Society is becoming conditioned into dependence on technology in ways that, if that technology suddenly disappears or breaks down, will render people functionally useless.— Richard Forno
(Anderson, 2012, n. p.)
Anderson describes the generation born from the mid 1990’s to the present as the generation that is “always on.” This generation of students have “instant access to the entirety of human knowledge” at their fingertips. This has the potential to do great things, but Anderson has found that students of this generation are inpatient, lack focus, and are shallow (2012, n. p.). We are forgetting what it is like to not know, to problem solve as an individual, and to relax.
I see this frequently since I work with college age students. I feel like Forno, that we are becoming too dependent on technology. People are forgetting how to do things without consulting YouTube or Wikipedia. We are forgetting the great feeling of figuring something out on one’s own. We need to make sure that we get the positive outcomes that being connected has to offer while still staying grounded to the real world.
It is extremely difficult to rehabilitate an athlete through an injury when he or she wants to see instant improvements. Sometimes healing takes time. Therapeutic exercise is not going to fix a problem overnight. Keeping this generation motivated is a huge aspect of my career. I have learned to make sure I note progress, any amount, on a daily basis. This can be as little as me stating that the athlete is walking better or that he or she has achieved even one degree more of ROM. It requires me as a clinician to give constant feedback because that is what these students are conditioned to. It is important that as the generations change, so must the way clinicians work with their clients, but also teach our clients that sometimes things take time and that it is ok to enjoy the journey instead of just the outcome.
I think that technology offers us as a society great benefits but sometimes we need to unplug. Go outside, experience the world, and be alone with only our thoughts (not constant messaging) to keep us company. I feel that if we as a society can find a balance than the future will be a bright one indeed.
References
Anderson, D. (2012). Gen AO in 2020: Teens-to-20s to benefit and suffer due to always on lives. Elon University retrieved from http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Note.aspx?id=958393
I see this frequently since I work with college age students. I feel like Forno, that we are becoming too dependent on technology. People are forgetting how to do things without consulting YouTube or Wikipedia. We are forgetting the great feeling of figuring something out on one’s own. We need to make sure that we get the positive outcomes that being connected has to offer while still staying grounded to the real world.
It is extremely difficult to rehabilitate an athlete through an injury when he or she wants to see instant improvements. Sometimes healing takes time. Therapeutic exercise is not going to fix a problem overnight. Keeping this generation motivated is a huge aspect of my career. I have learned to make sure I note progress, any amount, on a daily basis. This can be as little as me stating that the athlete is walking better or that he or she has achieved even one degree more of ROM. It requires me as a clinician to give constant feedback because that is what these students are conditioned to. It is important that as the generations change, so must the way clinicians work with their clients, but also teach our clients that sometimes things take time and that it is ok to enjoy the journey instead of just the outcome.
I think that technology offers us as a society great benefits but sometimes we need to unplug. Go outside, experience the world, and be alone with only our thoughts (not constant messaging) to keep us company. I feel that if we as a society can find a balance than the future will be a bright one indeed.
References
Anderson, D. (2012). Gen AO in 2020: Teens-to-20s to benefit and suffer due to always on lives. Elon University retrieved from http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Note.aspx?id=958393