Class Notes

5.2: Class Circle Talk

  • Computers are a massive advantage in society today, and it’s kind of like a haves and have nots type of thing
  • People may not have access to computers and the internet like others do for a myriad of reasons, some being:
    • Economic situation
    • Country regulations
    • Family regulations
  • Some people choose to not use technology, as they believe it ruins society.

Hacks

1) How does someone empower themselves in a digital world?

In this digital era, people can empower themselves with relative ease, especially when it comes to fields involving computer science. In order to empower yourself, you must experiment and try new things, as there are so many different fields and opportunities available that there will be SOMETHING that interests you. After finding your interest, you must train to excel at that one niche.

2) How does someone that is empowered help someone that is not empowered? Describe something you could do at Del Norte HS.

I believe that the empowered can help the un-empowered via many different ways. The way that I would go about it is having a conversation with the un-empowered person. I would give them advice about struggles I went through, and what I did to solve my problems. I would also help them find something they are interested in, and I would help them experiment. This would launch a chain reaction of the person who previously wasn’t empowered to become empowered and help more un-empowered people.

3) Is paper or red tape blocking digital empowerment? Are there such barriers at Del Norte? Elsewhere?

Although paper may be limiting digital empowerment in a sense, there is advantages to paper against computers. For one, paper is more reliabale and set in stone, as the paper doesn’t need to “save” and such. Del Norte still users paper for the majority of academic uses, as it’s exponentially harder to cheat on paper than on the computer. Especially in a school where cheating and academic dishonesty is held at such high regard.

4) What concerns do you have personally about the digital divide? For yourself or for others.

I believe that as technology gets better and better, the divide between the haves and have-nots will increase further. Going hand in hand with the increase of the gap between the rich and the poor, the divide between the people who have technology and the people who don’t have technology will get exponentially larger. Technology will become more of an advantage, and the people who don’t have it will be pushed farther and farther away from the others.

Reflection

This lesson alerted me to the growing issue of digital divide. The overwhelming advantage of people who can use technology is scary, and that advantage is only going to get bigger. In order to solve this problem, we will need to make technology way more affordable and accessible to others.