Digital Delights

 Failing to Live in the Present

"In his 2013 book, Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now, Douglas Rushkoff makes the observation that social media has disconnected people from the here and now present by providing them with a window through which to look longingly at the "there, and now" of what is happening in the world just removed from their current proximal zone.

In one of Rushkoff’s examples, he examines a party goer who is unable to engage with others at the party she is at because she is constantly checking social media for the "best" party, and she leaves the moment something seems better. The same could be true of the social media-connected student sitting in a college classroom who is constantly checking in on the situation beyond the walls of their current location. Perhaps they are finding a party for later, or maybe checking in on a sick family member. Regardless of the reason, the fact remains that any student not fully present in their classes is missing out on the full value of their education."