"Reading" Response 5-Digital Nation

First of all, can I just say that “Digital Nation” surprised me. While I was expecting a technology-heavy exploration of how digital media has incorporated itself into our lives, I really wasn’t expecting the relatively cautious and very two-sided approach to the pros and cons of life in a digital world. I think that oftentimes people choose a “camp” when it comes to innovation and progress, and it’s sometimes hard to remember that most of us are trying to reside in a world that is somewhere in the middle. For me, this recognition first came when Rachel Dretzin expressed her own uncertainty regarding digital media, especially with regards to her own kids. Again, as I was expecting a very blatant “GO TECHNOLOGY” type of presentation, the fact that the producer/director was unsure herself was refreshing.

As I watched “Digital Nation,” there was one specific conversation that stood out to me, probably because it is the same question that I have asked myself as I have interacted with my own students. After showing some of the results of research regarding multi-tasking and how those who think they’re wonderful at it actually aren’t, Douglas Rushkoff talks to Rachel as they are walking down the street. He says, “We need to know if we’re tinkering with something more essential than we realize…Are we changing what it means to be a human being by using all this stuff?”

We talked a little about this in class last week in regards to games and learning—whether gaming culture is, in fact, altering the learning styles of our students, if the beings that are now sitting in our classrooms are fundamentally different due to the games and other technology that they interact with. I, personally, would say that, as people are a sum total of their biology plus their experiences, yes, technology has altered people, which is why Media Literacy Education is, I feel, so important.

As I was looking through the Core Principles in relationship to “Digital Nation,” I think that many of the “areas of uncertainty” within the program could be addressed, or at least smoothed over a bit, by incorporating and institutionalizing the Core Principles. In particular, Core Principle 1—that Media Literacy Education requires active inquiry and critical thinking about media—is HUGE. I know it sounds a bit simplistic, but I think that if we all were a bit more critical (in an analytical, not a negative, way) as teachers, students, parents and children, many of the “issues” that arise with digital media could be resolved or even avoided. For example—the kids who’ve died in Korea during gaming tournaments? I’m of the opinion that THAT could have been avoided with a bit of logical reasoning.