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Black Children And Technology In The 21st Century

Black Children And Technology In The 21st Century Black Children And Technology Part 2 Recently a friend and I had a discussion regarding what initially appeared to be a very straightforward subject which led to something that has not been explored enough recently, Black children and technology in the 21st century. Smart Phones and Social Media And How They Impact Black Children And Technology In The 21st Century The background story. A friend of mine recently witnessed a fight between two elderly men. While he and another tried to stop the fight, others just watched, made jokes, encouraged the two men to continue fighting and some stood by and filmed the fight with their smartphones with the intention to later post the top-selling, blockbuster movie of the year (joke) onto social media. My friend commented that filming a fight in the street and posting it onto social media could not have happened 10 years ago. I thought and said "YES IT COULD". He disagreed and said "Maybe, you could have, but everyday people could not have". The implication there was that because I've been into technology and communications for a long time, only people that were into that 10 years ago were the only people who could have done that. The discussion went on for some time and I decided to find some evidence and proof that supported my views that everyday people had the ability and equipment and the global infrastructure was in place for a video to be filmed from a smartphone and be posted onto social media back in 2008. If you would like more information on technology courses for your children or yourself THAT CAN TURN INTO A HIGHLY PAID CAREER have a look at: Cyber Security, Ethical Hacking And Penetration Testing Computer Programming For Children Robotics For Children This article was born from that discussion as I thought of how many people simply abuse or waste the technology that is already in our hands and I also realised that we as a race are still overlooking the potentially highly successful future that stands ahead of us if we choose to nurture our children towards building, creating with and overstanding, the new technologies that are available today. I've added some interesting facts that show why it's parent article Black Children And Technology and this update "Black Children and Technology In The 21st Century" are subjects that we have to look at VERY SERIOUSLY......... By the year 2000 AD smartphones were already available and Social Media in it's modern guise had been around since the early 1990's. Not everyone realises that the modern meaning of "Social Media" actually includes any form of digitally based communication that is easily accessible and can be interacted with, by a large number of people, who can share various forms of media including text, pictures, video and voice. Today this includes email, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Telegram, WhatsApp, etc. Older popular platforms included MySpace, MSN / Windows Messenger, ICQ, AOL Messenger, etc. Because of the cost of smartphones in the early part of the 2000's, not many people could afford them. So most of the users were business executives or other people within organisations who generally were in need of such advanced technology so the devices were often paid for by their companies. But by the mid 2000's they had become affordable to a large number of people around the world. Some of the manufacturers included HTC, Palm, HP, RIM / Blackberry, Dell, Nokia and Ericsson. This picture is of the 2008 - “G1 with Google”, which featured many Google applications, including Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube and GTal

k. It was also integrated with the Amazon MP3 store, allowing users to easily buy digital music, and featured the Android store where users can browse and buy new applications. Source: Macworld.com Now if we consider the fact that when these phones were being released some of the youngsters today were babies or not even born. However they are the ones who have mastered the technology and many of us, whether we are new to technology or are veterans, are being taught by them. Here at EbonyDirectory.com we often ask the youths in our communities how they use technology and what they would like to see technology be able to do in the future. Their answers are often very educational. Social Media has been a vital tool to many of us, as have our smartphones. The young people of today have not been immune from this, in fact they are the ones who have embraced these technologies more than adults and the young spend ALOT of time using their smartphones. Many people think this is to the detriment of their health and education among other things. However, we cannot ignore the fact that they are MASTERS of this new technology and their mastery has come about through hours, days, weeks, months, years of hands-on, often self-taught, practice and study. We really ought to give them much credit for what they have learned and are continuing to learn. As we are fully aware, the combination of smart phones and social media can create a dangerous environment, so we must protect our youth at all times. But are we also putting that same amount of energy into encouraging them to hone their skills with their iPhones and Androids as much as we encourage them to do maths, languages, geography, history and the sciences?

Source: Statista We ought to be. These devices will be a HUGE part of their future. Have a look at the graph to see how mobile devices are overtaking desktops and laptops for Internet usage. If you would like more information on technology related courses for your children or even yourself THAT CAN TURN INTO A HIGHLY PAID CAREER have a look at: Cyber Security, Ethical Hacking And Penetration Testing Computer Programming For Children Robotics For Children Black Children and Information Technology News Articles In our previous article on Black Children and technology we provided several stories that had appeared in some past information technology news articles. Black children featuring in information technology news articles is becoming more and more commonplace everyday. Now that there is even more information available on the internet on how well black children are advancing with the new technology in the computer world, this proves that we must support them and encourage them at every opportunity. Have a look at these examples: Karabo Matlali has been learning how to code since she was six years old.

The Grade 5 pupil at Maria Montessori House in Four-ways, northern Johannesburg is now 10, and her love for coding has not only enhanced her skills in mathematics but has also helped her to build and develop a moving robot. Source: https://face2faceafrica.com There is also 15-year-old Amadou Diallo who immigrated from Guinea in West Africa two years ago and won a scholarship to attend New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering because he created a video game and excelled in his computing classes.

Source: https://www.bxtimes.com Although not a child, this young man, Brian Gitta from Uganda has invented a non-invasive malaria testing device named Matibabu. Source: http://matibabu.thinkitlimited.com If our children and young people are our future and if the future is undoubtedly digital, who best to forward our race than those who were born into this technologically advanced world and have gotten to grips with it as if they were born with the computer languages already pre-programmed into them? As Whitney Houston sang 'Don't you know the children are the future, teach them right and let them lead the way......' Please watch this short video from BlackGirlsCode.com with Kimberly Bryant who was invited by Oprah Winfrey to receive a standing ovation for her commitment, hard work and outstanding efforts to assist young black girls and boys to learn to master technology. She is a great example to us all as she shows us what TRUE encouragement is. Could The Fictional Country Of Wakanda In The Movie "Black Panther" Be A Representation Of What We Can Expect As A Result Of Nurturing Black Children And Technology In The 21st Century? Many people have seen this movie and have passed their own judgements on it, good or bad. Without getting into the politics of the film, one thing that cannot be denied is that at least one person, somewhere on this planet can see a glimpse of how the black race could be living in harmony with our environment and with technology if we collectively and responsibly, harness the power and opportunities that technology has made available. If you haven't seen the movie and if you are interested in black children and technology in the 21st century, the movie Black Panther is a must. Regardless of anyone's opinion of the movie the fact remains that as a race we can, with the help of the children, become world leaders in this rapidly evolving world that has many of it's advancements rooted in technology. Think of what Steve Jobs achieved as 1 man with a vision. I've used him as an example as he is someone whom most of us are familiar with. And if we are not, then we almost certainly all are familiar with his iProducts. He was able to have a vision of how technology could be used and how it could be advanced without the worlds permission. We need to adopt that same mentality and give our children a chance to realise their hopes, dreams, aspirations and goals WITH our support and guidance. Imagine how different this world could be if we owned and led companies like Apple. Imagine what an impact we could have on this world and planet if collectively we could build companies that impact peoples lives and thinking the way Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google do. If you would like more information on courses for your children or even yourself THAT CAN TURN INTO A HIGHLY PAID CAREER have a look at: Cyber Security, Ethical Hacking And Penetration Testing Computer Programming For Children Robotics For Children Read the full article

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Black Women In Science And Technology

Can black women in science and technology help create a better world? What do you really know about black women in science and technology? Although we have always been taught how most scientific and technological advancements have been made by other than the black race, that is not true. We often hear how males have created a lot of these advancements too. But what about the involvement of black women in science and technology? Have black women contributed anything is these areas? Let's explore this.

Sarah Boone. Inventor Have you ever heard of Sarah Boone ? In 1891 she invented an improvement for the ironing board which made the ironing of ladies garments easier.   You have probably heard of CCTV (Closed Circuit TeleVision). If you haven't it is a viewing and or recording system that uses cameras to watch specific areas without the need for a human being to be physically present in that area.

Marie Van Britten-Brown Inventor Of CCTV You probably didn't know that the original CCTV was created by a black woman! Marie Van Brittan Brown. That's correct! All those cameras that are all over the world providing security, and ensuring peoples' safety was invented by a fairly unknown black woman. This is why it is important for us to share this type of information. It is up to us to be aware of and celebrate who we are and our achievements. The global contributions of black women in science and technology is a huge vault of knowledge and encouragement that everyone should research and look into. Following are a few more examples of these wonderful people.........

Marie M. Daly Ph.D Chemist And Scientist Marie M. Daly was the first black woman in the United States to receive a Ph.D in Chemistry in 1947. Among her many achievements, her passion for science contributed hugely towards the studies and understanding of hypertension and the relationship between cholesterol and clogged arteries.   Another great black woman involved in science and technology is Mae Jemison,the first black female astronaut to travel in space in 1992 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. She graduated in 1977 receiving a B.Sc (Bachelor of Science degree) in chemical engineering.

Mae Jemison M.D. This brave woman defied the odds and successfully completed the astronaut training program at NASA. These are a few of the large number of black women in science and technology, our unsung heroines who have all contributed to the advancements of the black race. Many of the young black girls and boys would do well to research these real life stories to see how capable these people were and are. Too often nowadays young black people and black people in general are encouraged by the media to get involved with the music industry, sports and acting while forgetting that we can and do excel in any area we choose to be involved in. These wonderful women are an example to all of us as they show and prove that we can be world leaders in any field we choose. Further lists of black female inventors and leaders in the science and technology fields can be found HERE, HERE and HERE. Please comment on and share this article so we can all learn and become aware of the efforts and achievements of black women in science and technology. #ebonydirectory Read the full article

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Black Children And Technology

Are Black Children And Technology A Suitable Match ? Does the topic of black children and technology even need to be discussed? In today's society there is an inescapable and silent partner. Technology.

Black Children And Technology Everywhere we go - it's there. An unseen and silent force that we cannot avoid or escape. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep. In some ways it is a great ally and in other ways an unforgiving foe. Even when we don't realise it, technology is around us everywhere everyday. Even in the furthest parts of the world, technology is present and often giving us insights into parts of the world we did not even know existed. A few examples of technology most of us don't know about or did not know had already been invented: Cars that use water as fuel Thought controlled prosthetics (artificial limbs) Cars that drive themselves Surgical operations performed with the surgeon hundreds of miles away from the patient With all of these advancements being made in those few examples, think of all of the other areas where technological advancements are being made: Food Industry Farming and agriculture Housing and construction Space exploration Energy And there are many more. How will the black race participate in these advancements ? Will we be leaders, co-leaders or followers - or not included ? These are decisions that we make every day - accept it or not. If we begin or continue to acknowledge that black children and technology will help us achieve some of our aims and goals as a race then we will be better poised to face whatever the future brings us. Historically we have been at the forefront of achievements; before and during what in Europe was classed as the 'dark ages' or 'medieval' times we flourished in terms of the technology we had. Even up to now we are still making great leaps forward not just as individuals but as a race. There are reports available that indicate that technology is creating a generation of children who will not be able to interact socially with society because they are always on their smartphones, tablets computers or other computerised devices. Also there are people who think that children will have reduced speech capabilities, spelling capabilities or even writing and mathematical problem solving abilities. And it is true that if a device can do all of those things for you then you don't have to learn to do them yourself as you can rely on a device to do it for you. To an extent there are negative aspects of technology that do need to be addressed. There are also the positive aspects that do need to be thought of too. Black children and technology is a topic that we need to explore and encourage with an open and reasoning mind set. Yes there are problems that can arise through technology. There are also an infinite number of positive possibilities that become available too. For many years the Internet has to an extent 'leveled the playing field' in terms of how business is conducted on a global level. An idea can now be shared, reviewed, invested in or even sold in a matter of minutes. There are already many people who have personal experiences that black children and technology can make a positive impact in our world. For example Osine and Anesi, two young black teenagers who used their skills to build an Internet browser 'Crocodile Browser Lite' to match that of Googles' Chrome, Mozilla's Fire Fox and Microsoft's Internet Explorer !

Kimberly Bryant is the founder of Black Girls Code, a nonprofit that teaches coding to girls from underrepresented communities. Image: Black Girls Code And Kimberley Bryant Founder of BlackGirlsCode.com an organisation that teaches girls how to become a computer programmer, a potentially VERY well paid skill. It is a fact some computer programmers earn over £300 / US$434 per day for their work. This earning potential can also be said for various roles that exist within the IT industry. Black children and technology is new ground that we should embrace without hesitation, however with a rational mindset that protects while encourages discovery, determination and success. #ebonydirectory Read the full article