Channeling My Inner Cartographer

    Earlier this week, as I debriefed with my teammates after a particularly long school day,  we swapped stories of our students' antics that we couldn't resist sharing. As I recounted my reactions to the various TikTok slang being hurled around my classroom and the (not so calm) way that I responded to being called "bro", one phrase came to mind that is the perfect descriptor for my class: "chronically online". In my opinion, many teachers would probably use this very phrase to describe their students, too. As members of Generation Z or Generation Alpha, all our students know is the presence of technology in their lives. As Marc Prensky would say, they are the true digital natives. 

    Being a younger millennial, I realize it might be a bit hypocritical of me to judge my students' technology usage and dependence. Admittedly, I can spend large chunks of time using technology and browsing on social media, but I feel my usage serves different purposes. While much of my scrolling is simply checking in on my feeds, lurking for a period of time and disappearing with a swipe of my finger, there are other platforms where I choose to dedicate more time, energy, and presence. In thinking about the duality of my relationship with technology and social media, David White would urge me to think of defining my interactions as being either a digital resident or a digital visitor.

Image Source: Medium

    Learning more about David White's perspective of digital visitors versus digital residents caused me to reflect on my place in the digital world. How would I label myself? Does that label change with the seasons or with the ebb and flow of the school year? In an effort to examine and understand my digital space, I created a visual map to plot the various platforms I use for both personal and professional endeavors.  To create my map, I used Canva, which coincidentally is a platform that I frequent both personally and professionally. Take a look below to learn more! 

Source: Personal Map created by author through Canva

    As a 21st century teacher and lifelong learner, I first want to dive into the professional half of my map. While I am not surprised that most of my daily used platforms skewed towards the resident side of my map, the one platform that stood out most to me was Blogger. Since resurrecting Miss B. Multiplies, Blogger has become a platform that I engage with quite often. Truthfully, I post more on Blogger than I do on my personal social media accounts! While a lot of the times it feels like I'm just throwing thoughts out into a void, I know this is a platform I can use to connect with others on a professional level, even if for a finite amount of time. This blog may not be for forever, but I appreciate the interactions I've had through my posts and look forward to contributing to it further.

    The personal half of my map is where things start to take an unexpected turn. Of all the social media apps I have on my phone, I was surprised to notice that Instagram and TikTok were the only two where I considered myself to be a resident of the platform. While these apps are the two that I spend the most conscious time on, I do not consistently post content for others to view. While I may not leave much of a trace, I do make the conscious choice to check on accounts I follow for enjoyment, even if it is for a small portion of my day. By contrast, Facebook, Pinterest, and X landed more towards the visitor side of my map. Prior to this exercise and considering what makes a resident and what makes a visitor, I would have expected a different outcome. However, if I really stop to think about it, I only use these platforms occasionally, when I need or am looking for something specific.  I use Facebook when notifications come through for our family page to see updates about relatives living out of state. Pinterest is my go to if I need a new recipe or am searching for a craft to do with the after school club I sponsor. X opens when my friends send me DMs with funny or relevant content they think I would enjoy. 

    So, how would I classify myself? I don't know if I'll ever have a clear answer on that. This map was created during the start of my school year, a time where I am using technology every single day. In the summer, I try to make more of an effort to disconnect from both professional and personal platforms. I think it would be interesting to repeat this process and see how the June version of my map compares to the September version of my map. While I'd like to say my TikTok consumption would be less frequent, I can't make any promises. I hate to say it, but there's a chance I'm just as "chronically online" as I think my students are!