Hegemony theory, what is it? Hegemony theory is looking at the results of an item through its active consumption of it. I'll be defining and researching the different elements of bubble tea (as the consumption) that has made bubble tea popular in the western culture (as the results). I’ll further be defining popularity as something that is well-known and well-liked by people in a certain culture, which in this case is the western culture. Bubble tea is popular in our culture from elements such as the history behind it, to the kawaii look and concept, to the title of ‘bubble tea’, and lastly to the effects that the social media presence has had on it. With this, the hegemony theory of bubble tea has made it very popular or dare I say mainstream in western culture.

Before we talk about the history of bubble tea, we should first explain what bubble tea is. Bubble tea is “<quote>… a concoction of tea, colourful powdered flavourings and, of course, … the chewy tapioca balls that are slurped up through an oversized straw. The drink [further,] is usually served cold</quote>” as per Nan Xie’s description of bubble tea (<cite>Xie, Nan</cite>). In other words, bubble tea is a tea with flavours and tapioca balls or pearls (more commonly known as tapioca pearls or simply pearls), which makes the drink colourful. Furthermore, bubble tea:

>… [B]rings [you] a glass of sweet, milky iced tea with a number of those scary-looking black tapioca balls sunk in its depths. As you suck the balls up into your mouth, you chew them. They may be flavorless or lightly sweetened, and they're as addictive as their textural soul sisters: Gummi Bears.  - (_Kessler, John_)

Bubble tea can also be made in a variety of different flavours such as almond, coconut, green tea, honeydew, mocha, taro, Thai tea, passion fruit, strawberry, peach, watermelon or mango, and several other flavours that bubble tea could be made with (Weingarten, Abby). You can substitute the base tea with black or green tea, as well as substitute the pearls with different flavors such as coconut or mango flavoured jelly (which looks like a little Jell-O square). The drink is typically served in a clear cup with a plastic sealed lid. A thick straw with a sharp, pointed end is used to drink the tea. The straw is used to puncture the lid, suck the pearls up, and to drink the bubble tea.

![Straw Bubble Tea](https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644805982/donaldlouch/qy7j2zlbb7bgj7wtbher.png)

Surprisingly, some would be shocked to learn that the tapioca pearls aren’t the “bubble” in bubble tea. As Eat This and Not That states, the “bubble” in “bubble tea” refers to the bubbles at the top of the drink and not the pearls (Tarantino, Olivia). Now that we know what bubble tea is let’s talk about the history of bubble tea.

As the history of bubble tea goes, bubble tea was first invented in the early 1980s (King, Paul) by the Taiwanese Teahouse employee Liu Han-Chieh. The idea of bubble tea aroused for Han-Chieh after her visit to Japan after she saw coffee being served cold as she told Derrick Chang. Han-Chieh further went on and told Chang that, bubble tea came about when she:

>[W]as sitting in a staff meeting and had brought with her a typical Taiwanese desert called fen yuan, a sweetened tapioca pudding. Just for fun she poured the tapioca balls into her Assam iced tea and drank it.

>[From that point on,] … everyone at the meeting loved the drink and it quickly outsold all of [their] other iced teas. - (_Chang, Derrick_)

Bubble tea originated in Taiwan and has since then expanded worldwide and is known in communities around the world. With bubble tea the classic recipe for bubble tea, is as follows: Bubble tea originated in Taiwan and has since then expanded worldwide and is known in communities around the world. With bubble tea the classic recipe for bubble tea, is as follows:

> 1/2 cup (125 mL) chilled, cooked large Chinese tapioca pearls. If substituting small tapioca, use 1/3 cup (75 mL) 1 cup (250 mL) crushed ice 1 cup (250 mL) very strong chilled black tea (or orange pekoe tea or Lychee tea) 1 cup (250 mL) milk, or to taste honey or sugar to taste. - (_Klaffke, Pamela_)

It’s amazing how delicious a simple recipe like this can be! There is a multitude of different names that bubble tea goes by such as ‘bubble tea slush’, ‘pearl milk tea’, ‘boba milk tea’, ‘boba juice’ or simply ‘boba’ (“Bubble Tea”). With the history of bubble tea, we need to think of the kawaii concept that comes with it.

![Bubble Tea](https://res.cloudinary.com/donaldlouch/image/upload/v1644805977/donaldlouch/vq2shsezpjj00gv6wuxx.png)

One may say that bubble tea has a kawaii theme attached to it. You may be asking yourself “what is kawaii?” Kawaii is known as a cute, bubbly, and colourful theme which applies to people, objects, or in this case food and beverages. From the pearls, to the vibrant look, to the sweet taste, and to the positive feelings that you get when drinking the tea, a kawaii theme is established. It’s been thought that the pearls can have a colourful and cute look to them. As odd as that may sound, these “cute” attributes added together create a very pleasant experience. Furthermore, the pearls as stated by Kessler in the above paragraphs have a Gummi Bear like texture to them, which can bring forth nostalgic feelings and allow one to reminisce. It’s also been said that the colouring of the powdered flavouring makes the drink pop in a bright and colourful fashion, as stated by Nan Xie (Xie, Nan). The drink itself is very sweet from all the powders added to it and contains a large amount of sugar. Because of its kawaii nature, bubble tea can make one feel warm and bubbly inside. The name of bubble tea could further be considered to add to the kawaii standard.

The title of “bubble tea” is another reason why it’s so popular. The title is fun, unique, and descriptive. “Bubble tea” can be a fun thing to hear as well as to say. The name of “bubble tea” is extremely unique and no one other known beverage has gone by a name remotely like it. The name is descriptive, succinct and to the point. As stated earlier, bubble tea has a foamy bubble like topping and tapioca pearls in the shape of bubbles. You can look at a picture of bubble tea and immediately identify it due to its characteristic appearance. With a name like bubble tea people can take to social media platforms and post their thoughts and pictures of it.

Social media additionally plays a role in bubble tea’s popularity. As you’ll see in the following table, there’s a lot of people actively posting about bubble tea on different social media platforms. This allows people to post their opinions on the taste and look of bubble tea and can further post pictures about the look the beverage.

#### Table 1

_Here are the results that I have found when doing a general search for “#BubbleTea”. The following results were captured on: November 26th, 2016 1:50PM (PST)._

<Table tableHeader=" | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Google Search" tableData="Results | 725, 838 posts | 286 Tweets* | 82, 396 People Talking About It | 7,540,000 Results" />

There’s a huge number of people posting about bubble tea. Be it on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or websites that are being indexed on Google. In saying this, it may entice others to get out and buy a bubble tea for themselves due to its appetizing allure.

In conclusion, bubble tea is a beverage that goes by several different names such as pearl milk, boba milk, or simply boba, it consists of tea, powdered flavours and the iconic tapioca pearls. Bubble tea was invented in a Taiwanese Teahouse in the 1980s when Liu Han-Chieh, added tapioca pearls from her pudding into her tea in a staff meeting. The tea comes in a plastic cup in which allows you to see the colourful tea and the pearls. The popularity of bubble tea is seen worldwide and it comes from its history, the kawaii feelings, the name, and the effect social media has on it. With this information, we can use the hegemony theory to state that bubble tea has become popular from a variety of different factors.

_Written by: Donald Louch | Edited by: Mark Dimozantos_

<Toggle id="references" toggleAlt="References">

"Bubble Tea". Wikipedia, 2016, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_tea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_tea). 

Chang, Derrick. "Is This The Inventor Of Bubble Tea?". CNN, 2011, [http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/drink/inventor-bubble-tea-885732](http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/drink/inventor-bubble-tea- 885732).

Kessler, John. "Sip, Chew On This: Bubble Tea". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2001, Lexisnexis Academic, Web. Date Accessed: 2016/11/16.

King, Paul. "Will Bubble Tea Burst Out Across Country Or Go Bust?". Nation's Restaurant News, vol 38, no. 22, 2014, p. 24. Business Source Complete, Web. Date Accessed: 2016/11/19.

Klaffke, Pamela. "Bubble Tea Appeal Still A Mystery: [Final Edition]". Calgary Herald, 2001, Canadian Newsstream, Web. Date Accessed: 2016/11/18.

Tarantino, Olivia. "Bubble Tea: 25 Things You Didn't Know | Eat This Not That". Eat This, Not That!, 2016, http://www.eatthis.com/bubble-tea.

Weingarten, Abby. "Bubble Tea: Light Delight". Correspondent, 2016, Lexisnexis Academic, Web. Date Accessed: 2016/11/21.

Xie, Nan. "Bubble Tea Bursting Out:: [Final Edition]". The Gazette, 2003, Proquest, Web. Date Accessed: 2016/11/16.

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I’ll be studying the hegemony theory behind the popularity of bubble tea in the western culture.

Hegemony Theory: Bubble Teas Popularity in The Western Culture

There are over a thousand variations in language, which can have a potential of using different signal systems, sign language or even different spoken languages. In communication, rules also play a big part in how we structure words. The rules include, phonological rules, syntactic rules and semantic rules. Within communication, language can be confusing to learn and with discourse, communication gurus are hoping to close the gap of confusion in language.

Within human cultures, we speak about 10,000 different languages variations (Adler, Rodman & Sévigny, 2011), which can be confusing. However, with all of these different language variations we use the signal system to communicate different things to help with the confusion. Within the signal system we have signs and symbols:


> Signs are signals that are casually related to the message [which is being] (conveyed). We say that a smile is a sign that someone is happy because we know that happiness is ... [the only] ... cause [for] smiling. Symbols on the other hand, are the products of social conventions. Because of an implicit agreement among speakers of English, the sound pattern we recognized as the word pig denotes the familiar category of broad-snouted barnyard animals. (Knapp & Daly, 2011, p. 202)

Along with the signal systems people can also use sign language as a way to communicate. Sign language,

> Is 'spoken' by many deaf people, [which] is symbolic in nature and not the pantomime it might seem. There are literally hundreds of different sign languages spoken around the world that represents the same ideas in different ways. These different languages include Canadian Sign Language, Langue des signs québécois, British Sign Language, French Sign Language, Danish Sign Language, Chinese Sign Language-even Australian Aboriginal and Mayan sign languages. (Adler, et al., 2011, p.84)

Even though the signal system is different from sign language and sign language is different from spoken language, they all pose the same characteristics of language. We have learnt that, "… language [is] a collection of symbols [that are] governed by rules and used to convey messages between individuals" (Adler, et al., 2011, p.84).

Within communication, there are some rules, such as phonological rules, syntactic rules, semantic rules and pragmatic rules that govern certain aspects of language and communication. The rule that is linked to the pronunciation of words is phonological rules (Adler, et al., 2011). Take the example of "… the words champagne, double ... and occasion [they] are spelled identically [the same] in French and English[,] but are pronounced differently in each language" (Adler, et al., 2011, p.86). It has been stated that, "English is notable for having particularly inconsistent phonological rules..." (Adler, et al., 2011, p.86). The rule that is linked to the structure and arrangements of symbols of language is syntactic rules (Adler, et al., 2011). With the English syntax the arrangement of sentences is a subject, verb and an object. A bad example of an English sentence would be on page 87 in our text, which is, '[have] you the cookies brought?’ However, that would be a perfectly acceptable sentence in the German language (Adler, et al., 2011). The semantic rules are what guides the meaning of specific words (Adler, et al., 2011). With "(semantic) rules [it] ... (makes) it possible for us to agree that 'bikes' are for riding and 'books' are for reading..." (Adler, et al., 2011, p.88). The final rule that governs language is pragmatic rules, which governs how we use language in everyday interactions (Adler, et al., 2011). Which can be seen differently from culture to culture. For instance the example on page 88, 'hold the fort while I am away' can be "(a) hurtful reminder of the era when the fort was a colonial outpost that had to be held [securely] against Indigenous 'enemies'" to a Native employee, whereas the employer was meaning it to be "(a) casual remark upon stepping out of the office" (Adler, et al., 2011). With this all being said, "(when) people use language, they usually understand one another, and do so at [an] exceedingly intricate level of detail" (Knapp &amp; Daly, 2002, p.216). With these rules people of all cultures and languages can begin to understand one another.

By learning the function of languages it is more common for it to be unnecessary of knowing what language is (Knapp & Daly, 2002). However, the attitudes about language are beginning to fade, the term language has been so carefully adopted by the structural interests of sentence interpreters that any effort of studying the use of language goes beyond sentence structures and now requires a whole new term called discourse (Knapp & Daly, 2002). With discourse, sentence interpreters are "… [attempting] to close the gap between conceptions of communication process and language structure and function" (Knapp & Daly, 2002, p.213), these sentence interpreters have been working on this process for some time now. With the concept of discourse, "… (messages) communicated may not be connected in any obvious way to what is directly and literally said" (Knapp & Daly, 2002, p. 216). With this "(language) [can be] systematically organized in a variety of ways beyond the units of word and sentence, all of which contribute to the information conveyed and the actions performed by a message" (Knapp & Daly, 2002, p.214). Along with this theory of discourse:

> [When] producing messages, people decide what will make sense and what will not. They are more or less sensitive to the need to be polite. They know how to do things with words like bet, beg, and complain. (Knapp & Daly, 2002, p.214)

Furthermore, it has been said that, "(all) animals communicate, but humans do so with unparalleled precision, flexibility, and creativity. These strengths derive largely from humans' unique ability to use language" (Knapp & Daly, 2011, p.201). Communication of any and all kinds operates on the principle that signals transmit messages from one source and sends them to a destination (Knapp & Daly, 2011). With that, we are beginning to realize that at the end of the day, communication is a systematically chain of event of sender and receiver, no matter the language that they speak and how they structure their sentences.

Within language and communication, there are a vast number of variations that utilizes certain principles. Some of the variations can be contained in the signal system, which includes signs and symbols. You can also use sign language and even spoken language to communicate with one and another. There is a list of rules that govern language, like how words sound, to how sentences are structured, even what the meaning behind words are and how we use language in everyday interaction. Furthermore, learning language is difficult and a new term has been created to help close the gap within communication. Language is expressed by everyone in different ways and we are only starting to learn how to use it and learn why we communicate in the way we do.

<Toggle id="references" toggleAlt="References">

Adler, R., Rodman, G., & Sévigny, A. (2011). Understanding human communication (2nd ed.). Don Mills, ON.: Oxford University Press.

Knapp, M., & Daly, J. (2002). Handbook of interpersonal communication. Thousand Oaks, CA.: SAGE Publications.

Knapp, M., &amp; Daly, J. (2011). The Sage handbook of interpersonal communication. Thousand Oaks, CA.: SAGE Publications.

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Language in communication includes a vast number of variations, which contains similar principles.

Language Within Communication: A Communication Issue

<NewSection id="introduction" />

### Introduction

With technology advancing and new ways of communication being invented and always changing, the way we now communicate is so different from the “old messenger system”. In addition, with such things as cell phones and social networks, we are now presented with more easier ways of communication. However, with that begin said, people are now getting “lazy” and using things such as abbreviations, poor grammar, emojis and an over reliance on auto-correct (even if we all hate it).

<NewSection id="newCom" />

### New Ways Of Communication

The "new" way of communication in todays day and age has changed in many ways and in such a short time. Nowadays, “[anyone] [has] a wider variety of options for communicating with their peers than was available 15 years ago” (Conti-Ramsden &amp; Durkin et al., 2010, p. 197). In addition, with digital technologies such as cell phones and the Internet, communication is now widely accessible and also very poplar, by many people which is mainly seen with in teens; but those of the older generations, are beginning to adapt and are learning how to use this technology, which is slowly eliminating the old “messenger delivery method” (Conti-Ramsden & Durkin et al., 2010, p. 197). For instance, the old way of communication was sending letters and or post/general card via. the mail system (or now called “snail mail”), which took time to reach the receiver; where with digital technology we can get a message instantly. Which, now “[…] messages [can] travel faster than a messenger” (McLuhan, 1995, p.89). According to a survey conducted by CTIA & Harris Interactive (2008),

> [...] over 2,000 teenagers in the United States revealed that 80% of teens, or approximately 17 million young people, have a cell phone. The figures are very similar for teenagers in the United Kingdom: Approximately 90% of adolescents own a cell phone; 96% of these use SMS (short messaging services), and 1 in 10 spends more than 45 minutes a day using it” (as cited in Conti-Ramsden & Durkin et al., 2010, p. 197).

As Nicholas Negropnte said, in time, “we will find that we are talking as much or more with machines than we are with humans. What seems to trouble people most is their own self-conscious about talking to inanimate objects” (as cited in Postman, 1999, p. 41). We are becoming so attached to our technology that, people are starting to feel that, if they leave their homes with out their cell phones, they feel as if they were leaving with out cloths on (Conti-Ramsden & Durkin et al., 2010).

As this new technology gets invited and communication changes, we as a society change. “As technology advances, it reverses the characteristics of every situation again and again. The age of automation is going to be the age of "do it yourself” (Rajendra, 2014, p. 1). In the nineteenth century, the following invention, were produced and is now being seen as something that is wracking our culture as we know it:

> telegraphy, photography, the rotary press, the telephone, the typewriter, the phonograph, the transatlantic cable, the electric light, movies, the locomotive, rockets, the steamboat, the x-ray, the revolver, and the stethoscope, not to mention canned food, the penny press, the modern magazine, the advertising agency, the modern bureaucracy, and even (although some dispute it) the safety pin“ (Postman, 1999, p. 39).

<NewSection id="meaning" />

### Different Meanings To Words

It can be said that, “[cell] phones afford what can be broadly categorized as two principal routes for interaction: oral communication and text-based communication via SMS and similar technologies” (Conti-Ramsden & Durkin et al., 2010, p. 197). We now live in a world, as pointed out by Postman, where, meanings to certain words are different from the original meanings such as the words “community” and “conversation”. The world

> […] ’community’ is now used to mean, simply, people with similar interests[, which is] a considerable change from an old meaning: A community is made up of people who may not have similar interests but who must negotiate and resolve their differences for the sake of social harmony. […] As for ‘conversation,’ two (or more) people typing a messages to each other are engaged in an activity quite different from what is usually called a conversation. To call messages that lack the presence of the human voice and human faces a “conversation’ […]” (1999, p. 53).

As time goes by the meaning of words get changed or even to some extreme, people can create a different spelling of the word, creating a “new feel” to the word. Another example of this would be when someone “Tweets” in today’s age that would mean that they send out a short message (under 140 characters) on the social network, Twitter; where even a few years ago, it would be considered to be and only be the sound that a bird makes. “Needless to say that like any other aspect of development, the technological development is similar to a double edged sword which on one side can kill someone and on the other side can lead to one’s own protection” (Rajendra, 2014, p. 6).

<NewSection id="abbreviations" />

### Abbreviations, Bad Grammar and Auto-Correct

As Postman noted in his read, “[what] changes in language are being enforced by new technologies, and what is being gained and lost by such changes” (1999, p. 53)? This is true when you think of social networking, instant messaging (IM), or even text messaging (SMS). People nowadays, uses short texting (also known as, abbreviations) and poor grammar. This is due to the fact that, with these new forms of communication, you are expected to reply back instantly. Furthermore, with certain social networks, you can have whats called, a “Character Limit”. Take the example of Twitter, with there limit being 140 characters; which then leads to people tweeting out tweets that are filled with abbreviations and ungrammatically correct language.

With the use of abbreviations, it cuts down on the charters and can make it easier to look at a message. An abreaction can be something as easily as “BRB” (Be Right Back), “U” (You), “Y” (whY), “YOLO” (You Only Live Once), "LOL" (Laugh Out Loud), "L.O.L." (Lots Of Love), “TMI” (Too Much Info), and many other shorten words. However, you can get some people that just simply does not know how to use the correct abbreviations; and then you are stuck there trying to decrypt there message and to try and figure out what they are trying to say.

Some people may even call this a “[…] nineteenth-century Americans, technology [that is] clearly the engine of spiritual progress” (Postman, 1999, p. 38). Abbreviations and bad grammar, is now seen everywhere, from on “Tech” (Technology), the way we talk “F2F” (Face To Face), essays, in school, and other places where you see communication. However, with this all being said, all this “[information] and communication technologies have transformed our world in many ways” (Pikas, 2006, p. 3).

Another, thing that should be mentioned, is "Auto-Correct" (or even better known as, Damn Auto-Correct). Auto-Correct is when you are in the middle of typing something (a text, Facebook status, tweet, email, or a note) and you may have one wrong letter or not the proper grammar and then auto-correct comes in and totally changes everything. At times, auto-correct can be handy a fix your grammar and at times even know what you were wanting to say (which is how its programmed to work), however, most of the time it gets it completely wrong. For instance, one could be typing, "I love you to!" but auto-correct could correct it and place, "I love you too!" or it can go the complete other way and get it wrong and say, "I love you TiVo!" (If you want a good laugh, just search on google for, auto-correct fails). Another example could be, you typed "skilks" and it corrected it to "skalds" but when you were wanting "skills".

In addition, to abbreviation, poor grammar skills, and auto-correct, our language seems to be filled with smile faces and other "Emojis". Emojis are starting to take over the way we communicate. Which can be a good thing, because it gives "emotion" to the text. Like someone can type "Hey :)" and then the "receiver" knows that the "sender" is in a good mood, or they could have typed, "Hey :|", which would mean that they are in an okay mood, or they could even type "Hey :(" and that would mean that they are in a bad mood.

<NewSection id="conclusion" />

### Conclusion

We now live in a world where the use of improper language (abbreviations and poor grammar) is okay and excepted as “passable” language. We are re-creating words and making them shorter and re-creating the meanings behind them. We are making sentences with less characters so that it fits in a tweet. Most of all, with auto-correct, it’s creating a lazy feeling and corrects you as you type (even if it gets the word completely wrong).

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[An Interactive Website For This](http://dlcmns105.weebly.com)

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<NewSection id="question" />

### Question

**Concept One:** Is the new form of communication (such, as abbreviations, poor grammar, auto-correct and emojis), a good thing or a bad thing? Why or why not?

<Toggle id="references" toggleAlt="References">

Conti-Ramsden, G., Durkin, K. & Simkin, Z. (2010). Language and social factors in the use of cell phone technology by adolescents with and without specific language impairment (SLI). Journal Of Speech, Language, And Hearing Research, 53 (1), pp. 196--208.

McLuhan, M. (1995). Chapter 10. Roads and paper routs. Understanding media: The extensions of man. Cambridge, ME: MIT Press.

Pikas, C. K. (2006). The impact of information and communication technologies on informal scholarly scientific communication: a literature review.

Postman, N. (1999). Chapter 3. Technology. Building a bridge to the 18th century: How the past can improve our future. New York: Vintage.

Rajendra, P. (2014). Technological Advancements and Its Impact on Humanity. Academia, Retrieved from: [http://www.academia.edu/346486/Technological_Advancements_and_Its_Impact_on_Humanity](http://www.academia.edu/346486/Technological_Advancements_and_Its_Impact_on_Humanity) [Accessed: 22nd, March 2014].
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<Toggle id="additionalResources" toggleAlt="Additional Resources">


- (A project that a group of my classmates did on a similar topic): [http://cmns105groupone.wordpress.com](http://cmns105groupone.wordpress.com)
- (An awesome history of the English language): [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3r9bOkYW9s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3r9bOkYW9s) [found by one of my classmates, that she used in her presentation with her group, that was similar to this one]
- (A relatable video from a YouTuber that I watch): [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UPvddDJ-RY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UPvddDJ-RY) (by our2ndlife member ConnorFranta)
- (Funny Auto-Correct fails | For the laughs): [http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com](http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com)

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The Co-Existence in Mass Media Forms: Technology Changing The Way We Communicate

Technology Changing The Way We Communicate

This technology has been shown to have benefits and has been proven to be more portable and convenient. It would be very highly beneficial if technology gets integrated in to the education system.

By integrating technology in to the education system it can be very beneficial, as shown in the research by many, “<quote>[p]ublic wiki[s] […] [have] the potential [for] positively impact writing skills (sentence construction, spelling, and grammar), awareness of intellectual property, processing and understanding of content, interaction among students, and the development of critical thinking skills</quote>” (<cite>Bravo</cite> 2). In addition, to what Yousef found in his research, it:

> Can be used for independent and collaborative learning experiences[,] [h]elps learners to overcome the digital divide[,] [h]elps to make learning informal[,] [h]elps learners to be more focused for longer periods[,] [and increases] [s]tudent to tutor and institution interactivity (<cite>as qtd in Fuegen</cite> 50).

Furthermore, “<quote>[o]nline learning […] has several advantages for institutions and universities, such as the cut down of educational costs</quote>” (<cite>Biasutti</cite> 861). Therefore, with an integration of technology it can have many advantages such as being cost efficient. With technology, it creates a more flexible and convenient environment. For example with e-books (also known as Electronic books) they are in a lightweight format, with forms of digital texts, like PDFs and electronic books; then another example are Tablets which are miniature computers, which normally lack a physical keyboard, but they provide interactive opportunities through built-in functionality and third party applications (<cite>Fuegen</cite> 49). With e-books a student can easily load a text book or course notes on to the device and read it while traveling which can further educate the student; therefore, if a student dose a lot of traveling, technology will be a key feature in their studies.

One of the most useful Web 2.0 sites is Wikipedia. This site is responsible for well over 17 million articles, in over 270 languages, with more than 82 thousand contributors (<cite>Hew</cite> 49). Hew also further stated that, "<quote>students can add, edit, delete, and compare previous versions of students’ work by accessing the history page […]</quote>” (49). Wikipedia is a great and useful tool to collaborate and get information from.

With all this being said, technology is a must have in the education system. With research, it has been proven to help the students to focus on their academics, create a more time efficient way to study and even collaborate with each other.

<Toggle id="bibliography" toggleAlt="Bibliography">
Biasutti, Michele, and Heba EL-Deghaidy. "Using Wiki In Teacher Education: Impact On Knowledge Management Processes And Student Satisfaction." Computers &amp; Education 59.3 (2012): 861-872. ERIC. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.

Bravo, Vanessa J., and Michael F. Young. "The Impact Of A Collaborative Wikipedia Assignment On Teaching, Learning, And Student Perceptions In A Teacher Education Program." Canadian Journal Of Learning And Technology 37.3 (2011): ERIC. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.

Fuegen, Shauna'h. "The Impact Of Mobile Technologies On Distance Education." Techtrends: Linking Research &amp; Practice To Improve Learning 56.6 (2012): 49-53. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.

Hew, Khe Foon, and Wing Sum Cheung. "Use Of Web 2.0 Technologies In K-12 And Higher Education: The Search For Evidence-Based Practice." Educational Research Review 9.(2013): 47-64. ERIC. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.
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It can be said that, technology such as Web 2.0, (sites like Wikipedia) and mobile technology (such as e-readers) has and currently still is making a positive impact in the education system.

"Education" has 4 posts in it's category

Education

Hegemony Theory: Bubble Teas Popularity in The Western Culture

Education

Language Within Communication: A Communication Issue

Education

Technology Changing The Way We Communicate

Education

The Impact: Technology and the Education System