As I've mentioned before, part of my job involves working in various local schools for short periods of time. This is nice because I get to see a wide variety of environments. You might recall, at one point I wanted to work in a school setting (or at least with kids).
ANYWAY... In the latest school that we're working in they recently gave all the students a compatibility test. The results were then sold to the students as part of a fundraiser for FBLA. Ok. Nice idea. Great way to make money. But... I have an issue with such a survey. Are you surprised?
The school isn't that large. A mid-sized, small town school for the area, about 500 kids. What we witnessed was high school drama at it's best. Friends laughing at who the computer picked as compatibility matches. Many kids 'grossing out' over having a geek or dork ranking high on their list. Boyfriends and girlfriends questioning relationship stability over a test. A test! A survey more appropriately...
I'm sure the intention is way different from what I see. Yet, it seems like just another way to reinforce cliques and stereotypes. Liking someone (friend or otherwise) for who they are as you get to know them, having been replaced by a simple 40-question survey. Saves you the time of possibly making a new friend.
Granted, I'm probably a bit more worked up over this than might be rational, but I don't think it is a good message to really send out. "Don't be friends with this person... Instead be friends with whom you've been selected by a lifeless emotionless computer algorithm."
It even happens in the dating world. There are several personals sites that offers compatibility matching. To a certain extent I can understand a desire for such a thing. Why waste your time one someone for whatever your reasoning might be? Yet... I think there is a certain amount of close-mindedness in only going by results. And this is what saddens me. High school kids seeing this in school and not fully appreciating the 'entertainment' value of it. Going on to possibly use dating sites and once again not fully appreciating the 'entertainment' value.
It's like believing in horoscopes. At the risk of sounding hypocritical I will admit to having read and compared horoscopes of the Cute Teacher and myself. The difference is, I don't take it to heart. I don't believe that just because it's written in the stars that it is true.
To all this I just have to laugh. As I hope others do. I hope the majority of the people who take any such compatibility survey not only realize that results aren't written in stone. Just because a computer says you're a good match with someone doesn't mean you actually will be. Vice versa... You might be passing up a gem of a fella just because you don't have the same taste in music.Labels: compatibility, friendship, life, love |
