I'm Going to Read, Wake Me Up in Five Minutes

We rely heavily on technology because it has altered our brains to only be able to think in the way that technology presents information. This presentation is a rapid, surface level feeding of information. A study on multi-tasking, video games, and learning preformed at UCLA stated that “most visual media sources are real-time media that do not allow time for reflection, analysis or imagination — those do not get developed by real-time media such as television or video games” (Wolpert). This means that because visual media is live, people are unable to think critically about what is being displayed, therefore their comprehension on the subject is lower. The extent of influence technology has had on our generation is especially apparent to me because of the age gap between my parents and I. I constantly have my parents making fun of me for taking too many selfies, criticizing me for having my phone with me when I go to eat, and even making me put my phone in my purse when I drive to and from places for safety precautions. They have made me much more aware of how I constantly need a distraction or think I can multi task by being on my phone when I am trying to complete an assignment. Ultimately, my parents have made me more aware of my habits but because of the society I am living in, these habits will be hard to

Youth’s reliance on the digital world may do some harm, but its benefits outweigh any drawbacks. Information is now readily available and much easier to access. Writers like Nicholas Carr of the Atlantic magazine speaks of the Web as a “godsend,” capable of reducing research from long days of gathering and shifting through physical resources to mere minutes searching online (Source 4). Technology not only make learning easier but also more personal. According to a 2008 study on the effects of digital media, the large library of information provided online “lowers barriers to self-directed learning” (Source 3). The current generation with some simple Google searches has the ability to indulge in their curiosity, free from traditional limitation in learning. Because of this, the young are developing new interests and skills to go along with

Throughout my life, I have been taken by music. However, it was not until my 8th grade year in middle school that I realized that I could be a musician for the rest of my life. Before that, music just seemed like something to keep me out of trouble. I wasn’t the best player at that time, and I still knew very little about it all. How could something like that ever support someone? Still, it was the only talent that I could find any success in, and it was still very enjoyable, so I wanted to still give it a shot.

Music is a passion of mine and has been for a long time (it's in my blood.) My dad played the bass guitar in a few groups, and he sings in our church's choir. His taste of music has been passed down and adopted by my brother and me.

In the text ‘The dumbest Generation: How The Digital Age Stupifies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future’ written by English professor Mark Bauerline at Emory University, he continually emphasizes the implication that the millennial generation has intellectual deficiencies because of their dependency on social media and technology. One of his most relevant theories is that the use of video games and the integration of technology into the classroom has negative impacts on a student’s academic performance because “It conditions the minds against quiet, concerted study, against imagination unassisted by visuals, against linear, sequential analysis of texts, against an idle afternoon with a detective story and nothing else” (Bauerline 95).

Music has always been integral in my life. During my childhood, when I was four years old, I pressed my fingers on an oven handle like a piano. Throughout my childhood years I listened to my mom’s old-school mix CD’s, along with the Pandora music app on my old Kindle. In fifth grade, I picked up the piano. My alto saxophone studies began in seventh grade. When high school arrived, I turned my focus to guitar and voice. The more knowledge I absorbed, the more knowledge I craved. My decision to pursue music was also influenced by the inspirations I’ve encountered on my journey so far.

My love for music is rooted in the solid musical foundation my parents set for me. From taking me to my first concert when I was two, to teaching me how to play guitar at the age of four, music imprinted itself on me early in life. I started playing the flute in 5th grade, and since then, my life has never been the same. Continuing to play the flute throughout high school has allowed me to be heavily involved with the music program. I have been an active participant of Concert Band, Jazz Band, Honor Band, Pep Band, and Marching Band.

To demand a new way of teaching and learning involving technology. (Thomas, 2011, p. 4) These popular claims within the seminal literature on digital natives (for example, that digital natives possess a sophisticated set of ICT [Information and Communication Technologies] knowledge and skills or that they have different learning styles or preferences) are largely unsupported by research evidence (Bennett, Maton, & Kirvan, 2008, p. 777). However, using these claims, enthusiasts’ present digital natives as a part of a utopian vision of technology tied to an exoticized picture of liberated young people (Buckingham, 2011). Despite slight distinctions, the terms digital native, the Net generation, and Millennials are used interchangeably (Jones et al., 2010, p. 723). Digital immigrants are characterized as individuals born before 1980 who knew an analogueonly world and still rely on analogue forms of interaction. For digital immigrants, the communication changes happening via the introduction of digital technologies are supposedly learned and relearned, instead of easily becoming second nature (Palfrey and Gasser, 2008, p. 4). Problems are often identified not with the digital natives but rather with older generations of non-natives who display their “digital immigrant accent” (Prensky, 2001a, p. 3) when using new technologies. In this way, digital immigrants are portrayed as being tied to older media, unable to catch up (Buckingham, 2011), therefore embodying the antithesis

My passion for music went into overdrive when I started my high school career at Highland Springs High school. I was a

Since I was a young girl, I have always been thoroughly influenced by the arts. I come from a musically inclined family. My brother is a saxophone player who can finesse any instrument he picks up. My mother is infamous for her loud singing in the car, making up words she doesn’t know. My sister is a classical singer who once attended NSU. She was in choir and studied under Terri Sanders. I’d say my love started from birth, really. I started singing at age 2 and never stopped.

My scholarly side was always there, but it was at this point I discovered my artistic side. I drew comic strips, painted, and most importantly I joined the band. Music was a crucial aspect of my life. My musical abilities began to shine as I played the tuba. I felt like I was talented and I wasn’t just some kid who tested well. There was more depth to my character. Music was my passion and I used it to express myself, but it began to be a crutch as I transitioned to high

My interest in the arts has always been in my heart ever since I was a little boy, it wasn 't until

My relationship with music would begin when I first started learning the violin a little before 6th grade. My first violin teacher was a woman in the neighborhood. She actually taught my brother before she she taught me. The reason I even started learning the violin was from seeing my brother’s lesson. He ended up quitting soon after, but I was still taking lessons. In middle school, I played in the string orchestra and would get to play in these small concerts. I enjoyed playing, but I wasn’t particularly passionate about it. That all changed when one of my friends told me that he switched middle schools from an art school in Denver.

Adults and children are moving into life that surrounds them with electronics. “In fact, 87 percent of 12 to 17-year-olds are now online” (Packard). Studies say, that children who used the internet more had higher scores on standardized reading tests from three-six months, and higher grade point averages one year and 16 months after the start of the study than did children who used it less. More time spent reading, given the heavily text-based nature of Web pages, may account for the improvement. Not all kids that use the Internet is for gaming and texting. Kids can use the electronics to read off and do studies.

We live in the era of technology, and we experience rapid technological progress. Many things around us have become automatic. Specifically, technology has become a part of many fields such as math, science, business and education. Also, kids in this generation are raised with smartphones, tablets, multimedia and many other technologies. Ramamuruthy and Rao (2015) describe students today with the term “digital native” because they are exposed to technology everyday (p.24). Since education plays a significant role in society, it needs to be developed in order to meet the demands of the 21st century. In other words, students need to be educated in a way that keeps up with their daily lives.