In the chapter "The Computer Race Goes to Class: How Computers in Schools Helped Shape the Racial Topography of the Internet," Jonathan Sterne presents his view on whether the cyberspace is really characterized by "racelessness." To put forward his argument, Sterne dates back to the 1980s when the concept of "computer literacy" emerged as an essential part of education alongside "math literacy" and "science literacy." Educators believed that students' ability to utilize and manipulate the computer was crucial. As a result, computers were incorporated into school curriculums to prepare students for the future "high-tech" and "high-skill" economy of the future. Deviating from the original intent, the issue of "computer literacy" affected the economic, social and cultural aspects of the society where certain groups of people were more computer literate than others. Because educators focused on schools as the agent of this new literacy, unequal conditions of schooling had significant impacts on children's access to the computer and the entirety of the computer experience. In the 1980s, race-based inequalities in schools exacerbated, and distinctions such as white and black or poor and rich created significant gaps among those who were computer literate and computer illiterate. As the computer industry jumped into the field of education, exposing children to computers was considered a good long-range marketing that could create life-long customers for the industry. Ultimately, Sterne suggests that the literacy gap that started in the 1980s prolonged to the modern society, creating a rather unfortunate phenomenon where white people dominate the cyberspace.
I came to think of the computer as an educational tool when I entered middle school. Although I was first introduced to the computer even before I started attending elementary school, I never came to think of the computer as an educational tool because dependence on computers to complete an assignment was very low. As I grew up, the computer increasingly became a bigger part of my academic life, to the point that I could not complete most assignments without using the computer. Attending an international school throughout middle and high school years of my life, I never came to think of computer literacy from a racial aspect. People from sixty different countries attended my school, and if what I remember is correct, everyone was equally experienced in handling the computer with the exception of a few. To be honest with myself, white kids weren't necessarily better or more experienced at handling the machine. The essay "The Computer Race Goes to Class" was both very surprising and interesting because it sheds light on a community that I was unexposed of.
I believe that Sterne's argument is logical and valid to a certain extent when applied to focused economic, cultural and social groups. However, claiming that white people dominate the cyberspace in all aspects regardless of economic, cultural or social status is highly unnecessary. For instance, the issue of computer literacy only comes into play when the household or a school is economically capable of purchasing computers. Certain cultures are less inclined towards using the computer to do work, and other cultures find the computer a necessity for education. Some societies encourage children to use the computer, but other societies may bar children's' exposure to the computer. Taking into account that the essay was written in 2000, Sterne has presented a sound argument of his time. His viewpoint accurately portrays the beginning of the era where "computer literacy" arose as a central issue among the educators.
I came to think of the computer as an educational tool when I entered middle school. Although I was first introduced to the computer even before I started attending elementary school, I never came to think of the computer as an educational tool because dependence on computers to complete an assignment was very low. As I grew up, the computer increasingly became a bigger part of my academic life, to the point that I could not complete most assignments without using the computer. Attending an international school throughout middle and high school years of my life, I never came to think of computer literacy from a racial aspect. People from sixty different countries attended my school, and if what I remember is correct, everyone was equally experienced in handling the computer with the exception of a few. To be honest with myself, white kids weren't necessarily better or more experienced at handling the machine. The essay "The Computer Race Goes to Class" was both very surprising and interesting because it sheds light on a community that I was unexposed of.
I believe that Sterne's argument is logical and valid to a certain extent when applied to focused economic, cultural and social groups. However, claiming that white people dominate the cyberspace in all aspects regardless of economic, cultural or social status is highly unnecessary. For instance, the issue of computer literacy only comes into play when the household or a school is economically capable of purchasing computers. Certain cultures are less inclined towards using the computer to do work, and other cultures find the computer a necessity for education. Some societies encourage children to use the computer, but other societies may bar children's' exposure to the computer. Taking into account that the essay was written in 2000, Sterne has presented a sound argument of his time. His viewpoint accurately portrays the beginning of the era where "computer literacy" arose as a central issue among the educators.