Technology Through the Lens of Our Core Values
Technology Through the Lens of Our Core Values
As a child, I received my first computer at Christmas. It was a Commodore 64. I spent all of Christmas day following the instructions that guided me through my first lesson in programming. At the end of a very long day, my reward was to see a hot air balloon slowly bounce across my green on black screen. I felt a deep sense of accomplishment and wonder. What else could this machine do?
How quaint that memory must seem to a generation of children who, every day, open boxes, connect to wifi, and use computing power that is a trillion times more powerful than my trusty Commodore. It truly is a marvelous time to be alive. Yet, we now know that not every corner of the internet is a place of learning and discovery—with this awesome technological power brings risks unseen and results unintended.
Last month, I had the pleasure of speaking with parents of students in the Lower School about the challenges of selecting a device for their child as well as the risks associated with social media. Perhaps most importantly, we discussed how valuable it is to re-assess decisions about technology as information evolves.
In the brief time that I have been here, I have learned that The Meadows School is a diverse community with unique and varying perspectives. We are not all the same; however, we do have a set of Core Values that bind us together. Thus, what better lens to evaluate our children’s use of social media than these core values?
We know, by virtue of peer-reviewed journal articles, that there is a negative correlation between the use of social media and scholarship. Students in a recent study displayed reduced arithmetic ability after one month on social media. Additionally, a recent meta-analysis of research connected switching between media and apps to a reduction in both working and long-term memory. As our families and teaching communities work to build young scholars, phones are, in many ways, working against us. Only through a vigilant program that counters these tendencies can we usher our children through these challenges.
Character is something developed in time and through example. We count on family, teachers, and coaches to re-enforce character through their words and examples. Unfortunately, all too often we unintentionally grant access to our children’s character building to nameless, faceless entities on the internet. Through devices and social media, our children receive conflicting messages about tolerance, kindness, and truth. Facebook metadata indicated that 64% of active members in domestic extremist groups found those groups through social media. Meaning social media applications that our children join to post videos, connect with friends, or even learn, may be compromised. And, some creators of those applications have turned a blind eye to this, favoring monetary return over societal responsibility. This leaves it to us to intercede. Character building cannot be left to chance.
Many scientists have connected our society’s increasingly fragile sense of community and challenges to inclusion with the explosion of social media and artificial intelligence. Children who grow up with “Siri” in their ears don’t process the difference between a “call and response” intelligence and real conversations. Over time, children heavily influenced by “Siri” develop different expectations of conversation, and the humanity of face-to-face interactions gets set aside for the ease of device-driven conversations. This trend makes community-building and inclusion even more difficult.
Education is ultimately about discovery. As parents and educators, we hope to instill in our children a lifelong love of learning. We do so with the vision that they will use these learning experiences to be critical thinkers and positively contribute to society. But, studies show that false information travels six times faster across social media platforms than truth does. Social media thrives on this imbalance, and often, the most divisive voices become the loudest because of it. And yet, we allow our adolescents to spend hours daily absorbing skewed information without a proper contrary perspective, or filter, to guide them.
In fairness, there are good actors to be found on social media. There are positive role models, wondrous ideas, and thought-leaders creating valuable content. But for adolescent brains, the unintended risks of unmoderated social media engagement outweigh the gains.
My family’s relationship to technology has evolved because of all of this information. Recently, I told my son Jonah that he could no longer watch YouTube videos. Based on the research I’ve cited in this post, I came to the conclusion that the feed feature was too engrossing for a person his age and that he was not intellectually mature enough to moderate his time on this app. Jonah wasn’t happy with this evolution. He was quick to tell me that it was I who had given him access in the first place. I acknowledged my mistake and explained to Jonah that as technology continues to evolve that this would not be the last time that his dad got it wrong and that my goal was to keep learning and doing better.
Many of us have handed over the reins to our devices and apps to the littlest “experts” in our homes. It is not too late to reset the expectation of what the purposeful use of technology looks like, and to begin the journey toward being a lifelong technology learner alongside our children.
There are a myriad of organizations dedicated to a more purposeful and positive use of social media. Familiarizing yourself with their work and the ever-changing landscape of social media is an excellent start. I urge that we, as a community, agree to resist allowing access to these tools before our children are intellectually and emotionally ready to do so. This would be an invaluable contribution to the development of the Core Values central to our institution. Each of our children is going to get their “Commodore 64” moment, as I did. The more mature, informed, and prepared they are when that moment comes, the better chance that the positive potential of these tools will be revealed.
How quaint that memory must seem to a generation of children who, every day, open boxes, connect to wifi, and use computing power that is a trillion times more powerful than my trusty Commodore. It truly is a marvelous time to be alive. Yet, we now know that not every corner of the internet is a place of learning and discovery—with this awesome technological power brings risks unseen and results unintended.
Last month, I had the pleasure of speaking with parents of students in the Lower School about the challenges of selecting a device for their child as well as the risks associated with social media. Perhaps most importantly, we discussed how valuable it is to re-assess decisions about technology as information evolves.
In the brief time that I have been here, I have learned that The Meadows School is a diverse community with unique and varying perspectives. We are not all the same; however, we do have a set of Core Values that bind us together. Thus, what better lens to evaluate our children’s use of social media than these core values?
We know, by virtue of peer-reviewed journal articles, that there is a negative correlation between the use of social media and scholarship. Students in a recent study displayed reduced arithmetic ability after one month on social media. Additionally, a recent meta-analysis of research connected switching between media and apps to a reduction in both working and long-term memory. As our families and teaching communities work to build young scholars, phones are, in many ways, working against us. Only through a vigilant program that counters these tendencies can we usher our children through these challenges.
Character is something developed in time and through example. We count on family, teachers, and coaches to re-enforce character through their words and examples. Unfortunately, all too often we unintentionally grant access to our children’s character building to nameless, faceless entities on the internet. Through devices and social media, our children receive conflicting messages about tolerance, kindness, and truth. Facebook metadata indicated that 64% of active members in domestic extremist groups found those groups through social media. Meaning social media applications that our children join to post videos, connect with friends, or even learn, may be compromised. And, some creators of those applications have turned a blind eye to this, favoring monetary return over societal responsibility. This leaves it to us to intercede. Character building cannot be left to chance.
Many scientists have connected our society’s increasingly fragile sense of community and challenges to inclusion with the explosion of social media and artificial intelligence. Children who grow up with “Siri” in their ears don’t process the difference between a “call and response” intelligence and real conversations. Over time, children heavily influenced by “Siri” develop different expectations of conversation, and the humanity of face-to-face interactions gets set aside for the ease of device-driven conversations. This trend makes community-building and inclusion even more difficult.
Education is ultimately about discovery. As parents and educators, we hope to instill in our children a lifelong love of learning. We do so with the vision that they will use these learning experiences to be critical thinkers and positively contribute to society. But, studies show that false information travels six times faster across social media platforms than truth does. Social media thrives on this imbalance, and often, the most divisive voices become the loudest because of it. And yet, we allow our adolescents to spend hours daily absorbing skewed information without a proper contrary perspective, or filter, to guide them.
In fairness, there are good actors to be found on social media. There are positive role models, wondrous ideas, and thought-leaders creating valuable content. But for adolescent brains, the unintended risks of unmoderated social media engagement outweigh the gains.
My family’s relationship to technology has evolved because of all of this information. Recently, I told my son Jonah that he could no longer watch YouTube videos. Based on the research I’ve cited in this post, I came to the conclusion that the feed feature was too engrossing for a person his age and that he was not intellectually mature enough to moderate his time on this app. Jonah wasn’t happy with this evolution. He was quick to tell me that it was I who had given him access in the first place. I acknowledged my mistake and explained to Jonah that as technology continues to evolve that this would not be the last time that his dad got it wrong and that my goal was to keep learning and doing better.
Many of us have handed over the reins to our devices and apps to the littlest “experts” in our homes. It is not too late to reset the expectation of what the purposeful use of technology looks like, and to begin the journey toward being a lifelong technology learner alongside our children.
There are a myriad of organizations dedicated to a more purposeful and positive use of social media. Familiarizing yourself with their work and the ever-changing landscape of social media is an excellent start. I urge that we, as a community, agree to resist allowing access to these tools before our children are intellectually and emotionally ready to do so. This would be an invaluable contribution to the development of the Core Values central to our institution. Each of our children is going to get their “Commodore 64” moment, as I did. The more mature, informed, and prepared they are when that moment comes, the better chance that the positive potential of these tools will be revealed.
Joseph Carver
Chief Innovation Officer
- All School
- Technology