I have recently noticed that I frequently use my phone as a way of escaping awkward or uncomfortable social situations. This came to my attention today when my schedule did not align with those of my friends, leaving me to eat lunch by myself in Proctor. Though I know  eating meals solo is not a big deal- in fact, most people at Midd have done so at some point or another- I cannot help but feel uncomfortable as I observe everyone else eat lunch with their friends. Somewhat unconsciously, I munched on my tomato, basil, and goat cheese sandwich while scrolling through uninteresting text messages and Facebook updates. Why did I feel the need to have my phone out a time like this? Why couldn’t I proudly sit by myself and enjoy my delicious sandwich? Perhaps I was trying to suggest to the strangers around me that I was simply too cool and too busy to have lunch with friends. Whatever the reason and however stupid it may be, in that moment, having my iPhone as my lunch buddy made me feel more secure.

Break has been in one word- awesome. It has been so nice to catch up with my friends and family, some of whom I have not seen in three months. I have noticed, however, a significant change in my technology use. Perhaps it is the hours of waiting for food to be fully cooked or the frequency with which other people at home use technology compared to my friends at Middlebury, but whatever the reason, I have been texting and Snapchatting much more since I have been home. In the Logue household, Snapchat is a fun way to cram as many Logues as possible into a 2×4 picture. We take Snapchats as a means of connecting in that moment with each other, in addition to connecting with the recipients of our crowded Snaps. At Middlebury, I use Snapchat frequently, but I use it more as a means of keeping in touch with my friends from home than as a means of capturing a moment.

That’s all for now! Hope everyone is having a great break!

As we pulled up to MUMS, I suddenly became very nervous to stand in front of a group of giggly middle schoolers. I have always felt that middle school is a weird time when kids are mature enough to know how to demand attention but somehow not mature enough to know how to do so respectfully. When I walked into the classroom, however, the thought of being scared of such tiny little kids suddenly seemed laughable. We knew that catching and holding their attention would be difficult, but the very interactive nature of an art class and of Artpad, the program that we taught them to use, seemed to fascinate them. At times, they were so taken with Artpad that it was difficult to gather their attention for a slightly more serious and less fun debriefing. Many of the students seemed understandably shy and intimidated, making class discussion slow at first, but once a few students began participating, others were encouraged to get involved as well. Teaching the class was not nearly as challenging as I had expected it to be, but keeping the students engaged and quieting the class down was much more of a challenge. Standing in front of a class of about twenty eighth grade art students, trying to get them to stop whatever they were doing and listen, was incredibly difficult. I was truly amazed by how easily Lisa Maggio, the MUMS art teacher, commanded their attention. Without her assistance in directing the students to follow our instructions, I am not sure that the class would have run as smoothly. Overall, I think that the class went very well, and I am glad that I got the chance to be on the other side of the desks for a change.

Last week’s combined class was very interesting, and it taught me the importance of preparing a lesson plan. Though I never believed teaching to be an easy task, I had not considered that the key to a successful class lies in how the teacher prepares the lesson. Teachers must examine the manner in which they introduce new material to students. Good teachers teach with the goal of instilling a deep understanding of the material in their students. Understanding means more than simply being able to recite information; rather, a quality understanding of the concepts means that the students can analyze, form opinions, ask questions, and make applications with what they have learned. In order to achieve such an understanding in their students, teachers must first decide the general objective of the lesson and develop essential questions, which encourage students to connect the many different ideas included in the lesson. Then, they must work backwards to determine the skills they hope their students will gain, and how they will present the information in order to achieve this.

Last night, I watched the documentary Disconnected, which follows three Carleton College students as they attempt to live without a computer for a month. Having completed a 24-hour technology fast, I have an understanding of just how difficult it must have been to live on a college campus without a computer. With the increased popularity of iPhones, however, I think that life without a computer would not be as difficult for us in 2013 as it was for Carleton College students in 2008. In fact, I really only use my computer for homework, as it is more convenient to quickly check emails, Facebook, and the weather from my iPhone. That being said, almost all of my homework requires the use of a computer for writing papers, doing research, and running math programs such as “R”. Without a computer, I think my grades would decrease and my stress level would significantly increase. One issue that the Carleton College students complained about was their boredom. Assuming I would have access to my iPhone, I really do not think that I would be bored were I to simulate this study. To make it more equal to the struggles faced by the students in the documentary, I would have to also agree to not use my phone.

Last Friday, I did my technology fast. I actually did not find it as difficult as I had expected it to be, but I am certainly glad that it is over. I began the fast on Thursday at 9 PM. I usually check Facebook or watch a TV episode on my computer on Thursday nights, but since I did not have access to my computer, I decided to go to sleep as soon as the fast began. When I woke up the next morning, I immediately reached for my phone on my desk and then sadly remembered that I would not be able to use it until later that night. On Fridays I end class at 9:55 AM, so I essentially had the entire day to sit and dwell on my inability to use technology. The entire day, I felt helpless and dependent upon others. When I would usually text my friends, asking them to get lunch at a specific time, I had to knock on their doors and ask them to get me when they were having lunch. I felt cut off from the world as countless times, one of my friends would yell as they were leaving for class, “I’ll text you!” Several times I reached into my pocket for my phone, with no intention of using it for any particular reason, and found that it was not there. The entire day I counted down the minutes till I would have access to my phone again. I came to realize as the day progressed that part of what I missed about my phone was its ability to satisfy a nervous tick inside me. My phone has become a distraction from uneventful moments, and without it, I simply felt bored.

With full access to my phone and computer again, I have a deeper understanding of their influence on my life. I am fully aware that often times I reach for my phone for no reason at all, but from observing others, I realize that this is not an unusual habit for our generation. I will probably never do another technology fast again, but I will try to break my habit of using media as a means of avoiding boredom; sometimes, I suppose, it’s good to be bored.

I came across this clip today during my daily YouTube check-in. The clip is from Seinfeld, a popular sitcom in the 1990s. Even though Seinfeld is not that old, relatively speaking, it seems that the digital media etiquette that Jerry and George explain to Elaine in the clip has changed dramatically. Jerry and George are outraged that Elaine would make a serious phone call on a cell phone. Today, many people do not even have landlines, so their cell phones are used for mundane and serious matters alike! Most matters are simply discussed over text, reserving phone calls for only situations like the one Elaine is in. Perhaps it still holds true that serious matters should not be discussed on the street, but nevertheless, this joke is largely obsolete.

In logging my digital media usage, I discovered that I am a Facebook addict. I begin every morning with Facebook and a cup of coffee. I check Facebook on my iPhone several times per day- sometimes without even consciously realizing that I am doing it! I even use my mobile Facebook access as a means of avoiding uncomfortable social situations. Is this kind of obsessive Facebooking unusual or is this simply the new norm for my generation of millennials?

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