New Media & Technology

The impact of modern technology on the educational attainment of adolescents 

International Journal of Education and Research Vol. 1 No. 9 September 2013
            By:Magwa Simuforosa

              When I think about the affects that modern technology has on the youth of today it alarms me. Society is so obsessed with technology that it makes old-fashioned face-to-face communication rare and sometimes can be overwhelming. One thing that we cannot deny however is that the impact of modern technology has had its benefits on the education of society. That is why I chose the article “The impact of modern technology on the educational attainment of adolescents” written by Magwa Simuforosa.

             I would recommend this article to both parents and teachers because it reveals the positive and negative effects that technology has on students lives based on facts and extensive research.

              This article is very relatable to what we have learned in class because it shows how technology is a dominant force in the daily lives of adolescents and even adults.  This journal makes several significant points, such as how traditional media such as books and TV are now converging with digital media thus making it easier for children to find information without going to a library or even leaving their homes. As we went over in class this demonstrates how technology has allowed the separation of transportation and communication. This article also makes the significant points that technology is an excellent way to learn and that email and word processing skills are very valuable. But also demonstrates that technology can weaken peoples memory and cause issues with grammar used from frequent texting.  

              I definitely recommend this article, it is a great way to understand how students are using technology both for the good and the bad in the classroom.

Networking Laws

Network Laws

While Reeds Law, Metcalfe’s law and Sarnoff’s laws all try to discover the value of a network, each is very different and has their own limitations. While these all have a margin of error, the law that I agree most with is Sarnoff’s. Sarnoff’s law is attributed to David Sarnoff. The Sarnoff law states that the value of a broadcast network is proportionate to the number of viewers. I have to agree, I think a network is only as valuable as the number of users it has. I also believe that the interchangeability of using this for broadcast stations and for networks also makes it that much more efficient. This law is the only one out of the three that allows it to increase linearly and in my opinion will be the most accurate. While Metcalfe’s and Reeds law are great when determining the reach and show the endless possibilities they are complicating and assumes that the connection between networks are equal.

            Five years from now I expect technology to advance dramatically. Looking back at the last decade it is amazing how far we have came. So when asked “where will we get our information five years from now?” I was stumped. However, after much thought the place I think that we will be able to go for most of our information is Apps. Right now there is almost an App for everything, our TV’s come with applications, our cell phones, tablets, watches and even computers. This will be a very convenient way for people to get information at the tip of their fingers any time of day or night. Being surrounded by technology is a luxury but with the fast pace of society I feel that this will be the best and easiest way to get to anything that you are looking for whether it be social media sites, banking sites and sites for educational purposes.