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Skylar Moore
English 101
Professor Alicia Bolton
July 17 2012
Perspectives of the Digital World
Maggie Cutler made it obvious in the 2001 article “Whodunit-The Media” that children
are affected by the worldwide media, but mostly their lives at home in a positive or negative way
depending on position. Cutler uses examples of studies to prove her point, but testifies that said
studies were not reliable as there are too many factors in real life that cannot be duplicated in the
studies. Like Cutler, Jonathan Gruber reviews several studies in the eBook, “Problems Of
Disadvantaged Youth: An Economic Perspective” that define many factors in children’s lives
that do not involve technology as the base of the problem.Based on another study, the abstract of
“Usual And Virtual Reality Video Game-based Physiotherapy For Children And Youth With
Acquired Brain Injuries” speaks of a VR video game that “motivate the children (with brain
injuries) to challenge performance quality and optimize real-life functioning.” Cynical,Steven
Barreto and Sue K. Adams’ “Digital Technology And Youth: A Developmental Approach”
wrotea guide for parents on restricting the technological media. However,Craig Watkins
embraces technological media inThe Young &The Digital; he states the world as we know it is
going digital with social-networking becoming more popular; and available along with other
technology based media such as smart phones and video games.Wired for What? The Dividends
of Universal Accessis an informal video recorded in 1999 based on computer technology
entering an elementary school; however, this information is dated and this isn’t such a big thing
anymore; compared to Craig Watkins The Young & The Digital. Despite what some say, there

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are positives for every negative influence the digital world shares with the real world; and even
though both worlds are similar, we should find a perfect balance between the two.
There are some positive outlooks on the technology based-media of today. A film-on-
demand Wired For What? The Dividends of Universal Access produced in 1999, shows Hoover
Elementary school’s200 computers on site and how affective they are with the children
academically and socially. The school provides their teaching skills to the low-wealth students,
this is important because it was uncommon for low wealth schools to be able to afford 200
computers and have them installed. Gary Dalton, principal of Hoover Elementary states, “I think
computers havehelpedattendance, for the kids to come, because they love working with
computers.” This shows my ideal that technology is beneficial for the youth because it entertains
them and teaches them at once. An example given by a teacher talking about a student states the
student had very low self-esteem, but he is good with computers, and would help other students
that didn’t understand this new expensive technology he would help that student; this raised his
self-esteem. This example shows computers are beneficial for social life as well. Another
example of beneficial technology is displayed in an abstract of the article “Usual and Virtual
Reality Video Game-based Physiotherapy for Children and Youth Acquired Brain Injuries”; it
mentions a virtual reality video game based therapy that promotes children with acquired brain
injuries learn functional motor skills. The abstract authors state, “Physiotherapists describe using
interventions that motivatechildren to challenge performance quality and optimize real-life
functioning.” This is beneficial because in the future kids with brain injuries could be helped at
home. The VR needs work for it cannot consider the unique characteristics of the child as would
a therapist. However, the example of VR game shows the possibilities for the digital world are

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endless once we perfect them. The examples show how the digital world can be helpful for
people in the real world.
On the other hand, technology based media has a dark side; therefore, evidence from The
Young & the Digital and other sources for a negative perspective. For example, Craig S. Watkins
mentions Internet addiction which is something we can all obtain. It is caused by spending more
hours on the computer; the digital native cannot do anything else. Internet addiction is a negative
influence on the real world caused by the digital world. Steven Barreto and Sue Adams state
children are susceptible to digital dependence as well as cyber bullying behavior. The digital
dependence is much like addiction; it can consume a child’s life and make them into technology
addicted adults that must have a piece of the digital world and will go through loops to get it.
Cyber bullying is in the digital world from the influences of the real world, the abuse never stops
for the children from bullies at school in the real world. Today’s digital world can allowbullies to
mentally harm their victims through social-network websites. The relentless non-stopping abuse
of the bullies has pushed his or her victims to therapy;and for the less fortunate to suicide.These
examples are just some of the negative influences that the digital world can promote.It is agreed
that these negative influences are from the technology around us but there is evidence of sources
that cause harm to kids that are real rather than digital. Yet, the fact remains technology based-
media has negative influences in our lives.
However, in the real and digital worlds there remains a likeness between them yet this
likeness should not matter in both worlds. Craig S. Watkins states “despite the utopian view that
the Web provides a place and a way to escape the social burden and divisions of the off-line
world, this has never been true” (76). Truth is both worlds are dependent on social inequalities.
Watkins interprets the words of a blogger to explain this point more precisely:

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Drawing from some of the more familiar social cliques among young people,
Boyd equates the “preps” and the “jocks” with Facebook. MySpace kids, in
contrast, come from the other side of the cultural divide. According to Boyd, they
are the “kids whose parents didn’t go to college, who are expected to get a job
when they finish high school. (76)
Watkins prove that the social inequalities of the rich and poor in real-life matter in the digital
world by using the words of a peer amongst all digital users. Watkins asked college students,
“Which social-network site do you visit most often?” 84 percent of white students preferred
Facebook; while Latino students preferred MySpace. With my own eyes, I have seen classrooms
split apart by races; however the students picked their own seats and sat accordingly with their
friends. Social inequalities happen generally happen because it is human nature to cling on to
what you know. These social inequalities are in the real world as well as the digital and they are
both negative influences; but the fact of social inequalities is they will be infinite because it is
human nature and no one is equal. This is the ugly similarity of real-life and the digital.
Not all agree the digital world is the best for the future of generations to come, but those
who object the digital world miss the fact that it is not technology causing the problems; it’s a
bad life. As I mentioned previously The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter
clearly has a negative outlook on the digital world, and created a parental guide for this
technology use amongst children. Remember the negative perspectives of the digital world; now
how can children become addicted to the internet or becoming a cyber-bully or becoming a
victim? Answer: Only if we let them. The Brown University states “Internet access was available
in 84% of subjects (children) homes” (4) and played ona computer for an hour and half, but the
authors do not say that the parents bought the computer and let the kids play on this technology

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unsupervised. Jonathan Gruber author of “Problems of Disadvantaged Youth: An Economic
Perspective” speaks of a study with two teams. One team mission was to prove “there is little to
suggest that changing the school environment will improve the outcomes of these disadvantaged
children” (4).Meanwhile, another teams study was to prove “better school quality leads to better
outcomes” (4). However, the outcome of this study was no change in the disadvantaged children.
The reason why is because the real world means more to kids than the digital world and are not
affected by technology negatively unless allowed to. Even the Brown University Child and
Adolescent Behavior Letter stated a question “Do your parents know about all the things you do
on the Internet?” This very question shows proof that some parents do not take the responsibility
of the limiting the digital world from children. So it is true that technology can negatively
influence our entire live but less likely if we put a foot down on the situation.
My proposal is for those seeking a balance between the digital and real world are like
those in the Brown University letter but with a difference. Take my 8 year-old cousin for
example; she says she has only played on the computer for an hour to an hour and half, but she
really means 3 hours. She plays on the computer under supervision, so instead of blocking
everything off the computer; we advise he on what sites she is allowed to use and ones that are
not safe. With me sitting next to her or just glancing by at the screen when I walk by keeps her
safe from cyber bullies. Including trip to the park never hurts, kids love to play with the ones
they love most, this keeps them safe from addiction and dependence on the digital world. This
balance of real-life events and surveyed digital use can help the kids find balance the worlds of
real and digital.
The positive, negative and similar effects the digital world has on the real world thanks to
my sources; which inspired my proposal for balance between both worlds. The digital world

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much like real-life is exciting and dangerous for us all. Balance between the real worldand digital
world is possible; we just have to find it.

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Works Cited
Barreto, Steven, and Sue K. Adams. “Digital Technology And Youth: A Developmental
Approach.” Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter 27.6 (2011): 1-6.
Academic Search Premier.Web. 15 July 2012.
Cutler, Maggie. “Whodunit- The Media?”.The Norton Field Guide of Writing with
Readings and Handbook.2nd ed. Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine
Weinberg. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010. 684-689. Print.
Gruber, Jonathan. Problems Of Disadvantaged Youth : An Economic Perspective.University of
Chicago Press, 2009.eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 15 July 2012.
Levac Danielle, Patricia Miller, and Cheryl Missiuna. “Usual And Virtual Reality Video Game-
Based Physiotherapy For Children And Youth With Acquired Brain Injuries.” Physical &
Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics 32.2 (2012): npag. Academic Search Premier. Web.
15 July 2012.
Watkins, S. Craig. The Young & The Digital What the Migration to Social-Network Sites,
Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future. Boston: Beacon
Press, 2009. Print.
Wired for What? The Dividends of Universal Access. Films Media Group, 1999. Films On
Demand. Web.15 July 2012.
<http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=3503&xtid=9328>.