Reality and Virtual Reality - True or False

This week the assigned reading was titled "Growing up with Google: What it menas to education." by Diana G. Oblinger. The article talked about how the new generation of learners use technology differntly. The Net Generation is all about obtaining information when they want it instantly. When they need to look up something, they go online; instead of going to the library and looking in books or asking one professional, they look to social groups online or learn by discovery. Traditional methods of learning are now being updated to try and accomodate this new generation. For example, some libraries are no long strictly silent; they will encourage a place where people can socialize and share information. One of the issues brought up in the article was about information validity. Learners will need to be educated on researching skills and finding validity within the plethory of digital information.

Reading this article made me think of a one in a lifetime marketing scheme during the budding growth of the net generation. I always thought I was net tech savy and the internet had already become a daily tool I used. A friend of mine had me download a movie called "The Blair Witch Project." He didn't know what is was, but it hit the net with great force disguising itself as a film in which the families of these victims were looking for information to solve their missing persons case. Having this pre-context, the film was creepy. I then went online to check the validity of this film. What I found was a multiple websites and forums all about the missing people. There were news reels and local newspaper clippings along with police reports and evidence pictures. After spending a day or two researching this material, I was convinced that the film was legit. I then went and spread the word and the film to all of my friends. They all had the same reaction I did. It became the center of our conversations for a while.

At least 6 months has passed with this going around the net unitl someone spotted one of the missing people at the Sundance Film Festival. The bubble bust and the cat was out of the bag. We had all been had. A year later, the film was released in the theaters and was somewhat of a success. I think it had lost it's kick now that everything was exposed. The point of my story was that this is exactly a downfall to information being shared over the net. It will be up to the user to do better research to validate information that is posted. I think the whole "Blair Witch Project" scam was a brilliant marketing scheme and can not be replicated ever again. It was a lesson in the digital age as well as a reality check to all.