week four blog!

Prensky’s concept of the digital native/digital immigrant divide describes how students born into the digital age (digital natives) differ from those who had to adapt to technology later in life (digital immigrants). Digital natives are accustomed to fast access to information, multimedia content, and interactive learning, which shapes how they think and learn. In contrast, digital immigrants often prefer traditional methods like lectures and printed materials. This difference has created a disconnect in education, as many teachers use outdated teaching styles that don’t engage today’s tech-savvy students. As a result, students may struggle with motivation and attention in traditional classrooms. Prensky argues that to effectively teach digital natives, educators must adapt their methods to include more technology-driven, interactive approaches. 

I find myself to be a blend of digital native and immigrant. I grew up with the technology boom but I went to school on Hawaii where there were limited resources and technology. In addition I was raised by my grandparents and always valued a childhood without technology. As I grew older into my teenage years, I never had the newest Iphone, was never crazy about video games and would rather play outside and get my feet dirty. For that I am grateful. Although now as a 30-something year old I would say that I am not as tech-savvy or digitally literate as some of my peers may be. I still find joy in reading hardcover books and magazines over an online article or e-book. I have a noticeable technology trigger when technology frustrates me. I embody qualities of a digital native and a digital immigrant.    

Kirschner critically challenged Prensky’s 2001 concept of “digital natives,” arguing that many of its claims lack empirical support. While Prensky suggested that young people are inherently skilled with technology and learn better through digital methods, Kirschner pointed out that comfort with tech does not equal effective learning use. He debunked the myth that digital natives can multitask efficiently, citing research showing that multitasking actually hinders learning and cognitive performance. Kirschner also questioned the belief that students learn better simply because they prefer digital environments, emphasizing that preference doesn’t guarantee better outcomes. He further criticized the idea that all young learners have the same digital skills and needs, warning against one-size-fits-all teaching approaches. Overall, Kirschner urged educators to base their methods on evidence, not generational stereotypes.

Prensky, M. (2012). From digital natives to digital wisdom : hopeful essays for 21st century learning. Corwin.

The following two YouTube videos provide an overview about digital natives and digital immigrants.

Old friends

This is not the first assignment as a Psychology major where I reflect and analyze a relationship/friendship based on the stages of Knapp's model. The same old friend always comes to mind. I will call him 'K.' The stage(s) I will discuss are the latter half and more specifically what lead to the essential termination of the friendship. We went through a lot together. We were coworkers, classmates, criminals, roommates. We lied to our girlfriends for each other, co signed each other's nonsense, experienced trauma together, stayed up all night together, even escaped death. We also had a lot of fun and made a lot of great memories over at least a decade. Unfortunately it started to slow down when we became roommates after about 8 years of friendship. Most of our friendship was spent communicating via text because we lived in different states for a big chunk of it. When we moved in together as adults, I started to realize how much different we really were. I could sit here and get into details but overall I just realized our morals, values and beliefs were not aligned. I started reflecting on the trouble we got into and began setting boundaries. Eventually we both became so avoidant that we barely talked anymore. As time pass I continued to reflect on our relationship and how it was fueled on drugs, alcohol, infidelity, partying and so on. Although not official, I terminated the relationship when I declined to be the best man and witness at his wedding. The woman he married was a friend of mine and i was always there when both of them would cheat on their respective partners at the time. It isn't that I didn't support their marriage, I just needed to move on. I wish I had more time and energy to dive into this but the details can be a bit too painful. Adler, R.B., & Proctor, R.F.II. (2023) says, "When new information becomes available, perceptions of others change." The information that became available to me was what had been in front of me all along. We just were not ever aligned. It's hard to let go but it feels freeing to know that I can and I did. Sometimes I think because we spent so many years texting all day everyday that it soiled the moment when we finally moved in together. There was just nothing left for either of us to give. I love the quote below because when I look at this relationship, I see a version of myself that I have outgrown and I am happy with that.
Adler, R. B., & Proctor, R. F. II. (2023). Interplay: The process of interpersonal communication (16th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Week two

Is there an ideal number of “friends” or connections individuals have on Facebook that can improve their mental health? 

Under section 2.1.2 of our textbook (Adler, R.B., & Proctor, R. F. II. 2023) cites existing literature that suggests that roughly 150 relationships is the amount that the average person can sustain. This number, also known as "Dunbar's number" is smaller than the ideal online connections an individual may have. Considering Dunbar's number, I don't think there is an ideal number of connections individuals may have on Facebook or other social. media cites that may improve their mental health. If anything, I agree with the statement in our text that says, "an inner circle of about five core people and an additional layer of 10 to 15 friends" is a good general number. From my experiences, I have found that the quantity of friends- both online and in person- does not matter nearly as much as the quality does.

Adler, R. B., & Proctor, R. F. II. (2023). Interplay: The process of interpersonal communication (16th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Do social networking sites have any responsibility in promoting mental health in their users? If so, how might they go about doing so?

My personal answer is No. Social network sites do not have any responsibility in promoting mental health in their users. People may seek guidance for their mental health on social media through influencers, self-help accounts, or through networking but that is ultimately on the individual and not the platform. Social media platforms are businesses at the end of the day and if they promote the consequences of social media on mental health then they are essentially driving business away. Looking at this from an ethical point of view, it would be easy to say Yes, there should be an obligation by social media sites to promote mental health because there is enough research that addresses the effects of extensive and unhealthy social media use on mental health, especially in teenagers. But once again, the site itself offers the opportunity for self-proclaimed shamans and instagram mental health gurus to offer some type of mental health promotion.