EDER 603.16 Weekly Readings Discussion
Current Forum: Week 1: May 13-19
Discussion Date: Mon May 17 2004 10:46 am
Author: Becker, Katrin <becker@cpsc.ucalgary.ca>
Subject: Re: The Imposter Syndrome - Unmasked
Thank you Rita & Carmen and Gerry!

Your posts about the connections between inner and outer worlds, children's development and Giroux's theories sparked a new connection for me to a 'theory' I am just beginning to formulate.

The conference I was just at (called The Education Arcade) got me thinking of many things and created many new connections for me: I'm beginning to think this one may turn out to be significant.

More and more people are beginning to suspect that today's kids are somehow different from the generations that came before. Now, I realize everyone says this of the up-and-coming generation. I know my mom said it of mine. This time I really think it's different.

People complain that the current generation has no attention span, the incidence of diagnosed ADD-HD is high. They appear to have this need for 'instant gratification'; they walk around with their cell phones attached to their ears - I'm still trying to adjust to the idea that seeing someone walking alone carrying on an animated conversation with 'no-one' does not necessarily mean they're crazy.
They sit in their rooms at their computers simultaneously:
- surfing the Net,
- downloading files,
- carrying on multiple conversations through instant messaging
- listening to music
- talking on the phone
- AND doing homework
The prospect makes most of us older folks dizzy, yet they seem to manage just fine. My 16-year old daughter is pulling off 80's in school with this approach. In her case she could do better, but I'm not sure doing homework the way I did (with only music) would make the difference.
Anyhow, there is a mounting body of evidence to suggest that kids today really are different. Cognitive science and brain research shows that their brains are even different from ours. Depending on how you choose to view this, it can be: frightening, depressing, threatening, or really exciting. I've chosen the latter. Here's where this ties in to the conversation at hand.
Many of us have felt disenfranchised, isolated, and oppressed. Those of us who are not like everyone else, have probably felt it more than the average (whatever that is, but that's a different conversation!).
The current thread has tied inner and outer worlds together with this wall of silence. Well, today's kids are evolving a third world: a virtual one, one that gives them a way through this wall. It is significantly different from anything we've encountered in our history to date.
[In case you haven't noticed, I'm very passionate about this so please forgive me if I blather.]
In this virtual world, people create fully-developed communities: complete with businesses, families, some even have 'embedded journalists'. This is not just playing Barbies, folks, this is a new form of relationships and an entirely new form of expression (and also learning). Here are some reasons why this "New World" is different:
- individuals choose what they look like
- they choose their personalities; professions; and many other details of their virtual lives
- these characters are more than just pretend because they have become a blend of the real person and the digital character (avatar) that represents them in this community.
- they get to play out all sorts of scenarios (both 'good', and 'evil').
Perhaps MOST significant, and certainly most relevant to the current thread is that people in these communities come into this as EQUALS. One cannot tell from the virtual character whether this is a 16-year old girl, a 10-year old boy, a 37-year old gay man, or a 54-year old paraplegic woman - all choose their characters.
I think we have not yet begun to fully appreciate how empowering this can be (there are clearly potential problems too - gee, just like real life). Members of these communities are WAY more than just game-players: they interact, they cooperate to build things. They also battle, challenge, and destroy. The (real) kids receive the same consideration, respect, and make contributions to this society in the same way that the (real) adults do. Kids enjoy the same status as adults. They have the same power to create and destroy. The "wall of silence" does not exist here. It can be a highly egalitarian, and seems often to be at the same time, anarchistic and cooperative (even if you want to be evil, you still need allies). Ultimately, you can always opt out, delete your character, and create a new one (become someone else). These are the worlds of massively multiplayer online games [MMOG].
I could go on for a long time (maybe later). For now, if you are curious, try looking at these:
Second Life : [http://secondlife.com/]
EverQuest: [http://everquest2.station.sony.com/]
StarWars Combine: [http://swcombine.com/]
Tcheuss!
-Katrin
More on Henry Giroux:
His Homepage at Penn State: http://128.118.221.230/education/facultystaffpublicpage.asp?which=114
http://www.education.miami.edu/ep/contemporaryed/Henry_Giroux/henry_giroux.html