Mikal Kenfield
Over the past decades, technology has been growing at an exponential rate. This growth has affected the entire world’s population in some way, whether it was medically, financially, or a change in daily life. Young people, especially college students, are among the great majority whose lives have been changed by the growth and expansion of technology. In today’s world, nearly every student has a connection to the Internet at any time and in any place, a concept that did not exist 30 years ago. Before the turn of the twentieth century, the Internet was around, but it was subpar in comparison to the way it is now. (1) Computer usage and ownership has also inclined since the early 2000s. Many Americans had access to computers in the last 40 years, the 1984 US census reported that 41 percent of full-time college students had computer access at any place. (2) In the interview, Mikal mentioned that computers were not as common in the dorms as they are now. The US census in August 2000 proves this to be true: 57.7 percent of adults aged 18 to 24 years had home computer access and 41.5 percent had internet in their homes. (3) The US census conducted in 2013 revealed that 92.7 percent of adults aged 18 to 34 years lived in a house with a computer with 85.5 percent owning a desktop or laptop computer and 81.2 percent had some Internet subscription in their home. (4) These results in the three censuses mentioned have showed how dramatically and quickly technology has reached out to students.
Schools have greatly benefitted from the growth of technology over the years. Personal computers make it simple for students to write papers, conduct research, and do the assignments required for classes. The way that students are learning is ever-changing as well. Many classrooms are reverting to using online materials, such as e-textbooks, the way assignments are turned in, and even classes themselves are being held online. Although this change is mostly positive, students are not learning the same skills as they were in the past, such as writing in cursive or really taking in and understanding traditional spelling. Instructors and students have to learn to be more conscious of not taking advantage of technology during lessons. For example programs such as Microsoft Word or just general online searching is being used to “autocorrect” words that are not spelled correctly, where in the past students would have to use a dictionary or figure out the word on their own. Since computer skills are being taught at such a young age now, traditional longhand writing might be extinct in the next couple of decades.
Students’ studies are not the only thing that technology has changed, the way that student interact with each other has changed as well. Mikal mentions during the interview that since the creation of social media, events are promoted better among college students. She states that dorm RA’s have it so easy with things such as Facebook to advertise their events. (5) It was also brought up that social media also covers up face-to-face interactions; she says, “yeah, we just had to talk to people…” (6) This is true across the board. While social media does play a key role in social interactions with teens especially, this demographic is losing the ability to make personal conversation. If someone is more used to talking to another person via the web, they typically have a more challenging time talking to another person in real life. The idea of social media being a positive thing is the way that it makes keeping in touch with distant friends and family easy, however when people meet online, how does that relationship become important? An article took this into consideration, Nicole B. Ellison, an assistant professor of telecommunication, information studies and media at Michigan State University was quoted saying, “The common refrain you hear is that ‘They're not real friends,’ … but that doesn't mean they're not valuable.” (7) This article also mentioned that on the autism spectrum, online interactions is very beneficial for people with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, speech impediments, etc., because it gives time extra time to craft sentences and to think about what they want to say without the pressure of fast paced, face-to-face conversation. (8)
The world is changing very fast, and technology might just be the main cause of this change. However, technology has some very positive sides when it comes to the way it is used in academic settings. The way students learn has become increasingly more advanced with the help of computers and the Internet. Online resources have truly proved themselves to be as helpful as they were created to be. While social media may have some negative aspects, it is advantageous to college students as they travel and meet new people. It is important to remember that not everything relies on the web, talking to people in person is just as important as sending that instant message or email. This also stands true for students’ studies; it is important that instructors do not turn everything to technology because offline skills are just as important to a student’s development as online skills are.
Essay by: Sara Parries
(1) Kenfield, Mikal, “Mikal Kenfield, Oral History Interview, 2013,” interview by Connor Hanson, Concordia Memory Project.
(2) Kominski, R. (2014, October 27). Computer Use in the United States: 1984. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.census.gov/hhes/computer/files/1984/p23-155.pdf
(3) Newburger, E. (2014, October 27). Home Computers and Internet Use in the United States: August 2000. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/p23-207.pdf
(4) File, T., & Ryan, C. (2014, October 27). Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/acs/acs-28.pdf
(5) Kenfield, Interview
(6) Kenfield, Interview
(7) Clemmitt, M. (2010, September 17). Social Networking. CQ Researcher, 20, 749-772. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com.cordproxy.mnpals.net/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2010091700&type=hitlist&num=0
(8) Clemmitt, Social Networking