Learning to Stay Connected On Screen and Off!
When is the last time you have gone “on-screen” to connect with the people you know… or maybe don’t know? Whether it’s email, skype, text messages, or social media sites, screens have become the new medium for connecting with other human beings. I read an article today that discussed JOMO, or the Joy of Missing Out. Author and career coach Maite Baron uses this acronym in the context of digital detox.
In Barons Words, “establish your own clear boundaries for technological use… This will enable you to be as productive as possible, without becoming overwhelmed by the invasive online environment that’s all around you.”
After reading this on my flight to DC this morning, the idea resonated with me and my immediate and overwhelming reaction was… this is something I need to post! I then realized how difficult the task of missing out is… a digital detox might just be more difficult than a juice detox!
How do we create boundaries for ourselves in technological use when so much of our life and productivity revolves around our online tools? The world is at our fingertips and the digital world has become our reality. It’s easy to allow hours to pass that feel like mere minutes as we find ourselves “sucked in” to the digital realm.
The answer to the digital dilemma is not only to establish boundaries but clear priorities and awareness. When spending time with family and friends, pay attention to how often devices come out. Be present and give your full attention to the three-dimensional folks around you.
As educators, our classroom should resemble the world we are preparing our students to not only live in, but to create. “No Cell Phone Zone” signs should be banned from every school. How do we teach students to be responsible digital citizens if we ban technology in our education systems? Are we taking a chance that a student might misuse the technology, click on an inappropriate link, or god forbid, look up an answer and “cheat” on a test? What better place to teach them than in the safety of the school environment how to have self-control and focus on the task at hand? As far as using technology to “cheat,” when is the last time your boss scolded or fired an employee for looking up an answer they didn’t know? In real life, this is called being resourceful and taking initiative. In the classroom it is cheating. In the real world, we can text or email someone to ask a question and teamwork is a sought-after skill.
How do we prepare students for jobs that don’t exist? By preparing them to create those jobs. By teaching them that they are creating their own reality each and every day with every decision they make. These are the minds that will be and currently are creating the future of our society and our world. We cannot take this lightly. Let’s embrace the brilliance of our digital age AND give ourselves fully to those in our presence. Let’s teach the youth by giving them opportunities to explore and to create. To make mistakes and to fix them.
JOMO, or better, the joy of the present moment, and embracing the world around you.
“People today are more dedicated to their distractions than they are to their destinies!”
By Rachael Mann the 2016 Region V Fellow