Please respond to the following in a Journal Post on your personal Blog. Pick a topic or issue from the readings that struck you as interesting, important, confusing, etc. and reflect on it in by responding to the following prompts:
- What is / are the tools and techniques being put into practice?
- What is / are the key issue(s) outlined in or underlying the text (think in terms of Green’s model: operational, cultural and critical)?
- What are your feelings and opinions on the reading?
- Be sure to reference the reading(s) including author and page number.
I found the article, Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age by W. Lance Benett to be most interesting. This article deals with the fact that our society as a whole has changed due to the digital age. The younger a person is, the less involved in politics they have become. There is an over all disengagement in politics from young people and the author blames it on two overall reasons, "The majority of those communicating with young people about conventional politics continue to do so in a tired top-down, highly managed ways that most young people find inauthentic and largely irrelevant" and, "what young people do online tends to be largely social and entertainment oriented, with only tangential pathways leading to the conventional civic and political worlds" (Bennett, p. 10). The tools that need to be used (but aren't being used correctly) are the Internet and social media. So many young people are constantly on their phones and social media and this is where politicians need to genuinely connect to the young audience. Bennet says, "they (young people) need to feel invited to participate on their own terms, and to learn how to use their digital tools to better express their public voices" (Bennett, 10).
I feel as though the underlying issues (feeling) of this article are; young people are not involved in politics as much any longer, they don't feel the need to be. There is a feeling of distrust on both ends; young people towards politics and politicians towards young people. There needs to be a coming together; an understanding that things are just done differently now than twenty years ago. To recreate our democracies there needs to be a conjoined understanding from both ends. I believe this issue would fit into GREEN's definition of Cultural, "specific literary practice which relies on using strategies to receive and transmit meaning. Developing an understanding of content and context" (GREEN, pg. 1). I believe politicians need to develop an understanding of the younger generation, the way they communicate through literacy (social media/ blogging) and attempt to create a new way of approaching this generation. This dimension of literacy seems to grasp all that is needed to find the change that is needed; this young generation has grown up in a technological culture where everything revolves around the Internet, social media, and is face paced and constantly evolving. Politicians need to keep up and do it in a way that doesn't degrade young people for being so tech savvy.
I completely agree with our reading; I am 33 and I have never been interested in politics or what politicians have to say. This could be because my parents didn't push the issue with me growing up but it could also be that, I never felt a "pull" from a politician to be involved. I have always felt distrust for them and usually this gut feeling proves to be true down the road (always a scandal...). I can only imagine how disengaged an even younger generation must view our world and politics. Our article touches on how distant young people feel from politics, government and power; I completely understand this and agree with the thought. The politicians, "must learn more about their citizenship and communication preferences and how to engage with them (young people)" (Bennett, p. 12). I believe that the need to be involved with politics and building a better democracy has to come from within but it also has to be sparked at a young age; teachers, parents and politicians all need to encourage young children to be involved in the creation of their futures. Once a child forms opinions and is able to determine if they'd like to stay involved, that's when it's so important for the politicians to gain their interest and keep them hooked. I feel like politicians need to meet kids where they are at; use the technology they use and find common ground to build a sustainable relationship with them.
References
Bennett, W. (2008, January 1). Changing Citizenship in the Digital Age. Retrieved February 23, 2015, from http://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/titles/content/9780262524827_sch_0001.pdf
Green. (n.d.). Graphical representation of GREEN's approach to literacy. Retrieved February 21, 2015, from https://moodle.esc.edu/mod/page/view.php? id=821667
Hi Christene - I can totally relate to your feelings regarding politics. I have never been interested in politics of any kind. I have always felt that it wasn't relevant to me and my opinion wouldn't matter or count. My parents never pushed me to have an interest in politics growing up. My husband, on the other hand, is interested in politics - as were his parents broadening his exposure growing up. I see my son who is 16 taking after me - most of his thoughts regarding politics or politicians are based on things he has heard other people say - nothing based on his true beliefs or feelings. I think there is most certainly a disconnect between the youth and politics, and growing every day...probably even more so than my own disconnect (if that is even possible).
ReplyDeleteCathy
I'm so glad you read this article on Changing Citizenship. Since it wasn't one of the readings I chose and I enjoyed learning about it and getting a good summary.
ReplyDeleteOverall though, I find it difficult to blame the Internet for young adults not feeling connected to politics. Ultimately, that's a government and parental issue. If we look at the Internet like we might look at a…car…you wouldn't say that people in the country lack citizenship because now, they all use cars and don't care about the government.
Why blame technology for the failings of a government, or parents? The Internet is just like television or the movie industry - something very compelling that consumes most of our attention. It's not the Internet but our Society, that allows iPhones to put out new models every year, and allows television shows and commercials to do, and say, whatever they want. Why blame young adults for their addiction to iPhones and the Internet and entertainment in general, when it's our society that values these things over raising children to be good citizens?
The Internet is not evil. It's not the Cause of our problems. The Internet is simply the Obvious culmination of a society constantly wants things to be Bigger, Better and More, as opposed to grounding ourselves in a framework for life and living. For example, if people want young adults to be more interested in politics and less interested in entertainment, we should be highlighting politics instead of Count Dracula cereal in our commercials! We should have television shows about young politicians instead of Real Housewives of Atlanta. In fact, I'll take it a step further. How about anyone that even Wants to be a parent, should receive mandatory schooling on how to raise that child? And what about having the government require every single young adult to mandatory military service - so that everyone in this country feels connected to our society?
I love America, but the problem with a country that always wants to cater to Everyone is that there is no real parenting, no real limits set on anything, which means people can do or say whatever they want and life is a free-for-all. The Internet is the Ultimate free-for-all, so why blame That when we should blaming Ourselves?
I chose the same article as you, I found it really fascinating, but like you I also had some concerns. I absolutely agree with you, media should mirror the facets of life we want our citizens focusing on, not creating a generation of consumers with a hunger for exactly what you said things that are, "bigger, better, and more."
ReplyDeleteLoved your insight on the topic.
thanks for summery and your thoughts, I wrote my blog late and was very confused about all the work we all had to do in the last 2 weeks. I am trying to catch up.
ReplyDeleteOur schools do a terrible job preparing our young people to be active citizens. We teach histroy in a totaly twisted way and do not make social studies current. I read a great book called: Lies my teacher Told Me. it shows how we make the subject boring. see me blogs with some silimlar ideas: http://khadermalet.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-danger-of-apparent-understanding.html