Little Eva, Big Problem.

           Schools in the twenty-first century have two very important things that the kids in the 1990s did not… cell phones and easily accessible Internet. These two prized possessions per say are what have disconnected the world on a social and educational level. Postman, throughout The End of Education, stressed through his “big 5” narratives that schooling lacks cohesion and in my opinion the taken-for-granted technological advances are responsible for that. In the past 20 years, the world and United States in particular has been introduced to so many new things. In my opinion, I think that the issue is not the advances themselves, but the way they have formed the public. Postman elaborates on his idea with his mini cautionary tale about “little Eva”, who would stay up late learning algebra. Some may think this is quite studious of little Eva, but is she really learning anything or retaining it? Before authoritative figures (teachers, parents, ect.) were the children’s main source of information, now that same information can be found in seconds with just a few clicks. Postman comments on this concept after explaining Little Eva’s story,  “At the very least, what we need to discuss about Little Eva, Young John, and McIntosh’s trios what they will lose, and what we will lose, if they enter a world in which computer technology is their chief source of motivation, authority, and, apparently, psychological sustenance.” (Postman 43). What Postman is concerned with is not how we use technology, but how IT is using US. To avoid this situation however, technology could be used as objects of inquiry (Postman 44). For the most part, students have a lazy attitude towards technology. If they can’t find an answer, they just Google it. Who wouldn’t do that when an answer pops up in milliseconds? With smart phones that have access to the Internet almost anywhere, students have “all of the answers” at hand. In my opinion this leads to less collaboration between the students themselves and less cohesion between subjects. Technology promotes almost a separate and finite answer to everything. For the most part, it’s good enough for the students to get by, but they aren’t truly learning anything without having to discuss it with classmates/teachers and put it into context within the world.

Works Cited

Postman, Neil. The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School. New York: Knopf, 1995. Print.