Posts Tagged ‘Technology’
Learning Bravery through Brāv: An Update
Updates on Brāv – the online platform to manage conflicts at school, work, home or more. Brāv ultimately becomes the first option in workplaces, schools, in lieu of HRs, deans and principals’ standard policies. In this way, there is less work for everyone! In addition, teaming up with groups including schools, workplaces, police departments and task forces allow for accountability, where all parties are ensured to come together.
Call to Action: Please click Here and register. You will receive a free session after confirmation/scheduling and providing feedback (click on “Share Your Ideas”.)
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Back to School and the Woes of Pokémon™ Go
As referenced in the Wall Street Journal article by Sarah Needleman entitled “’Pokémon™ Go’ Craze Raises Safety Issues”, the cell phone app game called “Pokémon™ Go” has caused concern on many levels. These concerns are due to the nature of the game, which involves on-foot travel to capture specific characters and collect them to battle others who play the game. According to Needleman’s article, Don Boyes, a geography professor at the University of Toronto maintains the game itself “could be potentially leading people into areas where they don’t belong.” This safety concern is because the Pokéstops™ (places where you can collect Pokemon™ characters) are sites where people can get hurt when they are not paying attention, such as construction sites and abandoned properties. Not only is the game posing concerns around physical safety, but the game also may raise concerns for parents who have children going back to school.
In the CNN article entitled “A parents’ guide to Pokémon™ Go”, author Christopher Dawson notes concerns related to how much time children spend looking at the screen and playing. While he cites the benefits of exercise, he also notes that parents should be aware that children are simultaneously walking and playing the game and not paying attention to their surroundings. As a result, children are prone to injuries such as getting hit by cars, walking on rough terrain and getting robbed by thieves. In addition to physical safety and inattention, many parents, and even I see another concern, and that is the game can be very addictive. Students, in general, are already addicted to their Smart phones texting, calling and using social media. It is hard not to stay constantly plugged in for most young people. For teachers, one of their main concerns is keeping students focused in class without the need to compete for their attention. Even though I am not a parent, I too struggle in balancing my time with technology and the expectations of time spent with family. For example, my family does not care about using phones at the table or while talking to one another. The expectation is to focus our communication on each other.
Here are some tips to consider how you might help raise awareness, guide and manage your kids’ game play.
1) Set a time limit for young kids. Give your children time limits and restrictions including when they can play their app games. Follow through with consequences including the possibility of uninstalling the app from their phone. On the other hand, reward them with gameplay when they do well in school.
2) For older students, expose them to the news stories on the dangers and consequences of Pokémon™ Go. Hopefully, they can see how far is too far with this game. Follow up with a simple talk and raise awareness of the dangerous addiction to the game.
3) If you are a parent or teacher, research the actual game and become familiarized with the various components of the game. Even if you are totally turned off towards the idea of the game, the kids may be more inclined to listen to your guidance if you know simply how fun this can be to them.
Here are two additional strategies for teaching kids safety while playing Pokémon™ Go, as cited by blog article “Ground rules for catching ’em all” by Brittany Morgan.
1) Teach children to “look up” as Brittany states so that they are aware of their surroundings.
2) Encourage children to play the game in “teams” so they are not alone while catching their characters. This team concept allows safety in numbers.
With kids returning to school, it is my sincere hope that these tips are helpful to you by raising awareness that your children can have a healthy balance of fun and safety while enjoying the game Pokémon™ Go.
Sincerely,
Ann Margaret Zelenka
Graduate Student Intern
University of Baltimore
Negotiations and Conflict Management Program
How to Resolve Customers Disputes in Today’s World
Disputes have existed as long as there have been people. Ways to resolve disputes have also existed just as long. But now, technology has made some of the oldest ways to resolve disputes new again and better than ever! Now you can settle differences with other people or businesses without ever leaving your home, office or business.
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Did you see what she posted? Tips for Teenage Tiffs, Fights and Quarrels Online
I am standing in the checkout line at a clothing store the other day when I overheard two teenage girls discussing a recent fight they had with another girl, “Emma” on social media. Apparently, Emma tweeted an ambiguous quote about being a bad friend, and one of the girls knew she was directing the comment at her, despite Emma not using her name, because of the pictures she had recently posted with a boy Emma use to date. The other girl responded that Emma always puts stuff online but won’t ever say things to your face. The girl who was offended by Emma’s ambiguous quote responded, ” Yeah I know, I am seriously about to unfriend her...”
The interaction between these two girls brought up several concerns for how teens interact online.
The first concern is jumping to conclusions about what you read online. The two girls had no idea whether Emma was talking about them or not when she posted the quote. The girl assumed it was about her and rather than asking Emma directly; she jumped to conclusions.
The second concern piggybacks off the first. One girl stated, “Emma always does this stuff online but won’t say things to your face.” Again, there isn’t direct communication to check out those assumptions. On one side of the coin, the internet and social media gives people who are shy, introverted or even conflict averse, a voice. This can be good. On this other side of the coin it can be bad. This leads to my 3rd concern.
My third concern with this interaction is that without any dialogue between Emma and the girl who is offended, Emma is willing to “unfriend” her and end their friendship. The public nature of social media and the peer pressure to take action not only leads to false conclusions but hurt feelings, misunderstood intentions, and unnecessary conflict.
An article by Amanda Lenhart from Pew Research Center highlights some interesting statistics regarding social media, conflict and friendships. Lenhart shares, “About one-in-four teens (26%) have fought with a friend because of something that first happened online or because of a text message.” Another statistic Lenhart expounds, “58% of teens who are on social media or have a cell phone have unfriended or unfollowed someone that they used be friends with.”
Technology brings a lot of good to the world, but the conflict I overheard is a part of the bad it brings. The conflict discussed brings up a concern for the rising adolescent generation who have never known the world without cell phones and the internet. The majority of teen’s interactions appears to be in these two forums. Consider this. When vague comments set you off, or you view a picture online that stirs up drama, or you are unfriending anyone you are in conflict with, what will come of that relationship? If you were on the receiving end of being unfriended or unliked, how would you have preferred that friend to have handled the situation?
The best advice: Go offline; Put Down the Phone; and Have a Face – To -Face Conversation.
I am not suggesting remove yourself from social media and completely go off the grid, which for many of you teenagers would experience as a form of torture. However, we see information online and jump to conclusions; take what you read and see it at face value. It is important to remember that you have more confidence to say whatever you think and feel online and in text than face – to – face. The ending of a friendship online does not resolve the conflict offline. Just because you can no longer see your friend’s statuses, tweets, or photos doesn’t mean you don’t see them in person and still have to deal with the perceived conflict.
Quick tips:
* People are more willing to talk openly with you when you are one – on- one. Pull the person aside privately and directly ask if you have done something to offend them. Simply ask “I saw a post and wanted to know, have I done something to make you upset?”
* Raising a conflict face-to-face makes many people uneasy. After the initial inquiry, regardless of whether the post was about you or not, then simply state,” I just wanted to make sure so we could clear the air.”
* Don’t be so quick to unfriend/unfollow. It is a nice feature to have at the click of a button, but impulsively severing friendships can cause more damage and be harder to repair.
Technology and social networks have connected everyone in so many amazing ways. It has also changed how we communicate, interpret and interact creating positive and negative impacts.
Abigail R. C. McManus M.S Negotiation and Conflict Management
Apprentice
Conflict in Cross Cultural Groups: Lessons to Prevent and Manage It
Modern technology and various transportation options have allowed for the cooperation of people across the world. Specifically in today’s work environment, employees are now working internationally with many different individuals and in some cases these people differ in age, gender, race, language, culture or nationality. In the article, Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution in Teams, John Ford goes into detail about the difficulties of international teamwork and also offers some lessons to prevent and manage conflict in situations that require teamwork.
Ford states that conflict is a major contributor to failure in groups. It is important to be mindful of the fact that various cultures react to conflict in different ways. One example of these cultural differences is communication styles. Communication in a group can either be expressive or restrained. While some cultures might focus on eye contact and physical touch, others might be less interested in physical touch and dodge eye contact. Furthermore, communication differences in relationships and level of directness can be seen throughout many cultures. In some cultures it is important to be direct and get to the point. Individuals from this type of culture would probably be upset by people who dodge the relevant questions and instead focus on personal matters. In contrast, the people from the second culture, who prefer addressing personal matters first, might be offended by the directness or aggressiveness of the individuals from the first culture. That being said, in the second culture it could be the norm to create a relationship with peers before tackling a project.
Ford goes on to explain that varying communication styles are not the direct cause of conflict. Instead, conflict can arise when judgments are made due to the different styles. He uses an example of a team member who strongly and loudly expresses opinions on subjects. An individual from a less vocal culture may see this behavior as arrogant or even rude. On the other hand, the individual with the strong opinion might deem the timid team member untrustworthy because he or she is quiet and does not hold eye contact. Variances in communication styles are only one example of the many differences between cultures that could cause conflict.
When working with a diverse group of people, it is important to be patient and mindful of any differences. Ford provides seven lessons to help foster better teamwork between unique individuals. The first lesson he mentions involves knowing yourself and your own culture. It is important and valuable to understand yourself and your own culture so that you can compare other cultures more effectively. The second lesson states the importance of learning the culture of the other individuals. Since cultures are dynamic, it is nearly impossible to fully understand them without experiencing them first hand. However, studying a culture by reading literature or watching films can still help prepare you for cooperation. The third lesson is called “check your assumptions”. In this section, Ford stresses the dangers of assumptions. It is important to stay open-minded and seek different interpretations to situations. Inaccurate assumptions or false judgments often lead to negative stereotypes.
The next lesson suggests focusing on asking questions instead of assuming that you know and understand a foreign culture. Asking questions not only shows respect, but it can also prevent conflicts by providing clarification. In the next lesson Ford suggests simply listening as an important tool for conflict prevention. Listening can provide a lot of valuable information about a foreign culture. The sixth step encourages you to consider the platinum rule. While somewhat similar to the “golden rule”, the platinum rule says to treat your team members how they would like to be treated rather than how we would like to be treated. Ford’s final lesson is about the fact that culture is so diverse and spread out. Therefore, instead of learning specific strategies for cross cultural conflicts, it would be more beneficial for us to assume that all our conversations deal with different cultures. We can utilize the lessons provided by Ford in our own lives every day.
John Wagner
Student Intern
Salisbury University – Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution
Reference:
Ford, John. “Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution in Teams.” Mediate.com. Oct. 2001. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
Tech for Justice – Austin: Using Technology to Expand Access to Justice
Many have said that the judiciary often trails the private sector in its use of technology. Courts have been attempting to close this gap but need the help of the technology sector to succeed. David Slayton and Jeff Aresty will discuss how the technology sector can get involved and what plans they have for hacking for justice in Texas.
More Information: CyberWeek
Call for Action: Click on “Tech for Justice”, Choose “Tech for Justice Austin” Two Choices: 1. INDICATE YOUR INTEREST (join free mailing list) 2. REGISTER(join Internet Bar Org., receive mailings and be part of Tech for Justin-Austin)
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PeaceTones On How Empowering Musicians Can Change Society
PeaceTones is a nonprofit initiative that works with musicians living in communities fractured by social conflict and economic inequality, empowering voices that aren’t traditionally heard through education on legal rights, marketing and technology. They give musicians with positive social messages the tools to protect their music and earn an income from it, fostering community development based on arts that is powerful, inspiring and valuable.
Call to action: Visit PeaceTones to learn more and join the movement by becoming a member for as little as $25! Support our musician empowerment work and get free stuff like t-shirts, calendars, early release music and more!
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Beyond the Click – How Social Media is Being Used to Build Peace
In this digitally connected age, social media has become a powerful tool to advance peace. Join Dr. Craig Zelizer as we discuss how to move beyond the click and utilize these powerful tools to promote peace. Listen in on October 7th and meet us at this intersection of technology and peace.
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Rewire Your Brain to Speak Your Mind
Every conflict contains a seed that in the right conditions can germinate into a new understanding, deeper awareness, and creative possibilities. The inner workings of the brain can advance or hinder this process. This program will explore implications of current neuroscience research for communication, social interactions, conflict management, and influence. This program will help you more effectively:
– Communicate and think clearly under pressure.
– Regulate emotions.
– Overcome cognitive biases and improve decision-making.
– Unleash the creative potential in conflicts and facilitate insights and breakthroughs.
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Additional Resources: Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are
