Today is the digital age, where social media reigns supreme, and text messages are preferred to face-to-face interaction. Therefore, I perceive an enduring question to include how we can preserve past technologies in order to appreciate our present and future technologies. Curriculum is critical to building an appropriate approach to educating future generations to solve today’s problems. One contemporary global problem, that I believe could be approached through curriculum, is the issue of loss of authenticity in our digital age. What I mean by “authenticity” is that we prefer getting our information through digital mediums, and not through archaic methods that existed prior to technology. I would devise a curriculum that would be a necessary requisite, and I would call my course “Disappearing Technologies”. From using the manual telephone, to recognizing time on an analog wristwatch or using the Dewey decimal system in the library- these are all technologies that are disappearing in our digital age. However, the salient concern is what should happen if we needed to rely on archaic, authentic methods of inquiry? That is the question that threatens our futures in the digital age. It is imperative to remain familiar with past technologies, even fleeting technologies, such as the beeper, in order to understand the causal links between technology of the future, and the disappearing technology of our past.
Digital natives will take for granted the pedestal that technology provides, therefore, my college course, “Disappearing Technologies” would introduce new concepts to young people based on old technology. Because technology changes so quickly, it is possible that the exponential growth that we have experienced will continue at the same rate. Unless we take measures now, it may be impossible to instill in future generations a sense of authenticity when it comes to evaluating our use of, and reliance on, technology.