On Tuesday, September 28th, we were joined by Jesse Miller, who gave us a presentation on technology and social media in the classroom, including the points of emphasis for us as educators as we continue advancing into a tech-driven world.

One thing that really resonated with me was his belief that technology can and should be used to uphold traditional values, because it made me reflect on my upbringing with social media. The discourse that exists today around mental health, intentionality, and effective use for social media either didn’t exist, or were not nearly as openly discussed, when I was growing up. No figure in my life was able to (or at least took the time to) sit me down and explain to me what social media companies stand to gain by providing their service, and how they shape that service to maximize engagement and profit. Neither did I ever have anybody ask what I hoped to get out of social media, nor which of my values I hoped to enrich through it.

I, like nearly every young person using these technologies, was initially and remain attracted to it because it allows me to communicate instantly with my friends and family, almost wherever they are, in a variety of different forms. Though I abandoned Snapchat long ago, it once offered me great utility in recording and sending videos of things I was doing, or seamlessly attaching a photograph to any text message I wanted to send. Facebook Messenger is an excellent alternative to texting in areas without cell service, and generally for sharing memes, articles, and anything else of interest. Instagram remains my favourite social media app, because it provides me periodic updates on my friends’ lives, and provides terrific opportunities to reach out and message them, usually by asking them about/remarking on the contents of their latest post. The problem is, I couldn’t have told you that was my favourite aspect of Instagram five years ago, and while I was fortunate enough not to get sucked into the rat race for likes, comments, and overall followings, I know it can be all too easy for young people to stake more of their ego on it than they realize.

As an educator, I want to create an environment where students not only feel like they can discuss the technology they use and how it impacts them, but actively want to. I want them to have intention when they use a given app or device, not just to mindlessly flit between apps any time they have half a second of free time. We all know we waste time on our phones, but few are aware of just how much; I value giving the brain a break as much as the next person, but allowing muscle memory to take me between Facebook, Instagram, and my text messages three times isn’t the way to do it.

Jesse remarked that our students, like us that grew up with social media, likely feel pressure to be constantly connected to their friends and family, and indeed, I’m sure the pressure is even greater for them than it was for us. The problem with instantaneous communication is that it creates the expectation of an instantaneous response, though in most cases, that is neither the healthiest habit, nor even the expectation of the person sending a message. Most of our students will be texting other students, who also have classes and will certainly understand if we don’t reply while in them. But once that phone vibrates in the pocket, it’s impossible to resist before opening it and seeing what the message is about. We need to manage students’ expectations of one another and the technology that connects them, so that they are consistently using it to intentionally accomplish something, even if that something is sharing a particularly funny image in the group chat. There are appropriate times to do that, and we can help students understand when those are, and give them time to do so. Ultimately, technology is growing faster than we can keep up with it, but we can do our part as educators to limit the ill effects on our students, and make technology an (overall) positive contributor to their interests and lives.

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash