New College Calendar System Helps Students Stay Connected and Keeps Them Apart

DormNoise application
According to ReadWriteWeb.com, DormNoise, a system that allows colleges and campus groups to upload dates of official events to a online calender, has secured additional funding, which will aid in the company’s marketing efforts.
While the system’s creator, Jay Rodrigues, points to the system’s ability to keep users in the loop about campus events, I wonder if this is another instance in which technology allows us to sit in our rooms, not interacting with one another because all the information we need is available online?
One of the most disconcerting things about starting college is the feeling you’ll get that you’re lost in a sea of people, none of whom you know. Thankfully, the nature of college makes it almost impossible for that to continue long. Between classes, meals, and just general interaction, you’ll meet hundreds of people on campus. That’s one the best parts of going to college.
As an adjunct professor, I can already see technology changing the way college is experienced. Lecture notes and assignments are often posted online, making it unnecessary to go to class.
As a student, I once took a class where students were required to facilitate a discussion by posting responses to a question posed by the instructor to a website. It was one of the least informative “discussions” I’ve ever been a part of. Seventeen responses posted over a four-day period does not great discourse make.
So why take steps to eliminate more face-to-face interaction, even on a small level such as this?
Going up to that cute girl or guy in sociology class and asking, “Hey, do you know of anything fun going on this weekend?” is certainly going to do more for your social life than clicking a calendar.
Yes, it is convenient to know about all the happenings on campus and to be able to find that information in one place. But at what cost comes convenience?
Story via ReadWriteWeb.com.
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