Professor Stoner & Study Abroad

     Of the two lectures from Monday, I found them both to be interesting in different ways, but learning about Professor Adrian Stoner’s research proved to be the most thought provoking to me.  Her research focuses on the experience of Study Abroad and Culture Shock, and whether or not the increased availability of media technology to keep in touch with those back home lessens culture shock.  Her highest concern was that by being able to communicate so much with those back home, or just get on Facebook whenever with the increased availability of internet, causes a student or person to become less immersed in the culture of a new country.  This is something that I have thought of myself before and wondered how I could survive without talking to my friends and family back home. 

     I recently had a friend’s family visit Mexico for two weeks and the mom said that they were “unplugged” for the entire time.  She said it was a “nice break” from her kids constantly being on their phones, and that they kept busy with activities and interacting with people.  Though this is a short amount of time, I can personally see the benefits of getting away from constantly using media technology.  The difference between my friend’s family and Professor Stoner’s plans for experiment is that an individual is not surrounded by those she knows; therefore the shock of not speaking to them is much greater.

     This has caused me to critically think about whether this makes me less scared to go to a foreign country for more than 3 months at a time if I was able to use my cell phone or internet, and I believe the answer is yes.  Personally, I believe that by talking to family and friends more they will constantly be on your mind.  This will keep individuals from getting too overwhelmed; a time when Professor Stoner says is when you learn the most.  I also want to take another side into account: would speaking to friends and family, and keeping them on your mind, lead to more increase feelings of homesickness, or would the opposite occur?

     One correlation that I made from Professor Stoner’s lecture and COMM101 has to do with Perception. I wonder also if being in contact with those back home will increase the time it takes to overcome stereotypes and change individuals’ schemas of a foreign country.  Cognitive Dissonance is the discomfort at a discrepancy between what you already know (that will be enforced by those back home) and new information or interpretation.  Because it is necessary so that we become “open-minded,” I can’t help but question if Study Abroad will have less of this effect if students are keeping in constant contact with the comfortableness of home.