Loneliness is becoming more common as people interact face-to-face less and use electronic communication more. This trend is problematic as quality social interactions are important for well-being. A classroom experiment called "Disconnect36" found benefits when students abstained from technology for 36 hours, including stronger interpersonal relationships and time for meaningful socializing. To address loneliness, the proposed solution is to organize a nationwide "technology free day" where people abstain from technology to focus on face-to-face interactions and reduce isolation. The goal is to demonstrate how balancing technology use with real social contact supports mental and physical health.
Character Development, for students, by students!mediaplaylab
Cyberwellness has always been a ministry initiative, but in recent years has increasingly gained importance nation-wide as the evolving Internet and media landscapes bring about various issues with it.
Innova JC’s JC1 Cyberwellness Civics Lesson was done in collaboration with Media Development Authority (MDA), to bring about character development to IJC students.
All JC1 New Media Arts CCA students (known as NMA Cyberwellness Ambassadors) researched on cyberwellness topics that interest and benefit them as youths (social networking and gaming addiction). The students then collated materials (videos, case studies) to be used in the lessons.
They then leveraged on the weekly Civics Programme to extend its reach to the entire JC1 cohort of students. This programme is also part of Innova New Media Education Programme where students equip Innovians with the skills to be safe and responsible users of the Internet.
Want to know more about social networking and gaming addiction? Read Up! on the pertinent issues now!
A presentation aimed at parents of children 8 years and up. Aim is to demystify the web and enable parents to guide their children in a positive manner rather than the shrill and pointless: "Get away from the computer and do something meaningful!"
Preliminary findings of "voices of digital natives" project at Edge Lab, presented at Association of Internet Researchers conference in Seattle, Oct 12 2011
Inaugural Lecture
John Cook
Date: Tuesday 3rd of Feb, 2009
Time: 6pm
Venue: Henry Thomas room, Holloway Road, London Metropolitan University
Introduced by Brian Roper, Vice-Chancellor London Metropolitan University
Character Development, for students, by students!mediaplaylab
Cyberwellness has always been a ministry initiative, but in recent years has increasingly gained importance nation-wide as the evolving Internet and media landscapes bring about various issues with it.
Innova JC’s JC1 Cyberwellness Civics Lesson was done in collaboration with Media Development Authority (MDA), to bring about character development to IJC students.
All JC1 New Media Arts CCA students (known as NMA Cyberwellness Ambassadors) researched on cyberwellness topics that interest and benefit them as youths (social networking and gaming addiction). The students then collated materials (videos, case studies) to be used in the lessons.
They then leveraged on the weekly Civics Programme to extend its reach to the entire JC1 cohort of students. This programme is also part of Innova New Media Education Programme where students equip Innovians with the skills to be safe and responsible users of the Internet.
Want to know more about social networking and gaming addiction? Read Up! on the pertinent issues now!
A presentation aimed at parents of children 8 years and up. Aim is to demystify the web and enable parents to guide their children in a positive manner rather than the shrill and pointless: "Get away from the computer and do something meaningful!"
Preliminary findings of "voices of digital natives" project at Edge Lab, presented at Association of Internet Researchers conference in Seattle, Oct 12 2011
Inaugural Lecture
John Cook
Date: Tuesday 3rd of Feb, 2009
Time: 6pm
Venue: Henry Thomas room, Holloway Road, London Metropolitan University
Introduced by Brian Roper, Vice-Chancellor London Metropolitan University
In this paper we suggest a design research method for eliciting
affordances and new meanings for Smart Objects in the Internet of Things Era.
After an introduction to the topic and the description of some open issues, we
propose to adopt a Critical Design approach, where the role of Ambiguity is
twofold: on the one hand, it is the objective of the observation for defining a set
of ambiguous objects or affordances; on the other hand, it is the result of a
design conceptualization of smart objects aiming at provoking cognitive
dissonance and finalized to understand people adaptation processes and
behaviors.
How Affordances of Digital Tool Use Foster Critical Literacy: GCLR Webinar pr...Richard Beach
Global Conversations in Literacy Research's (GCLR) Webinar presentation on how the different affordances of digital tools: multimodality, interactivity, collaboration, intertextuality, and identity construction, can be used to foster critical inquiry in classrooms.
Bryce biggs talk to trainers network finalBryce Biggs
This presentation deals with social learning and social media and the possible use of social learning tools to enhance employee engagement. It was presented to public service
Social and affective motivation in virtual world educational communities V. 1.1Jean-Paul DuQuette
Final draft for the 4th International Conference on Interactivity, Language & Cognition: Educational Enskillment, Event, and Ecology at the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, August 2, 2018
In this paper we suggest a design research method for eliciting
affordances and new meanings for Smart Objects in the Internet of Things Era.
After an introduction to the topic and the description of some open issues, we
propose to adopt a Critical Design approach, where the role of Ambiguity is
twofold: on the one hand, it is the objective of the observation for defining a set
of ambiguous objects or affordances; on the other hand, it is the result of a
design conceptualization of smart objects aiming at provoking cognitive
dissonance and finalized to understand people adaptation processes and
behaviors.
How Affordances of Digital Tool Use Foster Critical Literacy: GCLR Webinar pr...Richard Beach
Global Conversations in Literacy Research's (GCLR) Webinar presentation on how the different affordances of digital tools: multimodality, interactivity, collaboration, intertextuality, and identity construction, can be used to foster critical inquiry in classrooms.
Bryce biggs talk to trainers network finalBryce Biggs
This presentation deals with social learning and social media and the possible use of social learning tools to enhance employee engagement. It was presented to public service
Social and affective motivation in virtual world educational communities V. 1.1Jean-Paul DuQuette
Final draft for the 4th International Conference on Interactivity, Language & Cognition: Educational Enskillment, Event, and Ecology at the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, August 2, 2018
Book Discussion ExampleEthical egoism fosters an environment of .docxjasoninnes20
Book Discussion Example
Ethical egoism fosters an environment of competition and promotes lack of self-lessness. Because self-interest differs from person to person, competition to fulfill personal self-interest becomes acceptable. For example, many people who have careers in the trade of business view personal gratification and fulfillment as essential to success. Pursuing one’s self interest demands that individual desires are elevated above another’s. Ethical egoism does not allow consideration for another person’s needs or permit aiding someone to reach their personal goals (Debelijak & Krkac, 2008). This philosophy fundamentally alters how society and individuals uphold or value standards of morality. If one’s goal in life is to seek personal satisfaction, then it is morally justified via ethical egoism. However, there are serious ramifications to this self-seeking ethical philosophy.
Ethical egoism advocates individual preservation above the common welfare of society. If one’s desire is to steal believing he is justified because his own self-interest is being fulfilled, then he commits the crime with the belief that he is morally justified in doing so. An action is moral so long as self-interest is the only goal being achieved. Individual interests and social welfare are often in conflict due to the reality that self-interest does not permit self-sacrifice. Ethical egoism mandates that social welfare is not a priority, not even a consideration when contemplating how best to pursue one’s self-interest (Olson, 1961). This corrupt pattern of thinking creates a fixation on individual preservation rather than universal prosperity. Therefore, the only one benefiting from ethical egoism is a single individual. Everyone’s needs are not met nor are they considered important. It is a human being’s tendency to value or pursue self-interest at the cost of common welfare and prosperity.
Individualism states that the interests or desires of an individual are regarded as supreme. Individualism is often associated with the ethical egoism because an individual’s desires are considered paramount above the collective society. As a result, the individual relates to society or their community based upon what said community can offer them as an individual. There exists no internal motive to assist another individual in pursing their desires or achieving their goals. Ethical egoism is self-centered by nature which causes a disconnect and lack of care for another’s prosperity (Gantt & Burton, 2013).
I believe that the only benefit to pursuing self-interest is temporary fulfillment of a particular desire. A society or community cannot benefit from each individual seeking self-satisfaction. This self-centered philosophy ultimately leads to competition and misplaced animosity between people. It would be impossible to encourage, uplift, or connect with others if we are viewing each other as obstacles or hindrances to our selfish desires. I find ethi ...
1. Envisioned disaster: The lonely society
The name of the solution: Technology free day
Area: Disaster response
Prepared by: Alina Khakimova, Uzbekistan
2. Why is that a disaster?
Researchers suggest that loneliness is becoming more common:
• Almost half of us (48%) strongly agree or agree that people are
getting lonelier in general (Mental Health Foundation, 2010)
• When polled as part of a 1984 questionnaire, respondents most
frequently reported having three close confidants. When the
question was asked again in 2004, the most common response was
zero confidants (Askt, 2008)
• The number of hours people spend interacting face-to-face has
fallen dramatically since 1987, as the use of electronic media has
increased (BBC, 2009)
• Loneliness may be contagious: people close to someone
experiencing loneliness were 52-percent more likely to become
lonely as well (Cacioppo et al., 2009)
This trend is unfortunate, since experts believe that it is not the
quantity of social interaction that combats loneliness, but that it is
the quality.
3. What is loneliness and why is it dangerous?
Depression
and suicide
To feel lonely is to be
overwhelmed by an
Alcoholism and unbearable feeling of Increased stress
drug abuse levels
separateness, at a very
deep level (MIND, 2011)
Antisocial
behavior
4. What are the causes?
The way we communicate with each other has changed due to new technologies:
• Increased internet use has been linked to higher
loneliness scores in adolescents (Engelberg and
Television Sjoberg, 2004)
Internet
• Heavy television viewers have been found to be
more pessimistic, less happy in their lives and
Mobile engage in fewer activities outside the home
phones (Argyle, 1992). A source of this relative life
dissatisfaction is that they are more socially
withdrawn.
• We might choose to send an email instead of
Increased levels of meet face-to-face or write an SMS, which may be
loneliness more convenient but doesn’t really give the same
depth and quality of interaction.
5. What are the causes? (continued)
• The growth of social networking sites facilitates connectivity, but
they don’t include the physical contact that benefits our well-
being. In addition, they undermine social skills and the ability to
read body language because face-to-face interaction is a complex
exchange involving body chemistry. Face-to-face contact
stimulates production of the neuropeptide oxytocin, the hormone
of ‘affiliation’: it prevents detrimental cardiac responses, and is
believed to underpin the link between social contact and healthy
hearts (Mental Health Foundation, 2010).
• The type of information that is available on Facebook and other
social networking sites might actually increase feelings of
loneliness (McEwan, 2011). Reading other people’s walls and
looking through photos can fuel feelings of separateness and
exclusion.
6. How to respond to the disaster?
• Organize a nationwide day during which people will be promoted to abstain from using all
communication technology and social media (television, video games, MP3 players, all
computer use, social networking sites, cell phones, texting, landline phones, and electronic
media devices that would connect to the Internet)
7. Why I think it would be successful?
Disconnect 36: a classroom experiment
In the spring 2010, an experiment was conducted for which majority of
students agreed to disconnect from all communication technology and social
media for 36 hours.
Here are some of the outcomes of the experiment:
Students realized The assignment Extra time was used Many of the students
that they lacked made them realize to make new friends stated that they had
interpersonal that time issues with among people who rarely communicated
relationships finishing homework like the same things. with people out of
because most of stemmed from Students played their personal circles,
their emotions and media and charades, engaged in but Disconnect36
thoughts are shared technology multi-player card necessitated that
through email or text distraction rather games, and had they be open and
messages and rarely than not having coffee dates with communicate in
occur in face to face enough time. other students and different ways
interaction. friends. (Flippin-Wynn and
Tindall, 2011).
8. Expectations from the solution
Disconnect36 was an important and enlightening experience for the students who participated. They
learned how they are linked, connected, and in some cases addicted to social media, and they also learned
how they manage their time and information through social networking. Some students even suggested it
should be expanded to 48 instead of just 36 hours.
If we want to secure ourselves from being lonely, then we have to examine the role that media and
technology play in our lives. By instituting the technology free day, it is possible to obtain the same positive
results as in the Disconnect36 experiment.
9. Expectations from the solution (continued)
The purposes of the technology free days is to demonstrate that:
• When we temper use of technology and consumption of media, the first thing that we gain is time for
mainly family and friends, those whom we love and trust to. We do not waste time online or on couches.
Schedule time for a face to face meeting with your friends and family during this day to connect on a
deeper and more personal level. Only that way we will not feel ourselves isolated, and there will be no
threat to our mental and physical health.
• Technology is not at all a bad thing, but the key is gaining an understanding of what is enough, what is too
much and where does the technology best fit? Like anything in life, using technology to our benefit
without isolating ourselves, is about finding a balance. We should use it when appropriate but favor face-
to-face contact. Otherwise we’re in danger of replacing human interaction and all the expression and
warmth that comes with it with words on a screen.
10. References
• Argyle, M., (1992). The Social Psychology of Everyday Life. [online] London: Routledge. Available from: Google books.
<http://books.google.com/books> [Accessed 10 November 2011]
• Askt, D., (2008). A talk with John Cacioppo: A Chicago scientist suggests that loneliness is a threat to your health. The Boston
Globe. [online] Available from: <
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/09/21/a_talk_with_john_cacioppo/> [Accessed 5 November
2010]
• BBC, (2009). Online networking harms health. [online] Available from: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7898510.stm>
[Accessed 11 November, 2011].
• Cacioppo, J. T., Fowler, J. H., and Christakis, N. A, (2009). Alone in the crowd: The structure and spread of loneliness in a large
social network. [online] Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 97, No. 6, 977–991. Available from:
<http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/> [Accessed 5 November 2010]
• Engelberg, E. and Sjoberg, L., (2004). Internet use, social skills, and adjustment. [online] CyberPsychology & Behavior, Vol. 7
pp.41 - 47. Available from: <http://www.dynam-
it.com/lennart/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=50&layout=blog&Itemid=75> [Accessed 5 November
2010]
• Flippin-Wynn, M. and Tindall , N.T.J. , (2011). Disconnect36: A Social Experiment to Teach Students to Shut Down, Turn off,
and Understand Connectivity. In Wankel , C., (ed.) Teaching Arts and Science with the New Social Media (Cutting-edge
Technologies in Higher Education, Volume 3). Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.265-281.
• Mental Health Foundation, (2010). The Lonely Society. [online] Available from:
<http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/the-lonely-society/> [Accessed 15 November 2011]
• McEwan, B., (2011). Hybrid engagement: How Facebook helps and hinders students’ social integration. In Wankel, L.A. and
Wankel, C., (ed.) Higher Education Administration with Social Media (Cutting-edge Technologies in Higher Education, Volume
2). Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.3-23
• MIND, (2011). How to cope with loneliness. [online] Available from:
<http://www.mind.org.uk/help/diagnoses_and_conditions/loneliness> [Accessed 10 November 2011]