Generation M^2

As I have shared from the very beginning, I am pro-technology in the classroom as well as out of the classroom and I believe that children should be exposed to technology as soon as possible since this is what 21st century literacy looks like. However, after reading the report "Generation M^2", I realize that technology is a double edge sword. The subjects used in this survey were between the ages of 8 and 18 years and were separated into 3 groups- heavy media users, moderate, and light media users. I am aware that there are young individuals out there, who have made technology their addiction, but I have never expected to see the numbers from the results of the survey that I saw neither have I thought that I will encounter relationships such as level of media usage and grades in school, or level and type of media usage and race. The survey shows that heavy media users are most likely to fail in school or to have poor grades. These individuals classified as heavy media users are, in addition, discontent with their lives and often find themselves bored. The relationship between age and media and type of media usage were also striking. The conclusions from the data are that 11-14 year olds get the most media exposure and media use compare to older and younger individuals. In respect to race and media, the Hispanic population has slightly higher media exposure compared to the White and Black populations. However, in regards to total media use, the Black population has higher use compared to the White and the Hispanic populations.
Regardless on age and race, the average hours youngsters spend using various types of media amounts to nearly an eight hour work day. However, by multitasking, or using several different forms of media at about the same time, the young generation used in the study is able to fit nearly eleven hours of media usage into seven and a half hours by multitasking. I suppose, in the case of an individual holding a full time job, fitting nearly eleven hours of work into an 8 hour work day would make that individual a hero in the work place.
Although I believe that technology is a blessing, I also know that everything done excessively is not good and I think the new generation has overstepped the norm of media usage by a long shot. Controlling media usage starts at home, as other important things such as the teaching of ethics. However, in the 21st century none of these two seem to be happening in the home, or at least, the results are not obvious.
I wonder what the world will come to if there is no electricity for a day, or a week, or a month. What will the media addict do without his addiction? Cell phone and ipod batteries can only last for so long. Then what? It may sound evil-minded, but I would love to see the day when children would play hide-and-seek on the street again instead of spending eight hours in front of a computer playing a game or what not.