Technology issues and concerns

I found this article to be interesting and informative on the impacts of technology in the school and social environment. The question of power and ethics that are involved in the use and possible overuse of technology definitely are a concern to me as a parent and educator. Do we want our students to grow up relating to a computer rather than each other? As a parent of two boys, 11 and 13 year olds, I have struggled with this issue at home. Both of them are always wanting to get on the computer to check their emails, my space, or play computer games. My husband and I are constantly monitoring how much time they spend on the computer and it has become a power struggle at times. I even find myself preoccupied and zoned out into the computer when I am feeling bored and distracted from work, home, and school. I wonder about the long term impact that technology, cell phones, ipods, and computers will have on the future generation of our children. How much is too much information overload? Like the article mentioned, I am especially concerned about those students who over rely on technology through email and my space, to fill the empty void of social ineptness that they may have in real life contexts. I also worry about a teacher’s over reliance on computers to teach a class without providing a social contexts that involves problem solving and critical thinking among the students. This article shed some light on the questions and concerns that should be discussed when using technology in the classroom setting.