Ambience

Early in the semester, Lee Rainie talked about the “always on” or “ambient” quality of technology today, especially in the lives of young people. Lately I’ve been thinking about this idea and how it applies to other library and educational issues. For example, in a library, reading should be ambient. Right now, learning seems to be ambient for me. By this I mean different aspects of my life keep crossing over, informing other aspects of my life. The boundaries of personal and professional are blurring. I used to think it was unprofessional to talk about family, children, and also about a career, but for me, these two broad arenas keep overlapping – even when I try to keep them separate.

Here is an example. In reading Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with New Media (Ito, Mizuko, et.al. published by the MacArthur Foundation,2010) for my resource review, one of the studies included focused on Neopets. This was of no particular interest (interesting, but not compelling) until I discovered that my eleven-year old was spending a great deal of time on Neopets. These two things – my reading and his interest, took place in the span of the same two week period. Coincidence? The study talked about three very different reasons that most children use Neopets: 1) social (interacting with their friends) 2) creative (inventing pets, dressing them, decorating their houses, taking care of them) or 3) economic – by playing different games and making investments, children “earn” more points. Those who are focused on the earning usually don’t spend all of their points. Capitalist, yes. Certainly not violent. I pictured my son – why would he play? My guess was #3. So I asked him if he liked playing the market and he responded very enthusiastically. But is this a good way for him to be spending his time? So, I also checked on Common Sense Media (a site we have looked at in this class and I have used before) to see what they have to say . . . and yes, it’s not too bad. They also note the commercial nature of the site and recommend avoiding the chat rooms and discussion boards, which my son was very dismissive about when I asked him – that part is just not interesting to him. Still, he gets so involved that it does seem addictive at times . . . so I can understand the concerns that parents have about too much media use and gaming. Where these lines are, how much is too much, what is appropriate? . . . I’m not sure, but I’m still learning.

In another part of my life I’m involved with a parent educational group. At the April meeting a school administrator talking about an exciting new program she is implementing to help teachers learn how to differentiate in the classroom. What planning method did she refer to? Backwards design. A concept that makes great sense, but I was not very familiar with before just a few weeks ago. This week’s article by Wiggins and McTighe, “Put Understanding First”, about using backwards design in designing school curriculum was excellent for me as a parent and well as a librarian. Learning is ambient.

Another example: Comics. We’ve recently analyzed the conventions needed to interpret comics, issues surrounding comics and reading, visual literacy. And the same week we discussed it in class, a comic book exhibit at The Works, a local science museum, opened: Stories in Four Colors: Cartoon Art in Ohio. This coming Saturday, May 1, our local library is hosting a comic book day with a workshop for youth in the afternoon. Ahh . . . because it's National Comic Book Day. Thanks to Carol for tweeting this NPR resource as I'm blogging! Cool! Other recent comics news include a graphic novel version of A Wrinkle in Time. One of my favorite books, so I’m both excited and a bit worried – so is the artist, who is at least aware that L’Engle didn’t want illustrations for her book. But if it will introduce the story to new readers, then that’s a good thing . . . And what about the movies? I haven’t heard much positive about the Kick-Ass movie, but this article asks whether graphic novel heroines are different when written by women, instead of men (think Wonder Woman)? I think she’s on to something here . . . will graphic novels written by women appeal more to girls than traditional comics do?

Does this kind of coincidence happen for the rest of you? Where one aspect of your life informs another . . . in sometimes unpredictable ways? It’s exciting . . . and there is always more to learn.

Chat Roulette...the new conversation??

I have a creepy feeling about Chatroulette.com. Of course, it takes me awhile to warm up to any new technology so I am going to try to be objective about this new phenomenon. I get a kick out of being a voyeur as much as the next guy but Chatroulette is too “in your face” for me. For background, watch http://vimeo.com/9669721 informal, funny research on this new use of the web cam.

My gut reaction is that there is something weird about wanting to chat with a stranger who probably has no expertise in anything I’m interested in and whom I will never talk to again and will never meet. I like to meet people that share one of my interests or with whom I can have a relationship. And, of course, there is the pervert factor. Every article I’ve read and news report I’ve seen warns of the sexual implications of this form of entertainment. On Chatroulette one can see masturbation, private body parts, psychos with nooses around their necks, men in bras…need I go on?

Is the right to patronize this site in the same league as the right to read books on sensitive subjects? My opinion is no, it is not. While I am all for freedom of the press and freedom to express your opinions and to talk about the taboo, I think there are some things that do not need to be witnessed. I might join in a conversation about sexual perversion, what is perverse, what the attraction is and why some people like it and others don’t. But it is a whole new ballgame to witness sexually explicit acts. For example, to change the context, it is one thing to read about a grisly murder but it is quite another to witness one.

This is definitely a concern when thought of in the same context as youth. Teens would be the most likely age group to be attracted to this technology. First, some of them have more leisure time than adults and more of their time, leisure or not, is tied to the computer. Secondly, even if a teen is leery of whom they will run into, persuasion of peers will be a big factor. And, most importantly, trying new technology is as familiar as breathing to teens and that, combined with natural curiosity and a sense of daring, might be a dangerous combination.

It’s not that I don’t trust the kids (God, how many times have you heard THAT one!) Seriously though, my concerns are with whom they will start chatting in Chatroulette and what that person will do on camera or ask the kids to do. Older teens have probably seen much more sexually than adults want to recognize but the younger teens and tweens that might get on Chatroulette.com could see things that they are just not ready for. Another concern for me is that the more we see and accept sexual behavior, as well as other outer-limit behavior, the more mainstream it may become, although I think we may have crossed that threshold already.

I would like to say that perhaps there is some educational value in meeting new people from different areas of the world but from what I have read and seen, that is not even possible. Participants move from one to the next partner so quickly, this process is called nexting, that if you are not a beautiful, young girl or naked, you will be nexted faster than you can say hello. This new use of internet technology is purely for entertainment. The point is simply to sit there and see what completely strange thing can be seen. The point is not to chat so much as to be shocked.

To quote Cliff Kuang at Fastcompany.com, “Self-published entertainment has officially moved into territory I can barely comprehend. Parents: One more reason to lock up your daughters.”