has it improved learning?

Is it possible that the way

we're using technology

is making us worse readers?

Are we all becoming

a bunch of non-critical readers

with 6-second attention spans?

Stick around

and let's think about it.

[music]

[snap]

Hi. Welcome to Snap Language.

Marc Franco here.

Kevin left this comment

to a recent video:

["I would say I was once

an avid reader

before my Smartphone came along

and pretty much took

all of the time

I used to devote to long-form text.

Do sports blurbs and Facebook

count as reading?

I consider them

fast food for the brain."]

Well, I guess, just like food,

technology can be good

or bad for you.

A lot of research shows that,

depending on how it's used,

technology can actually

enhance learning.

Technology gives us quick access

to a large volume of information

that was unimaginable

not long ago.

But new technologies also create

new concerns...

perhaps because we don't

understand its impact yet.

Some studies suggest that

technology can support

teaching and learning.

Other studies suggest

that young Americans

are turning to the Internet

instead of using their textbooks.

That can be alarming to some

because, let's be honest,

there is a lot of junk

on the Internet.

But then... perhaps it's about

educating learners on how to be

informed users of technology

so they know how to evaluate

the information.

Limiting learners to a single source

is like giving them

only pea soup when

they have a whole buffet

right in front of them.

(I like pea soup, though...)

It's no surprise that

a lot of textbooks have

companion websites and apps.

Publishers know learners want

to supplement their learning that way,

so publishers make good use

of the available technology.

Way back in 2002, Stephanie Harvey

realized that her classroom

had mostly fiction books around

for her students.

But adults read a variety of

both fiction and nonfiction,

so she recommended using

online resources to give students

a variety of materials.

That can actually motivate students

to use the Internet to read more

and learn on their own.

Most instructors know that

they can (and should)

integrate technology

into their classrooms.

But why would you include

social media, blogs,

YouTube, and other resources

that some may consider

"time wasters?"

It's important to use what's relevant

to learners as a springboard

for learning.

Some say social media is

the "gateway drug" to

consumer products.

Can't social media also be used

as a "gateway drug"

to reading and learning?...

Leave a comment below and

let us know what you think.

But we don't read only

for academic purposes.

I often read because

I have a reason to.

Other times, I find something so

fascinating that

I want to know more, so

I read about it.

The problem is the Internet has both

good information and

misinformation.

Who posted the information?

What sources did they use?

Are they experts in the field?

If we can't tell, we must

take the information

with a grain of salt.

But that's the key point!

If we're really interested

in something, we make sure

it's from a reputable source.

We compare different sources.

We question the information.

So, social media,

a short article on the Internet,

even a YouTube video,

can be a starting point

of your interest.

I don't see anything

wrong with that.

Our fellow viewer called this

"fast food for the brain."

It can also be "an appetizer"

for the brain

Another concern, especially

regarding social media, is that

it may give you a false sense of

understanding a topic.

You read a short blurb

about something

and you think

"I know this... I read about it!"

(on a tweet)...

Don't do this ...

that's just silly ...

Ultimately, it's up to us

to be critical readers and

choose to find more and better

information about a topic.

[snap]

Back to our original questions,

does reading short messages in

social media help

or get in the way of developing

our reading skills?

Is technology making us

worse readers?

I don't think there's

a clear-cut answer.

We all have different experiences

with the language, most of which

we create ourselves.

Maybe it is true that

easy access to information

also made it easier for us to read

from a single source

and with little depth of thought.

But was it any different in the past?

Before the digital age,

was everyone a critical reader?

I'm not so sure about that...

Being educated consumers of

information has been and

should always be

integral to literacy regardless where

the information comes from.

Do you seek out more information

about things that interest you?

Are we becoming worse readers?

Are we becoming worse thinkers

or worse learners?

I'd like to know what you think,

so leave a comment below.

uh... you can give us your opinion

or read more about it

and let us know.

Please like this video

and subscribe.

Let's help this community grow

so more people can get

smarter through language.

And until the next time,

thanks for stopping by

and watching this video.

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