Skype Reflection

Earlier this week, I had a conversation with a good friend of mine using Skype. Skype was a new adventure for me but one that turned out to be quite enjoyable. Once I became used to not having a phone to my head and making necessary adjustments to my own personal volume (I found myself yelling at the computer), it really is quite handy. I was able to multitask throughout our conversation, working on emails, taking notes from our conversation and filling out field trip forms.

Scott, my Skype partner for this assignment, is a Ph.D. student at UNC Chapel Hill working toward a degree in Culture, Curriculum, and Change. He and I taught together at Blowing Rock School when I was a third grade teacher and he taught sixth grade. He has always been an incredible thinker and a person I have come to really admire over the years. He had read Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat and we spent some time discussing some key points.

It was obvious to Scott that Friedman had me “hook, line and sinker” with the idea that globalization is a good thing. Scott posed a few questions that made me rethink what I had read. As we began our discussion I noted some key points within the “While I was Sleeping” chapter about the notion of India being the “grunt work” for outsourcing in America. While I thought this point was well made by Friedman, Scott was quick to say, “Let’s not automatically assume this is a good thing.” Scott pointed out that Friedman “thinks like a businessman.” We also discussed a handful of points that I hope inspires you to think: “How would Friedman’s book have been different if, instead of conversations with CEO’s of multi-national corporations and political leaders, conversations revolved around those doing the ‘grunt’ work? What are the hidden costs of globalization not presented in the book? Who benefits the most in a changing economy? What are the long-term consequences?”

As our conversation carried on, Scott also informed me that Friedman has just recently, within the last week, released another book, Hot, Flat, and Overcrowded. It appears that, by the title alone, this is perhaps the great tragedy as a result of the “Flat World.” Although I have yet to read this book, I would dare to venture that it points out what may be the results of the “flat world” with new environmental problems including global climate change, pollution and overcrowding.

In addition, we also spoke of the effects of the “Flat World” we find ourselves in now and the impacts on education. We now require the instant gratification that comes with being able to communicate faster but does that also mean that we lose the “art” of letter writing or the response we would receive with a compassionate voice on the other side? Is it more important for America to maintain the past superiority that once was or is it time to give that up to other countries and how do we do that gracefully?

We both had an appreciation for Friedman’s words and agreed that he is a clear thinker and writer. It is obvious that he buys into capitalism and the free market where there are winners and losers. As we closed our conversation, Scott asked me how I liked using Skype and my response was, “Well it’s free. No use of minutes or long distance charges.” His response: “There you go. Capitalism, free is better?”