TLDR 136

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 136

Published: 2018-02-10 • 📧 Newsletter

Welcome to Issue #136. What a long, strange trip it's been.

This week I posted the following:

Eight steps to write a literature review - I'm starting up several new research projects. I'm also busy bringing a new graduate assistant up to speed to talk about the research process. I'm documenting all of this on my website...something I should have done years ago.
Negotiating the positive & negative as a citizen of the world - A post providing some guidance from Stoic philosophies on how to deal with positive and negative people.
Shape of my story - This post is the fifth learning event for my slam poetry class. We're studying the general shape involved in storytelling before we focus on telling our stories.
Video: Using Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework in the classroom

Please subscribe to make sure this comes to your inbox each week. You can review archives of the newsletter or on Medium.

Say hey with a note at hello@wiobyrne.com or on the socials at wiobyrne.

🔖 Key Takeaways

SpaceX Launches Most Powerful Operational Rocket: Falcon Heavy test flight demonstrates rocket capable of lifting 64 metric tons into orbit—mass greater than loaded 737 jetliner—with twice the payload capacity of Delta IV Heavy at one-third the cost, providing informative broadcasts with slick digital eye candy that sit back experience via YouTube hopefully builds budding scientists in children.
Strava Heat Maps Expose Military Locations: GPS tracking company Strava released global heat maps using satellite information to map locations and movements of Fitbit and Jawbone users, inadvertently revealing location and movements of soldiers exercising overseas in conflict zones—serious security problem demonstrating risks of digital residue shared in daily interactions as location tracking tools expose sensitive operational patterns.
Millennials Obsessed With Perfection Driving Depression: Psychological Bulletin study reveals current generation more obsessed with perfection than previous generations with trend associated with increased depression and anxiety, presenting three reasons for shift: rise of neoliberalism, increasingly anxious and controlling parents, and increasing power of meritocracy—cultural phenomenon includes self-oriented perfectionism (pressure on oneself), socially prescribed perfectionism (pressure from society), and other-oriented perfectionism (pressure on others).
Social Media Teen Anxiety Requires Differentiated Support: Harvard GSE research from Leah Shafer weaves multiple studies with interview data suggesting link between social media and mental health concerns, positing that different teenagers need different types of digital support from parents just as they need different types of social support—if teen seems irritable or overwhelmed by social media, pay attention to what specifically causes those feelings rather than dismissing youth as entitled snowflakes while adults also need honest examination of their own adjustment to digital social streams.
Children Should Build Positive Digital Footprints Early: Rachel Buchanan argues Internet is dominant text of our generation requiring online participation for effective society involvement, recommending digital footprint education begin in final two years of primary or elementary school because children lack awareness that digital footprint could be positive asset for future, they're transitioning from game playing to creative generative uses of internet, different parenting styles mean not all get this information at home, and cyber safety messages from schools could build upon this so children choose which online activities remain invisible versus beneficial to have public.
Overwork Stems From Personal Insecurity Not Hard Work: Laura Empson's research from 500+ interviews reveals workers and leaders burn out due to complex combination of factors involving profession, organization, and ourselves with root being personal insecurity—narrative that working hard leads to increasingly senior positions and tenure security may no longer be true, raising questions about how hard you're working, why you're working this hard, whether you feel you're doing good job, whether you feel valued, and how you measure these elements.

📺 Watch

Falcon Heavy test flight

This week, Space X test launched the Falcon Heavy, the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two. With the ability to lift into orbit nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 lb)---a mass greater than a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel--Falcon Heavy can lift more than twice the payload of the next closest operational vehicle, the Delta IV Heavy, at one-third the cost.

As I've stated several times here in TL;DR, I'm a space nerd. I also love having the opportunity to sit back and watch these launches via YouTube with my children. The broadcasts are informative, and carry a lot of slick digital eye candy. The end result is enjoyable, and hopefully builds budding scientists.

📚 Read

If you can't take the heat map: Benefits & risks of releasing location datasets

Last week the Washington Post reported on a serious problem that is appearing as we track our interactions throughout the day.

The GPS tracking company, Strava, released heat maps in which they used satellite information to map the locations and movements of users of their service. This means that individuals that were using Fitbits, Jawbones, and other location tracking tools were having their location and movements tracked and exposed in this global heat map.

The problem is that these maps revealed the location and movements of soldiers as they exercised overseas in conflict zones. This puts their location and actions at risk.

Something to think about as we share this digital residue in our daily interactions.

The irrational desire driving millennials and Gen Z into depression

An important thread has been emerging in the research, and online discussion that you need to know more about. The first part of this thread focuses on youth and their obsession with perfection. According this study from the Psychological Bulletin, the current generation is more obsessed with this than previous generations. This trend is associated with increased depression and anxiety.

The research suggests there are multiple dimensions to this cultural phenomenon. These could range from self-oriented perfectionism (the pressure one puts on oneself to be perfect), socially prescribed perfectionism (the pressure one feels from society to be perfect), and other-oriented perfectionism (the pressure one puts on others to be perfect).

The research presents three reasons for this shift: the rise of neoliberalism, increasingly anxious and controlling parents, and the increasing power of meritocracy.

We need to think about the role of media and cultural texts and their role in propagating these trends. Which brings us to the second part of this picture...

The second part of this picture I see developing focuses on the role of social media in our interactions. In recent issues of TL;DR, we've discussed the increasing acceptance of social media platforms to admit that these products and spaces may be bad for us. I think we're slowly starting to recognize the negative impact on our children.

This post from Leah Shafer in outlines research on how parents can help kids navigate the pressures of their digital lives without ignoring the positives.

Shafer weaves together multiple research reports with interview data to suggest that we're witnessing a link between social media and mental health concerns. Shafer posits, "In the same way that different teenagers need different types of social support from their parents, they need different types of digital support, as well. If your teen seems irritable or overwhelmed by social media, pay attention to what specifically is causing those feelings."

As we discuss the role of depression and coping strategies in youth, we sometimes hear this narrative that they are snowflakes that are entitled, or have an inflated, weak sense of their own entitlement. I think we need to think deeply about how well we're adjusting to these new digital, social streams. Adults also need to be honest and examine our practices as well.

How to help children build a positive presence online

One of the challenges in our discussions about the possible negative impact of these digital, social spaces on our lives is the understanding that the Internet is the dominant text of our generation. You need to be online, and know how to leverage these spaces...or you cannot effectively participate in society (IMHO).

This post from Rachel Buchanan in The Conversation shares guidance on what is a digital footprint, how to explain it to youth, and an understanding of when should you start to begin these discussions. You'll be surprised by the findings. Buchanan suggests this should begin in the two final years of primary or elementary school. She suggests:

they are lacking this information and were not aware a digital footprint could be a positive asset for their future;
children at this age are transitioning from predominantly game playing and video watching to more creative and generative uses of the internet and social media;
different parenting styles means not all children will get this information at home;
the strength of the cyber safety message they're getting from schools suggests this knowledge could be built upon so children are given options about which online activities should remain invisible and which would be beneficial to have out there.

If you're so successful, why are you still working 70 hours per week?

As we begin our careers, we're given this narrative that if we get ourselves in the door, we can work hard and be rewarded by employers. The narrative continues that we are rewarded with a series of increasingly senior positions, and the security of tenure. One of the only factors in this was how hard you wanted to work. How many hours would you put in at the beginning?

Research from over 500 interviews is shared in a new book from Laura Empson that suggests that this narrative may longer be true. Workers and leaders in organizations are overworked, and burn out due to a complex combination of factors involving our profession, our organization, and ourselves. The root of this all is personal insecurity.

How hard are you working? Why are you working this hard? Do you feel that you are doing a good job? Do you feel valued? How do you measure these elements?

🔨 Do

10 ways to help students develop their creativity

A great post from John McCarthy in Edutopia focusing on the processes and tools you can use to help students develop their creativity:

Don't settle for the first idea
Draft and redraft an idea, concept, solution, or product
Participate in structured conversations
Make mistakes through trial and error
Set the product or idea aside to marinate for some time
Grow a work portfolio
Keep a journal
Research to learn new ideas
Critique peer work
Solve problems and puzzles for exercise on how to think differently

🤔 Consider

"Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather." — John Perry Barlow

Previous: TLDR 135 • Next: TLDR 137 • Archive: 📧 Newsletter

🌱 Connected Concepts:

Falcon Heavy SpaceX Test Flight — SpaceX test launched Falcon Heavy as most powerful operational rocket in world by factor of two with ability to lift into orbit nearly 64 metric tons (mass greater than 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel)—Falcon Heavy can lift more than twice payload of next closest operational vehicle Delta IV Heavy at one-third cost, with informative broadcasts carrying slick digital eye candy providing sit back experience via YouTube that hopefully builds budding scientists in children.
Strava Heat Map Location Security Risk — Washington Post reported on serious security problem appearing as we track interactions throughout day when GPS tracking company Strava released global heat maps using satellite information to map locations and movements of service users—individuals using Fitbits, Jawbones, and other location tracking tools had their location and movements tracked and exposed in global heat map, with maps inadvertently revealing location and movements of soldiers exercising overseas in conflict zones, putting their location and actions at risk while demonstrating what to think about as we share digital residue in daily interactions.
Millennials Perfection Depression — Important thread emerging in research and online discussion focuses on youth obsession with perfection according to Psychological Bulletin study showing current generation more obsessed than previous generations with trend associated with increased depression and anxiety—research suggests multiple dimensions to cultural phenomenon ranging from self-oriented perfectionism (pressure one puts on oneself to be perfect), socially prescribed perfectionism (pressure one feels from society to be perfect), and other-oriented perfectionism (pressure one puts on others to be perfect), presenting three reasons for shift: rise of neoliberalism, increasingly anxious and controlling parents, and increasing power of meritocracy, requiring thinking about role of media and cultural texts in propagating these trends.
Social Media Teen Anxiety Harvard — Second part of picture developing focuses on role of social media in our interactions with increasing acceptance by social media platforms to admit products and spaces may be bad for us while slowly starting to recognize negative impact on children—Leah Shafer post outlines research on how parents can help kids navigate pressures of digital lives without ignoring positives, weaving together multiple research reports with interview data suggesting link between social media and mental health concerns, positing that different teenagers need different types of digital support from parents just as they need different social support, requiring attention to what specifically causes irritable or overwhelmed feelings rather than dismissing youth as entitled snowflakes while adults also need honest examination of how well we're adjusting to new digital social streams.
Children Positive Online Presence — One challenge in discussions about possible negative impact of digital social spaces is understanding that Internet is dominant text of our generation requiring online presence and knowledge of how to leverage these spaces for effective society participation—Rachel Buchanan in Conversation shares guidance on what is digital footprint, how to explain it to youth, and when should you begin these discussions, with surprising findings suggesting this should begin in two final years of primary or elementary school because children lacking this information weren't aware digital footprint could be positive asset for future, children at this age transitioning from predominantly game playing and video watching to more creative and generative uses of internet and social media, different parenting styles mean not all children get this information at home, and strength of cyber safety message from schools suggests knowledge could be built upon so children given options about which online activities should remain invisible versus beneficial to have public.
Overwork Insecurity Burnout 70 Hours — As we begin careers we're given narrative that working hard leads to rewards with increasingly senior positions and security of tenure with only factor being how hard you wanted to work and how many hours you'd put in at beginning—Laura Empson's research from 500+ interviews in new book suggests this narrative may no longer be true with workers and leaders in organizations overworked and burned out due to complex combination of factors involving profession, organization, and ourselves, with root of all this being personal insecurity, raising questions about how hard you're working, why you're working this hard, whether you feel you're doing good job, whether you feel valued, and how you measure these elements.
Creativity Development Students 10 Ways — John McCarthy in Edutopia focuses on processes and tools to help students develop creativity through ten approaches: don't settle for first idea, draft and redraft idea concept solution or product, participate in structured conversations, make mistakes through trial and error, set product or idea aside to marinate for some time, grow work portfolio, keep journal, research to learn new ideas, critique peer work, and solve problems and puzzles for exercise on how to think differently.

Part of the 📧 Newsletter archive documenting digital literacy and technology.