Elizabeth's+reflection+on+chapters+12+and+19

I used to focus on the negative outcomes of technology use by adolescents. They text as they drive and get into accidents, but luckily they can't play electronic games as they drive or I hope not. After reading chapter 12 and 19, I started to find value in these interactions online. I read about electronic magazines which anyone can create online and express his or her opinion regarding any topic. Fanfiction includes songfics, poetry fics, moviefics, etc. Adolescents work, read, write, and report from many sources to make these new genre. They proofread and edit what they wrote and it is collaborative composition where the audience gives them feedback. There is literacy through interaction. After seeing the script in the table on pages 280-281 of our textbook, where children are making up a story about butterflies becoming fairies (In a very poetic way) I realized the value of these online activities as literacy developers. The text reminds us that every time there were technological advances such as the introduction of TV in the 1940's, parents and teachers worried about the children and the adolescents and feared the influence of the new media on their sons and daughters. Well, it is better to watch a show on TV or play an online game than to experiment with alcohol, drugs or cigarettes. After all you have to be completely sober to play an online game. Besides, adults are finding mates online, so why don't we stop being hysterical about children's interaction with their classmates and other children on line.