MLIS Journey '98

If there has been one constant in my life all these years, it's that my mental health has had its share of ups and downs. Most notably, the COVID-19 pandemic totally destroyed it, with me being completely consumed by fear and anxiety, and even depression at first, due to the unprecedented stress of being confined inside and having to adapt to virtual learning among many other things. The pandemic aside, however, there are many other things that certainly shape our mental health, for better or worse, and social media is a prime setting for such things. I was both intrigued and unsurprised simultaneously to read about how even (or perhaps especially ) celebrities such as Tom Holland are not immune to the potentially corrosive effects social media use may have on us all from a mental standpoint. As Holland noted, these platforms can be "overstimulating" and or overwhelming, causing us to "get caught up and spiral," as has happened to myself given that COVID basica...

I was born in 1998, which is a bit of a fuzzy year when it comes to assigning a generation lol! Depending on who you ask, I’m either among the last of the millennials or the first of Generation Z, or Zoomers if you want something more creative. Since a majority of demographers now consider that year a Zoomer birth year I’ve generally considered that my generation, but yeah it’s a little confusing. Image Source: Gifer Yet I’m not here today to t alk to you about what my generation is, but rather the impact of that generation and the one after: Gene ration Alpha. Gen Z alone is already making its mark on society in tremendous ways. They are among the most educated age cohorts in the world, and they feel as if education is more important than others. For instance, one study done by Generationz.com.au, an initiative of McCrindle, found that, w hen asked what they felt was more important – sports or academics – 22% of Gen Z’s opted for ‘sports,’ 29% chose ‘academics,’ and almost half of r...

Digital Citizenship: Nearpod and Learning Apps The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to reevaluate our perceptions of the role technology plays in society, in particular digital tools. The educational news website ISTE, in fact, has published an article listing nine current trends in edtech, the first being digital citizenship. Digital citizenship is defined a number of ways, first as ensuring safety and security online through means such as password protection, and second as using digital tools responsibly and effectively. It is listed into five focus areas including, as defined below, inclusivity, being informed, engagement, balance, and alertness.  Image Source: ISTE A platform that caught my eye pertaining to digital citizenship was Nearpod, a   hybrid digital tool which allows teachers to create interactive, slide-based resources for students. There are over 22,000 interactive lessons, videos, and games/activities from grades K-12 for a multitude of subject...