Learning 2.0

As I was pondering on what I should write about exactly I decided to read one of the articles posted on the class website. The one I chose was "Are We Getting Better?" Within the article it shares a story of a young man growing up on the edge of a forest. All of the kids in the neighborhood loved to play in the forest. A few blocks down was another group who also enjoyed the forest. They would come up with team games to play such as hockey, tag, capture the flag, etc. They grew from their experiences knowing what hard work and dedication were important for success. He remembers playing with his friends non-stop, unless the rain and lightning kept them inside. He then goes on talking about how studies have shown that since television came out with shows other than the news that kids have slowly started to have more problems. Some shows are great for kids to watch, but some are a little over the top and researchers have said are starting to cause cognitive thinking problems within children. In the end he says that kids need to spend less time inside and more time outside enjoying nature and friendship. He then asks, "are we getting better?"

As I read the article it made total sense to me. I grew up playing all sorts of sports, hanging out with friends, spending time with family, and enjoying the wilderness. It wasn't until I was about the age of 12 when I got my first video game console that I started spending less and less time outside. Looking back I regret not spending time outside like I did as a younger child. I agree with this man that kids need to spend more time outside and less time watching television/playing video games. I think technology will one day be so addicting that people will not know how to have face-to-face conversations/interactions. Social media can be great, but at the same time it can ruin lives. I have a friend who has a serious video game addiction so I know first hand how it affects families and relationships.