, are heroes and we are saving the world a little at a time! And not by just posting our beautiful selfies on Instagram. So..how? This question keeps haunting me. If people keep calling us Millennials the “Me Generation” and even worse, the “Me Me Me Generation,” then how are we putting in the work to save the world, while proving the other generations wrong? When I stumbled upon Tyler Kingkade’s article “5 Reasons Millennials Are Going To Save The World (We Hope),” I came across some answers to my burning question. In his article, he reminds the public about how Millennials are doing great things despite the issues they were forced to face. Kingkade stated that, “Too often critics unfairly condemn a generation that wasn’t exactly dealt the best hand when it came to the economy, climate or civil rights.” In other words, the Millennials came into a world that

already consisted of so many issues. Thus, being forced to deal with issues because there is simply no other option. We are a generation that has learned to adapt and change with the social issues that rise everyday. Not only have we dealt with these issues, but we have risen above some of them. Personally, I think us Millennials should be given more credit! We need to keep showing the other generations that we are not just about our selfies!

educations. Investing a number of years in their education, comes with the hopes of landing a stable, decent-paying job. Millennials are thinking exactly that! Jean Case of Forbes magazine claims, “Unlike past generations, they want to make their passions, inspirations and desire to do good part of their identity—and part of their work. The lines between personal passions and professional engagements are already rapidly disappearing...this commitment to doing good in the workplace is quickly becoming the new norm that will define the generation.” Not only is our generation committed to our educations, but we want to take it a whole step further and aspire for bigger and better things. We want to take that extra step in bettering ourselves, in hopes that we will ultimately better the world around us.

“Not only is our generation committed to our educations, but we want to take it a whole step further and aspire for bigger and better things. ” With that being said, just what exactly are the Millennials doing to deal with the hand they were dealt? In Kingkade’s article, he mentions five instances that Millennials should be commended for. Five of the many instances that shows the “Me Generation” isn’t always all about themselves. They are said to be “... the most civic-minded generation since the cohort of

Joel Stein and Josh Sanburn were clearly onto something when they said, “...a generation’s great-

ness isn’t determined by data; it’s determined by how they react to the challenges that befall them... Whether you think Millennials are the new greatest generation of optimistic entrepreneurs or a group of 80 million people about to implode in a dwarf star of

“I just have one suggestion. Believe. Believe in the Millennials, “Me Generation”, “Me Me Me Generation”, Generation Y, or whatever you want to call us. Believe that we are doing great things in this world.” tears when their expectations are unmet depends largely on how you view change. Me, I choose to believe in the children. God knows they do.” Stein and Sanburn may have said that the Millennials are lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow, but in the end, they still chose to believe in the Me Generation. They recognize that we, including myself, can make a difference. The other generations may not want to admit it, but the Me Generation is quite possibly in the best position to save the world. We grew up in a society that has all the technological advances one could possibly need. With these advances so easily available to us, we will for sure make a huge impact on society when we put these advances to good use! I just have one suggestion. Believe. Believe in the Millennials, “Me Generation”, “Me Me Me Generation”, Generation Y, or whatever you want to call us. Believe that we are doing great things in this world. We, Millennials might like to take our selfies and update our news feed by the hour, but that’s not what we are entirely about. We are taking what we have been dealt and doing things much larger than us. Just believe in us. Millennials will change the world. Trust us. (You know you want to.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR! My name is Karen Perez and I am a Rowan University student. I am an Elementary Education and Writing Arts major.

Millennials Save The World!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR! My name is Karen Perez and I am a Rowan University student. I am an Elementary Education and Writing Arts major.

Technology Makes Learning Possible By: Lia Lanzelotti

Over the years there has been an on-going battle whether or not to use technology in the classroom. In my own research, I came to find that most professors disapprove of technology use in their classroom. They feel that students do not pay attention to the lecture or lesson, but instead are surfing the Internet and checking their social media. I did agree with the professors because I even caught myself doing that very thing at one point. Then it came to my attention, that if everyone cannot use technology in the classroom, it is not fair to the students with disabilities who rely on technology in order to succeed in the classroom. This thought brought me to a question: Does the banning of laptops in the classroom have a negative effect on students with disabilities? In my opinion, I think the banning of laptops has a huge negative effect on students with multiple disabilities, especially visual and auditory disabilities. I do not think it is fair for students with disabilities to be banned from using laptops in the classroom because it helps them accomplish the necessary tasks needed in order for them to pass the course. After reading the article, The Case For Banning Laptops In the Classroom by Dan Rockmore, he discusses different studies showing how laptops in the classroom are distracting, rather than simple note taking. Also, he talks about his own experiences with laptops in the classroom and why he banned them.

Dan Rockmore stated, “Our “digital assistants” are platforms for play and socializing; it makes sense, then, that we would approach those devices as game and chat machines, rather than as learning portals” (Rockmore). Another article I read that was similar to Dan Rockmore’s called, Why I Just Asked My Students To Put Their Laptops Away by Clay Shirky, who is the professor of theory and practice of social media at NYU. Mr. Shirky is also not a fan of laptops in the classroom, because he has had problems with the overwhelming distraction that seemed to grow over time. He also discusses the numerous facts about how multitasking distracts you from the main goal you were originally sent to accomplish. Mr. Shirky supports his theory with a number of studies that show how multitasking has a negative effect on the brain. I agree with Dan Rockmore and Clay Shirky’s statements and beliefs but only to a certain extent. Both men forgot to take into consideration how technology does wonders for students with disabilities. In the article, How Technology Is Helping Special-Needs Students Excel, by Heather B. Hayes, she states “Such technologies not only help students better understand concepts and keep up with their peers, they also allow the school to better and more easily integrate special-needs students into general education classes” (Hayes). Tracy Gray, director of PowerUp What Works, states “The National Center 29

for Technology Innovation and the Center for Implementing Technology in Education — three programs of the American Institutes for Research that work to improve the educational achievement of students with disabilities”(Gray). In my own personal experience, I have a close friend who has an auditory disability and her professor did not allow her to take notes with her laptop in class. She struggled for the longest time since she could not bring her laptop to class. Luckily for her she is a law student, and raised awareness around her campus of her situation. Her fellow peers were supporting her by posting on social media and inserting her story in the school paper. After discussing with her internship lawyers about her situation, she developed a new law for people with auditory needs in the classroom. This is a huge accomplishment not just for her but also for the whole community who have disabilities. When I finished reading the blog, Should I Ban Laptops in the Classroom? by Carolyn Works, she discusses how laptops in the classroom are not a good idea, but does shed light on how crucial laptops in the classroom are to students that have disabilities. After further research, I learned that Carolyn Works just graduated college with a degree in computer science. She discusses her own experiences with technology use in the classroom. Carolyn is not a fan of laptop use in the classroom because it causes a huge distraction. She stated that students should go over the syllabus to see their professor’s policy on technology in the classroom. Also, she suggests the students who are bothered by laptop use in the classroom to speak up. Carolyn Works states, “Teachers are obligated to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities, and allowing digital note taking is one such allowance” (Works). It is the teacher’s responsibility to accommodate the student’s needs in order for them to achieve a good grade in the class. Overall, I think banning technology in the classroom works for some students, but not the students who rely on technology to help them thrive throughout the class. I found this quote that I hope will help raise attention to professors who choose not to allow certain technology in the classroom. “For people without disabilities, technology makes things easier. For people with disabilities, technology makes things possible” (ibm training manual 1991).

“Teachers are obligated to provide reasonable accomodations to students with disabilities, and allowing digitial note taking is one such allowance” (Works).

My name is Lia Lanzelotti and I am a senior at Rowan University. I plan to graduate in the Spring with a bachelor’s in writing arts with a specialization in new media writing and publishing. My interests are spending time with my family, friends, and keeping active as much as possible.

Technology Makes Learning Possible By: Lia Lanzelotti

“Teachers are obligated to provide reasonable accomodations to students with disabilities, and allowing digitial note taking is one such allowance” (Works).

Tech-ucation

Even when Mike was in elementary school he and his schoolmates were exposed to alternative teaching methods in the classroom with SmartBoard technology. I had the same in high school, but we weren’t issued (or even permitted) laptops in school. I’m speaking of the millennial generation, which is fairly accustomed to general media and technology, which may explain why they have

By Jackie Massaro

When your child or sibling comes home from school, your conversation may sound a lot like this: “How was your day? Do you have homework?” If you are in school yourself, the answer to the second question will most likely always be yes. The method of homework has changed, though, as well as general classwork. It seems that children are being exposed to technology earlier than students before them. Why does it seem much more convenient to have students work on laptops or other electronic devices instead of writing with pencil and pen? Students as young as elementary school and as old as high school are being introduced to this new way of learning, but are they responsible enough for the shift? How much of an impact does this have on their grades and overall learning? Should students use technology as a primary teaching tool? Close To Home

My brother, Mike, was issued a Chromebook in fifth grade to use in class and at home for school assignments. All of his notes were saved into Google Drive, as were his homework “sheets”, and his work was due on Google Classroom. This was a strange thing to me, a student who has used notebooks all her life, to see my brother typing every night. He became familiar with the device quickly, and I dreaded the nights he asked for homework help. I didn’t know one thing about Google Drive or even how to navigate with the touchpad. I asked him one day if he missed writing by hand; he shrugged his shoulders and continued typing. It’s three years later and he and his fellow class-

mates carry that black laptop sleeve every morning to school. He spends his time completely consumed by technology, often times not being able to keep his attention on one device. If he’s on his phone, then the television is also on; if he’s on the Chromebook, the television is on and he’s checking his phone. If the habit of divided attention is prominent at home, wouldn’t it then spill over into other areas like school and social settings? If students have unmonitored access to their Chromebooks, there is no doubt attention will shift during class. A Professional Perspective

Dan Rockmore, a computer science professor at Dartmouth, has decided to ban laptops in his classroom mainly due to the issue of distraction. He says, “I know that I have a hard time staying on task when the option to check out at any momentary lull is available; I assumed that this must be true for my students as well.” Even fellow scholar, Clay Shirkey, sides with the anti-distraction movement. He says, “The conversation brightens, and more recently, there is a sense of relief from many of the students.” When there’s something blocking the student from the teacher, communication is closed off--hindered. Face to face and undivided attention seems to be going out of style. But it doesn’t have to.

Today, Mike says he likes the Chromebook better, however, he wanted it to be known that writing by hand has not been completely phased out in the classroom. At least not at his school. 31

flowed with “Ed-Tech”. Student Voice

Ironically (though there wasn’t really another choice), I took to the internet to find out what the collective world thinks about tech in the classroom. A student composed an article explaining how she really feels about technology. Soraya Shockley feels that technology in the classroom has a long way to go before it is used to its full potential. She also brings up good points about privacy and what might happen without constant supervision from teachers. Shockley goes on to reveal that students

“I know that I have a hard time

staying on task when the option to check out at any momentary lull is available; I assumed that this must be

”

true for my students as well.

judge their teachers based on the modernity and smoothness of their class websites. She also warns of the dangers of teachers taking to social media sites for extended class immersion: “Teachers: Before you use social media for education, consider the risks. Twitter conversations are public and completely subject to trolling, when people purposefully target, provoke, and offend

online. Trolling can cause a perfectly educational discussion to devolve into a heated argument that a teacher cannot control. Cyberbullying is still alive and well. Imagine a student trying to add an important, poignant comment to a class Twitter feed and not only getting no retweets or likes but also being ridiculed for sharing an opinion.” I remember the worst thing that could happen during computer class was someone playing “the fruit game” or changing the desktop picture. Because students are saturated with technology, is it too much for them? As mentioned in The New York Times article “Can Students Have Too Much Tech?”, Duke University economists, Jacob Vigdor and Helen Ladd, found that reading and math scores decline in students who have had access to a home computer between fifth and eighth grade. Though this study tracked disadvantaged middle class students for five years, it still rings true in the theme that most children are not responsible enough to keep school computers for school. Those born into poor families spend forty hours in front of a screen, according to the study. Entertainment trumps homework any day, and that is what these devices are being seen as: a one way ticket to fun. Tech in the classroom may be a good thing; it could reach a new dimension in explaining difficult topics with a more interactive medium, children with disabilities can benefit from devices that aid their learning and how teachers respond to issues or success in their performance, and these things are happening in the midst of the negative wrap technology in the classroom has. Personally, I feel that it shouldn’t be used unless controlled to enhance one’s learning environment, and only for the enrichment of classroom success. I’m with Shockley on this one; “Ed-Tech” has a long path to walk before it’s effective. Jackie Massaro is a Writing Arts student at Rowan University. She spends most of her time writing fiction and is a fan of the horror genre in genral. When she’s not writing, she’s photographing nature and yelling at her computer.

Tech-ucation

By Jackie Massaro

Today, Mike says he likes the Chromebook better, however, he wanted it to be known that writing by hand has not been completely phased out in the classroom. At least not at his school.

flowed with “Ed-Tech”. Student Voice

“I know that I have a hard time

staying on task when the option to check out at any momentary lull is available; I assumed that this must be

”

true for my students as well.

Temporary Fix Erica Spinelli In today’s money hungry, driven and independent society it has become harder to make time for relationships. Being successful takes time and dedication and between the two, making time for a romantic dinner or a weekend get-away just doesn’t seem plausible. Well that’s what they say at least (the online daters) I mean. Online dating has becomes such a popular concept for the people that simply don’t want to make time for one-on-one interactions with people. Temporary company; company that comes and goes as you say so, and can be incapable of letting you down, is sometimes all that people need. I am aware that this may sound like a very narrow-minded point of view but hey, let’s hear one another out. After extensive research it has been brought to my attention that this concept of control in online relationships is a more frowned upon ideology behind online dating that many people who think this way would deny if asked publically. According to Tracee Dunblazier in The Need-To-Know Perks of Online Dating,

Your goal in online dating is to “interact with as many people as

possible without any attachment at

”.

all

Because I am aware that this is one of the “perks” of online dating, I no longer expect the scene to be any different, and I am more capable of understanding why people love it so much.

But let’s shake things up a bit. For that percentage of the online dating population that can admit your guilty pleasure of needing control and flexibility, I am here to add a little perspective to those who may disagree with you. There is something exciting behind the idea of being in control of your “relationships”. For someone with a busy lifstyle, who may not be in a mental state to be accommodating others into their everyday lives, being able to have a go-to cyber partner to check in with, gain support, find company in lonely moments, this wouldn’t sound so bad. But what about those people who aren’t out there looking for temporary company, the widows and the divorcees that are struggling to get back out there and just don’t know how to without a boost from the online world? Well, for them this concept of freedom and detachment most likely wouldn’t be something that would set them at ease. Instead, this would probably scare them and make them feel like they are diving back into the high school dating pool where people were constantly at risk of having their emotions toyed with. I think the reason why this perk comes hand-in-hand with a negative connotation, is not because of the need to be in control; that is something that many people even dating in the face-to-face world struggle with often. But it is the way in which certain people handle 33

themselves. Instead of finding someone online and addressing your intentions...

There really are many reasons as to why control is such a hot commodity in the virtual world, but whether you are a full-time employee working to get to the ie. “Hey! I’m not really looking for a com- head of your company, or a member of the Scarred mitment, I really don’t have time for that but I Hearts Club, both parties are looking for the ability to would love to get to know you.” pace the relationships you choose to have. ... people don’t always inform their partner and end up blindsiding them when they realize they are just a temporary fix. A main reason for people on the opposite side of the spectrum, the divorcees or the widows, for online dating is not to be in control of how often they talk or being able to detach themselves whenever they please, but having control in order to guard their heart. Dr. NerdLove in Who Has The Power In Dating, states that those out there guarding their heart

“cling to self-limiting beliefs that

Bottom line, to tie up all and any of the loose ends of this very confusing virtual world our society has become so reliant on, people participating in online relationships need to communicate better right off the bat when first meeting someone. If this happens, there will no longer be a negative stigma on either versions of control. If the time-crunch, full-time workers are honest about what they want in their relationships, they can not be pinned as the “bad guy” when the other person in the relationship starts wondering why their relationship is not picking up and taking off.

conform all of their worst fears and As for the more heartbroken and bruised individuals insecurities and validate their deci- just trying to get their foot in the door of the dating scene.. well, say that! There is nothing wrong with besion not to risk being rejected. ing fearful of the dating world, it’s a scary place. There

”

are always unknown variables in any situation that could result in getting your heart hurt, and you have a reason to no longer want to wear your heart on your sleeve, but let your partner know that. If someone who is looking for a temporary fix is approached by someone looking for a long term relationship, odds are they are not going to pursue it.

I am an Early Childhood Education Major/English and Writing Arts. I’ve use my time at Rowan UniversiPeople that have been hurt before in their past or living with the lingering burden of their love lives are ty to disciver new things about myself and develop my not “hiding behind a screen”, but making it possible to weaknesses in the English and Writing Arts aspect of slowly creep their way back into the dating pool. Be- my life. Is has been a very long journey that I hope to cause there is not much control over the pace in which continue throughout my time spent at Rowan Univera real date or bond happens, formulating this online sity and throughout my career. allows you to pace yourself.

How Much Do We Really Use Our Phones?

wrong due to them not answering. We all assume the worst when people don’t answer a phone call or respond to a text. You could simply be taking a nap and wake up with multiple text messages because people think the worst when you don’t answer right away. That’s an issue that we have to this day. For some people, their phones are basically gluedto their hands it’s on them so much that getting in touch with them is never an issue.

To this day, people probably don’t real-

ize how much they use their phones on a daily basis. Their phones can be part of their work by sending constant emails or checking stocks for their job. Not much time in the day goes by where people aren’t on their devices. It allows people to stay in touch 24/7 and can basically find out any information with a touch of your fingertips. But the real question is, can people try and actually use their phones less if they tried? In my perspective, I use my phone on average more than 65% a day when I’m awake. From it being my alarm clock, to checking all forms of social media when I’m bored, to even looking at my emails, I am on my phone. I wanted to test myself one day though. I made myself not use my phone as much during the day. When I did my homework that day I made sure I left it in the other room so I

While for others, not using their phone and never answering right away doesn’t bother them because maybe they don’t want to be bothered, or they’re just simply busy. It isn’t helping the fact that children as young as age eight are getting cell phones. This causes problems from a young age because they come addicted to the technology right when it is handed to them. Not only can it cause distractions to their everyday activities, but they become reliant on using them all the time.

“According to this latest research, people in the U.S. check their Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts a staggering 17 times a day, meaning at least once every waking hour, if not more.” In this article, Americans Spend an Alarming Amount of Time Checking Social Media on Their Phones by Lulu Chang, he makes many valid points as to where it all makes sense as to why Americans use their phones too much. He found that the average person is on their phone at LEAST 4.7 hours every day. That’s insane! Who knew from checking your phone so little here and there could have such a big impact on your day. The only way really to go on from here is forcing yourself to not be on your phone. Granted that it a lot easier said than done, we really don’t need to see what everyone is doing all the time, and really focus on yourself to worry about what YOU are doing. We all do it, not we need to push ourselves to not be on it. Who knows how much a cell phone could be holding us back from. There’s only one way to really find that out! I know I’m going to try it out, but will you?

My little brother recently got a cell phone and he’s only 11 years old. He would rather play games on his phone the whole day rather than go outside and play with his friends. By giving students the ability to have so much power in their hands is causing them to not want to be involved personally with people unless they can have their phones on hand.

If people realized how much they are on their phone on a daily basis they would be shocked at how much their eyes are on a screen, than what is right in front of them. It takes physical effort to not reach for your phone when you see it light up with a notification. People want to be constantly involved with what is going on so they don’t miss out on anything that could technically be important. This doesn’t apply to all people like you think it would. Some people are very obsessed with their phone while others are barely on it. Some people don’t like feeling connected to society 24/7 so staying in contact with people isn’t their main concern. Getting in touch with people who don’t use their phone as much as you do becomes a problem because it allows that person to think that something is 35

“How can we stop this?” In order to really figure this out I did some digging to see if other people were just as curious as I was. One of the more recent articles I was able to find showed me something really interesting about how long we are on our phones on a daily basis.

My name is Brianna Ward and I am currently a Junior at Rowan University. I am an Early Childhood Education major with a minor in Writing Arts. I like writing because it allows me to be myself in every way possible. I am able to bring my ideas and thoughts to life by writing and that is something inspires me as a writer.

How Much Do We Really Use Our Phones?

To this day, people probably don’t real-

wouldn’t get distracted and it took everything out of me to not walk in there to see if I had any messages or notifications. With a simple light up of my phone forces me to grab it and see what I am missing out on. For me to take a lot of energy out of myself to physically not use it can really tell us something. We have become inflicted to wanting to know what is happening at all times. This is a problem when we actually need to focus on more important things like work or school for that matter; our phones become a big distraction. If people realized how much they are on their phone on a daily basis they would be shocked at how much their eyes are on a screen, than what is right in front of them. It takes physical effort to not reach for your phone when you see it light up with a notification. People want to be constantly involved with what is going on so they don’t miss out on anything that could technically be important. This doesn’t apply to all people like you think it would. Some people are very obsessed with their phone while others are barely on it. Some people don’t like feeling connected to society 24/7 so staying in contact with people isn’t their main concern. Getting in touch with people who don’t use their phone as much as you do becomes a problem because it allows that person to think that something is

How often do you check your smart phone? Once? Twice? Three times in less than five minutes? If you’re like most people in this world then the answer is usually more than three times in five minutes. If we were discussing drug users and how often they need their fix then three times in five minutes is a huge problem, however, we are discussing technology and cell phone users. The problem with this is that while both are extremely addicted to their outlet, one is frowned upon and the other is just brushed aside. While drugs are clearly more dangerous than addiction to technology is, but an overuse of technology can severely impact your life both physically and mentally. Everyone knows that there are physical side effects from stopping the use of drugs such as anxiety, sweating, nausea and many more. There are also psychological side effects from the withdrawal of drug use. These symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, and depression. These affect us because the drug of choice releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter. This overload of dopamine binding to the neurons creates the high or euphoric feeling. This surplus of dopamine allows the brain to see the drug as a reward and want more and more. This is how addiction is created. So why is that when people have a drug induced dopamine surplus it is terrible and they should seek help immediately, yet when someone can’t even put their phone down it’s okay to stay calm and take another selfie? Although you cannot have feelings of nausea from not checking your phone, you can experience different musculoskeletal disorders (tennis elbow, carpal tunnel), repetitive strain injury, and computer vision syndrome, just to name a few, all from never putting down the phone, or logging off the computer. Every time we check our phone or social media we get a slight boost in dopamine. In return we check our devices even more, waiting for the golden goose, a notification. There is not much better than seeing that small, red box informing us of how

many notifications happened since the last time we checked. This happens because our brains see that notification as a reward for being awesome. The more awesome we are, the more notifications we get (even if it is just a candy crush invite). The problem is that we are so easily distracted. Say you’re shopping at the supermarket and an alert goes off on someone’s phone nearby. If you look around other people start checking their phone, even if they did not feel any sort of vibration in their pocket. The idea is ‘was that me?’ even though they know it is not. However, once the phone is out and the chance to check the time, a text message, the weather is present and in your face, most people lose focus of what they started to do whether it be check the time or check your shopping list. In the world, everyday people utilize technology. It’s been happening since the dawn of time. When fire and the wheel was discovered those were huge leaps in technology for the time. Since then new technologies have come about such as the printing press, cars, refrigerators, tvs, computers, and now a watch even James Bond himself would be proud of. When these new technologies arose people always had the same reaction. When writing was invented people believed it would make one lazy and lead to a bad memory. Obviously this is not so. When telephones were invented people believed that people would rely too heavily on them and forget how to write. The point is that history repeats itself, a new technology is debuted and people are skeptical at first but then they see how much their lives have been improved by the new technology. In this day and age we have however reached a point where technologies are not a huge benefit to our lives but more of a statement such as Google Glass or the Apple Watch. Technology and information today is different than it was thirty years 37

more than press the screen and laugh; we experience things and then need a picture to remember it by. Sometimes life is more than pictures and technology.

ago. There is so much more information readily available. Advertisements everywhere you turn, random stuff from Google, and just blatant lies posted on the Internet by some guy hanging out in his moms basement. Maybe part of the problem of our technology overuse is because there is just so much shit to filter through we have to take a break every few minutes by playing Flappy Bird or scrolling through your news feed. That is our lives but it is not sustainable. Every day, more and more people have a new ache in their wrist, or their legs, or their finger joints. People are quick to chalk it up to the weather, or attribute it to improper diet when it is actually just an addiction to technology. Is there any way for us to continue these amazing scientific breakthroughs without continually becoming more and more addicted and engrained with technology? The short answer is yes. It is tough but people as a whole can in fact still come up with and use new technologies without becoming addicted to them. You would not drink over a hundred beers in a day; you would not ingest hundreds of grams of any drug in the span of a day. So why do we check our phone hundreds of times in a day, send thousands of text messages every day, constantly scroll through Facebook? We do this because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we do as a society. Ever since the first iPhone came out in 2007 people cannot put them down. Celebrities always have the newest phone and gadgets, Restaurants, stores, and even national parks have check-in spots to receive free this or updates about that. People feel connected through their phones and that is something that needs to change. We have senses that are

My name is Andrew Balmer. I moved from McAllen, TX to Cherry Hill, NJ where I currently reside. I have two cats named Delilah and Jimi, they are 5 and 4 this year. I attend Rowan University as an Elementary Education and Writing Arts Major

WRT

Production

Rowan

University

Writing Ar ts Depar tment

Spring 2016