B&G Introduction

This reading, the start of a much larger book I believe, was a very interesting read about my peers and our roles in technology today. The author is writing to an audience about twenty-years older than I am, and talks about the University-aged students as 'Digital Natives'. We are the ones who cannot separate ourselves from our real and online lives, do not serve under multiple identities, and Tweet as easily as we text...and not so easily as speaking on the phone. I think my parents did me a great service asking me to use the phone as well as handwriting thank you notes growing up because I feel like I have the skills to differentiate myself in these two departments. I mesh myself through online profiles, seeking out common bonds with my real friends who I've connected through via Facebook, but it is certainly scary to think about privacy and who else can see these facts. We were taught at an early age about 'Stranger Danger' and how important it is to keep ourselves safe online, but as we become adults I feel that these Dangers have slipped out of mind. The internet and user sites should not be as forgiving as we believe - anyone can sign up for them and we can friend anyone who may not have the proper intentions always. I think it's important to remind our generation that maybe we should only be friends online with people we can trust in real life. Screening acquaintances and releasing contact information which could be screened as well might be in our best interest as well. This introduction also mentions how my generation impresses, scares, and annoys those older than us, and I think it is something that should be brought to our attention. My next thought is, well who should teach this? We don't live in a society where etiquette is taught in schools (although my 3rd grade teacher would beg differently), but perhaps it should be a regulation of Universities to require ways to protect ourselves online (c'mon OIT - more posters, please!!) as well as within the major, be given skills to connect with the written world. I think every major other than English requires their Junior Writing class how to correct sentences and create cover-letters, maybe the English Dept. should offer How-to-Not-Write-on-a-Computer classes as well. Our generation needs to take the ear buds out of our ears and smile and talk with others, but it is so embraced amongst my peers, perhaps we are too far gone.