Reflection 3

"How changes in technology impact the way humans communicate, and the ethical issues that surround these changes"

Today’s technology has become more sophisticated, which ultimately has impacted the way humans communicate with one another. These changes in technology have enabled communication between individuals to become more advanced, and therefore affect how a person interacts within their society. It is essential that with the development of technology, the ethical issues are considered. I personally believe that the changes in technology have both positively and negatively impacted the way humans communicate between others and the world.

Using technology from such a young age, and growing up with technology as an influence in my life, I have been able to experience first-hand this development in technology, and therefore am able to ask myself “have the changes in technology been a good thing?”. Technology has advanced in a way that has enabled individuals to communicate online, therefore limiting their interaction face-to-face. For example, with the development of Facebook, I am able to interact and communicate with my family and friends, in the comfort of my own home, such as through messages, video and audio chats. This can be convenient, and a quicker way of communicating, however the ethical issues of bullying, particularly cyber bullying, and the idea of living a lifestyle dominated by the control of technology must be considered, and how this is ultimately going to impact one’s life (De Wet, Koekemoer, Nel, 2016).

Understanding the importance of using technology effectively to communicate with others in a way that prevents, judgement and criticism is essential, as it not only enhances my learning experience and encourages me to inspire others to do the same, but gives me the opportunity to share this significance with my siblings, and children I work with in the after-school care centre. Technology is a significant aspect in my learning and journey of becoming a teacher, and has enabled me to understand the importance of ensuring the promotion of technology within my classroom, whilst guaranteeing that students are communicating face-to-face, and being aware of ethical issues associated.

Word Count: 330

Using Facebook Messenger to communicate with my family and friends.

Photo taken by Lauren Greenaway.

References

De Wet, Wihan., Koekemoer, Eileen. & Nel, Jan Alewyn. (2016). Exploring the impact of information and communication technology on employee’s work and personal lives. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 42 (1), 1. Retrieved September 10, 2017 from http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v42i1.1330