Learning and the E-Generation

Chapter Ten Being Emotionally Intelligent and Risk Resilient

Introduction

Digital technologies have the potential to revolutionize learning in a number of different ways, and as such they can be a vehicle for implementing changes in educational contexts. Even those researchers who have raised serious concerns about the participation of the young in the online world accept that the virtual world offers many opportunities for information gathering, entertainment and social interaction (e.g., Whitaker & Bushman, 2009). However, it is appropriate to at least consider some of the dark matters associated with technology use such as Internet addiction, sexting, cyber bullying, child exploitation and identity formation. We are aware that there are real risks around cyber bullying. These include insults and sexual abuse/harassment towards individuals on social networks. The perpetrators tend to be of a similar age to the victim (Katzer, Fetchenhauer, & Belschak, 2009; Staude-Müller, Hansen, & Voss, 2012). We also know that as adults we may find it inconceivable that our own child is involved in bullying (Dehue, Bolman, & Völlink, 2008). Aside from this, there are growing concerns about child exploitation and addiction to the Internet, especially among those who create avatars or net personas that provide alternative realities to escape the real world (McKenna & Bargh, 2000).

So there are dark sides to technology use and there is a real requirement to balance the need to maintain ...