As a future teacher, it is important to understand the ways that the use of media can affect you and your students interconnectedly. With the rise of technological resources and media use within the school between students, teachers, and any individual associated, it is vital that we put restrictions on access between our personal and academic or professional lives. These restrictions protect not only yourself but also the other parties as individuals in our society. Caution surrounds this topic of media use due to the exploitation of personal information, privacy needs, and boundaries that may be crossed. As a teacher, it is your responsibility to protect yourself and your students, so educating yourself on the influence of social media, personal networks, and consent with media use will ensure that you and your students can keep your personal lives which you display in the media confidential.
Throughout the presentation, Jessie reinforced a quote that resonated with me which was “Your personal phone is now a piece of your personal life.” The reason that this quote is so important to me is that I can sometimes forget the impact that my phone has on me. Though many people choose to say they do not have an attachment or an addiction to their phone, I believe that we all somewhat do, and if it isn’t your phone maybe it is another personal device such as an iPad or laptop. Nowadays we see the attachment that humans grow to their devices at such a young age. I see young children, some beginning at the age of 6, unable to sit for 30 minutes without having a screen in front of them, or older people in their 70s-80s unable to put down their devices to stay connected with the current world around them. We may think to ourselves that lessening the use of our phones is detaching ourselves from the impact it has on us, but in reality, every time we go on our phones it is picking up more and more personal information about us slowly building our dual technological identity.
Some very important topics that Jessie touched on as well are…
- Impacts of AI
- Influence of social media such as TikTok, Youtube, etc have on children
- The impact that current social media has on the broadcasting of our lives
- The factors of networking citizenship
- Social media audience
- The importance of digital consent
Jessie Miller is a very well-known keynote speaker who has made an impact on the understanding of the power that social media and technological innovations have on our lives. Jessie has made appearances within many schools, communities, and major audiences to discuss his vast knowledge with people who may lack an understanding of the impact the media has. His TedTalk “Reavaluate, release, rethink” is also available to any viewer. I feel it is very important that we as a community all understand the importance and extreme impact that the media has on our past, present, and future to protect both ourselves and our future children. If you are interested in this valuable information I suggest checking out Jessie’s website @mediatedreality to inquire in any queries today.
