Prensky's and Kirschner's Research

 Prensky and Kirschner have written about two sides to the concept of an immigrant/native approach to learning and technology's role in how a generation learns. Prensky believes that a group of people raised without the presence of technology and a younger group who were always around technology, do learn differently and essentially speak different languages to each other. Kirschner's approach is that this isn't true, and there is no such thing as a digital native or immigrant who is more skilled and informed just because they were more or less exposed to technology. 

According to Prensky, what category do you fall into, and how has this affected your learning?

I say that I could fall into the digital native mostly, and possibly the first part of my life as a digital immigrant. I remember a time when we did not have a computer or anything highly technical, no internet, and just a landline phone. I was born in 1988 and remember maybe around the second grade going to a computer lab and seeing a computer for the first time. Most of our class time we did not have access to computers and would go to the separate lab maybe once a day or a few times a week, where we would play learning games, and the occasional Oregon Trail. 

This has affected my learning by making my brain a little quicker when it comes to computers. I'm still not the best with computers, and taking online classes within the past 4 years have greatly improved my skills. Although, I do better with reading physical books as opposed to reading something digital.

What are some other myths Kirschner associated with Prensky's findings from 2001? 

Some myths that Kirschner associate with Prensky's findings are that digital natives are naturally good multitaskers and do better with technology. These statements really have not much evidence proving this, and just because someone grew up with technology doesn't mean they are always good at multitasking or savvy when it comes to computers. I'd say I fall in the category of not being very technically skilled but grew up mostly with computers around. 

Sources

• Prensky, M. R. (2012). From digital natives to digital wisdom : Hopeful essays for 21st century learning. Corwin Press.
• Kirschner, P. A., & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 135–142.

Interpersonal Relationships

My notes and descriptions on the Knapp's Relational Model.

The interpersonal relationship I've chosen to analyze with through Knapp's Relational Model is a coworker of mine that I have worked with for close to three years. Starting out on my first day at this new job, she was training me, our first impressions of each other were pretty rocky, and we couldn't quite get a good read on each other. We talked in a formal way with each other, but I started to sense a negative attitude and an anger coming from her when I would ask questions while I was training.

The section in our reading titled We Cling to First Impressions,  they talk about the halo effect and horns effect, where the halo effect is after having a positive interaction and seeing them in a positive way, and horns effect seeing them in a negative way. (Adler, Proctor. 2023) After the initial negative first impressions, I struggled at work greatly for a long time. Dealing with passive aggressive comments, angry snaps, and being left alone to figure out the job on my own. I would say we started out with the Initiating stage of the Knapp's Relational Model, moved to Experimenting, but maybe jumped right to avoiding, since we steered clear of each other even though we had to work in the same place. 

After around a year, we started talking more and I think we bonded on some of our shared on the job issues, like dealing with another employee who made us laugh, and having to carry heavy things up flights of stairs together. We continued in the Experimenting phase, then to Intensifying. After that we moved to Integrating, where we eat lunch and go on the occasional shopping trip together after work.

Finally. we began to bond and realize we had so much in common. Now this person is a good work friend of mine, and we talk through our issues instead of Avoiding them or each other. I have decided to keep this friendship separate from close personal friends and just at work and occasional shopping trip. This boundary has worked well, and when applied to this model, would keeping that friendship boundary of just a work friend be considered Differentiating or Circumscribing? Since Differentiating is more about taking separate individual time, or Circumscribing is about restricted conversations, like I don't talk to her about group gatherings or include her in group chats.

How have the impacts of online communication affected your interpersonal relationship?

I did add this person on Facebook and Instagram. We like each others photos and message memes to each other but that is the extent. I don't share much information about me online, just photos on Instagram. This online communication is mostly normal with minimal interactions. Since I keep this work friendship separate, it can be hard to be online if I don't want her to see my photos of me hosting or going to events she isn't invited to. We do seem to have a mutual understanding that she isn't invited to things I have going on and she never seems bothered, but I do feel guilty sometimes because I don't want to leave anyone out. On the other hand we have separate friend groups and that is totally ok. So when online, sometimes I don't post everything I do or share my locations or tag people just to keep some privacy. 

Reference

• Adler, R. B, & Proctor, R. F.ll. (2023). Interplay: The process of interpersonal communication (16th edition). Oxford University Press. Chapter 5, Perceiving Others, pg. 135-136.

Oversharing Online

Do different social networking sites offer other benefits or drawbacks? What factors might influence whether Facebook has negative influences, like links to depression, versus positive results, such as boosts in self-esteem?

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In my experience, different social networking sites do offer some benefits and drawbacks. I have participated on Instagram and Facebook but had to take a break mostly from Facebook, and even considered deleting them from time to time. Instagram has always felt like it had the least amount of pressure compared to other social media sites. Factors linking to depression I would say could be the pressures of response, and I've always felt like I was unable to escape fight or flight, and feelings of stress when I would hear a notification going off. This would build and build leading to increased anxiety making depression harder to manage and escape sometimes. I'm sure many others have experienced this as a drawback. Little things such as turning notifications off, turning volumes down, and learning just to ignore my phone has helped with this a little bit.

Does anyone else find themselves screenshotting so many things they want to remember or keep, but then it piles up and your photos get so full?

The doom scroll also I feel can be detrimental to our health. This is a struggle especially scrolling on social media before bed I feel many people have. It can be addicting to access knowledge quickly and can give us the dopamine hits we crave, but too much could lead to mental burnout. As mentioned in Chapter 2 of "Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal Communication (16th ed.)" the unhealthy aspects of social media are discussed, citing issues such as studies addiction to smart phones, sleep deprivation due to people staying up for hours checking devices, and how cell phone addictions can lead to anxiety. It is reported that people who take time off from social media report better moods, less anxiety, and increased face-to-face interactions (Adler & Proctor. 2023).

I do enjoy sharing photos of small moments, like early mornings at work or if I discover something fun like non-dairy Reddi wip, and can share this with friends when I normally wouldn't be able to.

Some positive benefits of social media would be staying in connection with loved ones and friends that we normally don't get much time to see in person or talk to often. In todays world we spend so much time working, commuting, working more, having to cook and clean, take care of our families, and work on school, so it can be hard to spend face to face time with friends. Social media helps us stay in touch and connected in some cases. I always enjoy seeing my friends and loved ones posting a picture of something fun they did, made, or just get an update on their wellbeing. 

Reference

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