Blowing Water | Tech lover or tech slave? Wearables are set to revolutionise education, but reaping the benefits depends on smart use
- Banning wearables and other personal devices from classrooms ignores the many advantages they bring
When was the last time you uploaded photos of a lunch, someone’s birthday party or your holiday on social media?
No doubt most of us have done it. This is the way we connect with the world. But when we do so, we often throw caution to the wind and forfeit our privacy. Complete privacy is therefore now either non-existent, minimal, or reserved for a lucky few.
Despair though we may, all of us must realise that we have collectively chosen convenience and gratification over a private life. But that does not mean we should give up on all attempts to protect our privacy, or whatever’s left of it.
A recent plan by a school in southern China to force smart wearables on pupils to monitor their daily movements understandably stirred controversy. A barrage of negative responses from parents prompted Guangdong Guangya High School in Guangzhou to delay the project, pending further consultations.
Some 3,500 electronic bracelets were to be handed to the children in order to track their locations and record class attendance. The devices can also track fitness levels and certain behaviours over the course of a day.
