The Progressive School Vol 01 Issue 04

nothing? The one who is away
is perhaps more important than
the one who is sitting next. We,
the old-timers, question why
the hell they had to assemble if
they were not communicating
with each other? Both, the
students and the elders have
their own reasons for cursing
and welcoming SocialNets, not
the generation gap but because
of it. Both are justified in their own ways.
Just watch what the trend is. When a
child approaches the parent, the parents
find enough excuses to put him away
to television, mobile phones, tablets or
even Nets.
So, the SocialNet is first introduced
and promoted by parents and when
children become obsessed with it, they
blame the children for this mania.
If we continue treading on this path,
there is a chance that the child will start
seeking advice, love, or simple mentoring
from their peers rather from the parents.
The matter could be worse if the family
makes it a habit of ignoring the child and
the child proceeds to get into a social or
physical problem; that might ultimately
need devoted attention from the parents.
How many people you know spend time,
simply time, with their offsprings and
play with them indoors, watch the same
cartoon networks, or give them the
company they need?
Building a network of
reliable friends – what
children should be taught
Children, you can’t be adding a friend
on your list just because somebody
sent you a request. Both accepting and
sending requests pushes you into a hardfelt
heavy responsibility.
If you want your virtual friends
to be as honest, truthful and deceitproof
as your real friends are, you must
examine the requests from the angle of
how the new friend’s existing posts and
photographs currently are. This will not
only give you a good idea of the person’s
mentality but save you from getting
locked on to a worthless person. And
further, if the individual’s new posts don’t
subscribe to your liking, the person has
no right to be on your site. Just throw the
person out of your network. You could use
the Facebook feature, which converts a
friend to an acquaintance, blocks him or
even deletes him.
The reverse also applies. Your own site
should pass the inviter’s examinations.
You both can’t be keeping your connection
alive unless you depict to each other, your
like-mindedness.
Use the Facebook Help
Facebook creates stories from the
photos you post. Such stories have a
telling effect on your psyche. You modify
your behavior and attitudes according
to what the Facebook says in your story.
If your posts are only selfies or
your photographs that depict you as a
fashion-conscious person, the stories
will highlight the outer side of you. If they
refer to arts, science or technology your
attitude could be branded by Facebook as
a serious professional. So, beware, how
you want to project yourself in front of
your peers and the world at large.
If Facebook can make that distinction,
automatically by looking at your posted
pictures, you could do the same for your
friends. Be aware every good-looking
girl or a smart looking guy could also
be a potential hacker, terrorist or sexual
offender. The software companies have
done a yeoman’s service by bringing
together friends, lost friends, and
communities together, so make use of it
but don’t be a prey to pranksters.
One-upmanship on peers
and on leadership
The biggest pressure on children
is getting accepted by their peers, and
if possible, as leaders. It was always
a problem we all suffered but now it
assumes an alarming dimension. So,
while we gather and build our network,
this desire of excelling in one-upmanship
will delve into our psyches dangerously.
Instead of becoming a
part of the whole, the
SocialNets will plunge
you into a network that
is mutually detrimental
to cohesivity. By sticking
on or around phone or
computer for a long time,
you will become secluded
and aloof, instead of the
leadership you want to
gain on the social network.
Mind your
language
Facebook, WhatsApp,
Twitter encourage you to
use cryptic or textual language.
Our survey gave us quite a good
list of shortcuts, people use
today like LOL, BRB, GTG, ILU,
OMG, WTF, Pls etc. This is an
enhancement – not a perversion
– of language. For writing
the structured language, it
might be textual but it better
be structured according to
the rules of grammar with
punctuations and paragraphing.
While no one has objections to
these textual forms, yet teachers expect
students to be familiar with the standard
English language, namely spelling,
punctuations, paragraphing, composition
writing. They shouldn’t complain that
literacy levels are dropping, or students
are not able to write at the desired speed
by hand.
Yet another trend worries us. Young
people are increasingly prone to texting
and shying away from making calls,
which leads them to place on record
whatever they communicate. This is
more dangerous for your privacy and
can be misused. Ironically, the speed
at which instant messaging or texting
takes place means that mistakes and
shorthand are common, but that’s ok. We
can understand what you mean.
Further, the SocialNets promote
writing skills against the reading skills.
You don’t obviously read and understand
what someone is writing but you
expect him or her to read whatever you
are writing.
Grow slowly but certainly
Live life at leisure, not at the blazing
speed with which everybody seems to
be attempting currently. Remember
one can’t get a ripened fruit from a tree
just because it was heavily manured or
watered. Just as the fruit needs time
and season to grow, life too needs time.
Living life at a faster pace pushes many
jul-AUG-SEP 2017
THE PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL
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