[Week 5] Weekly Reflection October 9th, 2026

In today’s world, there is constant change, and this is particularly evident in the area of technology, which is evolving faster than ever before. This past Friday, Jesse Miller provided our technology class with his insights on digital identity, safety, and communication, which was an eye opening experience for the class. Miller emphasized technology as something that should be looked at as a tool rather than as something to avoid, as we need to learn how to teach people to “use technology in ways that benefit themselves, their communities, [and] their families” (Miller 2026). 

Despite Miller wanting people to adopt a greater sense of understanding about the technological world, he also talked about the setbacks associated with technology and how people’s “mental health was best when youth participated in extracurriculars without any form of technology.” He also provided a few examples of the importance of our digital identity and referenced news articles about teachers being fired for either having an inappropriate relationship with their students, or snapping and texting with their students. Miller did not share these articles to imply that he thinks any of us will participate in this unprofessional and disturbing behaviour, but to remind us that our digital identity is something that needs to be monitored and carefully respected. Miller discussed communication within technology and how that has caused adults and youth to feel more overwhelmed, and this made me reflect on my own experiences in middle school and how I fortunately never faced any challenges with online communication as I did not have a phone during that time. 

Miller emphasized that digital communication has allowed bullying to continue to unfold after the end of the school day, which has made it difficult for educators and parents to help their children and students navigate this issue. Miller also highlighted the reality that because kids are now growing up under a digital microscope where everyone knows everything about everyone, when small mistakes happen, they are more visible and they permanently remain on social media rather than merely becoming a fading memory. This then affects your digital footprint and allows  people to target other users. What I thought was really inspiring was that he explained that he understands that not everyone is keen on the use of technology, but he asked us to find ways in which we can “make it so that [people] don’t feel left out in a group chat”, and “look for what can I do to make sure we are getting good information about what is happening in our community” right now. 

Overall, I hope that Miller visits other schools and helps all generations understand how to navigate the digital world to ensure that technology is being used as a proper tool. As navigating technology becomes a more dominant factor in our society, we need to understand the downsides to it but also accept it, not avoid it.