A socio-cultural aspect of ICT – from a Digital Immigrant`s point of view.

The internet allows pupils to easily and quickly access and exchange information on a worldwide basis.  For many youngsters using the internet is a social activity, allowing them to keep updated and to keep in touch with the rest of the World, so to speak.  It offers them the opportunity to interact with others in a variety of ways. 

At the same time the internet gives many youngsters the possibility to escape from the constraints of their everyday identities. Identity thought of largely as a product of a group membership.  They can promote themselves as they please,with any features they find helpful or necessary in different online communities. They get to choose the identity they like, or one they find called for, in the given online community. Many youngsters play online games or are active on websites like Facebook.They construct avatars that represent themselves or create a cyberspace identity that is made up to fit the" requirements "of the online community.

For many parents/teachers many of these websites, as well as these fantasy identities, have become challenging. Many different issues have been discussed concerning emotional, physical and sexual risks associated with youngsters’ access to the internet. An increasing number of parents and teachers are worried about how some youths' socialize. Some of them practically don`t. Not psychically, face to face, anyway. Many youngsters seem to be unable to communicate with each other without having their computer at hand. Many simply don`t find it necessary or interesting to meet face to face. A concerned father told me that his son came home one day and said, and I quote:” Dad, I wish you would get yourself a facebook account so that we could talk to each other like they do in other families”.

Parents and fellow teachers claim that their children/pupils prefer staying at home chatting with their “friends” online instead of meeting up with friends in real life. Some of the children told their parents they preferred being able to communicate with others when they had the opportunity to use their constructed avatar, it made life so much easier and less demanding. Both parents and teachers have challenged these children/pupils to socialize in their spare time without bringing their computers. The parents experienced that their sons and daughters ended up left out and even worse, without friends.

If it is getting difficult for many youngsters to meet each other face to face,we will be facing some serious problems in society. When increasing numbers of youngsters feel that many social settings are so demanding that they avoid them we need to do something. These are problems we have to take seriously, but where do we start? 

Sources:

Samovar, L., Porter R, Mc Daniel, E(2010): " Communication between cultures", Wadsworth, engage Learning. Boston, USA.