Guikema 1 Laura Guikema Dr.

Runyon ENG 412 13 December 2012

Dear SAU Students, Im a senior in college. Im studying Communications. That means, of course, that I like technology. Im normally quite an avid proponent of it. I have tweeted more than one thousand times in the past few years, and I spend far too much time on Facebook. I use technology for my on-campus jobs; one of my main tasks as the Public Relations Specialist for the Student Government Association is to promote upcoming events over social networking sites, over technology. Technology is easy. Its simple. Its quick. However, what if technology isnt always the answer? What effects does it really have on our education and on our relationships? Is there a better way to connect with others? Id like to think the answer to that question is yes. During the first week of my freshman year of college, my grandma passed away. She had been sick for a few months, but her death was still unexpected. My grandpa was devastated. They had been married for more than fifty years; they were constant companions. Even if life wasnt always easy, they at least had each other. At that time, my grandpa was almost eighty years old. He spent half of each year living in Florida, 1,200 miles away from the rest of our family. How could I help him through his loneliness? My solution was simple: writing him letters. Since my grandpa at that time was almost eighty years old, he did not (and never will) own a computer. He has a dumb phone (and never will change to a smart phone or even a

Guikema 2 different phone). He is almost deaf in his right ear, yet he constantly refuses to wear his hearing aid. He avoids any kind of technology; he doesnt even have a recorded message on his answering machine (his recording is the default of the woman who says the number you have reached is unavailable in an obnoxious tone). It can be difficult to communicate with my grandpa. I cannot keep in touch with him easily over the phone. He wont hear me. Our conversation would be a combination of him pretending to hear me and me yelling in the phone (and I never really yell). So instead, that year I consistently wrote letters to my grandpa. I felt like we were both transitioning. I was transitioning into college life, and he was transitioning into life without my grandma. I knew he was lonely. I also knew I could ease his loneliness. All it took was a few minutes of my time every week or so. By writing him letters, I eased his pain. By writing him letters, I made his day. And he actually made my day, too; he wrote me back. Those letters are special to me. I still have them. One of the highlights of a typical college students day is getting mail. One of the biggest disappointments for me is when I go to M&D to check my mail and the student worker says nothing is in my box. Now imagine this: you are eighty years old, and you recently lost your lifelong marital partner. You amble over to the set of mailboxes near the mini-golf course in your retirement community, stopping here and there along the way to have conversations about your grandchildren with those you encounter, looking at the roofs of the other mobile home units to see if any of them need work done in the near future (you still work as a roofer even though you are decades past most peoples idea of a retirement age). You shuffle up to the long line of silver boxes and slowly turn your golden key in the lock, wishing and hoping a light pink envelope sealed with Disney stickers will be in the box instead of (or even in addition to) another big bill in a bright white envelope. You hope for more news you can share with the other members of

Guikema 3 your community as you shuffle to your mailbox the next day. Thats what my grandpa went through that year. And it was so simple for me to make my grandpas day! By writing him letters, I eased his pain in the aftermath of my grandmas death. I was able to hear about his life, and I knew someone was thinking about me, too. Though I love technology, I still think theres something to be said about physical letters. Theres something to be said about putting pen to paper and phrasing without spell check and without technology. Recently, the Kansas Department of Education has debated whether cursive writing should be taught in schools. Some parents believe children should be taught how to use technology instead of how to write longhand. An article in The Wichita Eagle stated, Parents want to know what [schools are] doing to teach kids to be prepared for the world of technology. Thats a higher priority for parents than what we would call the penmanship arts. Children today type, text, or email more than they write. Therefore, what should be taught in schools? Walt Chappell, a Kansas state board member said, We need to be able to work with technology, but we have to make sure kids can still write and communicate. Why give up on it? Katy R. Schamberger, who wrote about the topic for Ragans PR Daily, said: Eliminating areas of study such as cursive handwriting creates a slippery slope. If, for example, cursive handwriting is removed from schools because kids use technology devices more frequently than handwritten correspondence, does that mean that well reach a time when handwriting will cease to be taught all together? Are we really moving so quickly toward technology that we cannot take the time to write something or to teach children how to write something? Sue Mierzwa, an English teacher at Western Middle School in Parma, MI, has taught for twenty-eight years, and she believes texting and social networking sites are hurting students

Guikema 4 literacy skills. She said most students do not pursue reading or writing; instead they text and use social networking sites. However, these sites do not require careful reading or editing, which are skills expected of literate individuals. The English Spelling Society also released a statement concluding that the Internet has revolutionized the English language by making misspellings the norm. Mierzwa also said social networking sites have an effect on students diction and sentence structure. Students are beginning to use slang and abbreviations in their formal writing because it is part of their everyday language. They are not as confident about how to write in complete sentences; sites like Twitter and Facebook promote fragments and run-ons because of the way posts are structured. This is especially apparent on Twitter, which has a 140 character limit on posts. Mierzwa said, Texting and social networking might have advanced small talk communication, but they dont encourage deeper, more meaningful communication the type of literacy necessary for academic success or a professional career. Similarly, Devin Harner, assistant professor of English at John Jay College, stated, When the time comes to write, rather than organizing information hierarchically, or building carefully hewn scenes populated by people saying important things, students struggle to fuse stop-motion Twitter slivers both literal and metaphorical back together into cohesive stories. Social networking sites are impacting the way students write. In addition to their effect on our communication, do we also rely too much on these communication technologies? According to an infographic by Insurance.com, between 5% and 10% of Internet users are addicted to their use of the Internet. One-third of users consider the Internet as important as food, shelter, and water. Hypothetically, if you were stranded on the stereotypical desert island, would you prefer to have water so you dont die of thirst or a Wi-Fi connection so you can tweet about your distress? Yes, it might be beneficial to tweet and be

Guikema 5 rescued, but what if the rescue takes a while? Would you rather have Wi-Fi to stalk others on Facebook or access to food, shelter, and water? I certainly hope you didnt have to think about the answer to that question (and yes, I know it is a bit absurd). In non-hypothetical terms, however, social networking sites can affect our relationships. Many people believe social networking sites can bring them closer to others, but in recent years Facebook has become a factor cited in 20% of divorces. Yes, Facebook. Psychologists Daria Kuss and Mark Griffiths said: The usage of Facebook may in some circumstances have negative consequences for romantic relationships. The disclosure of rich private information on ones Facebook page including status updates, comments, pictures, and new friends, can result in jealous cyberstalking, including interpersonal electronic surveillance by ones partner. This was reported to lead to jealousy and, in the most extreme cases, divorce and associated legal action. Dr. Aric Sigman, a member of the Royal Society of Medicine, said social networking sites can play a significant role in people becoming more isolated. Research suggested that the number of hours people spent speaking to others face-to-face has fallen dramatically since 1987 as the use of electronic media increased. Sigman was quoted in an article by the New York Times and said, people are physically and socially disengaged from the people around them because they are wearing earphones, talking or texting on a mobile telephone, or using a laptop or Blackberry. Social networking sites can disengage us from our surroundings. Susan Greenfield, professor of pharmacology at Oxford University, was quoted in an article by The New York Times. She said social networking sites remind her of how small babies need constant reassurance that they exist. She worried about what effect this stimulation has on the brains of

Guikema 6 users. In fact, researchers at the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology performed a social experiment depriving the universitys 800 students from using social media for a week by blocking popular social networking sites. According to Jonathan Benson, a writer for Naturalnews.com, results of the study showed that social networking site addiction is similar to drug addiction; people go through similar withdrawal symptoms. The universitys statement about results of the study suggested that students led a healthier and more productive lifestyle during the weeklong blackout. 25% of students reported better concentration and 23% found lectures more interesting. On a sleep-related note, the Insurance.com infographic also said Americans spend almost eight hours per day staring at a screen and only six hours per day sleeping. Wouldnt the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep be more beneficial than the eight hours of screen time? We may not cut out technology completely like the Harrisburg University study, but we would see a benefit even if we reduced our time spent in front of a screen by one hour per day. We could devote that time to sleeping or maybe writing. And actually writing, not texting. Jeff Dunn, a writer for Edudemic, said, Most of the negative aspects [of social networking sites] can be overcome by reducing the amount of time spent on [them]. And how can we fill that time? Writing. Jackie Freeman, who according to a news story from WRAL.com in North Carolina sent 150 Christmas cards in 2011, said, To take the time to write a note, say what you feel and send a card says a lot more than going online. Communication has changed as a result of social networking sites, but we can counteract some of this by writing. We can help those, like my grandpa, who need that personal connection. As college students, we know what social networking sites are like. Kevin Cain, director of content strategy at OpenView Venture Partners, said:

Guikema 7 Theres no lack of examples of how communication has changed as a result of social media. Weve seen sentences communicating complete thoughts devolve into esoteric sound bites laced with a dizzying array of fragments and acronyms. Weve watched emoticons replace words as a tool for expressing feelings. Perhaps most importantly, we are witnessing how social media is helping to foster a society that values frequent communication more than meaningful communication. That phenomenon is what has helped Justin Bieber, with his more than 21 million Twitter followers, garner a higher Klout score [and have a higher influence] than the President. Communication may be changing, but we can still influence others through writing. We can express our feelings in ways other than using emoticons. We can communicate meaningfully, taking the time to write instead of sending off an instant status update on our Facebook profiles. Why write? Why write when technology is faster? When stamps keep climbing in cost? When we barely bother to read our mail anymore because of all of the spam and junk? Writing matters. It builds a personal connection with others. It can support others in their grief. Though I appreciate technology, whether Facebooking, emailing, or tweeting, I know writing is still beneficial in todays society. I dont want to ever face the choice between an Internet connection and a personal connection. I never want to cite social networking sites as the cause of a problem in one of my relationships. Thats just pathetic. Have we really lost that personal connection? So even if its just one thank you note per day or if its a sticky note on your desk instead of on your computer or a letter to your grandpa to see how hes doing so he can brag about you to his retirement community, write. As Walt Chappell said in his response to the board of education in Kansas, we may need to know how to work with technology, but we still need to be able to communicate in other ways. Write. Just write.

Guikema 8 Yours affectionately, Laura Guikema

Guikema 9 Works Cited Benson, Jonathan. Social Media Addiction Can Ruin Your Health. Naturalnews.com. Natural News Network, n.p., 28 Sept. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2012. Bijkerk, Annemieke. Yours Sincerely And Yours Affectionately. Journal Of Historical Pragmatics 5.2 (2004): 297-311. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. Cain, Kevin. The Negative Effects of Facebook on Communication. Social Media Today. Social Media Today LLC, 29 June 2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. Chatrooms and Social Websites Encourage Bad Spelling, Says Study. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, n.p., 22 Nov. 2010. Web. 5 Dec. 2012. Christmas Card Sales Decrease as Social Media Gains Popularity. WRAL.com. Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc., 20 Dec. 2011. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. Dunn, Jeff. The 10 Best and Worst Ways Social Media Impacts Education. Edudemic. Edudemic, LLC, n.p., 11 July 2011. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. Harner, Devin. The Twitter Effect: How Social Media Changes the News Narrative. MediaShift. Public Broadcasting Service, n.p., 28 June 2011. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. How Using Facebook Could Raise Your Risk of Cancer. Daily Mail Reporter. Associated Newspapers Ltd, n.p., 19 Feb. 2009. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. Infographic: Is the Internet Bad for Your Health?. Insurance.com. Quinstreet, Inc., n.p., 26 Nov. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. Kuss, Darla J., and Mark D. Griffiths. Online Social Networking and AddictionA Review of the Psychological Literature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 29 Aug. 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2012.

Guikema 10 Mackey, Robert. Is Social Networking Killing You?. The Lede. The New York Times Company, 24 Feb. 2009. Web. 8 Dec. 2012. Mierzwa, Sue. Guest Column: Texting, Social Media Sites Causing Bad Habits in Our Students?. Mlive.com. Michigan Live LLC, n.p., 29 Sept. 2011. Web. 5 Dec. 2012. No Facebook for a Week? HU Releases Results of Week-Long Social Media Project. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, 1 Dec. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2012. Perez Tobias, Suzanne. State Board of Education Will Debate Role of Cursive Handwriting on Curriculums. The Kansas City Star. n.p., 11 Nov. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. Schamberger, Katy R. Should Schools Stop Teaching Cursive Writing?. Ragan's PR Daily. Ragan Communications, Inc., n.p., 26 Nov. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.