Technology is not about the device, it’s about the user.

The role of web design crosses a multitude of boundaries and ideologies. It has become a welcomed and despised necessity for many of us if not all. Unless you are a person who is dedicated to “living off the grid”, you more than likely have technology involved in your world in one way or another. So how do we use this resource to suit our individual needs?

Pew Research Center does a great job of collecting data on this and other valuable topics related to the role and use of technology. For instance, want to find out how often teens are utilizing technology, the internet, and for how long? Pew Research Center can provide that data. When we have that information available to us, we can begin to dissect the importance of that information and come up with a plan to move forward.

Currently, the application TikTok has grown exponentially not only during the global pandemic but has maintained growth over the years of its existence. While this information is interesting, how does it relate to web design? The answer is simple and yet complex. We are given clear ideas as to how our demographic of teenagers interacts with this application. Teens ages 13-17 are using TikTok’s platform to consume content but also create it. In an instructional setting, we can gather that if our targeted learner is between the ages of 13 and 17, we not only have a short time span to grab their attention, we have to make it interesting and interactive from their perspective.

As an educator myself, I find the easiest way to capture my learners’ attention is to cultivate research on current trends and use them as source material for my web design and resources. With online learning and resources only growing, harvesting interactive tools that will gain the attention of the learner and connect them with the intended content is the target. With Pew Research Center reporting that one in five teens visiting the platform YouTube “almost constantly”, the quest for knowledge and content is there but the vehicle that drives that motivation is not in a stereotypical classroom.

We are not eliminating cell phones in the classroom. As much as we as educators grow weary of competing with this device, we also need to view it as a tool for our students. How do we get them to be better researchers with their devices? Designing a website that incorporates these tools only progresses their interest and their abilities to explore the option of creating content and not just consuming it.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below and let’s continue the conversation!

References:

Eric - Education Resources Information Center. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2022, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1201959.pdf

Atske, S. (2022, August 10). Teens, social media and technology 2022. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. Retrieved November 5, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/

Pew Research Center. (2020, January 9). Home. Pew Research Center. Retrieved November 5, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/