With the use of digital technology becoming more prevalent each day, it is not a surprise that schools have started implementing this technology into their curriculum and classrooms. However the mediums being utilized have a larger effect on our culture of society than what is understood. This is a concept that Marshall McLuhan has developed and is discussed in J.D. Applen’s “Writing for the Web.” McLuhan argues that the message is not the information presented, but rather how the technology itself changes our culture. So how is digital technology impacting education?
Digital Redlining
There is no doubt that wealthier neighborhoods consist of schools with better education programs. Whereas the neighborhoods that are less fortunate have fewer resources, more inexperienced teachers, and overall less access to a proper education. The reason for this: digital redlining. Chris Gilliard discusses digital redling in the article “Pedagogy and the Logic of Platforms.” Essentially, society is divided by the drawing of red lines. Depending on which side of the line an individual is on determines the availability of digital technology, among other resources, they will have. However these lines are not drawn randomly. Instead, they separate the families of color from the families who are white. All of the resources are then given to the side of the line where the white people live. Although illegal, digital redlining is still used today.
The Availability of Mediums in Education
Because of this discrimination, many schools lack the proper resources that are widely available for wealthier districts. This creates an unfair disadvantage for many students of color. Digital technology has become a popular medium for nearly all schools. However, the message that this medium is implying is that not all students deserve a proper education. Digital technology has changed the way students learn; it has shifted our culture. But the lack of support in low-income areas is representative of the continuous battle that people of color face. No matter how hard they work, it seems as though society continues to present them with obstacles that are extremely difficult (essentially impossible) to overcome.
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