Monday, April 6, 2009

9. Henry Jenkins Interview and "Testing Horace Mann"

In his interview, Henry Jenkins talks about Myspace and why kids use it, the appeal behind it and he also discusses the controversy surrounding it. He says there are some educational benefits for kids who are on social networking sites, and teachers who realize this are starting to integrate technology into their classrooms more. Also, he talks about the dangers associated with it and how parents can learn to use it and protect their kids from pedophiles and predators.

The Testing Horace Mann article was about a Facebook scandal at a private school, where students were using Facebook to slam their teachers and when the teachers found out, they wanted the students punished. However, it was hard because the parents of these students were all very prominent, and many served on the board and had a lot of weight. As a result of this, they wanted teachers that were named on Facebook fired, because they accessed the students' pages, but their own children did not get punished for writing the obscene material.

I didn't understand why the teachers were getting in so much trouble for looking at the students' Facebook pages. The pages were public and the teachers have every right to be on the site; it is open to everyone after all.

Both articles relate to Prensky's "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants". Teenagers are the majority of users on myspace and Facebook and this is because they are the digital natives Prensky talks about. Also, in "Testing Horace Mann" the teachers had to go to a meeting where they were taught by someone from the technology department about how to access Facebook and make their own accounts. The teachers are the digital immigrants.

I find it really funny that in the almost 3 years since the Henry Jenkins' interview, some of his answers are no longer applicable. Danah said, "MySpace has over 78 million registered accounts while Facebook has approximately 8 million. While over 85% of college students participate on Facebook if it exists on their campus" however it doesn't matter anymore if you're in college or what to be on Facebook. I remember it was a big thing my senior year of high school when Facebook started letting high schoolers on and it was awesome for me because a bunch of my friends were in college. Actually, at the time this was posted high schoolers were being allowed to use it, and had been for at least a few months.

I also found it funny that they say "young people feel more comfortable sharing aspects of their lives (for example, their sexual identities) that previous generations would have kept secret" in regards to Myspace. I was the same way for Facebook at least, once I changed my interested in to women it was like whatever I don't care who knows, and i first did that while I was still attending my Catholic college and basically no one was out. Also by doing that, other family members (like cousins and such) could see it, but I didn't care anymore. I have told all of my immediate family, except for my brother who I never really see or talk to, but hey, he has Facebook too so he can see it.

The "Testing Horace Mann" article reminds me of my own hometown, where the police troll Facebook pages and groups and then people complain about what is being said online and the pictures that are up in the town newspaper because that is apparently the only thing newsworthy in Barrington. On the one hand I understand why they're all so upset about what i being said online, and I think the kids are stupid when they put up pictures that can clearly get them into trouble, but at the same time they still need an outlet to vent, and sites like Facebook are the places they do that.

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