There is an awful lot of talk in the media these days about internet addiction. About how it wastes time, and ruins lives. There are documented deaths that you can find on Google. It's a huge worry for parents, who are concerned about the amount of time their children spend online, not to mention the content they're viewing.
So officially, internet addiction is real. So real in fact that there is now at least one inpatient treatment program for it, at the Bradford Regional Medical Center in central Pennsylvania. (This was in 2013, so there may be even more by now.)
So officially, internet addiction is real. So real in fact that there is now at least one inpatient treatment program for it, at the Bradford Regional Medical Center in central Pennsylvania. (This was in 2013, so there may be even more by now.)
As Carl Jung confirms, addiction in any form is never a good thing. But constantly publishing bad press about addiction creates a permanently negative attitude that can do more harm than good. Keeping in mind that the internet and other forms of technology are here to stay, we need to balance this negative viewpoint with a healthy attitude if we are to teach students to avoid addiction, and use ICTs for a positive purpose.
This is the view of an Australian psychologist & teacher, Jocelyn Brewer, who has come up with the term “Digital Nutrition”. This wonderful analogy recognises technology simply as a tool that needs to be used carefully. Just like with food, we choose what we eat, and can make healthy choices or just binge on junkfood. Like most things in life, we can enjoy ourselves occasionally and indulge in a few treats, like junkfood or video games, but it always comes down to moderation.
This is the message that Ms Brewer is trying to share with educators and parents. That we need to change our attitude in this digital age in order to remove the stigma that follows technology, and move forward to understand how to balance ICT in our lives and use it positively and effectively. You can view the interview with Jocelyn Brewer below.
Back at the start of this course we discussed the concept of the Fixed Mindset versus the Growth Mindset. Converting our 'addiction attitude' about ICTs into a positive perception sure sounds like a growth mindset to me. As for the concept of “digital nutrition”, it sounds like a delicious meal that I'm happy to develop an appetite for.
This is the view of an Australian psychologist & teacher, Jocelyn Brewer, who has come up with the term “Digital Nutrition”. This wonderful analogy recognises technology simply as a tool that needs to be used carefully. Just like with food, we choose what we eat, and can make healthy choices or just binge on junkfood. Like most things in life, we can enjoy ourselves occasionally and indulge in a few treats, like junkfood or video games, but it always comes down to moderation.
This is the message that Ms Brewer is trying to share with educators and parents. That we need to change our attitude in this digital age in order to remove the stigma that follows technology, and move forward to understand how to balance ICT in our lives and use it positively and effectively. You can view the interview with Jocelyn Brewer below.
Back at the start of this course we discussed the concept of the Fixed Mindset versus the Growth Mindset. Converting our 'addiction attitude' about ICTs into a positive perception sure sounds like a growth mindset to me. As for the concept of “digital nutrition”, it sounds like a delicious meal that I'm happy to develop an appetite for.