Silicon Valley, 1990s: Free and open access to all the world’s knowledge will usher a new utopian age of information!

Silicon Valley, 2025:

I’m using the first edition in a class right now!

Of course this mutual influence cycle is sped up and probably more overtly influential from the 'bottom up' now.

I mean, this is why the field of media studies has always considered this stuff mutually influential. People are influenced by media but we (through the political, cultural, and social contexts we help shape, through direct responses and levels of engagement, etc.) influence media in return.

(I'm in the middle of grading 65 papers, and clearly I'm CRANKY)

I guess I'm saying that actually being able teach skills like critical thinking or problem solving feels like a pipe dream in this educational context.

I made attendance alone 20% of their final grades AND THEY STILL DON'T SHOW UP.

They outsource all of their thinking to ChatGPT despite my pleas and assignment guardrails. I usually grade the work as if it's their work anyway AND THEY DON'T CARE THEY'RE GETTING BARELY PASSABLE GRADES.