Technophobia: Is ____ making us _____?

We tweeted an interesting Slate article yesterday titled Don't Touch That Dial! A history of media technology scares, from the printing press to Facebook.The article reminds us that condemnation of new technologies is not new:

In parallel with modern concerns about children's overuse of technology, Socrates famously warned against writing because it would "create forgetfulness in the learners' souls, because they will not use their memories." He also advised that children can't distinguish fantasy from reality, so parents should only allow them to hear wholesome allegories and not "improper" tales, lest their development go astray. The Socratic warning has been repeated many times since: The older generation warns against a new technology and bemoans that society is abandoning the "wholesome" media it grew up with, seemingly unaware that this same technology was considered to be harmful when first introduced.

In this and other instances of societal hand-wringing, the discourse often gets stripped of nuance and turned into a blunt question, like: Is technology good or bad? Not only is that dichotomy unhelpful in thinking through the deeper issues, but it pressures people to choose a side: Are you a technophile who dives blindly into each new digital development or a luddite who takes pride in not owning a cell phone?

I've seen this false duality play out over and over in higher ed communications. The technophobia discussion is unavoidably laden with generational and age factors already. When placed in a university setting where distinct groups of young(er) and old(er) people meet, people may cling more strongly to their chosen "side" in the discussion. And, no matter your age, it's often easier to fall back on a stance of "I'm just not a technology person" than to take on new duties at work, or conversely, to invest time in sending your message through every new media without stopping to assess its importance to your audience.

I think the reason so many of the articles' headlines written on this subject are framed as questions is that there is no simple answer. And, as the Slate article says, the research fueling the news story is almost always less shocking, and may even suggest that, say, video games are good for us.

Part of me thinks that Socrates had it easy: his choice was between saying something aloud or writing it on parchment.* Now, when I want to communicate something my department is working on, I have to consider magazines, research journals, Facebook (MySpace? LinkedIn?), speeches, videos (YouTube? Vimeo?), Twitter, Google Buzz, posters, brochures, Web sites, Web apps, photo galleries, direct mail, text messaging, phone calls, fact sheets, print ads, Web ads, billboards, sidewalk chalk, blogs, news releases, guerilla campaigns, e-mails, e-newsletters, letters, banners, give-aways, booklets, slideshows, radio interviews, TV commercials, and on and on. It's easy to see why some overwhelmed journalist might ask:

Is technology making us crazy?

Though I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg, here are some related articles that have made the rounds in the past few years:

• Is Google Making Us Stupid? -- The Atlantic
• Is the Internet Making Us Stupid? -- NPR
• Is Facebook Making Us Paranoid? -- beliefnet
• Is Facebook Making Us Sad? -- Big Think
• Is Technology Making Us Dumber? -- Psychology Today
• Is Technology Making Us Idiots? -- Psychology Today
• Is Technology Making Us Lazy? -- EduBook
• E-mail is Making You Stupid -- Entrepreneur.com
• E-mails 'hurt IQ more than pot' -- CNN.com
• Twitter and Facebook could harm moral values, scientists warn -- Telegraph.co.uk
• Facebook and MySpace generation 'cannot form relationships' -- Telegraph.co.uk
• How using Facebook could raise your risk of cancer -- Dailymail.co.uk
• Warning: brain overload -- Times Online
• The Lure of Data: Is It Addictive? -- The New York Times

EDIT: I overlooked these two important articles that add to the discussion:

• How Google Is Making Us Smarter -- Discover Magazine
  
• And the Survey Says: Google Is Not Making You Stupid -- Discover Magazine

*Would it have been parchment? History majors, correct me...

Tiger Woods and crisis management: Is he doing the right thing?

As communicators, we are all faced with the potential task of dealing with crisis management. Today, Tiger Woods finally made an attempt to repair his image by speaking publicly (kind of). Everyone seems to have an opinion about whether or not he's approaching crisis management in the most strategic way.

Member profile: Becky Beyers

Meet Communicators Forum member Becky Beyers:

Job title: CFANS communications director

Which means: I do a little of everything - college publications, media relations, strategic planning, etc., plus finding experts to answer the random questions that come in like "what kind of bug is this?"

I have been at the University since:  2006

Areas of expertise: Not an expert on much of anything - it's that old mile-wide, inch-deep thing that comes with working in journalism.

Family members: Husband, Scott; cat, Felix

Hobbies: Reading, music, food, wine, gardening, bicycling, trivia

I am passionate about: Good writing. But bad writing, the truly horrible kind that makes you squirm and wonder "how could this happen?" is often more entertaining.

People are always surprised to learn that I:  Have never actually driven a tractor, combine, thresher, plow, etc. -- nor wanted to -- despite the fact that I grew up on a farm and now work in CFANS.

Ed. note: Becky was an award winner at last year's Maroon and Gold awards. Have you submitted your work yet? Deadline is tomorrow...

What makes a good Facebook fan page?

Ask Dave Taylor has a nice article on maintaining a good Facebook group or fan page. Author Patrick O'Keefe writes, "The point is this: offline makes online better. Online makes offline better, too."

My favorite Facebook fan pages foster mini-communities by posting regular, relevant content that is easy to engage with. (An aside about relevance: The day the Large Hadron Collider posted something about Glee, a little part of me died.)

A few examples of companies and organizations I always enjoy seeing come up in my news feed:

City Year

This AmeriCorps organization posts videos of corps members, news stories featuring alumni, and events. They also have a very active wall, where prospective members often ask questions about what to expect and about the details of applying. We in higher ed should take note of how they know when to step in during a discussion (for example, to answer a question about application deadlines if no one else has answered) and when to sit back and let other fans offer their advice.

Full disclosure: I am a City Year alumna.

Hymie's Vintage Records

Hymie's posts what they are listening to in the store, which often draws fan comments, but most excellent are the fun sales of the week (15% off records with mustaches on the cover, 20% off any record with a guy named "Ralph" performing on it, etc.).

Surly Brewing Company

The fans, or Surly Nation, post photos of themselves in Surly gear or drinking Surly in various environments. Fans especially love when Surly posts the dates and locations of special tappings of new beers or other events.

What are your favorite fan pages or groups on Facebook?

Writing contest: Can you make this office e-mail better?

The folks at Writing Matters are offering a copy of their Clear, Correct, Concise E-Mail workbook to the person who submits the best improvements to this bad office e-mail. If you enter, let us know!

Up close and personal with your favorite Olympic athlete

Hail the internet age! It has never been easier to follow the action at the Olympics. Thanks to this year's venue in time-zone friendly Canada, US television network NBC is offering 835 hours of daytime and evening coverage over the next two weeks.

Another reason for NBC's beefed-up coverage is the heat NBC must be feeling from alternative media. The International Olympic Committee has banned athletes from acting as journalists during competition (whatever that means), but of course athletes are blogging and twittering away.

Apolo Ohno is a great skater and a great self-promoter.

Lindsey Vonn bakes banana bread while her shin heals.

Canadian Skeleton slider Mike Douglas confirms that those guys like excitement off the course as well as on. "Note to self: Just because you seem to have an unlimited supply of beer doesn't mean you should try to drink them all in 1 night."

Find your favorite athlete! Twitter offers a list of tweeting Olympians.

Here's a bigger, unofficial list of twitterers.

Super success or super risk?

Last Sunday night was the "most watched sporting event." Did you tune in? Actually, the title "most watched sporting event" stirs up quite a controversy, depending on your parameters.

It may be the most watched sporting event in the US, but the most watched sporting event in the world? Hmm... many FIFA fans would argue. Given the World Cup is in Africa this year, I imagine the numbers for that final game will significantly pass the numbers for the 2010 Super Bowl. Just a hunch.

Being the savvy communicators you are, perhaps many of you tuned in just for the commercials. I thought the absence of Pepsi Co., usually a perennial advertiser for the Super Bowl, was interesting. Instead of paying for a 15- or 30-second spot during the game, Pepsi has diverted their funds to the Refresh Project (http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=141973)

What do you think? Is Pepsi brilliant for their innovative campaign? Or, is this the wrong way to create awareness? Did Pepsi dodge a bullet by not advertising in a group of rather non-memorable ads? (Our apologies to Betty White who was the memorable exception.)

Why Should You Enter the MAG Awards?

Because you do great work. Because you work miracles with a small budget. Because you make a conscious effort to communicate green. Because it looks really good to your supervisor.

Yep...I went there. Winning a Maroon and Gold Award could do good things for your career. The MAG awards recognize the work our communicators are doing as important for several reasons: eloquent execution within their chosen medium, ability to be creative within a limited budget, and providing communications that respect our environment. Winning acknowledges and rewards excellence. For some who are still trying to justify their budgets and the importance of what they do to their superiors, a win of any kind could gain further respect for the work they do. An award win looks snazzy in your personal file and on a resume. Also, the MARGO Award comes with a monetary award for further professional development.

And last but not least, a MAG award would look totally cool on your desk.

Please enter the Maroon and Gold Awards today. Early Bird rates end this Friday the 12th. If you have any questions please contact me at ward0115@umn.edu.

New Categories for Electronic MAG Award

Hello Forum members!

As I had mentioned a few weeks ago, we have created two new subcategories for the Electronic category for the Maroon and Gold Awards.  This was in response to the change in how we communicate here at the U.  No doubt about it...times are tough.  Our print budgets have been slashed, we do more with fewer people...all while still maintaining the high quality of work that we do.

We have had to be innovative.  We have had to find other ways to get our message across to our audience.  We have had to completely change the way we do do our work in a short period of time.  It only makes sense that we on the Awards Committee adapt to the new way we are being asked to communicate, and we want to make sure you get the recognition that you deserve.  Because of all these reasons, we have created two new subcategories to the Electronic category of the Maroon and Gold Awards.  We believe the addition of these two new subcategories address how many of you are choosing to communicate.

Coordinated Social Media--Can include any or all of
the following: blogs, FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. Entries will be
judged on clearly-defined strategic purpose, creative and effective
approach to message, excellent writing and interactivity,
appropriateness for intended audience(s), technical execution, and
effective exploitation of the particular qualities of the medium
employed. When more than one of the social media are used in concert,
criteria will include synergy among the different media that supports
the overall effort and effective exploitation of  the particular
qualities of each medium employed.

E-Newsletter--Can include any electronically
delivered newsletter within the University system sent on a regular
schedule that is at least monthly and includes significant content
(beyond calendar items and brief notices). Audiences for the
e-newsletter may be internal or external (staff, students, alumni,
etc.). Various formats are welcome: email-delivered with full text in
the body, emails with teaser copy offering links to full online
articles, blogs, etc.

Please consider submitting any work you have produced that fit these categories.  We want to not only recognize the amazing work you are doing, but showcase how the University as a whole is a leader in adapting to new media and electronic communications as a whole.

Quite simply, you rock....lets make sure the U knows it!

Tomorrow's post...how entering the MAG Awards is good for your career.

 

Internal communications planning template

The University's internal communications team has developed a template you can use to create an internal communications plan. It walks you through the considerations for goals/objectives, audiences, key messages, strategies/tactics, feedback and multi-way communications, timeline/work plan, budget, and measurement/follow up.

Go to the internal communications planning template

Does your unit have an internal communications plan?