The problems of computer in South Korea.

"Introducing the 'N Generation"

First it was the "Hangul Generation," then it was the "X Generation," then it was the "386 Generation," and now it's the "N Generation." The Korean media certainly has a knack for thinking up interesting names to classify people according to age. The term "N Generation" (N sedae) is short for "Networked Generation" and refers to the current group of high school and university-age young people in Korea. Whereas the 386 Generation grew up amid the political struggles of the 1980s and the X Generation amid maturing democracy and material comfort, the N Generation is growing up in the networked world of the late 1990s.

Like the other generations defined by their time, the N Generation will change that face of Korea as it enters society. As it does, it will create tension with previous generations that have different attitudes toward technology, information, and communication. This tension is already being felt in the educational arena where students and teachers have difficulty communicating with one another.

To students of the N Generation, technology and networked communications are the norm. Computers, the Internet, mobile phones, pagers, these are the things that almost all students know how to use and misuse. The nexus of these technologies means that the N Generation finds electronically-mediated communication as natural as face-to-face communication. Making friends in a chat room is as easy as making friends with classmates. In many situations, the spontaneity and anonymity of electronically-mediated communication liberates the N Generation from the formalities that surround face-to-face communication in Korea.

Most members of older generations, however, are still most comfortable with face-to-face communication and the telephone. Even the X generation, which was born in the 1970s, did not have easy access to the Internet or mobile phones until it was entering its mid-20s. The N Generation had access to these things from its early teens. The gap is largest between the N generation and those over the age of 40 whose only access to electronically-mediated communication during most of their lives has been the telephone.

As an architectural space, "school" has changed remarkably little around the world in at least a last hundred years. Most schools consist of off-line classrooms with four walls and rows of desks. The rest of the building has supporting facilities, such as a library, a gymnasium, and offices. Schools with money, of course, have computer rooms, but many of these function as glorified typewriters. Schools without money can barely pay for building maintenance, let alone buying computers. In such an architectural space, the dominant method of information transmission is teacher talk, and there are few, if any, opportunities for information creation.

When the N Generation goes to school, it finds itself trapped in an off-line space that is deadly boring. Teacher talk is boring because it is not interactive and only reinforces the rigidities of face-to-face conversation that the N Generation wants to free itself from. The curriculum places a premium on absorbing information for tests and university entrance, rather than creating information through interaction. The N Generation, by contrast, is producing new information though multiple interaction using diverse communication technologies.

At the end of August, the "Chosun Ilbo" ran a series of four articles on the "collapse" of education in Korea. According to the articles, high rates of truancy and tardiness have become the norm in many schools. Of those students who attend, many sleep in the back, read comics, or talk to their friends. A common thread running through the quotations in the articles was that studying in institutes was more helpful and interesting than school.

These problems are not unique to Korea, though the gap may be larger in Korea than in places where electronically-mediated technologies are less popular and where social hierarchies are less pronounced. In Japan last week, the "Nihon Keizai Shimbun" (Oct. 14) reported on a study of teacher computer literacy in public schools conducted by the Ministry of Education. In total, 57.4 percent of the teachers surveyed could use a computer and only 26.7 percent were qualified to teach computer literacy. Even among high school teachers, only 67.6 percent said they could use a computer. These are astounding figures given the global spread of computers today and Japan's level of economic and technological development.

At a deeper level, the N Generation is part of the great shift from behaviorist to cognitive social structures that will mark the close of the 20th century. Behaviorist social structures reflect the view of the mind as an empty vessel and try to impose order on human behavior. This is what off-line classrooms dominated by teacher talk do. Cognitive social structures start from the premise that the mind is active and engaged with its environment. Knowledge is created by networks that process new information by linking it to existing knowledge. It is a powerful, but sometimes, haphazard process because individual minds make connections in different ways at different times.

The N Generation is the first generation that has had the chance to develop a distinctly cognitive learning style that is at odds with the behaviorist off-line classroom. Technology, democratization, and globalization have given this generation the tools to let the cognitive genie out of the bottle. The onus on older generations is to support -not repress - the most promising generation Korea has yet produced.

The writer is an associate professor at Kumamoto Gakuen University in Japan. His e-mail address is heung bob@hanmail.net. - Ed.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr /1999-10-20 00:00]

"Busting out modified hangeul in cyberspace"

By Choe Yong-shik Staff reporter

In light of Korea's advanced technology and the size of its Web-savvy population, there can hardly be any serious criticism against citing Korea as the center of the global Internet industry. However, the local craze surrounding the Internet is taking a toll on the integrity of the Korean language, critics argue.

The critics base their position on the view that the improper use of the Korean language on the Web has reached an "alarming" level and could ultimately undermine its roots unless swift and stern action is taken.

"Young Web surfers of today increasingly subscribe to their own 'Internet' language and even find it to be a standard Korean language," Kim Young-myoung, president of the Solidarity for Hangeul (Korean writing system) Culture, a Seoul-based civic group devoted to preserving hangeul.

In fact, it may be inevitable to use an abbreviated form of words and expressions in the online environment for any language used. But the case with the Korean language seems to be going a bit overboard, they point out.

Until recently, Koreans have opted to give an unusual twist to the standard Korean language to express closeness and a sense of communal unity in cyberspace which otherwise could be a linguistically sterile and bland scene.

For instance, one of their most common tactics is to replace certain vowels or consonants, or shorten standard expressions with a few characteristic syllables, as seen in "bangga" for "ban-gap-seup-ni-da" (nice to meet you), "chuka chuka" for "chuk-ha-hap-ni-da" (congratuations) and "gap" for "ga-ip" (signing in).

A new generation of in vogue online terminology, however, tends to completely ignore spelling principles, sometimes incorporates Japanese characters, or even relies on non-linguistic characters such as special codes and mathematical symbols. These new groups of special code-based expressions are called "space language."

The downside of using such communication habits in cyberspace has evidently materialized in the real world, undermining performance in school.

Some young students at elementary or middle schools display serious problems in dictating and writing. In cases, they write Korean words in accordance with phonetic principles, including fortis, much like in the German or Spanish languages.

"The Korean language respects the original value of each sound element before phonetic variations," said Kim Kap-soo, chief of the Korean language policy at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

"It would be no different from an American high school student writing English like German," he added, explaining the seriousness of the issue.

On the occasion of Hangeul Day tomorrow, the government and civic groups have joined to eradicate such practices among young Koreans. Prepared in this vein are a series of public campaigns, academic conferences, special features on TV, surveys and exhibitions.

With the hope of enhancing awareness of the significance of the correct use of the language, the government will run public advertisement on the windows of 1,450 cars of the Seoul subway system for the next two months.

In addition, some buses operating popular routes in downtown Seoul are carrying ads that display actual dictation errors made by middle school students.

'On a different side of the effort to promote the significance of the Korean writing system, civic activists are working toward reinstating as a national holiday Hangeul Day which was abolished by the government in 1990.(khjack@koreaherald.co.kr)

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/2002-10-07 19:33]

"Ignored parents"

Dear Annie: My son and his wife have become so absorbed in their own problems and priorities that they seem to have completely lost interest in anything or anyone else, including us. When they visit, they talk only about themselves and their two daughters. If we attempt to talk about things going on in our lives, our daughter-in-law will either talk right over us or quickly change the subject back to their daily issues.

Our son is a good provider, and our daughter-in-law is a good mother, housekeeper and cook. But in all the years they`ve been married, we`ve detected an increasing lack of interest in anything but themselves.

Should I express my feelings to my son and risk insulting or hurting him? Or should I let them continue in their blissful ignorance and not mention how we feel about their lack of concern for others, especially his parents? -- Concerned Mother Dear Mother: First, do an honest appraisal of your side of the conversation. Is it possible you talk a lot about your problems, your aches and pains, your financial difficulties, your health? Many children don`t want to hear these things, and your daughter-in-law`s chatter may be her way of heading you off at the pass.

Even so, these visits should include more give-and-take. It`s OK to tell your son that his one-sided conversation makes him seem rather self-absorbed. But if you are looking for a sympathetic ear, Sonny doesn`t appear to be a good candidate. We recommend developing your friendships, joining social organizations or talking to a counselor.

Dear Annie: As a parent with three teenagers, I am shocked at some of the TV reality shows, MTV videos, morning radio shows and Internet pop-ups. The filth and fantasy have teens in another world. I am totally helpless to prevent immorality, obscenity and vulgarity from occurring in my own home hundreds of times a day.

I have some ideas for reality TV, like "Sleepless in the USA," a show about teens having babies. Or "Teens Left Behind," the ones whose irresponsible behavior with alcohol, drugs and reckless driving has killed friends and family. Or perhaps "Sex in Our Cities" -- interviews with teens who are coping with STDs, HIV and AIDS, and those who have had abortions or given babies up for adoption.

I would recommend putting positive things on as well. How about "American Idols," which would recognize teens who have made a positive impact? Or, "Extreme Makeovers," about families that have successfully struggled to stay together without using alcohol, drugs or getting divorced? Our teens emulate actors, sports stars and musicians who seem to compete to be the most obnoxious, vulgar and self-centered. I shudder to think what parents of the next generation will have to put up with. -- America`s Most Frustrated Mom Dear Mom: We love your ideas, but you are NOT helpless. Most computers and TVs offer parental control buttons and off switches. Use them.

[http://www.koreaherald.co.kr /2006-08-23 10:02]

"4 in 10 Teens Web-Addicted"

By Yoo Dong-ho

Staff ReporterWith the proliferation of high-speed Internet services and personalcomputers in homes and schools, Internet addiction is emerging as serious cultural malaise, especially among teenagers.

A survey showed yesterday that about 40 percent of the nation’s middle and high school students are addicted to the Internet and have related health problems.

Also, it was belatedly revealed yesterday that a sixth grader had sexual contact with her male classmate in a school garage last month while six other students watched, apparently after logging on to pornographic Internet sites in class.The girl’s parents blamed the school for its loose management of computer use, while the school claimed it was the girl’s own will tomimic obscene sexual behaviors.

According to the survey conducted by Korea University’s College ofMedicine on 764 youths in the Seoul area, 41.4 percent show symptomsof addiction to the Internet, including 2.9 percent with severe symptoms.

Middle school students surf the Internet for an average of 3.1 hoursa day and high school students spend 2.8 hours online, the survey found. About 90 percent use the Internet at home.

``After school hours, I normally stay in my room and spend hours infront of the computer,’’ Nam Hee-hyun, a 17-year-old high school junior, said. ``Over the weekends, I stay up all night doing Internetchatting and playing online games. Online gambling and pornography are nothing new to most of us,’’ Nam said.

The survey also found that students who get low grades and stay online longer than others, mainly playing games and Web chatting, showedserious symptoms of addiction.A health and life-style appraisal, based on such factors as regularmeals, human relationships and personal hygiene, showed that the heavy Internet users are less healthy than other teenagers.

``Teenagers who get hooked on the Internet show anti-social behavior, obsession and even hallucination, so their Internet use should berestricted and they should be encouraged to participate in sports

[http://www.koreaherald.co.kr 2003-07-04 17:36]

"Computer obsession"

Dear Annie: I am 45 years old and the father of three children. I have been married to "Alicia" for 17 years.
Several years ago, we purchased our first computer, and Alicia began surfing the Net. Since then, she`s been staying up late, chatting and writing letters to both male and female Internet friends. I often go to bed alone. When she had minor cosmetic surgery that was botched, Alicia spent hours online chatting with people who had experienced similar problems. If I complain about her new hobby, Alicia says, "You`re not my father. Don`t tell me what to do."

I have a full-time job, and so does Alicia. When I come home from work, I am responsible for cooking, cleaning, laundry, yardwork, car repair and most of the grocery shopping because Alicia won`t lift a finger. She says she works hard all day and the rest is "her time." What about MY time?

When we married, I thought we would share all the household duties, but Alicia seems to think otherwise. I want her to go back to being a wife, mother and partner. Our children barely speak to her these days. How can I make her understand how damaging this is to our marriage? -- Fed Up in California

Dear Fed Up: Usually, complaints about unhelpful spouses are about husbands, not wives. Nonetheless, the advice is the same. Alicia needs to understand that her computer obsession is taking its toll on your marriage and her relationship with her children. Ask her to see a marriage counselor with you so you can both air your grievances.

Meanwhile, insist that the kids do more around the house, and if necessary, hire someone to do the rest. Since you and Alicia both work full time, you should be able to afford some household help. It will be worth it.

Dear Annie: I was interested in the letter from "Silent in Chicago," who didn`t know how to make conversation at a party. Many years ago, someone taught me to use the word "FORM" to remember what questions to ask in order to elicit responses that could open up a conversation. Here`s how it works:
F is for family. Ask people about their parents, children or siblings.
O is for occupation. Ask what they do, what they would like to do, what they are studying, and what they like best about their job.
R is for recreation. Ask what they like to do in their spare time. This leads to a conversation about hobbies, sports, books, traveling and music.
M is for motivation. Ask what motivates them in life. This is when the conversation gets more involved with religion and politics.
I tried FORM with my sister-in-law, and she said it was the best conversation she`d ever had. Please pass it along to your readers. -- Dentist in McPherson, Kan.

Dear Dentist: What a sensible, useful mnemonic device. Thanks so much for sending it along.

Dear Annie: I work in a store with a woman who is a touchy-feely, huggy type. "Maureen" has worked here for about a month. I have asked her twice (nicely) not to touch me, and the manager has spoken to her also, but she won`t stop. She always seems to be right behind me, following me around like a lost puppy dog. How do I get her out of my face? -- No Hugs in Michigan, Please

Dear Michigan: Be less nice. Tell Maureen, forcefully, that you do NOT want to be touched and you would appreciate it if she would stop. Let her know if you have to tell the manager again, she could be fired. She`ll pout a little, but too bad.

Annie`s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailbox@attbi.com, or write to: Annie`s Mailbox, P.O. Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611.To find out more about Annie`s Mailbox, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. or http://www.koreaherald.co.kr [2002-10-16 18:18]
posted by Judy