Information Diet: Living by Example (Synthesizing)
One of the things I wrote about on my Information Diet blog post was how we as educators act like parents being responsible for our children's nutrition. In the same way, we ought to set a good example for our students in modelling how we manage our use of information. The responses I gathered can be summarized into three points: Less is more, Technology is the New fast food and Living by example.
Less is more: When we use any websites or apps, our information is collected. It could be our email, phone number, zipcode, facebook account or other info. The more information we give away by downloading and using apps, the more we are being targeted for advertisement based on our data. The more time we spend on social media, the more information they know about us. Self-regulation is the key. Just like any form of diet, we need to use apps and information in moderation.
Technology is the new fast food: It is a quick fix for entertainment, easy way of getting in touch with friends, one-stop shop to satisfy your pressing need for information (googling symptoms, diy projects, etc). Just like fast food shops on every corner, there are websites for our every digital need. This can be good if you are hungry at 2 am from a long journey and McDonald's is the only place open. Or if you suddenly find yourself unable to pick up your child on time and face time is the fastest way to let your daycare and your husband know. But it is not good, if for every little thing, you go online and ask google.
Living by example: What we eat and how we eat influences how our children also eat. Any bad example can be devastating to them. If we as adults spend endless time on the computer leaving the children unattended, they will grow up to do the same. Modelling good information consumption such as no phones at the dining table or using physical books instead of always googling set as good examples. I remember there was a TV commercial long ago that goes something like this "what the adults do become the standard (norm) in the eyes of the children". Let's be very careful how we model information and technology usage.
Less is more: When we use any websites or apps, our information is collected. It could be our email, phone number, zipcode, facebook account or other info. The more information we give away by downloading and using apps, the more we are being targeted for advertisement based on our data. The more time we spend on social media, the more information they know about us. Self-regulation is the key. Just like any form of diet, we need to use apps and information in moderation.
Technology is the new fast food: It is a quick fix for entertainment, easy way of getting in touch with friends, one-stop shop to satisfy your pressing need for information (googling symptoms, diy projects, etc). Just like fast food shops on every corner, there are websites for our every digital need. This can be good if you are hungry at 2 am from a long journey and McDonald's is the only place open. Or if you suddenly find yourself unable to pick up your child on time and face time is the fastest way to let your daycare and your husband know. But it is not good, if for every little thing, you go online and ask google.
Living by example: What we eat and how we eat influences how our children also eat. Any bad example can be devastating to them. If we as adults spend endless time on the computer leaving the children unattended, they will grow up to do the same. Modelling good information consumption such as no phones at the dining table or using physical books instead of always googling set as good examples. I remember there was a TV commercial long ago that goes something like this "what the adults do become the standard (norm) in the eyes of the children". Let's be very careful how we model information and technology usage.
These three points are very relatable. I find myself trying to make better decisions about how much social media to use and when; 2 am scrolling is helpful to no one. We are also mirrors for our students. How can we expect our students to stay off their phones in the classroom, in hallways, at lunch, etc. if we're doing the exact same thing?
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