MEEKER | Media: given a whole new meaning by the innovation of different social platforms. In today’s society being involved in online platforms is “normal.” The “microwave society,” a term coined by Rick Pitino, a college basketball coach, explains the fast-paced society we have grown accustomed to. Media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and even Amazon have created a craving for immediate solutions and satisfaction.
Recent studies from the Center of Humane Technology using MRI scans show that frequent users of TikTok and Facebook have decreased attention spans. This has been a huge concern in schools, as most younger generations have trouble focusing on the task at hand. Schools within the Boulder Valley School District have even turned to a full ban on cell phone use during school hours while on campus grounds. The effect of the decreased attention span in schools is a decrease in academic achievement as established by Professor Melissa Gordan.
However, some say that the reinvention of the educational system counteracts this negativity. With the innovation of social media students have access to immediate information as well as sources from experts in different fields. For example, Artificial Intelligence (AI) allows students to piece together all their ideas into an image they can then create. Ben Quinn, a Meeker High School art teacher, uses AI in his classroom as a tool to create the image young artists have in their minds, but can’t quite create from scratch.
“I love my technology,” Quinn said. “That’s where I get inspiration, and that’s how I organize my life.”
The use of different forms of media has allowed for more detailed and thorough teaching, though not necessarily learning. The theory of “microwave society” invokes thoughts that students turn to solutions like cheating to satisfy their cravings for immediate satisfaction. Meeker High School teacher Kate Kindall takes this stance towards technology in the classroom, “I really am fearing the ability to critically think or to read and go, wow, here’s my experience or my interpretation of it versus I’m just gonna Google what the book’s about, and there’s no appreciation of language, there’s no appreciation of nuance…”
At Meeker High School there are few restrictions on the use of media in the classroom. The student handbook states that it is to be used for “educational purposes only” but ultimately that restriction is put onto the teacher and their class rules.
Meeker High School Principal Amy Chinn stated that her biggest concern about social media/phone use in school was that “… they can be a huge distraction from learning and living in the moment.” However, she also recognizes how influential and helpful it can be. Chinn said it is the school board’s priority and responsibility to “…teach students responsible technology use” due to the fact that phones have become “…a part of adult life.”
The positives and negatives of media’s use in education have a myriad of points in their favor, neither being ruled as the victor. This writer merely challenges you to stay informed and aware of these new advancements and how they have and will impact generations.
By MYLAH GALLEGOS
EDITOR’S NOTE: Mylah Gallegos is our work study intern for the 2024-25 school year. She is a senior at Meeker High School.