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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Technology and Teens

Purcell, Kristen. "10 Things to Know About How Teens Use Technology." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. N.p., 10 July 2013. Web. 25 June 2014. http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/07/10/10-things-to-know-about-how-teens-use-technology/.


I can relate to Kristen and Holly’s story in the beginning because that is me and my son. The only difference is, try going further back by about 10 years. This is when you used correction tape on an electric typewriter and made copies using a mimeograph because copiers were too expensive. Technology has come a long way and is still ever changing our world.

Computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets have become less expensive, making the internet more accessible. Our children and grandchildren are growing up connected to the world around us, not just at home but in school as well. No I don’t believe that cellphones are used more than tablets in education. The reason is because our district has a no cellphone use policy on all campuses or they will be confiscated.  I hope one day this changes because the data states it’s a great learning tool.  I agree that the majority of teen’s internet use is through mobile devices like tablets, and especially smartphones.

This is a good thing but at the same time we have to be vigilant in their safety. I can’t believe that only 53% of parents are very concerned about their child interacting with strangers online. I am always concerned with not just my children and grandchildren but my students as well. The report also stated that teens are sharing more personal information online than before. That’s a red flag for me because our teens are trying to make as many friends as possible without considering the dangers. They don’t really know these people.  I had a student say they had over 500 Facebook friends. That shocked me so I changed my lesson for the day and proceeded to teach the dangers and safety of social networking.

As technology becomes more available to our children, we have to be ever mindful of how teens use it. Educationally I could see the advantages of them using it to complete assignments, perform research, and socialize with peers outside the class. Social networking has always been popular with teens and with the different platforms is changing. Teens have adapted to the technological advances into their everyday lives successfully and with ease.
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