DL 351
Taking Shortcuts
Hey all. Here's Digitally Literate, issue #351.
🔖 Key Takeaways
- Digital Minimalism: Simplifying digital spaces to focus on what truly matters.
- Post-COVID Challenges: Addressing learning loss and educational shifts in a post-pandemic world.
- Luxury Surveillance: Understanding the normalization of surveillance through consumer choices.
📚 This Week’s Highlights
1. Taming the Digital Dragon
Reflections from my NCTE 2022 presentation on the problematic language of "addiction" and "detox" when discussing technology use.
2. Considering the Post-COVID Classroom
A look at the last two decades of educational technology and considerations for the future.
3. The Rise of ‘Luxury Surveillance’
Chris Gilliard explores how consumer devices normalize surveillance, often targeting marginalized communities.
Why this matters: The difference between a smartwatch and an ankle monitor often lies in context. As you shop for holiday gifts, consider the implications of these technologies.
4. How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Crypto Empire Collapsed
The dramatic downfall of FTX highlights risks in cryptocurrency markets and governance.
Why this matters: Understanding these collapses can provide lessons for those involved or interested in crypto.
5. Who's Left Out of the Learning Loss Debate?
Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor examines the multifaceted impacts of COVID-19 on students, families, and educators.
Why this matters: Beyond academics, youth faced physical, mental, and emotional setbacks, highlighting the complexity of "learning loss."
6. Things Could Be Better
Adam Mastroianni and Ethan Ludwin-Peery’s research suggests humans often imagine things should be better, revealing a bias in how we judge technologies, relationships, and people.
Why this matters: This tendency shapes how we engage with the world and make decisions.
7. Mozilla’s Privacy Not Included Buyer’s Guide
A tool to help you make smart, privacy-conscious purchasing decisions for the holiday season.
🛠️ DO: The SIMPLE Digital Minimalism Guide (for Normal People)
Robert Creating shares actionable tips for organizing digital spaces and maintaining a minimalist approach.
🌟 Closing Reflection
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
— Beverly Sills
Reflect and Engage
- How can digital minimalism improve focus and reduce distractions? Share your thoughts in Digital Minimalism Tips.
- What strategies can address the complexities of post-COVID education? Reflect in Post-COVID Educational Challenges.
- How do luxury surveillance devices affect privacy and societal norms? Explore more in Luxury Surveillance and Its Implications.
Thank you for reading Digitally Literate. Stay tuned for more insights and discussions. Connect with me at hello@digitallyliterate.net or explore Newsletter Index for all past issues.