Is social media making Gen Z less social? The Akron Beacon Journal explored that question in a recent feature centered on Kent State University Senior Lecturer Aaron Bacue Maguire and his Communication and Conflict Management course in the School of Communication Studies.
Maguire, who has taught at Kent State for 11 years, told the Beacon Journal he created the course in 2019 after noticing the impact of constant screen time on students’ ability to connect in person. His classroom operates less like a traditional lecture and more like a conversation around a kitchen table, with lessons tied to skills like conflict resolution, self-disclosure and constructing professional emails.
The approach is working. Students in his classes can be heard talking and building community in the hallways of Taylor Hall – sometimes loudly enough that colleagues have to close their doors.
The story also featured several Kent State students and graduates, including recent alumna Jess Edmisten, who said the communication and negotiation skills she learned in Maguire’s class have directly helped in her marketing career.
