Professional Log #11

Stout, H. (2010, April).  Antisocial Networking?  The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2011, from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/fashion/02BEST.html.

Stout writes about how technology may be causing tweens and teenagers to be less sociable than one would think by using cell phones and social networking tools.  Most communication is being done through chat windows and text messages in which they do not write full paragraphs and full words.  Everything is shortened to texting slogans.  The concern with these tools is that it could lead tweens and teenagers to cyberbully and sexting.  These inventions have also lead to tweens and younger children not going outside and playing with each other which use to help people build lasting relationships.  The end of the article hits a good point about shy tweens having a way to communicate through texting and Facebook in a way that makes them comfortable and eventually brings them out of their shy state. 

I find that the author has a valid point.  I grew up talking on the phone with my friends or I would go over to their house to hang out.  We did not have cell phones until we were in high school and only got them because there was no way to call home if we needed.  I did not get text messaging until I was a junior in college; all my friends thought I was weird.  Just recently a current junior in college got text messaging for the first time and everyone was shocked that she finally had it, but were concerned about how slow she was in responding.  My family had dial up Internet until just recently so long chat sessions were not a possibility for communicating with them in high school.  As for the amount of time we spent on the Internet, we were limited based on what we needed to do and depending on how long the line would hold out.  These current students in college and younger are so technology based that it is ruining any chance of them having a real best friend who knows everything about them.  It also is a shame when you walk down the street and see fourth graders with more expensive, high tech phones, computers, iPods, etc then you have.  If these fourth graders have phones when is it going to be the norm for first graders to have phones?