Virtually Vocal

Hey Y'all, The concept of the “digital native” and “digital immigrants,” first introduced by Marc Prensky, has significantly influenced discussions on education and technology. Prensky (2012) argues that those born after the widespread adoption of digital technologies have developed cognitive patterns and learning preferences fundamentally different from earlier generations. He compares “digital natives” with “digital immigrants,” who had to adapt to technology later in life, often with lingering “accents” of their pre-digital learning styles. This divide, he suggests, has created challenges in education as traditional teaching methods fail to align with the fast-paced, interactive, and networked learning styles of digital natives (Prensky, 2012).               However, Kirschner and De Bruyckere (2017) challenge this by arguing that the notion of digital natives possessing innate technological skills is a myth. While younger generations may...

  Hey Y'all, Relationships require effort and communication, or they risk coming apart. Knapp’s Relational Model provides a framework for understanding how relationships develop and change over time. My relationship with K, a single mother, follows the progression of Knapp’s model. We first met at a video game club, where small talk during meetings evolved into daily texting. Over time, we reached the Integrating stage , which our lecture described as merging lives through shared activities, rituals, and social networks. K and I have strengthened our bond by meeting each other’s families and discussing how to support one another’s goals. Unfortunately, our hectic schedules have limited the amount of face-to-face time we can share, making online communication essential. (Sus & Drew, 2023) Online communication has played a pivotal role in maintaining and deepening our relationship during this stage. Due to our busy lives, we rely on iMessage and FaceTime. Virtual dates have ...

  Hey Y’all, While I try to avoid Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites, they have become integral in our lives. It seems impossible to navigate the day without a prompt to follow a brand, company, or someone’s profile. Social media can be used to share snippets of our lives, helping us connect with others. Instagram is perfect for sharing your pictures with friends and family. However, people carefully curate their “perfect life’ through the images on Instagram. Studies have shown that viewing others’ perfect lives can be detrimental to self-image, which is shaped by evaluating our lives against others’ (Adler et al., 2023). As someone who struggles with mental health and self-image, I avoid Instagram for just this reason. I do not need to add anything to my life that could further inhibit my mental health. Conversely, Facebook is beneficial for maintaining long-distance and weak-tie relationships. For example, during the pandemic lockdowns, it helped preserve rela...