Week 3

Some thoughts after reading Lisa Nielsens insights into the use of media amongst teens and tweens. Lisa is attempting to quell the knee-jerk reactions parents had to the results discovered by the Common Sense Census. The Common Sense Census "is a large-scale study that explores young people's use of the full range of media and technology", and its results were startling to some. I would like to focus on one point raised by Lisa in her blog "The Innovative Educator"

One section in lisas blogpost is titled "Restrictions are ineffective". in this section she attempts to argue that not only are restrictions ineffective but rather are counter intuitive. Basically she is trying to argue that each form of media can be used for good; teens can interact with the outside world through social media, gaming systems can be used for exercise when the weather outside is unfavorable to natural forms of exercise. I have no problem with this, Lisa is making a totally truthful point here. But regardless i feel the need to interject here.

It seems that there are two sides of the spectrum being represented here; the parents knee-jerk reactions representing the side for restrictions and Lisa opposing that. I think we need not fool ourselves, and some sort of middle ground here, a point which Lisa mentions as well. Before restricting chidren from using media, we need to check how they are using it and what purpose it serves in their life. if they are rotting away in front of the TV 8 hours a day, isolated in their room, plauing video games, some restrictions might very well help. On the other hand if someone really found some sort of community online that is a place fo them to express themselves and is filling some sort of void in their life, why restrict them?! The point I am trying to make here, and this is very important for our course as well (especially in a Jewish environment) is that no rules should be made here, media can be used in extremely useful and productiv on one hand, and very wasteful nd harmful ways on the other. this same thing applies for the classroom, and we always have to be checking ourselves, if we're adding good to this world or not!