To say that we live in a time of information abundance is most definitely an understatement. Our generation and the generations that follow have the ability to learn on the fly like no one that came before us. We carry full computers in our pockets called cell phones that enable us to search and discover answers to anything that we can dream up...
The article "Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future" defines the Google generation as young people that were born after 1993. According to this definition, I am not part of the Google generation, however, I can barely remember a time without a computer or Google. I was born in 1988. I have had access to a computer my whole life and I can remember typing...or rather "pecking" out my first "paper, which only consisted of about a paragraph, in the second grade over Yellowstone National Park. I researched, mostly using Encyclopedia Britannica software that was loaded on my Windows 2.0 computer in our family living room. It took me hours but I was so proud of that paper when I printed it off and handed it to my teacher the next day.In my day-to-day life I am constantly using Google. In fact, my job requires me to have good Google/research skills. It is impossible for me to know all the intricacies of every piece of software and hardware that we have in our district...Google is my secret weapon. Searching online is many times, the fastest way to troubleshoot. I use Google for work, while cooking, gardening, or parenting. While I use Google for a variety of things, I can also see some of the issues that arise because of our Googling habits. I can relate to the article discussing the impacts of Google on the way students think. The article states that Google creates the illusion of accessibility and that Google naturally suggests "answers" as stopping points. In order to truly learn about a topic we must still utilize research skills to understand and master topics. As well as discern wether what we are reading is even factual or not.
According to Wikipedia, "A filter bubble is a state of intellectual isolation that can result from personalized searches when a website algorithm selectively guesses what information a user would like to see based on information about the user, such as location, past click-behavior and search history." We can avoid creating our own filter bubbles by making intentional choices to evaluate and critically examine the content we are engaging in online. I personally avoid articles written from sources I do not know to be credible. I also fact check information using websites such as Snopes.
Photo Credits: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/information-overload-why-it-matters-and-how-to-combat-it Author/Copyright holder: SparkCBC . Copyright terms and licence: CC BY-SA 2.0
I was born in 1990, but i can say that i relate closely to the google generation. Whatever I need to know, i pull out my cell phone and ask siri-in which a articles or websites provided by google pop up. I don't take the time out to see which source is the best, I skim through the partial explanation of the results, then if i like what i see I go ahead and click on it, get my information and move on. I have to admit though, i have become lazy. My undergrad didn't consist of a lot of research papers. I majored in Public Relations/Journalism so my time was spent becoming a great writer but not really researching, so i never learned effective research. I am hoping to change these habits as i have undergone a career change and I want to be as diligent as possible.
ReplyDeleteI was born in 1974, so computers in every household happened much later, while I was in college. I grew up on the card catalog so the transition took some time. But now, I can not see a world without Google. How would I know how many days in each year or what color Serena Williams wore to the Royal wedding. All jokes aside, I do notice that the "filter bubble" is a serious thing to consider when reviewing information. I notice that if I am doing long term research, often the same sites will appear or more advertisements will appear. I have tried clearing my history and that does seam to work. I will try your idea of really observing the content before opening to ensure that I select valid sites to begin with. Thanks for the information.
ReplyDeleteOh wow...I guess I am the oldest. I was born in 1970. The filter bubble concerns me as well. I think the only way to avoid it is to truly collaborate on resources.
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