Mindfulness practices are part of responsive education. Institutional change comes slowly and can be at a cost for the mental and physical wellbeing of young people. The internet of things (IoT) makes knowledge access simple. Young people can bypass the traditional pathways to knowing and have the skills to forge new worlds online that more readily match their interests and personal preferences. Identity issues are both shaped and made more complex through knowing more. The benefits for young people who struggle with identity can flow through access to likeminded communities. The challenges are in the process which can lead to alienation from traditional support systems. Wokeness is part of the world of now and the reality confronting traditional societal norms.
“I have never called my answering service” —Andy Warhol
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The previous three chapters hinted at the key features of the world of now and sought to position the discussion in the context of past knowledge and theory. This chapter focuses on the moment of now starting by recognising that the ubiquity of social media platforms and digital devices has removed forever any control over individuals’ access to information. Access to knowledge is limitless and the consequent changes to the landscape of education are profound. Once funnelled via teachers, schools, employers, community leaders and elders, nowadays direct access to information via personal devices has irrevocably altered the power relationships between learner and teacher. Up until the latter part of the twentieth century access to knowledge was largely limited to oral histories, library books, and school subject textbooks. Whilst imaginative children and scientists may have unlocked other sources the world of knowing appeared bounded. A teacher reading a student’s assignment could recognise copied material and generally link the text to the original source from their personal library. Now the efficacy of learners’ output is tested by online programs such as Turnitin. Most notable in higher education, the gentle touch of the teacher guiding the student learner to more ethical and responsible outcomes has often shifted to external punitive measures from which there is very little room for negotiating more positive outcomes.
In pre ‘E’ worlds times when daily life was more likely managed in one-on-one situations, there appeared to be less chance of socially withdrawn children. Generally, a family member or school and/or adult neighbour became aware of an anxious child and could mobilise support resources. Nowadays, there is always a third force in the room. The Internet of Things (IoT) can bypass traditional sources of knowledge and mute rational argument. The powers of social media messages have the capacity to act like a vortex transporting information that can simultaneously excite and enthral; reject and negate; fuel dreams and add to anxiety and dread. The emotional element of the constant streaming of information is challenging for self, self-esteem, and identity within one’s peer groups. Turning off the digital tap is not an option in free democratic societies, nor it seems within the private worlds of citizens. The parental challenges of limiting their children’s access to their digital devices is well documented in the research literature (see Robertson et al., 2019). The generational shift in the information power landscape is extraordinary and adds to the theory of revolutionary societal change.
The Forbes global rich list1 is testament to the powers of technology. In 2022, the world’s richest people included founders of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. The growing list of billionaires associated with cryptocurrencies and blockchain data storage appears to be the modern gold rush. Significantly, Forbes reports that almost half of the list members are under the age of 40, including 12 who are under 30. Males dominate globally, one woman joined the list for 2022 – Melanie Perkins, an Australian and creator of the graphics design App, Canva. Elun Musk, the electric car Tesla founder, heads the list. The pandemic appears to have augmented their success. As visionaries use the powers of the tools the trend away from traditional social and commercial practices is a major hallmark of the last two decades. Arguably, the trend started with the launching of Facebook in 2004 by twenty-year-old Harvard graduate Mark Zuckerberg and company. Nowadays the Facebook phenomenon dominates social interactions, business marketing and communications. Bypassing mainstream media outlets, it alone appears to have transformed everyday lives. Two decades on whilst Facebook may have faced some pandemic related challenges the process of shifting from traditional transaction platforms to digital appears to be mainstream. Digital platforms are the social and economic phenomenon of our times and driven by imaginative young people willing to risk their reputations for their ideals.