Realization by Danielle

Realization by Danielle - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

As children get older and move up within the school system, there is a rumored assumption that teachers have little knowledge of anything outside of the subject in which they teach. Some may be wiser and more experienced than others, but that doesn’t mean they are all not knowledgeable about the world. One teacher that has taught me a very important lesson was my junior year Honors Pre Calculus teacher. One day he pulled me aside and we had a talk about his views on how electronics and social media are affecting my generation.
My teacher explained to me that he was never really big on the idea of information being so easily obtained by teenagers. The internet is easily accessible and the high school generation now is so used to getting quick and easy answers by just looking it up. This ability stops the effort that is put into a complex problem. My teacher keeps records of the amount of work and effort his students produce throughout each year, and he has noticed a decrease in the grades being produced. He has not changed his teaching tactics, so he came to the conclusion that electronics and social media are a huge distraction; especially when it is time to do homework.
Not only did he observe this problem in the school setting, but also in a social setting. For example, he explained how when at a restaurant, he found it disheartening that most groups that were together were all on their cellular device. This limits the conversations and interactions among the people one is with. One can never truly get to know another while being distracted by their electronic device.
Even though this lesson is not related to the subject of mathematics, the talk I had with my teacher definitely stuck with me. I have become more cognizant of my cellphone use, and I have cut down the time I spend by myself on my electronics. I now make it a point to spend time with my family without the distraction of social media. This is very important because communicating through electronics will never be the same as a verbal, personal connection with one another.