Memes are often succinct and poignant ways to deliver a message, often with few words. I came across the above image one day and it caused me to think about how much technology has changed, but human nature hasn’t. Martin Moore writes about our common need for information. Newspaper vs Cellphone (are we really that different?) | by Martin Moore | Adventures in Consumer Technology | Medium
One often hears about how technology/mobile devices have changed our society, particularly our youth, and how they communicate and interact. People have blamed mobile devices for a variety of problems from distraction Technology and Student Distraction | Derek Bok Center, Harvard University to social isolation and loneliness Loneliness soars among teens along with social media use, study says (usatoday.com) but does social interaction need to include direct communication, or does simple physical proximity suffice? The newspaper came well before the cell phone, so why is it that people are experiencing more isolation now?
In poring through previous posts in this channel, I came across one that I found quite fascinating in that it ‘fights fire with fire’ so to speak. Study with Me (discussed in the posting – “Study With Me” Culture on Youtube | ETEC523: Mobile and Open Learning (ubc.ca) is a way to help alleviate the distraction and isolation of studying alone, and a way to promote motivation by playing a video of someone else studying. It may be a live feed or a pre-taped video and it allows one to experience the comfort of being in a study group.
I also came across this resource – Woebot – an app that is a virtual mental health assistant.
Communications via Video Chat also help to maintain connections especially during a time of pandemic forced social isolation. Online gamers have constructed their own communities where they share and interact virtually.
While technology changes and advances, human nature and needs remain constant, and while mobile technology can cause some problems, it can also be used to help solve them.