DIGITAL MINIMALISM: WHAT DOES IT IMPLY FOR LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION?

Öz

Digital tools and social media deluge our personal, social and educational lives. Information and communication technologies are now an apparently useful component of education. However, it is necessary to exercise caution in technology use in language instruction, due to addictive use patterns, excessive social media use, excessive gaming, digital overload, along with lack of focus due to distractions from social media. Minimising digital clutter and mindful use could help language educators and students to make most out of technology in language instruction. Identifying some strategies for finding the best tools and focusing on them are also among valuable minimalist strategies. This paper presents an adapted version of Cal Newport’s concept of digital minimalism in language learning contexts, with a particular focus on factors that negatively affect psychological well-being and academic performance among university students. First, it provides and overview of digital minimalism in general terms. Secondly, it provides a summary of its principles that could be adapted to language education. Finally, it discusses what digital minimalism means for language instruction by highlighting its pedagogical implications.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Digital minimalism
• Language Education
• Digital Overload
• Social Media
• Mindfulness

DİJİTAL MİNİMALİZM: DİL EĞİTİMİ İÇİN NE İFADE EDİYOR?

Öz

Dijital araçlar ve sosyal medya kişisel, sosyal ve eğitim hayatımızı istila etmiş durumdadır. Bilgi ve iletişim teknolojileri günümüzde eğitimin faydalı bir bileşeni haline gelmiştir. Ancak bağımlılığa sebep olan kullanım biçimleri, aşırı sosyal medya kullanımı, aşırı oyun oynama, aşırı dijital yüklenme ve sosyal medyadan kaynaklanan dikkat dağınıklığı nedeniyle odaklanma eksikliği gibi nedenlerle dil eğitiminde teknoloji kullanımı konusunda dikkatli olmak gerekmektedir. Dijital karmaşayı en aza indirmek ve dikkatli teknoloji kullanımı dil eğitimcilerinin ve öğrencilerin dil eğitiminde teknolojiden en iyi şekilde yararlanmalarına yardımcı olabilir. En iyi araçları bulmak ve bunlara odaklanmak için bazı stratejiler belirlemek de kıymetli minimalist stratejiler arasında yer almaktadır. Bu çalışma Cal Newport'un dijital minimalizm kavramının dil öğrenme bağlamlarına uyarlanmış bir versiyonunu sunmakta ve özellikle üniversite öğrencileri arasında psikolojik iyi oluşu ve akademik performansı olumsuz etkileyen faktörlere odaklanmaktadır. Çalışma ilk olarak, dijital minimalizm kavramına genel bir bakış ortaya koymaktadır. İkinci olarak, dijital minimalizmin dil eğitimine uyarlanabilecek ilkelerinin bir özetini sunmaktadır. Son olarak, dijital minimalizmin pedagojik sonuçlarını vurgulayarak dijital minimalizmin dil eğitimi için ne anlama geldiğini tartışmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Dijital minimalizm
• Dil Eğitimi
• Dijital Aşırı Yüklenme
• Sosyal Medya
• Farkındalık

Kaynakça

1. Aktan, M. C. & Gökçearslan, E. (2022). Problematic technology use in university students: Example of a foundation university. International Journal of Technology in Education, 5 (3), 470–485. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.317
2. Alheneidi, H., Alterkait, M., & Smith, A. (2021). Exploring the influence of e-learning systems on information overload and social media addiction during the covid-19 pandemic. Sumerianz Journal of Social Science, 4 (2), 59-64. https://doi.org/10.47752/sjss.42.59.64
3. Ansary, K., & Rakshit, S. (2024). Internet usage on academic achievement among the undergraduate students. The Social Science Review: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2 (4), 114-120.
4. Aylsworth, T. & Castro, C. (2022). On the duty to be an attention ecologist. Philosophy & Technology, 35 (13). http://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-022-00514-6
5. Aylsworth, T. & Castro, C. (2024). Kantian ethics and the attention economy: Duty and distraction. The Authors. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-45638-1
6. Bakla, A. (2019). A study of digital nativeness and digital productivity: Data from EFL and ESL contexts. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 7 (1), 15-33. https://doi.org/10.17220/mojet.2019.01.002
7. Bharaty, S., & Das, S. (2023). Achieving digital minimalism in student life: A roadmap for balanced digital life and well-being. International Journal of Advanced Academic Studies, 5 (11), 38-41. https://doi.org/10.33545/27068919.2023.v5.i11a.1084
8. Brigger, T. (2020, March 18). Food for thought: Digital minimalism applied in education or change management. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/food-thought-digital-minimalism-applied-education-change-brigger

9. Bushell, C. (2024, April 3). Navigating digital minimalism: Leveraging smartphones as the sole device for everyday tasks. Retrieved from at https://ssrn.com/abstract=4816488
10. Coşkun, A., Büyükkeçeci, E. & Töre-Yargın, G. (2021). Exploring success criteria of instructional video design in online learning platforms. Game+Design Education, 393-407. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65060-5_31
11. Debbarma R. (2020). Predictors of problematic internet use among youth (Unpublished PhD Dissertation). Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India.
12. Erfani, S. S., & Abedin, B. (2018). Impacts of the use of social network sites on users' psychological well‐being: A systematic review. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 69 (7), 900-912. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24015
13. Golonka, E. M., Bowles, A. R., Frank, V. M., Richardson, D. L. & Freynik, S. (2014). Technologies for foreign language learning: A review of technology types and their effectiveness. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 27 (1), 70-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2012.700315
14. Gu, J., Chen, W., Luo, D. & Zeng, S. (2023). A multi-criteria comprehensive evaluation framework of online learning platform based on Pythagorean probabilistic linguistic information. Granular Computing, 8, 1701-1714 https://doi.org/10.1007/s41066-023-00392-z
15. Gupta, P. (2023, April 3). Digital minimalism: Navigating through overwhelming use of technology. Retrieved from https://www.edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/digital-minimalism-navigating-through-overwhelming-use-of-technology/
16. Islam, M. S., Sujan, M. S. H., Tasnim, R., Ferdous, M. Z., Masud, J. H. B., Kundu, S. ... & Griffiths, M. D. (2020). Problematic internet use among young and adult population in Bangladesh: Correlates with lifestyle and online activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 12, 100311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2020.100311
17. James, T. L., Zhang, J., Li, H., Ziegelmayer, J. L., & Villacis-Calderon, E. D. (2022). The moderating effect of technology overload on the ability of online learning to meet students' basic psychological needs. Information Technology & People, 35 (4), 1364-1382. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-03-2021-0225
18. Krashen, S. D. (1985). The input hypothesis: Issues and implications. Longman
19. Montag, C., Demetrovics, Z., Elhai, J. D., Grant, D., Koning, I., Rumpf, H. J., ... & van den Eijnden, R. (2024). Problematic social media use in childhood and adolescence. Addictive Behaviors, 153 (107980). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.107980
20. Newell, S. (2019). The minimalist and decluttering lifestyle. The Author.
21. Newport, C. (2019). Digital minimalism: On living better with less technology. The Author.
22. Ning, W., & Inan, F. A. (2023). Impact of social media addiction on college students’ academic performance: an interdisciplinary perspective. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 56 (5), 616-63. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2023.2196456
23. Ng, W. (2012). Can we teach digital natives digital literacy? Computers & Education, 59 (3), 1065-1078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.04.016
24. Oyinbo, A. G., Heavner, K., Mangano, K. M., Morse, B., El Ghaziri, M., & Thind, H. (2024). Prolonged social media use and its association with perceived stress in female college students. American Journal of Health Education, 55 (3), 189-198. https://doi.org/10.1080/19325037.2023.2295550
25. Zsila, Á., & Reyes, M. E. S. (2023). Pros & cons: impacts of social media on mental health. BMC psychology, 11 (1), 201. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01243-x
26. Rosell-Aguilar, F. (2017). State of the app: A taxonomy and framework for evaluating language learning mobile applications. CALICO Journal, 34 (2), 243–258. https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.27623
27. Sandua, D. (2024). Digital minimalism: How to disconnect for a better life. The Author.
28. Sarnou, D. (2021). Exploring the necessity for students to exercise digital minimalism while studying online: Case of 35 master students at the Department of English of Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University, Algeria. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 12 (3), 370-376. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1203.06
29. Selwyn, N. (2009). The digital native: Myth and reality. Aslib Proceedings: New Information Perspectives, 61 (4), 364-379. https://doi.org/10.1108/00012530910973776
30. Skivko, M., Korneeva, E., & Kolmykova, M. (2020). Digital minimalism as a leading limitation of media communications in the heyday of digital culture. In 6th International Conference on Social, economic, and academic leadership (ICSEAL-6-2019) (pp. 61-67). Atlantis Press.
31. Sule, T. (2024). The teaching of English language education using technology in the 21st century. Journal of Science, Technology and Mathematics Pedagogy, 2 (1), 74-86.
32. Taghaddomi, M., & Mazandarani, A. (2024). Establishing criteria for an optimal online learning environment for Iranian university students: A qualitative research synthesis. Journal of Information Technology Management, 16 (2), 161-180.
33. Tomczyk, S. & Hoferichter, F. (2022). Associations between social media use, psychological stress, well-being, and alpha-amylase levels in adolescents. Journal of Stress, Trauma, Anxiety, and Resilience, 1 (2), 26-37.
34. Tu, Y., Zou, D. & Zhang, R. (2020). A comprehensive framework for designing and evaluating vocabulary learning apps from multiple perspectives. International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, 14 (3), 370-397. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMLO.2020.108199
35. van Bennekom, M. J., Blom, R. M., Vulink, N., & Denys, D. (2015). A case of digital hoarding. BMJ Case Reports, 1-4. http://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2015-210814
36. Winstone, L. Mars, B., Haworth, C. M., & Kidger, J. (2023). Types of social media use and digital stress in early adolescence. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 43 (3), 294-319. https://doi.org/10.1177/02724316221105560
37. Zhang, R. & Zou, D. (2022). Types, purposes, and effectiveness of state-of-the-art technologies for second and foreign language learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35 (4), 696-742. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1744666
38. Zhao, L. (2023). Social media addiction and its impact on college students' academic performance: The mediating role of stress. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 32 (1), 81-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-021-00635-0