Step 1
Consider the following written by psychologist Mitch Abblett about technology in today’s society.
- There is research suggesting that using cell phones for only a half hour a day for ten years doubles one’s risk of brain cancer.
- The soreness in our fingers and wrists from texting too much is so prevalent that the term “text claw” has entered our lexicon.
- “Problematic Internet Use” (PIU) is now considered a behavioral addiction, with almost half (48 %) of participants in one study considered “Internet addicts.”
- In her remarkable book, Reclaiming Conversation (2015), MIT professor Sherry Turkle discusses research pointing to how a quarter of teens in the US are connected to a device within five minutes of waking up each morning, and that most teens send at least one hundred text messages per day.
- Most alarming to me is Turkle’s citing of another scientific finding: That over the past 20 years our society has seen a 40% decline (most of it occurring over the past decade) in indicators of empathy in people, and that researchers are linking this trend with the rise of digital communication technologies.
- As we get more connected to our wireless technology, we appear to run the risk of damaging our brains’ wiring, and disconnecting from the face-to-face interaction that our social and psychological systems need.
Step 2
Watch the following video, “Cell Phone Etiquette 101.
Step 3
Watch the following video.
Step 4
Copy and answer the following questions on Day 3 of your module packet.
- What is the main message of this video?
- Do you think drama can stem from a person misunderstanding a text message?
- Give an example of this happening (your example can be real or made up.)
Step 5
Watch the follow video.
Step 6
Do you think the girls in the video text at a dangerous amount? Explain why, or why not.
Step 7
Now that you have learned that good conversation face to face is a necessary life skill. Complete the worksheet, “Shoot For Good Conversation.” You and your partner can work together, but must each have your own worksheet. You will attach this worksheet to your module packet when you are finished. This worksheet can be found in the file folder labeled Day 3 in your module work space.