MDA20009 Blog

            With the rise of online learning and online classes since facing restrictions during Covid-19. The new way of staying connected with our loved ones for adults was through social media, and on the contrary, for children it was through digital gaming. Many Australian parents and guardians have found themselves concerned and worried about the amount of technology used by their children. According to the Australian eSafety Commissioner, 3 out of 5 Australian youth are involved in online multi-player gaming ( eSafety Commissioner, 2018 ).     A study published by the scientific journal Nature, revealed that playing digital games releases dopamine. The amount of these upbeat neurotransmitters released whilst playing digital games has the same effect seen after the use of injectable stimulant drugs like amphetamine and methylphenidate  (Koepp et al. 1998) . (Paturel, 2014)   The positives and negatives of children and youth video ga...

        With the rise of social media, many of us have found ourselves indulged in the new way of instant connectedness and community through social media. Moreover, during the pandemic more and more Australians have opted to use social media platforms to keep in touch with loved ones. Approximately 80% of Australians were active social media users in 2021 (Anon, 2021).   As many of us may have experienced, social media can be very addictive. The 24/7 connectivity, and endless notifications can affect our attention – disturbing our sleep and even possibly making us feel enslaved to our phones (Robinson & Smith, 2021). We may often fall into the trap of scrolling through our social media feeds, checking stories for updates, and posting photographs and videos of our everyday lives. The desire for instant gratification which sparks dopamine may push us to feel the need to constantly refresh our social media feeds (Edmonds, n.d). According to the Royal Society o...

        Crowdsourcing is the practice of attaining services from large group of people usually via online platforms  (Brabham 2013) .  Crowdsourcing is an efficient method that has many advantages like cost savings, speed, and the ability to work with various skilled participants in which organisations or companies are not able to meet otherwise – it also seeks crowdfunding which supports individuals or groups in need (Hargrave, 2021).   Pros & Cons of crowdsourcing Pros: Self-operating tasks (Wazny, 2017). Scale of research is increased (Wazny, 2017) Lower in cost (Wazny, 2017). Exceeds borders and boundaries (Wazny, 2017). -         Increase the speed of speed of research (Wazny, 2017).   Cons: -         Possible malicious users (Wazny,2017). -         Data security and protection (Wazny, 2017) -       ...