Symphony Question: Technology: Good, Bad or Indifferent?
After our successful Young People’s General Election, we’ve started asking weekly questions of students from our member schools around the UK.
We call these Symphony Questions, and it’s time for the results from Week 6!
To kick off the new half-term, we’re asking the same questions to both primaries and secondaries, involving about 1500 students from around the country.
Question: Overall, does technology help connect us or make us more lonely?
Result: It helps to connect us!
Involving students from around England, the winner in this week’s question is ‘it helps to connect us’ with 76% of the vote.
It’s an emphatic victory for the benefits of technological connection. Which, considering this is the generation most fluent with its use, maybe doesn’t come as a surprise? Either way, young people at large like being connected to each other.
One pupil from Harrow Gate Primary student summed it up perfectly:
“I think it connects us because you can talk to people who aren’t in the same place as you”
That being said, it’s not all good news for our soon-to-be robotic overlords. ‘Makes us feel alone’ comes in second with 16% of the vote showing a that there are young people who have concerns about how it changes our lives.
Curiously, ‘I’m not sure’ received only 7%. Across our series of questions and results, this is the lowest showing of uncertainty yet. Interesting. It would seem that nearly all young people - one way or the other - are pretty clear on their view on how technology changes our lives.
Again, another brilliant Harrow Gate pupil has recognises their concerns:
“I can’t decide. People can send nasty messages and make you feel alone”
Finally, what we find really fascinating about this week’s result is how primary and secondary schools complete agree with each other. That doesn’t happen very frequently, interesting that it’s the closest result so far.
Its a tough one today!
— HGPAMrsVernon (@HGPAMrsVernon) February 26, 2020
“I think it connects us because you can talk to people who aren’t in the same place as you.”
“I can’t decide. People can send nasty messages and make you feel alone.”@SSCCTY pic.twitter.com/sfivB8y8HH
Next week’s Symphony Question:
Which do you think is more important: talent or hard work?
Our New Year’s Resolution to our membership is to help them come up with relevant, engaging and thoughtful questions to help get all pupils having their say. Schools usually come up with their own meetings, but we’re giving them additional questions if they’d like them.
Following the successful trial of this form in our General Election Question Series, for 2020 we’ll be recommending a blend of action-led & topical questions to ask each week.
Want to get involved or suggest a question? Send us an email at membership@smartschoolcouncils.org.uk