Virtualization and Neoliberal Restructuring of Education

Abstract

As I have worked to unravel the contrast between real life (RL) and virtual life (VL) in the midst of the information revolution, I have demonstrated that the line between the two is becoming less distinguishable. Also, I have identified how the current burgeoning of inventions, both in hardware and in software, are pushing technology’s integration with the human body to the point where they will be intertwined. Whether or not one thinks it is valid to call this a merger, a fusion, or the like, the reality is that we are witnessing an expansion of human abilities through technology. Thus, I see a need to prepare the citizenry, and more specifically the younger generations, for this upcoming state of being. In the midst of these unstable realities, students need to be psychologically grounded to help them effectively function in this changing world. As Sherry Turkle so aptly noted, “we are ill prepared for the new psychological world we are creating” (Coutu, 2003, p. 3). Guidance should come from a curricular and pedagogical path that provides the tools to appreciate, respond to, question, and anticipate the present as well as the next evolution of technological advancements.