The question was asked during a learning path and I think that there isn’t a yes or no answer, in reality it is much more complex than that. Technology is making it easier to connect with a wider range of people from more far away places than it ever has been before. So in many ways, we are more connected and more social. At the same time however, we are definitely finding more distractions and electronic stimuli that are causing detachment from those around us.
Reading a blog by Kerrynkeehn has made me think that maybe we always had excuses, such as reading a book, however these new alternatives are less familiar and therefor less readily acceptable means of avoiding those we live with.
I have also been considering the implications this has on people with communication difficulties and/or language barriers. ICTs are allowing messages to be instantly relayed without the need for verbal communication. As a Special Education major the implications for my future students are exciting to me.
I have been looking at technologies to help students communicate – these assistive technologies can help students to not only have a voice in face to face interactions but can help them to put their thoughts in to a written form which can be interpreted by others. I found this video on youtube by reallookautism really interesting.
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