EDU 776/LIS 724 Week 3 Digital Spaces Map

 



Regular or Just Visiting?
                                         

I appreciate author David White's description of resident or visitor when it comes to considering our time on apps and websites.  My professional and personal sites are somewhat different, and I certainly spend a different amount of time on sites and apps depending what I am doing.  I use Microsoft products especially Teams every day at work.  Sometimes, it feels like I am always on Teams, either for a meeting or for working on projects.  At work, I use YouTube to review training videos, but at home, I use YouTube to watch capybara and cute dog videos.  My work has a strict policy about using FaceBook during work time and on work computers--it is strictly prohibited.  Personally, I'm on FaceBook after work at least once.

Of all the sites and apps, Google is the one I use the most at work and at home.  As I was working on my map, I thought about what site or app I use the most.  I was surprised that it was Google.  Google is its own being really.  When we want to look something up, we just think I will Google it.  It is such a difference from having to go to the library and look something up.  You had to really want to know something in order to do that.  I have lived overseas and the phrase "Google it" crosses all boundaries.

I think that Google is also a fantastic learning tool.  Of course, it is used to look up information, but it can also be a tool for students to learn how to spot "fake news", "rumors", etc. and to learn to consider what is fact vs fiction.  As a society, we tend to believe everything we read online.  I have fallen into this trap myself.  With the creation of AI and bots, it can be even more difficult to determine what is true and what is false.  Counting on one website or app for all of our information can limit or even taint our perspective on the world.

Students would find completing their own digital spaces maps very helpful.  This type of exercise can help them realize how much time they are spending on sites and apps for school and for personal time.   In addition, the exercise can assist them in determining where they get their information and if that information is reliable and valid.  Are they getting information only from TikTok or are they visiting legitimate news sources?  Gossip and misinformation travel so quickly that it is difficult to correct it or stop it.

I found this mapping exercise very interesting and maybe a little sad.  I don't go to too many sites or apps other than what I have mapped out.  Even though I love Google, I have still found myself from time to time pulling out a book to look up information.  Yes, with all of the technology that is available, I still like to look things up in books.  I do miss the thrill of the library hunt when it comes to finding information.  




Image source: Author

Comments

  1. Jeff HesterSeptember 15, 2023 at 4:14 PM

    Hello Robin!
    I enjoyed your recap of your digital map, especially your relationship with Google Search. It has definitely become ubiquitous, and almost unavoidable, as you described. Not only does Google Search provide answers itself, but also serves as a convenient starting point for discovering other sites or applications.
    I rely on Google Search quite a bit myself, but I've become more and more frustrated with the quality of the results. In many cases, sponsored or promoted pages will receive top-billing in search results, and the sources I am actually searching for are further down the page. Do you feel Google Search is as effective now as it was 5 years ago? I honestly still think that it might be the best, or at least most accessible, tool for the job, but I am interested in how this space will develop, or if competing solutions can realistically emerge.
    Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. NMZumpanoSeptember 16, 2023 at 9:08 AM

    I still like to print things out! Just because technology makes something "easier" or faster it doesn't mean it's the right choice every time.

    ReplyDelete

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