Part A:
Dress Up
A strategy used commonly by many people is the way they dress to be known as cool. One person that seems to do this on a regular basis is Charles. So I asked him some questions based on the discussion we had on Friday.
Do you feel like u adorn or customize yourself?
I do customize myself but I don’t do it to be cool. I do it because I like the clothing, which is the reason why I buy the clothing in the first place.
So why do u do it?
Because I want to look good, and I do it just because I like it
Ok, so why do u always wear that sticker on your hat all the time as Andy points out all the time?
Because I’m too lazy to take it off and it’s going to leave a mark if I take it off
Would you ever get a tattoo or a piercing? Why or why not?
Yeah I would...I like diamonds in my ears and I’m going to get a basketball tattoo
Why do you think many basketball players have tattoos and piercings?
It’s just the way it is, since everybody else has them then you are supposed to have it too. If you don’t then you wouldn’t really fit in.
Wouldn’t you want to be different by standing out and not getting tattoos and piercings?
That’s true, but I want to get it because that’s my decision.
Part B:
Piercings
Piercings are very common in every culture, but it all depends where the piercing is. Girls getting their ears pierced is nothing out of the ordinary, but in some ways this is considered “cool” as well. It all depends on where this piercing is.
How many piercings do you have?
Six, don’t worry, they are all on my ears.
When did you get your first piercing?
I was seven, in Pakistan; my mom and I were doing some shopping and she took me to this place to get my ears pierced. I don’t really remember asking for it, but I didn’t mind either.
What about those other piercings?
The other four, I also got done in Pakistan, but this was when I was thirteen. I was going to get the ones above my first piercings because that’s common in our culture. But the 3rd pair I got done because I wanted it after I saw that it was the new thing going on. I got both of my cartilages pierced because I wanted to get something different.
How did people react to seeing your piercings?
Well it sort of builds up, my first pair was on my earlobes so that wasn’t anything different. The ones that I got on top of my earlobes is also something pretty common. The 3rd piercings on my cartilages took my friends by surprise, because I only started 8th grade and everybody was like “ohhhh, your parents let you do that?” There weren’t many young girls out there that had their cartilages pierced so it was referred as being “cool” if you got it pierced, especially at a young age.
Your Parents were okay with this?
My mom was much more chill about it compared to my dad. He said “No”, but it wasn’t the kind of “No” that meant that I would be in serious trouble. Knowing that my mom was okay with it I got my cartilages pierced. The other 2 pairs of piercings I was going to get sooner or later so that wasn’t much of a problem. When I came home with my cartilages pierced, my dad had a “Whatever” kind of reaction.
Will you be getting any more piercings in the future?
I know I will be getting my nose pierced for sure; other piercings I am not too sure about at the moment.
How do all these piercings connect to being “cool”?
My first two pairs of piercings wouldn’t really be considered “cool” because that is something that is common in many cultures. My third set of piercings I would say is considered “cool”, especially at a young age because everybody doesn’t have it. It’s something that makes you stand out and be different. I guess a part of me getting all these piercings does have to be with being “cool”, but I got it done because I wanted to get it done, not because I was forced to.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Hw 30
What are the sources of this sense of meaninglessness but also of the need for a sense of meaning?
What is meaningless to this world? Are humans meaningful to this planet? How so? I agree “that humans seem to overwhelmingly share a sense of emptiness, or a hole that needs to be filled.” Just like being able to have the same emotions for certain events, all humans have some emptiness that lingers within them selves. Even though they do not like the feeling of having this emptiness within themselves, they still seem to carry it. The big question here is what actually causes this feeling, the feeling to be lonely and hollow from the inside. This later on leads to “fitting in” and trying to distract this feeling of hollowness that we all have inside us. Most of it has to do with the lack of care and respect for an individual. “We feel meaningless because of the lack of care and nurture received from our parents.” (Henry, 12/18/09) If a child is raised with parents by the side, not only in certain times like while tucking them into bed or providing the child with money, they may not have such a great sense of meaninglessness. Instead they should receive care with some one providing them love all the time; they shouldn’t be left with a baby sitter to take care of them. If they receive this type of care then the child may not have such a big sense of emptiness. There is emptiness contained within everyone, but it varies on how big the space of emptiness has taken over one.
“When people feel like they have no meaning or purpose to their life, they often play the victim or take self pity… People make up excuses to help answer questions that have no answers.” (Mcgraw, Phil) To make this sense of meaninglessness to go away we all try to ignore it by trying to fill up the space with something else. Now it varies on what someone wants to fill this space up with. Some people take the not so great route of using drugs to make them feel as if they mean something to this world. But this feeling of being superior only lasts for a limited time period. Another way to fill up this space is by creating friends and having a social life so that one cannot remember the feeling all the time. Other people do other things such as leisure activities: sports, reading, painting, etc… Back to the quote, the feeling of meaninglessness makes the individual feel trapped. No matter what, this feeling is always with us and never seems to go away. Even when people try to ignore it and try to fill up the space with other things, the feeling is still there, it is a permanent felling that will stay with us forever.
The big question that pops up in ones life at some time is: what is the meaning of life? Nobody has the clear answer to this question yet, but philosophers are eager to find out. One of the earliest philosophers was Plato. “In Platonism, the meaning of life is in attaining the highest form of knowledge, which is the Idea (Form) of the Good…Human beings are duty-bound to pursue the good, but no one can succeed in that pursuit without philosophical reasoning, which allows for true knowledge.” (Wikipedia) There are always different goals for everyone in life. In Plato’s mind the way to live a meaningful life is to attain the highest form of knowledge. But what if these goals are not met? Is this the reason for why so many of us have a sense of meaninglessness?
What is meaningless to this world? Are humans meaningful to this planet? How so? I agree “that humans seem to overwhelmingly share a sense of emptiness, or a hole that needs to be filled.” Just like being able to have the same emotions for certain events, all humans have some emptiness that lingers within them selves. Even though they do not like the feeling of having this emptiness within themselves, they still seem to carry it. The big question here is what actually causes this feeling, the feeling to be lonely and hollow from the inside. This later on leads to “fitting in” and trying to distract this feeling of hollowness that we all have inside us. Most of it has to do with the lack of care and respect for an individual. “We feel meaningless because of the lack of care and nurture received from our parents.” (Henry, 12/18/09) If a child is raised with parents by the side, not only in certain times like while tucking them into bed or providing the child with money, they may not have such a great sense of meaninglessness. Instead they should receive care with some one providing them love all the time; they shouldn’t be left with a baby sitter to take care of them. If they receive this type of care then the child may not have such a big sense of emptiness. There is emptiness contained within everyone, but it varies on how big the space of emptiness has taken over one.
“When people feel like they have no meaning or purpose to their life, they often play the victim or take self pity… People make up excuses to help answer questions that have no answers.” (Mcgraw, Phil) To make this sense of meaninglessness to go away we all try to ignore it by trying to fill up the space with something else. Now it varies on what someone wants to fill this space up with. Some people take the not so great route of using drugs to make them feel as if they mean something to this world. But this feeling of being superior only lasts for a limited time period. Another way to fill up this space is by creating friends and having a social life so that one cannot remember the feeling all the time. Other people do other things such as leisure activities: sports, reading, painting, etc… Back to the quote, the feeling of meaninglessness makes the individual feel trapped. No matter what, this feeling is always with us and never seems to go away. Even when people try to ignore it and try to fill up the space with other things, the feeling is still there, it is a permanent felling that will stay with us forever.
The big question that pops up in ones life at some time is: what is the meaning of life? Nobody has the clear answer to this question yet, but philosophers are eager to find out. One of the earliest philosophers was Plato. “In Platonism, the meaning of life is in attaining the highest form of knowledge, which is the Idea (Form) of the Good…Human beings are duty-bound to pursue the good, but no one can succeed in that pursuit without philosophical reasoning, which allows for true knowledge.” (Wikipedia) There are always different goals for everyone in life. In Plato’s mind the way to live a meaningful life is to attain the highest form of knowledge. But what if these goals are not met? Is this the reason for why so many of us have a sense of meaninglessness?
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Hw 29
I guess that’s all a part of being cool. It’s this whole chain; to be cool corporations create products by studying teens and asking them questions about what is cool. After doing their so called experiment they rummage through their collected data and use it to come up with a new product that is aimed at teenagers because as said in the documentary 150 billion dollars are controlled by teens; “Teens are like Africa.” When the product hits the stores, teens go out and buy it. They use the product for a while, and then it gets old because some other corporation created a better and new material. If we stopped spending money on these products realizing that they are fooling us; we will cause harm to many companies out there. They depend on us, and in our minds we think that we depend on them. It’s a back and forth kind of thing. You get to do what you want, if you want to be made into a fool and spend a lot of money on these products then go ahead. There are different types of teens out there; there are the ones that have a lot of money in their pockets and want to spend it one way or the other just so they can flaunt their “coolness”. It’s like the money in their pockets is biting them and they have to spend it or it will cause them harm. Then there are those who don’t waste their money on name brand products; instead they buy something cheap and turn it into something better to show off. If everyone was to be like them, then many corporations out there would be in a lot of loss.
Everyone wants to be known in society so that they can be given attention to, and be considered “cool” amongst others. They all want to be known just so they can be on top of their hierarchy. In Merchants of Cool companies did studies on average teens to see what they think is “cool” at the certain time period. They talked about what they like and what they would they go out for and buy. They gave out print outs with different celebrities and products and asked them to circle the ones that they liked or the ones they thought were “cool”. Later on they showed how big people from certain companies would go into teen’s living spaces just so they can see what type of environment they live in and learn about their life. They will do what ever it takes to be the first one to come up with something that will give them a lot of profit. This causes both teams to be happy; these companies gain insight on teenagers and their personal lives. They are treating the teens as if they are lab rats and are experimenting with them in their natural habitats. At the same time the teens are thinking “whoa, I must be so cool, why else would these guys be here to interview me?”
I think it would be impossible to ban teenagers from advertisements; unless if they were to be put in a jungle until they turned 20. I think that if advertisements were to be banned to everyone, or just to teenagers, it will cause a negative impact to many companies out there. This will cause problems to everyone, not just the people that are involved with these companies. I don’t think that advertisements should be banned; they should be limited. A lot of advertisements can cause many positive affects along with many negative affects. If it were to be banned, then I would say that it should be banned to everyone until they reach the age of 20. After that they are old enough to handle themselves and make the right decisions for themselves as well. If it were to be banned for everyone, then that would be a problem for all the companies out there, and everyone would be lost in their own sense.
Yes, I do think it is evil to help the corporations to manipulate the minds of young people for the sake of profit. If you are involved in doing so, then you will be held responsible for corrupting a youths mind. I don’t think that companies out there should fool their customers by making them feel as if they are the “coolest” people out there. That’s just wrong, sometime in their life they are going to feel guilty that they did such a thing. Corporations out there should make customers in a nice and friendly way; if someone chooses to be a customer then it’s their own choice. They shouldn’t be a part of a sneaky scheme so that they can be brainwashed into buying a product, just so a company can receive a profit.
Hmmm, that’s a hard question. I wouldn’t know what to do if I were to be one of them. I mean there are always pros and cons out there for everything. I would say the better thing they should have done was to refuse the offer of playing this corporate game. Even if that means that you are not getting many listeners or customers you still shouldn’t be a part of such a profit. It’s all about brainwashing people; this is how these people make their living. They get people to join their companies and create customers by brainwashing all of them to think that what they are doing is something very good. If they really sit down and think about it for a while, they aren’t doing such a great thing after all.
I think that what was done to Britney Spears was wrong, but it was in some ways her decision to do all of what she did. I wouldn’t say it was a crime, it all depends on if she thinks it was a crime done upon herself. If she is to think that it was a crime, then I would say the criminals would be all of those people who were in charge of brainwashing her to become something she didn’t want to be before. She went along with it because she was forced to do so by society. The society made it seem as if flaunting her sexuality was a “cool” thing for a girl to do. Now it all depends on what an individual thinks is “cool” in their own mind. Even though she might not have liked it at first, she was forced to do so, so that she could appear “cooler” amongst her competitors at the time. This caused many other young girls to do the same thing their role models were doing. All of the sudden they wanted to change their wardrobe and get a mental and physical makeover to be seen as very “attractive” and very “cool” girls. I guess this all does lead to the image of loveless performance of alienated hyper-sexuality in the name of “cool”. These teens are using their sexuality just so they can stand out amongst others. But the question is, if all of these people are doing the same thing to stand out when compared to others, what will be the difference between them causing them to “stand out”?
This connects in some ways to what Matt Fried said about his past patients. He told us about this guy who got all he ever wanted from his parents but never learned to earn anything on his own, because it was already provided to him. His parents refuse to stop paying for all his needs because they cannot let their son work hard to get something in life. This is sort of like Britney and how the society treated her back then. The society wanted her to stand out using her sexuality so she can seem "older" and "sexier" and be known for all this. Now she is so used to it she can't have a career without using her sexuality in one way or another. The guy that Matt talked about in class is also forced to have everything provided to him because his parents do not want him to suffer like they did. I think that’s pathetic.
Everyone wants to be known in society so that they can be given attention to, and be considered “cool” amongst others. They all want to be known just so they can be on top of their hierarchy. In Merchants of Cool companies did studies on average teens to see what they think is “cool” at the certain time period. They talked about what they like and what they would they go out for and buy. They gave out print outs with different celebrities and products and asked them to circle the ones that they liked or the ones they thought were “cool”. Later on they showed how big people from certain companies would go into teen’s living spaces just so they can see what type of environment they live in and learn about their life. They will do what ever it takes to be the first one to come up with something that will give them a lot of profit. This causes both teams to be happy; these companies gain insight on teenagers and their personal lives. They are treating the teens as if they are lab rats and are experimenting with them in their natural habitats. At the same time the teens are thinking “whoa, I must be so cool, why else would these guys be here to interview me?”
I think it would be impossible to ban teenagers from advertisements; unless if they were to be put in a jungle until they turned 20. I think that if advertisements were to be banned to everyone, or just to teenagers, it will cause a negative impact to many companies out there. This will cause problems to everyone, not just the people that are involved with these companies. I don’t think that advertisements should be banned; they should be limited. A lot of advertisements can cause many positive affects along with many negative affects. If it were to be banned, then I would say that it should be banned to everyone until they reach the age of 20. After that they are old enough to handle themselves and make the right decisions for themselves as well. If it were to be banned for everyone, then that would be a problem for all the companies out there, and everyone would be lost in their own sense.
Yes, I do think it is evil to help the corporations to manipulate the minds of young people for the sake of profit. If you are involved in doing so, then you will be held responsible for corrupting a youths mind. I don’t think that companies out there should fool their customers by making them feel as if they are the “coolest” people out there. That’s just wrong, sometime in their life they are going to feel guilty that they did such a thing. Corporations out there should make customers in a nice and friendly way; if someone chooses to be a customer then it’s their own choice. They shouldn’t be a part of a sneaky scheme so that they can be brainwashed into buying a product, just so a company can receive a profit.
Hmmm, that’s a hard question. I wouldn’t know what to do if I were to be one of them. I mean there are always pros and cons out there for everything. I would say the better thing they should have done was to refuse the offer of playing this corporate game. Even if that means that you are not getting many listeners or customers you still shouldn’t be a part of such a profit. It’s all about brainwashing people; this is how these people make their living. They get people to join their companies and create customers by brainwashing all of them to think that what they are doing is something very good. If they really sit down and think about it for a while, they aren’t doing such a great thing after all.
I think that what was done to Britney Spears was wrong, but it was in some ways her decision to do all of what she did. I wouldn’t say it was a crime, it all depends on if she thinks it was a crime done upon herself. If she is to think that it was a crime, then I would say the criminals would be all of those people who were in charge of brainwashing her to become something she didn’t want to be before. She went along with it because she was forced to do so by society. The society made it seem as if flaunting her sexuality was a “cool” thing for a girl to do. Now it all depends on what an individual thinks is “cool” in their own mind. Even though she might not have liked it at first, she was forced to do so, so that she could appear “cooler” amongst her competitors at the time. This caused many other young girls to do the same thing their role models were doing. All of the sudden they wanted to change their wardrobe and get a mental and physical makeover to be seen as very “attractive” and very “cool” girls. I guess this all does lead to the image of loveless performance of alienated hyper-sexuality in the name of “cool”. These teens are using their sexuality just so they can stand out amongst others. But the question is, if all of these people are doing the same thing to stand out when compared to others, what will be the difference between them causing them to “stand out”?
This connects in some ways to what Matt Fried said about his past patients. He told us about this guy who got all he ever wanted from his parents but never learned to earn anything on his own, because it was already provided to him. His parents refuse to stop paying for all his needs because they cannot let their son work hard to get something in life. This is sort of like Britney and how the society treated her back then. The society wanted her to stand out using her sexuality so she can seem "older" and "sexier" and be known for all this. Now she is so used to it she can't have a career without using her sexuality in one way or another. The guy that Matt talked about in class is also forced to have everything provided to him because his parents do not want him to suffer like they did. I think that’s pathetic.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Hw 28
Hannah Montana
I guess a “cool” television show for young girls would be Hannah Montana. Just because the show revolves around a teenager who has her life split into two. In the beginning of the day she is a normal girl going to her school; by the evening with a wig and a change of clothes she becomes a star. Nobody really knows her secret other than her close friends and family of course. This television series is very popular amongst young girls because to them Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana is a role model.
I guess this TV show is very well known and enjoyed by many because it involves a normal TV show incorporating a star’s life. I wouldn’t really say this show is considered “cool” for me. My younger sister loves it because her age is what this show targets. I think it’s absurd that young girls are looking at her as a role model because there is not much that is good about her in my opinion. They think that she is cool because she is keeping her style up to date and stands out with her fashion choice. She is cool because many people think she can sing and act. They all want to be like her because many of us are not able to do these two things. This is why she is always considered cool amongst the younger girls…maybe boys too?
"How to be Cool at School." wikiHow. Web. 7 Dec 2009..
This article compiles rules you should follow to be considered “cool” in school. Standing out by being independent and treating others the way you would want to be treated is what these people think will help you be “cool” in school. You want to be smooth with everything to be “cool” you don’t want to hurt other people’s feelings in the process.
These twelve steps will help you become “cooler” in school because they want you to at least fit in with the other students but stand out amongst others in some way. You don’t want to be obvious, you want to be normal but squeeze in some “coolness”. If you make it obvious then you are being what they call desperate; that is definitely not considered “cool”. “Be who you really are DO NOT TRY SO HARD people notice.”
"How to be Retro Cool for Females." wikiHow. Web. 7 Dec 2009..
Some people do not only want to be “cool”, they want to be a certain type of “cool”. They provide some steps on how to be “retro cool” for females. There are not many steps because it’s not that vague of a topic anymore. Now get those, tees, skinny jeans, and converses out if you want to be retro chick.
For some people out there “cool” is too old for them. Now it’s all of the sudden a certain type of cool. If females want to be known as retro cool, then they should change their styles and their music selection. Now these females do not have to worry about what is “cool” in the whole society; instead they need to worry about what is being considered “cool” in the retro society. Much of the retro coolness has to do with you looking retro cool from the outside, so appearance wise.
"100 Cool Things About Being A Guy." funlol. Web. 7 Dec 2009..
There are many things that are considered cool amongst females, but we usually get to see much of what girls consider cool. The guys just sit there and listen as Andy said once. In this article, we get the guy’s view on what they think is cool about themselves. Much of this compared to what females think is “cool” and their reactions.
This atricle has 100 reasons for guys to be considered “cool”. Much of it compares to females because it all depends on the society and what they think. Guys can go around and get every girl in town. If the girls do the same then that would not be considered such a good thing. Most of these points try to say that guys do not get to worry about the smallest things while girls do. This is what makes them “cool” because they are laid back and chill about everything.
Seventeen Magazine
Many teenage girls get their fashion ideas from all the magazines offered to them. One of these is the well known seventeen magazine. It provides the latest fashion and styles out there. They show what celebrities have been seen wearing and tell readers where these products are available cheaper. They also provide beauty techniques to get a certain celebrities look.
Many readers follow all the steps and tips given in these magazines. They want to look like someone else. For them this is considered “cool”. Its funny how many people out there say that to be “cool” you need to be yourself. You want to add your own twist to these styles and make them work for you; if you copy it out of a book it won’t work that well. You have to see what works for you because something that looks nice on someone else may not look so good on you.
I guess a “cool” television show for young girls would be Hannah Montana. Just because the show revolves around a teenager who has her life split into two. In the beginning of the day she is a normal girl going to her school; by the evening with a wig and a change of clothes she becomes a star. Nobody really knows her secret other than her close friends and family of course. This television series is very popular amongst young girls because to them Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana is a role model.
I guess this TV show is very well known and enjoyed by many because it involves a normal TV show incorporating a star’s life. I wouldn’t really say this show is considered “cool” for me. My younger sister loves it because her age is what this show targets. I think it’s absurd that young girls are looking at her as a role model because there is not much that is good about her in my opinion. They think that she is cool because she is keeping her style up to date and stands out with her fashion choice. She is cool because many people think she can sing and act. They all want to be like her because many of us are not able to do these two things. This is why she is always considered cool amongst the younger girls…maybe boys too?
"How to be Cool at School." wikiHow. Web. 7 Dec 2009.
This article compiles rules you should follow to be considered “cool” in school. Standing out by being independent and treating others the way you would want to be treated is what these people think will help you be “cool” in school. You want to be smooth with everything to be “cool” you don’t want to hurt other people’s feelings in the process.
These twelve steps will help you become “cooler” in school because they want you to at least fit in with the other students but stand out amongst others in some way. You don’t want to be obvious, you want to be normal but squeeze in some “coolness”. If you make it obvious then you are being what they call desperate; that is definitely not considered “cool”. “Be who you really are DO NOT TRY SO HARD people notice.”
"How to be Retro Cool for Females." wikiHow. Web. 7 Dec 2009.
Some people do not only want to be “cool”, they want to be a certain type of “cool”. They provide some steps on how to be “retro cool” for females. There are not many steps because it’s not that vague of a topic anymore. Now get those, tees, skinny jeans, and converses out if you want to be retro chick.
For some people out there “cool” is too old for them. Now it’s all of the sudden a certain type of cool. If females want to be known as retro cool, then they should change their styles and their music selection. Now these females do not have to worry about what is “cool” in the whole society; instead they need to worry about what is being considered “cool” in the retro society. Much of the retro coolness has to do with you looking retro cool from the outside, so appearance wise.
"100 Cool Things About Being A Guy." funlol. Web. 7 Dec 2009.
There are many things that are considered cool amongst females, but we usually get to see much of what girls consider cool. The guys just sit there and listen as Andy said once. In this article, we get the guy’s view on what they think is cool about themselves. Much of this compared to what females think is “cool” and their reactions.
This atricle has 100 reasons for guys to be considered “cool”. Much of it compares to females because it all depends on the society and what they think. Guys can go around and get every girl in town. If the girls do the same then that would not be considered such a good thing. Most of these points try to say that guys do not get to worry about the smallest things while girls do. This is what makes them “cool” because they are laid back and chill about everything.
Seventeen Magazine
Many teenage girls get their fashion ideas from all the magazines offered to them. One of these is the well known seventeen magazine. It provides the latest fashion and styles out there. They show what celebrities have been seen wearing and tell readers where these products are available cheaper. They also provide beauty techniques to get a certain celebrities look.
Many readers follow all the steps and tips given in these magazines. They want to look like someone else. For them this is considered “cool”. Its funny how many people out there say that to be “cool” you need to be yourself. You want to add your own twist to these styles and make them work for you; if you copy it out of a book it won’t work that well. You have to see what works for you because something that looks nice on someone else may not look so good on you.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Hw 27
Street Interviews:
Anthony: Works at Tasti D-Lite
Waiting for him to take the customer’s order we started to ask Anthony questions about the word cool and our society: “Who would you say is the coolest person in our society and why?” After thinking for a while he states: “I would have to say the coolest person in our society is Cameron Diaz; she gives a lot to the society by doing charity work.” “What would you say is the true meaning of cool?” “Cool is something to be, you do everything to be cool in your own way.” “Why do you think the word cool is always taken as a compliment?” “Everybody does their own thing and they get compliments, if you think it’s cool to rob then you’re going to rob, you may not get compliments for that one though.” I ask him: “Do you think anyone can be born cool?” He answers: “No, I guess actions cause you to be cool.” “What do you think of when you hear the word cool?” “I think about cool as in the weather or temperature, it feels good. Like a cool breeze or something like that.” Who would you say was the coolest person in high school?” “Hmmm, I would say myself because I was known but I was humble as well. I was cool with everybody meaning that I got along with everyone. High school was the only school where I didn’t get into a fight with anyone.” Later on he states: “To me my father is the coolest person in the world; he gave up his whole career for me.” (after a while replaces father with parents).
Michelle (42): Works at Jewelry Store
While taking a break for a smoke outside we asked Michelle some questions about cool in our society: “Hi, we are interviewing people about the word cool and what it means in our society; would you like to contribute some thoughts?” “Cool! Yeah, sure. Why not? My parents were hippies from the 60’s. I always use the word cool, my coworkers always make fun of me because I use it so often.” While giggling, I ask: “Who would you say is the coolest person in our society and why?” She states: “Well Obama made an important speech last night about sending more troops over to Afghanistan that was pretty disappointing. I would say Obama is cool, he is honest and truthful. That guy has the hardest job on the block.” “Would you say you are cool yourself?” I wouldn’t be called cool by my kids but yeah I would say I’m cool.” “How do you think cool differs in different societies?” “Well, I have been to places like Germany, France and Tahiti. I was in a beach in Tahiti and I had these toys for the beach; all of the sudden these people started to come up to me and began to play with the toys. This is cool they said. The word is used a lot in different parts of the world.” “Who was the coolest person you knew in school?” “Eddie Fisher; he was the guy who had combat boots before anyone else, this made him trendy.”
Brian/Mr. Cool: Works with Michelle
After finishing our talk with Michelle, Brian joins us and gives us some thoughts about the word cool: “What is the definition of cool in your dictionary?” “He states: “Something that people admire.” “Who is the coolest person in our society?” “I would say Jeremy Piven from Entourage, his attitude, very cool and aggressive; he is sharp and quick with words. He doesn’t care how it comes out in real life or on television.” I ask him: “Why do you think the word cool is always taken as a compliment?” He answers: “Because it’s something people admire.” “Can you be born cool?” “You cannot be born cool, you have to earn it and gain it on your own. It’s like a degree; you need a couple of years to get it. Some people fail the course miserably.” “Would you say nerds are cool?” “Nerds are cool in their own way.”
Family:
I went around and asked each family member in my house: “What does cool mean to you?” and gave the one minute to answer; this is what they blurted out:
Nabil: “Being popular, for boys its trying to get the most girls, having your head held high and thinking you are better than others and showing it as well. In our society basketball is the coolest sport, the players are automatically considered cool. Kobe made that miracle shot so he is considered cool these days. To be cool you gotta be from coming from “the hood”.”
Mujeeb: “A nice breeze, good weather, an easy going person is cool.”
Bushra: “Talking like a “cool” person using the words: “peace out” or “yo”. Popular kids, being mean to people just to be different and stand out. Jumping over the turnstile in a subway station.”
Shahana: “Casual and relaxed, no formality. Having a different style and setting trends. Having the latest gadgets, if you like something then it automatically becomes “cool” to you, doesn’t have to be considered “cool” by others though.
Friend:
Kavita:
Over an aim conversation I asked my frien Kavita some questions about "cool" in our sciety; this is how she responded:
What is your definition of cool?
My definition of the word "cool" is a word describing a content feeling; it can be replaced with the words "alright," "awesome," or "that's fine."
Can one ever be born cool?
Based on my definition of the word cool, I think that if a person is born with no complications, they would be born cool. Based on my definition of cool, someone being born cool is like saying the process of being born is cool like "I was born cool" would mean "the birth process was cool"
Who would you say is the coolest person in our society?
Okay, I would say the coolest person in our society is Obama, because it makes me feel content
How so?
Him being president makes me feel content because I am glad he won the presidency; he will make the country better for us as well as for the future generations, and he is for the common people.
How do u think cool differs in different societies?
I think my definition of cool seems to be the consensus in most societies, but people's opinion of content change because for Americans, our range of "coolness" varies because of the diverse cultures in this country. However, for other societies, "cool" would be defined as something that supports or enhances their culture.
Anthony: Works at Tasti D-Lite
Waiting for him to take the customer’s order we started to ask Anthony questions about the word cool and our society: “Who would you say is the coolest person in our society and why?” After thinking for a while he states: “I would have to say the coolest person in our society is Cameron Diaz; she gives a lot to the society by doing charity work.” “What would you say is the true meaning of cool?” “Cool is something to be, you do everything to be cool in your own way.” “Why do you think the word cool is always taken as a compliment?” “Everybody does their own thing and they get compliments, if you think it’s cool to rob then you’re going to rob, you may not get compliments for that one though.” I ask him: “Do you think anyone can be born cool?” He answers: “No, I guess actions cause you to be cool.” “What do you think of when you hear the word cool?” “I think about cool as in the weather or temperature, it feels good. Like a cool breeze or something like that.” Who would you say was the coolest person in high school?” “Hmmm, I would say myself because I was known but I was humble as well. I was cool with everybody meaning that I got along with everyone. High school was the only school where I didn’t get into a fight with anyone.” Later on he states: “To me my father is the coolest person in the world; he gave up his whole career for me.” (after a while replaces father with parents).
Michelle (42): Works at Jewelry Store
While taking a break for a smoke outside we asked Michelle some questions about cool in our society: “Hi, we are interviewing people about the word cool and what it means in our society; would you like to contribute some thoughts?” “Cool! Yeah, sure. Why not? My parents were hippies from the 60’s. I always use the word cool, my coworkers always make fun of me because I use it so often.” While giggling, I ask: “Who would you say is the coolest person in our society and why?” She states: “Well Obama made an important speech last night about sending more troops over to Afghanistan that was pretty disappointing. I would say Obama is cool, he is honest and truthful. That guy has the hardest job on the block.” “Would you say you are cool yourself?” I wouldn’t be called cool by my kids but yeah I would say I’m cool.” “How do you think cool differs in different societies?” “Well, I have been to places like Germany, France and Tahiti. I was in a beach in Tahiti and I had these toys for the beach; all of the sudden these people started to come up to me and began to play with the toys. This is cool they said. The word is used a lot in different parts of the world.” “Who was the coolest person you knew in school?” “Eddie Fisher; he was the guy who had combat boots before anyone else, this made him trendy.”
Brian/Mr. Cool: Works with Michelle
After finishing our talk with Michelle, Brian joins us and gives us some thoughts about the word cool: “What is the definition of cool in your dictionary?” “He states: “Something that people admire.” “Who is the coolest person in our society?” “I would say Jeremy Piven from Entourage, his attitude, very cool and aggressive; he is sharp and quick with words. He doesn’t care how it comes out in real life or on television.” I ask him: “Why do you think the word cool is always taken as a compliment?” He answers: “Because it’s something people admire.” “Can you be born cool?” “You cannot be born cool, you have to earn it and gain it on your own. It’s like a degree; you need a couple of years to get it. Some people fail the course miserably.” “Would you say nerds are cool?” “Nerds are cool in their own way.”
Family:
I went around and asked each family member in my house: “What does cool mean to you?” and gave the one minute to answer; this is what they blurted out:
Nabil: “Being popular, for boys its trying to get the most girls, having your head held high and thinking you are better than others and showing it as well. In our society basketball is the coolest sport, the players are automatically considered cool. Kobe made that miracle shot so he is considered cool these days. To be cool you gotta be from coming from “the hood”.”
Mujeeb: “A nice breeze, good weather, an easy going person is cool.”
Bushra: “Talking like a “cool” person using the words: “peace out” or “yo”. Popular kids, being mean to people just to be different and stand out. Jumping over the turnstile in a subway station.”
Shahana: “Casual and relaxed, no formality. Having a different style and setting trends. Having the latest gadgets, if you like something then it automatically becomes “cool” to you, doesn’t have to be considered “cool” by others though.
Friend:
Kavita:
Over an aim conversation I asked my frien Kavita some questions about "cool" in our sciety; this is how she responded:
What is your definition of cool?
My definition of the word "cool" is a word describing a content feeling; it can be replaced with the words "alright," "awesome," or "that's fine."
Can one ever be born cool?
Based on my definition of the word cool, I think that if a person is born with no complications, they would be born cool. Based on my definition of cool, someone being born cool is like saying the process of being born is cool like "I was born cool" would mean "the birth process was cool"
Who would you say is the coolest person in our society?
Okay, I would say the coolest person in our society is Obama, because it makes me feel content
How so?
Him being president makes me feel content because I am glad he won the presidency; he will make the country better for us as well as for the future generations, and he is for the common people.
How do u think cool differs in different societies?
I think my definition of cool seems to be the consensus in most societies, but people's opinion of content change because for Americans, our range of "coolness" varies because of the diverse cultures in this country. However, for other societies, "cool" would be defined as something that supports or enhances their culture.
Hw 26
Jamila W:
Who do you think was the coolest person to live?
“Steve Biko; I think he was cool because he was a political activist, who during the Apartheid in South Africa, he stood up to the Bantu system. Being cool is admirable, he is someone I admire.
How does “cool” differ in different societies?
“Having traveled to many countries other than the U.S. I would say imitating Americans. For example I was in Guatemala and I attended school there; the cool thing to do there was to dress up in a hip hop kind of way. It was not unique to Guatemalan culture; they were imitating what they saw on television.
What is cool?
“Cool is to be an individual and true to yourself, it’s the cool thing to do.”
Is it possible for one to be born cool?
“Yes, celebrities have kids that are born cool. There are people out there offering millions of dollars to take pictures of them. They are always being watched and this is what makes them cool. Angelina Jolie’s daughter is already cool and she can’t even talk yet.”
Can Cool be perceived differently between males and females?
Yes, for example if a boy and a girl are observing how another female acts, the girl may say that is not cute/cool, but the guy may think the total and complete antithesis.”
Cierra M:
What is your definition of cool?
"Someone that is kind, sweet and they have to have a good head on their shoulder."
Can anyone ever be born cool?
"Yea it all depends on how they are raised."
Okay, so how should a kid be raised to be considered cool?
"With respect and they have to have manners and know how to try their best."
Do you think it's cool for people to use the word cool in different countries other than in the U.S.A.?
"Yes."
Okay…why?
"Because it does not matter where you are from you are allowed to use the word."
Why do people want to be considered cool?
"Because they want to fit in with other people and want to change the way they are. They want to change their looks and personality with other people and try to convince then that they are worth hanging out with."
Sienna G:
Who is the “coolest” person in our society and why?
“I think Jay-Z is the “coolest” person in our society because he always seems to be layed back and never stresses out much. He just has the cool swag, also because his music is the greatest.”
Do you think it's possible for one to be born cool? How so?
“I think in some cases people are born cool, but that also depends on your definition of cool. Cool is something that can’t be forced, it just happens.”
So, what is your definition of cool?
“Cool to me is somebody who is real layed back, chill, social, book smart, street smart, can hang with anyone and is not judgmental towards anybody.”
Do you think cool be perceived differently between males and females?
“Yeah, but not just between males and females...it can be perceived differently by everybody because there is no real definition of cool.”
Monday, November 23, 2009
Hw 25 - comments and analysis
Michelle:
Hey,
I liked many things about this character in your story; he has a lot of confidence and only cares about himself. He doesn't pay any attention to what is going on around him. The guy doesn't let anyone tell him what to do, he does his own thing.
Larche:
I like how you have 2 “cool” characters in your story. Your first character is “cool” because she is setting off new trends, she stands out for this. Later on she is over shadowed by someone else that is “cooler” than her.
Mohammed:
Your character stands up for himself in front of an elderly figure which does not happen a lot in our society. Usually if this happened to someone they would mutter something under their breath and keep quiet, instead your character does the opposite of this which makes them stand out amongst others.
Charles:
Haha, I agree with Jakob. “Andy” feels very happy and excited about showing off his new Gucci products to the ladies. Your character has loads of cash and loves to let others know about this. It seems like without money, this character wouldn’t have been cool at all. Good comeback :P
Rachel:
I like how you tell the story from your own point of view, as if you were looking at this girl right now and thinking about the first day you saw her. Your character doesn’t seem to want all this attention or be cool; she is naturally a pro at it. You don’t use money, or “cool” clothes to show that she is cool, she is just “cool” the way she is.
Response:
Many of the stories I read showed that the character had a lot of confidence. Many of the characters were going to their first day of high school, and they did not show any signs of nervousness. They just went with the flow. The amount of confidence seems to be cool in our society because we are not used to that. Usually many people have knots in their stomach, or start to get tense on their first day of school. The characters in most of these stories were cool as cucumbers; they did not give a shit about if it was their first day of school. They just went to school as if they would any other day; it was no big deal to them at all.
One of the stories showed how their character was “cool” because they had a lot of money and they loved to show this off to others. He wants to let everybody else know that he is a very rich man and feels like money is all he needs to be cool, without it he wouldn’t stand out at all. The writer assumes that everybody thinks you are “cool” if you have a lot of money. I wouldn’t say that this is true for everyone. Yes this shows that you have loads of money, but money can’t buy you everything. Yes you will have higher status when compared to others, but what are you trying to prove here?
In a couple of stories I read, the main character was standing out by her choice of clothing. This helped her stand out amongst her peers. I agree with this situation, I think that if someone has the guts to go out and wear something retro then I would consider you “cool”. This connects to me in some ways. Sometimes I try out new things by creating ideas in my head, or having unique choices in style that stand out. For example these days I have been setting a trend by wearing a chain through my earrings. I have gotten tons of comments from others saying “Oh my god! That is so cool!” They keep saying that they are going to do the same thing. I guess I relate to these types of characters because I usually aim for things that make me stand out as an individual because I like to be known as my own person.
Some stories I read were about students standing up for others or standing up to their teachers. This also makes you look “cool” since you receive attention from others because you stand out compared to them. Not many people would stick up for someone in front of a bully; they would just keep quiet and fit in with the background. Another example in one of the stories is when the student stands up to their teacher. They let themselves get heard, at the same time they are viewed as “cool” individuals in other people’s eyes.
Hey,
I liked many things about this character in your story; he has a lot of confidence and only cares about himself. He doesn't pay any attention to what is going on around him. The guy doesn't let anyone tell him what to do, he does his own thing.
Larche:
I like how you have 2 “cool” characters in your story. Your first character is “cool” because she is setting off new trends, she stands out for this. Later on she is over shadowed by someone else that is “cooler” than her.
Mohammed:
Your character stands up for himself in front of an elderly figure which does not happen a lot in our society. Usually if this happened to someone they would mutter something under their breath and keep quiet, instead your character does the opposite of this which makes them stand out amongst others.
Charles:
Haha, I agree with Jakob. “Andy” feels very happy and excited about showing off his new Gucci products to the ladies. Your character has loads of cash and loves to let others know about this. It seems like without money, this character wouldn’t have been cool at all. Good comeback :P
Rachel:
I like how you tell the story from your own point of view, as if you were looking at this girl right now and thinking about the first day you saw her. Your character doesn’t seem to want all this attention or be cool; she is naturally a pro at it. You don’t use money, or “cool” clothes to show that she is cool, she is just “cool” the way she is.
Response:
Many of the stories I read showed that the character had a lot of confidence. Many of the characters were going to their first day of high school, and they did not show any signs of nervousness. They just went with the flow. The amount of confidence seems to be cool in our society because we are not used to that. Usually many people have knots in their stomach, or start to get tense on their first day of school. The characters in most of these stories were cool as cucumbers; they did not give a shit about if it was their first day of school. They just went to school as if they would any other day; it was no big deal to them at all.
One of the stories showed how their character was “cool” because they had a lot of money and they loved to show this off to others. He wants to let everybody else know that he is a very rich man and feels like money is all he needs to be cool, without it he wouldn’t stand out at all. The writer assumes that everybody thinks you are “cool” if you have a lot of money. I wouldn’t say that this is true for everyone. Yes this shows that you have loads of money, but money can’t buy you everything. Yes you will have higher status when compared to others, but what are you trying to prove here?
In a couple of stories I read, the main character was standing out by her choice of clothing. This helped her stand out amongst her peers. I agree with this situation, I think that if someone has the guts to go out and wear something retro then I would consider you “cool”. This connects to me in some ways. Sometimes I try out new things by creating ideas in my head, or having unique choices in style that stand out. For example these days I have been setting a trend by wearing a chain through my earrings. I have gotten tons of comments from others saying “Oh my god! That is so cool!” They keep saying that they are going to do the same thing. I guess I relate to these types of characters because I usually aim for things that make me stand out as an individual because I like to be known as my own person.
Some stories I read were about students standing up for others or standing up to their teachers. This also makes you look “cool” since you receive attention from others because you stand out compared to them. Not many people would stick up for someone in front of a bully; they would just keep quiet and fit in with the background. Another example in one of the stories is when the student stands up to their teacher. They let themselves get heard, at the same time they are viewed as “cool” individuals in other people’s eyes.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Hw 24 Short Story 1
She grabs her coffee and mutters a thank you. Walking out she can feel everybody’s eyes on her, she smoothes out her Burberry coat. While walking out the door with her head held high she has her assistant hail a cab. She checks her watch and sighs learning that she is already fifteen minutes late to school. Finally a cab decides to stop and she gets in, her assistant gives the driver directions to her school and in 10 minutes she has arrived in front of her school. She pays the cab driver “keep the change.” The assistant hurries up to open the door for Harmony. She reapplies her Lancôme lip-gloss and steps out of the cab; then walks in through the gate of the school. Walking calmly she enters the school, classes are in session, she is thirty minutes late. The principal gives her a strong stare, but she ignores him and keeps on walking.
Principal: “Mhmmmm, Harmony you are already thirty minutes late to your class, why don’t you spend the rest of the time you should have been in class in my office and tell me why you are so late.”
Harmony’s Assistant Responds: “She is sorry but she had to get her beauty sleep and I just could not disturb her.”
Principal: “Oh, I see. Well tell her that if she has another one of these beauty sleep lateness’s, she will be expelled, this is the last time I will be repeating this.”
Harmony: “Expel me now.”
Principal: “excuse me?”
Harmony: “Expel me now”
Principal: “I am afraid that I cannot do that until the next time you are late.”
Harmony: “Alright, I guess I will be expelled from this school tomorrow.”
Principal shakes his head and walks away to his office and Harmony walks calmly to class. The next day…
Assistant: “Miss, you are already ten minutes late to school, the cab ride will take another 10 if we get lucky.”
Harmony: “I don’t care, he is lucky that I am attending his school; I am the reason why the school’s name is all over the place. If it’s hurting anyone, it’s hurting him.”
Assistant: “True.”
Harmony gets expelled from her current school and when everyone finds out what happened they are very surprised and say that they would never do what she did because they would never have the guts to.
Principal: “Mhmmmm, Harmony you are already thirty minutes late to your class, why don’t you spend the rest of the time you should have been in class in my office and tell me why you are so late.”
Harmony’s Assistant Responds: “She is sorry but she had to get her beauty sleep and I just could not disturb her.”
Principal: “Oh, I see. Well tell her that if she has another one of these beauty sleep lateness’s, she will be expelled, this is the last time I will be repeating this.”
Harmony: “Expel me now.”
Principal: “excuse me?”
Harmony: “Expel me now”
Principal: “I am afraid that I cannot do that until the next time you are late.”
Harmony: “Alright, I guess I will be expelled from this school tomorrow.”
Principal shakes his head and walks away to his office and Harmony walks calmly to class. The next day…
Assistant: “Miss, you are already ten minutes late to school, the cab ride will take another 10 if we get lucky.”
Harmony: “I don’t care, he is lucky that I am attending his school; I am the reason why the school’s name is all over the place. If it’s hurting anyone, it’s hurting him.”
Assistant: “True.”
Harmony gets expelled from her current school and when everyone finds out what happened they are very surprised and say that they would never do what she did because they would never have the guts to.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Hw 23 - "Cool"
I don’t think that there is one set definition of “cool”. It all varies because the term “cool” is used throughout many subjects. When looking up the term in a dictionary it says: cool >adjective 1 of or at a fairly low temperature. 2 keeping one from becoming too hot. 3 unfriendly or unenthusiastic. 4 free from anxiety or excitement: he kept a cool head. 5 (of jazz) restrained and relaxed. 6 informal fashionably attractive or impressive. 7 informal excellent. 8 (a cool ) informal used to emphasize a specified large amount of money: a cool £50 million. >noun (the cool) a fairly low temperature, or a place or time characterized by this: the cool of the day. >verb make or become cool. There is more
than one definition; it depends on what you are using the word for.
I guess the feeling of “cool” also depends on when the term is being used. When talking about weather than the term is responding to the temperature and the physical feeling of cool. When talking about someone being “cool” it’s usually a good thing because it’s like you are receiving a compliment. “Cool” is usually something that is said in a positive manner. If someone says “oh what do you think of him/her?” Usually the response would be he/she is “cool”. Not many people now days say that someone is nice or kind. Cool is just a word that is used in our everyday life. These days it seems like it’s one of the words we cannot live without like the word “the”. Cool can be referring to clothing, someone’s personality, temperature, and many more things. From my own experiences, I find that cool is always taken as a compliment. You feel good when you hear that someone hears that you are cool. I have never experienced or heard that someone is not happy when someone considers them “cool”.
There are many questions that come to mind when thinking about the word “cool”. Who came up with the word cool? Why are there so many concepts of such a small and random word? Why does the word cool usually have positive response? How are the interpretations of “cool” different throughout various parts of the world? Why would you be cool rather than uncool? What are the pros and cons of being “cool”? Uncool? When did this whole being “cool” thing begin? What was/is the original definition of cool? Would you rather hang out with the “cool” crowd or “uncool” crowd? Why?
There are many ideas that I have had in my mind since we started talking about this word “cool”. When actually thinking about the word “cool” here are some thoughts I have: Out of the ordinary, opposite of “weird”, latest equipment (technology), swag, better than others, standing out, what’s “in”, skills, basketball, higher status, showing off, reputation, style, number of “friends”/entourage, who has you back? Society, acceptance, mucho diner, “fitting in”, leader/follower. These are just some of the thoughts I have.
An example of someone that is cool is like basketball players in the NBA. Lets say if there is a game on tonight with the Cavaliers vs. the Nuggets and Lebron James makes the winning shot; he is going to be considered cool because not only is he a good player he made his team win and it all depended on him that night. Everybody is going to be like “Damn he’s cool”. But what about the other players? That’s what I mean when you have to stand out to be cool. If you are not different from others then you would not be “cool”, you would just be there. It all depends on what you are cool in and what society thinks is cool, these days the “coolest” sport out there is basketball, and if you are a good player then you are automatically considered cool by the society. I guess there are different types of “cool” based on society. Let’s say if you do something out of the ordinary then that would be cool. From my experience this can be proved correct; I have different customs and I am from a different culture. Even though I was born in the city, I have a very diverse background. When I do something traditional and someone hears about it they are look oh that’s cool because this is not usual for them, they do not see this everyday. I guess I am considered cool with some people, but I don’t really care. If I have some close friends then that’s all I need, I’m not really with that “cool” shit. Even though I use the word quiet often, I don’t really care about my status, I only care about the people I am close with and my future because none of this will matter later on.
than one definition; it depends on what you are using the word for.
I guess the feeling of “cool” also depends on when the term is being used. When talking about weather than the term is responding to the temperature and the physical feeling of cool. When talking about someone being “cool” it’s usually a good thing because it’s like you are receiving a compliment. “Cool” is usually something that is said in a positive manner. If someone says “oh what do you think of him/her?” Usually the response would be he/she is “cool”. Not many people now days say that someone is nice or kind. Cool is just a word that is used in our everyday life. These days it seems like it’s one of the words we cannot live without like the word “the”. Cool can be referring to clothing, someone’s personality, temperature, and many more things. From my own experiences, I find that cool is always taken as a compliment. You feel good when you hear that someone hears that you are cool. I have never experienced or heard that someone is not happy when someone considers them “cool”.
There are many questions that come to mind when thinking about the word “cool”. Who came up with the word cool? Why are there so many concepts of such a small and random word? Why does the word cool usually have positive response? How are the interpretations of “cool” different throughout various parts of the world? Why would you be cool rather than uncool? What are the pros and cons of being “cool”? Uncool? When did this whole being “cool” thing begin? What was/is the original definition of cool? Would you rather hang out with the “cool” crowd or “uncool” crowd? Why?
There are many ideas that I have had in my mind since we started talking about this word “cool”. When actually thinking about the word “cool” here are some thoughts I have: Out of the ordinary, opposite of “weird”, latest equipment (technology), swag, better than others, standing out, what’s “in”, skills, basketball, higher status, showing off, reputation, style, number of “friends”/entourage, who has you back? Society, acceptance, mucho diner, “fitting in”, leader/follower. These are just some of the thoughts I have.
An example of someone that is cool is like basketball players in the NBA. Lets say if there is a game on tonight with the Cavaliers vs. the Nuggets and Lebron James makes the winning shot; he is going to be considered cool because not only is he a good player he made his team win and it all depended on him that night. Everybody is going to be like “Damn he’s cool”. But what about the other players? That’s what I mean when you have to stand out to be cool. If you are not different from others then you would not be “cool”, you would just be there. It all depends on what you are cool in and what society thinks is cool, these days the “coolest” sport out there is basketball, and if you are a good player then you are automatically considered cool by the society. I guess there are different types of “cool” based on society. Let’s say if you do something out of the ordinary then that would be cool. From my experience this can be proved correct; I have different customs and I am from a different culture. Even though I was born in the city, I have a very diverse background. When I do something traditional and someone hears about it they are look oh that’s cool because this is not usual for them, they do not see this everyday. I guess I am considered cool with some people, but I don’t really care. If I have some close friends then that’s all I need, I’m not really with that “cool” shit. Even though I use the word quiet often, I don’t really care about my status, I only care about the people I am close with and my future because none of this will matter later on.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Hw 21 - Art Project 1
I would say my artwork is like a mirror. It reflects the history and modern times of our society. I chose to create a clock that shows technology and how it has modernized throughout some time. I start with the video game which came out around the late 1950’s. Then it’s the internet which came out in the late 1960’s. After that E commerce came out in the 1970’s. Game systems came out around 1972, cell phones in 1973, digital video in 1975, compact discs in 1982, the minidisc in 1992, digital television in 1993, and at last the e book which came out in the 2000’s. I wouldn’t say this piece of artwork is a hammer because I am not creating many new ideas about what is going on in our modern technological world. I show what is already going on. I guess I use a bit of the hammer because I predict what will happen in the future with the last two pictures; after the e-book I made a brain with a “feed” implanted and for the last one I drew a picture of a robot. I would say most of it was a mirror since it is reflecting what is seen day to day, towards the end it shows a bit of work requiring my handy hammer.
Yes, when looking at my artwork it does make me “fink and theel”. It makes me look at what is going on in our world today. We are all blindfolded with our technology. Will this “blindfold” ever come off? If so what will happen? How will it change us? While creating this piece of artwork I kept asking myself these questions. To be honest I don’t think that this “blindfold” will be coming off anytime soon; and if it does than it would be a miracle. Looking at our society today, we can assume that we cannot live without our digital/electronic devices.
I like the whole clock idea in my artwork. It shows how technology has evolved throughout the years and makes the me think about what kind of impact it has made on us. I showed the hands pointing to the e-book because this is where we are standing at currently. We have a short time left until we will become into a piece of technology ourselves; shouldn’t we be scared?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Hw 22 Final Paper
How has digital obsession affected our society?
Introduction
Do we ever ask ourselves how has digital obsession affected our society?
We wake up in the morning get our daily coffee and catch the next train which will drop us by our destination. After getting there we realize that we left our most prized possession at home; our cell phone/laptop/I pod or any other electronic device. This is why the whole day becomes a “bad day” simply because this one item is missing from our life. But have we ever given any time to think about how these digital/electronic devices affect us and the way we live. They are creating us into robots; we rely on technology more than we rely on our family. Has this world gone mad? These materials have made us into completely different creatures; they have impacted our society in a negative manner. Technology is used without any limits, it harms our mental and physical health and it leaves us in a state of disembodiment. The permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a negative way.
Limitless access to technology
In our society, technology is used without any limits which affects us negatively. M.T. Anderson wrote a book based on the digital/electronic craze and how it has affected our society. The book is titled Feed. We are all living this life that is controlled by technology; we cannot live without our electronic equipment. Majority of the characters in Feed have a “feed” hooked up to their brain. This is the most important part of their body; when something goes wrong with their “feed” then they are in danger.
One character named Violet gets to be the victim of this problem. She has a hacker that keeps messing with her “feed”. This malfunctions with everything in her body, and causes her relationship with her boyfriend to end. When Violet is completely malfunctioned her ex-boyfriend gives her a visit. He feels bad because the reason they broke up was because of Violet’s “feed”: “And for the first time, I started crying. I cried, sitting by her bed, and I told her the story of us. “It’s about the feed.” I said (Anderson 297). Since Violet had a hacker hack into her “feed” her life was ruined. She had nothing left; she had someone else controlling her life, her boyfriend couldn’t help her so he broke up with her; there was no other option. Everything was up to the hacker because he had all the control over Violet. This is exactly how we are living in this world; we are controlled by the digital devices that surround us. Without them we cannot seem to live; we seem to massively depend on these devices and cannot leave them behind. This is because we are used to them and rely on them too much.
Even if we try to detach ourselves from the usage of such materials we are forced to use them by our society. Without the use of technology, it seems like our futures will be in jeopardy. This is true, because of this whole craze with digital/electronic media; everything seems to rely on technology.
Computers are the most common things out there. Everyone has to own a computer; in fact if you do not own a computer then you would be considered an outcast. Suddenly, applications are being filled out online, homework is being typed and students are goggling certain things for their research papers. For example many students that are applying to colleges fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). When filling out this form students are given the choice of filling it out online or doing it by hand: “You have two choices when you fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid: online with FAFSA on the Web, or the old-fashioned way— on paper. FAFSA recommends that you save a tree and fill out the FAFSA online” (University Language). FAFSA recommends that their students fill out the application online; later on they state that applying online has the benefits of access to help, automatically checking errors, faster student aid report, more spaces to fit in college choices and much more. They make it seem as if filling out the application by hand is an “old fashion” way of doing so. If a student were to fill out a FAFSA application they will be encouraged to do it online using their computer.
This is never ending; even if we try to keep our distance from these devices our society doesn’t let us do so. We spend more time using technology rather than getting a full night of sleep. M.T. Anderson has predicted our future and so far it seems like he is right with how the way things will end up later. Technology is taking over our generation and molding us into different creatures. Not only do we use digital devices without limits which cause negative impact, they can cause much harm to our health, both mentally and physically.
Harm to health caused by technology
Technology can cause one much harm without them knowing about it. Digital/electronic media usage has really boosted up within a decade. When thinking about it, our society was very different a decade ago when being compared to the way it is right now. These devices are just bought without having any research done. We see an ad and if it catches our eye then it’s ours no matter what happens. After bought, these devices are showed off to others to make them know that we are “up to date” with this digital/electronic craze. This makes the people you showed it off to go out and purchase these devices; this chain keeps going on and on and on until the product gets “old” and a “new” one comes out. Nobody really knows how these devices have harmed us, mentally and physically. Spending some time doing research on these devices and how they harm us can really change ones decision when they are about to purchase their product.
Cell phone radiation is a big concern and there are many health concerns associated with it. “As of August 2005 there have been 2 billion cell phone users worldwide” (Wikipedia), yet they seem to ignore this fact. This concern has raised the number of researches being done about the possibility of having health problems connected with cell phone usage. Some researches show that there are no risk factors present, but other researches show that they are the cause of some health problems. One research claims when using a cell phone, radio waves are absorbed by the human head. These lead to harmful effects with memory, sleep, the brain, and many more parts of the body. After reading such an article one may be very surprised because none of these risks are shown in ads or as warnings in packages when purchased. If cell phone usage stays the same way it is right now, in a couple of decades many users will have to suffer with affects on their health caused by cell phone usage. Looking at the way things are now, the usage of cell phones seem to be expanding more then ever.
Another big health concern regards the usage of video games and how they affect gamers. There are many video gamers out there that are completely addicted to their favorite games. They want to reach the hardest level of the game and tell everyone else how they are the best at this certain game. What they don’t realize is how all this gaming has been affecting them in a negative way. One study finds that male video gamers are affected physically while females are affected mentally: “Female video-game players reported greater depression and lower health status than female nonplayers. Male video-game players reported higher BMI and more Internet use time than male nonplayers” (Science Daily). Obesity is very common for video gamers, they become lazy and get used to sitting around and playing their favorite game for hours. It is not very common to hear that video games can cause depression. There are many reasons for why these females playing video games are depressed. For example female characters in games may seem to be “attractive” and females playing the game may want to look more like them. Another example is all the violence and nudity in games, these may not be appropriate for all players yet they do not care. These graphics may not be suitable for a player that has had bad experiences in the past associated with violence or nudity. All these digital devices affect the society in a negative way, from the “outside” they may look very appealing, but digging deeper we find that they are not very good for us. Another negative affect associated with technology is digital devices cause us to be in a state of disembodiment.
Technology causes disembodiment
When using digital/electronic devices, we are in a state of disembodiment. Wall-E is an animated movie which is about a robot named Wall-E that is abandoned in our world full of trash and litter. This movie attracts many young viewers because it looks “cute” and kid friendly, but there is much more behind it. When looking at every aspect of this movie, it shows the viewer how our world will look like in the near future if things stay the same way as they are right now. Our planet will be a useless pile of dump, and every living human will be aboard a spaceship containing all the latest technology. We will all be obese and sit in a power chair that will take us every where automatically. We will have no sense of where we stand; instead we will be chatting away with others on the screens provided in front of us.
At one point of the movie, Wall-E disturbs a lady named Mary who is chatting to a monitor while sitting on her power chair. At first she doesn’t seem to nudge at all; she is too busy talking to her screen. Some how Wall-E makes the screen in front of her disappear. This is when the lady realizes that he is trying to talk to her. Which leads her into realizing where she is at and all the amenities that surround her. “I didn’t know we had a pool” Mary states (Imdb). Even though this scene is ten seconds long, it really shows how disembodied she is; she has no sense of where she is. The digital/electronic materials surrounding her are enough to keep her alive. This connects to how we are living in our world today. We are always watching television, texting away on our cell phones and type away on our computers. We are always in a state of disembodiment and never realize it.
Another example from this movie is when Wall-E enters the space ship and seems to be amazed when he sees all the digital and electronic media surrounding him. He is very confused at first, but later on it excites him. Since he doesn’t have a power chair like all the others do, he is on his own feet. Wall-E is very different compared to the others since everyone there is being transported by their power chairs, and they are used to it. While he is walking around he bumps into a guy that is being transported on his power chair. He falls off the chair and cant get up; when Wall-E helps him he states his name and the man is very confused and does not know how to respond. He has a very confused face on and mutters his name: “Uh hmmm, my name is John” (Wall-E). This is exactly what happens day to day in our society. We will be walking by and when we bump into someone that is typing away on their black berry or “crackberry” as they call it nowadays, they are very confused and do not know how to respond. They are completely in a state of disembodiment. They do not know what’s going on around them. They just know what is going on in the screen in front of them.
We ignore each other because we are too busy with these devices which we depend on way too much. We have no control over ourselves: we are controlled by the technology we are handling at the time. This is affecting us negatively since we are becoming too dependent on them and we cannot detach ourselves from these materials. We cannot sense our surroundings, yet we seem to only look at what is in front of us. Our minds are lingering somewhere else while we appear to be here by others. This is caused by our limitless access to digital/electronic devices.
Connections
The forms of technology developed a lot throughout the years of its inventions. One piece of technology that is commonly used around the world is the computer. Computers can be found in any part of the world. There were many types of computers that were invented in the 1900’s. “The first IBM PC came out in the 1953” (Computer Hope). After the inventions of the computer, it started to spread all around the world for many uses, usually for business and research. This situation will likely lead to the events that happen in Feed by M.T. Anderson. “Feeds” may not be implanted in the brains of future generations but many other things occur already, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear “feeds” being implanted in brains of future generations. The limitless usage of technology which causes us to act like different creatures. It will lead to many health problems for current users and many may permanently stay in a state of disembodiment since they will be used to the limitless amount of technology they are used to using for years.
Opposing view points
Everything Bad is Good for You is a text written by Steven Johnson. He talks about our generation and all the technology that surrounds us. He wants his readers to realize that all these devices are doing us good. In his writing he talks about what is said in the society and what he thinks about it. In one part of the text he states: “television and video games corrupt young children’s and teenager’s minds.” (Anderson, M.T.) He argues this statement by talking about how video games stimulate the gamers mind. He backs this opinion up by saying we make challenges for ourselves without knowing it. A gamer may be setting up a challenge to complete a game with certain difficulty or reach a certain level, but researches show many health concerns regarding video games. Even though we are making “challenges”, we are harming our selves at the same time as well. How will playing video games help us in the future? Will we require these skills for something important? Will a player that is great at playing video games related to basketball join the NBA? Video games will never help us; players just want to use an excuse so they can play these games. The fact is no excuses are true at all, and everyone knows this but no one wants to admit it.
As an assignment, students from Andy’s class went outside to the “real world” and asked victims of this digital craze questions about the digital/electronic craze. Walking around the city we see many different age groups; when asking the question: “If I were to say you look like a person who is captured in the digital world, would you be insulted or complimented? Why? When asking young individuals many were neutral or usually said that they would be insulted because it would be as if someone were saying that they were from an unreal world. When asking an aged woman the same question she stated: “I would be complimented because you think that I am younger than my actual age…I own a cell phone” (Random aged lady on corner of 22nd St Lexington Ave). What she does not know is that in her generation technology was not surrounded in every corner of the planet. This caused a small amount of people having limitless access to technology, less people had health concerns regarding technology, and there were less people in a state of disembodiment caused by technology. She should be happy that she lived in such an environment where everyone was not involved in technology; instead they were concerned about other things that actually mattered. We should all learn to survive without all this technology surrounding us which causes much negative impact. We should learn to behave more like our previous generations; they were able to survive without this digital/electronic craze, why can’t we do the same?
Significance
The permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a negative way. Why does this matter so much? Why is this important? That’s because we have no more control over ourselves. Instead we are relying on technology and even though it may seem like it is helping us out, instead it is controlling us. We live off of technology; society wants us to think that without it we would end up nowhere in the future. You ask for the evidence proving this point? Well the evidence is right here before your eyes. Where are you reading this paper? Online, how was this paper put in writing? By typing it on a computer. Technology has seeped within us and we are living off of it, what’s surprising is the fact that we do not even realize this. This topic matters because we are lost in a world surrounded by limitless use of technology which may lead us into health problems cause us to be in a state of disembodiment.
Conclusion
The permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a negative way. We rely on technology without any limits, technology causes us mental and physical harm, it also causes us to be in a state of disembodiment. We do not know who we are and what is going on with us, yet we never blame technology. When asking others how has digital obsession affected our society? What will their response be? Many say that it has been affecting us in a negative way. Others say that it has done us a lot of good. Then there are those that have no idea where they stand. All sides have good arguments, but what is the right answer to this question? The only way to find out is if we stick around long enough to see for our selves.
Works Cited
1) Anderson, M.T. Feed. 1st. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2002. 297. Print.
2) University Language , . "FAFSA Online vs. FAFSA on Paper." n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2009.
3) Wikipedia, . "Mobile phone radiation and health." (2009): n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2009..
4) Science Daily, . "Links Between Video-game Playing And Health Risks In Adults Found." n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2009..
5) Imdb, . "Memorable quotes for Wall-E." n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2009..
6) Wall-E directed by Andrew Stanton
7) Computer Hope, . "When was the first computer invented?." n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2009..
8) Johnson, Steven. Everything Bad Is Good for You . Print.
9) Lady at corner of 22nd on Lexington Ave
Introduction
Do we ever ask ourselves how has digital obsession affected our society?
We wake up in the morning get our daily coffee and catch the next train which will drop us by our destination. After getting there we realize that we left our most prized possession at home; our cell phone/laptop/I pod or any other electronic device. This is why the whole day becomes a “bad day” simply because this one item is missing from our life. But have we ever given any time to think about how these digital/electronic devices affect us and the way we live. They are creating us into robots; we rely on technology more than we rely on our family. Has this world gone mad? These materials have made us into completely different creatures; they have impacted our society in a negative manner. Technology is used without any limits, it harms our mental and physical health and it leaves us in a state of disembodiment. The permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a negative way.
Limitless access to technology
In our society, technology is used without any limits which affects us negatively. M.T. Anderson wrote a book based on the digital/electronic craze and how it has affected our society. The book is titled Feed. We are all living this life that is controlled by technology; we cannot live without our electronic equipment. Majority of the characters in Feed have a “feed” hooked up to their brain. This is the most important part of their body; when something goes wrong with their “feed” then they are in danger.
One character named Violet gets to be the victim of this problem. She has a hacker that keeps messing with her “feed”. This malfunctions with everything in her body, and causes her relationship with her boyfriend to end. When Violet is completely malfunctioned her ex-boyfriend gives her a visit. He feels bad because the reason they broke up was because of Violet’s “feed”: “And for the first time, I started crying. I cried, sitting by her bed, and I told her the story of us. “It’s about the feed.” I said (Anderson 297). Since Violet had a hacker hack into her “feed” her life was ruined. She had nothing left; she had someone else controlling her life, her boyfriend couldn’t help her so he broke up with her; there was no other option. Everything was up to the hacker because he had all the control over Violet. This is exactly how we are living in this world; we are controlled by the digital devices that surround us. Without them we cannot seem to live; we seem to massively depend on these devices and cannot leave them behind. This is because we are used to them and rely on them too much.
Even if we try to detach ourselves from the usage of such materials we are forced to use them by our society. Without the use of technology, it seems like our futures will be in jeopardy. This is true, because of this whole craze with digital/electronic media; everything seems to rely on technology.
Computers are the most common things out there. Everyone has to own a computer; in fact if you do not own a computer then you would be considered an outcast. Suddenly, applications are being filled out online, homework is being typed and students are goggling certain things for their research papers. For example many students that are applying to colleges fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). When filling out this form students are given the choice of filling it out online or doing it by hand: “You have two choices when you fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid: online with FAFSA on the Web, or the old-fashioned way— on paper. FAFSA recommends that you save a tree and fill out the FAFSA online” (University Language). FAFSA recommends that their students fill out the application online; later on they state that applying online has the benefits of access to help, automatically checking errors, faster student aid report, more spaces to fit in college choices and much more. They make it seem as if filling out the application by hand is an “old fashion” way of doing so. If a student were to fill out a FAFSA application they will be encouraged to do it online using their computer.
This is never ending; even if we try to keep our distance from these devices our society doesn’t let us do so. We spend more time using technology rather than getting a full night of sleep. M.T. Anderson has predicted our future and so far it seems like he is right with how the way things will end up later. Technology is taking over our generation and molding us into different creatures. Not only do we use digital devices without limits which cause negative impact, they can cause much harm to our health, both mentally and physically.
Harm to health caused by technology
Technology can cause one much harm without them knowing about it. Digital/electronic media usage has really boosted up within a decade. When thinking about it, our society was very different a decade ago when being compared to the way it is right now. These devices are just bought without having any research done. We see an ad and if it catches our eye then it’s ours no matter what happens. After bought, these devices are showed off to others to make them know that we are “up to date” with this digital/electronic craze. This makes the people you showed it off to go out and purchase these devices; this chain keeps going on and on and on until the product gets “old” and a “new” one comes out. Nobody really knows how these devices have harmed us, mentally and physically. Spending some time doing research on these devices and how they harm us can really change ones decision when they are about to purchase their product.
Cell phone radiation is a big concern and there are many health concerns associated with it. “As of August 2005 there have been 2 billion cell phone users worldwide” (Wikipedia), yet they seem to ignore this fact. This concern has raised the number of researches being done about the possibility of having health problems connected with cell phone usage. Some researches show that there are no risk factors present, but other researches show that they are the cause of some health problems. One research claims when using a cell phone, radio waves are absorbed by the human head. These lead to harmful effects with memory, sleep, the brain, and many more parts of the body. After reading such an article one may be very surprised because none of these risks are shown in ads or as warnings in packages when purchased. If cell phone usage stays the same way it is right now, in a couple of decades many users will have to suffer with affects on their health caused by cell phone usage. Looking at the way things are now, the usage of cell phones seem to be expanding more then ever.
Another big health concern regards the usage of video games and how they affect gamers. There are many video gamers out there that are completely addicted to their favorite games. They want to reach the hardest level of the game and tell everyone else how they are the best at this certain game. What they don’t realize is how all this gaming has been affecting them in a negative way. One study finds that male video gamers are affected physically while females are affected mentally: “Female video-game players reported greater depression and lower health status than female nonplayers. Male video-game players reported higher BMI and more Internet use time than male nonplayers” (Science Daily). Obesity is very common for video gamers, they become lazy and get used to sitting around and playing their favorite game for hours. It is not very common to hear that video games can cause depression. There are many reasons for why these females playing video games are depressed. For example female characters in games may seem to be “attractive” and females playing the game may want to look more like them. Another example is all the violence and nudity in games, these may not be appropriate for all players yet they do not care. These graphics may not be suitable for a player that has had bad experiences in the past associated with violence or nudity. All these digital devices affect the society in a negative way, from the “outside” they may look very appealing, but digging deeper we find that they are not very good for us. Another negative affect associated with technology is digital devices cause us to be in a state of disembodiment.
Technology causes disembodiment
When using digital/electronic devices, we are in a state of disembodiment. Wall-E is an animated movie which is about a robot named Wall-E that is abandoned in our world full of trash and litter. This movie attracts many young viewers because it looks “cute” and kid friendly, but there is much more behind it. When looking at every aspect of this movie, it shows the viewer how our world will look like in the near future if things stay the same way as they are right now. Our planet will be a useless pile of dump, and every living human will be aboard a spaceship containing all the latest technology. We will all be obese and sit in a power chair that will take us every where automatically. We will have no sense of where we stand; instead we will be chatting away with others on the screens provided in front of us.
At one point of the movie, Wall-E disturbs a lady named Mary who is chatting to a monitor while sitting on her power chair. At first she doesn’t seem to nudge at all; she is too busy talking to her screen. Some how Wall-E makes the screen in front of her disappear. This is when the lady realizes that he is trying to talk to her. Which leads her into realizing where she is at and all the amenities that surround her. “I didn’t know we had a pool” Mary states (Imdb). Even though this scene is ten seconds long, it really shows how disembodied she is; she has no sense of where she is. The digital/electronic materials surrounding her are enough to keep her alive. This connects to how we are living in our world today. We are always watching television, texting away on our cell phones and type away on our computers. We are always in a state of disembodiment and never realize it.
Another example from this movie is when Wall-E enters the space ship and seems to be amazed when he sees all the digital and electronic media surrounding him. He is very confused at first, but later on it excites him. Since he doesn’t have a power chair like all the others do, he is on his own feet. Wall-E is very different compared to the others since everyone there is being transported by their power chairs, and they are used to it. While he is walking around he bumps into a guy that is being transported on his power chair. He falls off the chair and cant get up; when Wall-E helps him he states his name and the man is very confused and does not know how to respond. He has a very confused face on and mutters his name: “Uh hmmm, my name is John” (Wall-E). This is exactly what happens day to day in our society. We will be walking by and when we bump into someone that is typing away on their black berry or “crackberry” as they call it nowadays, they are very confused and do not know how to respond. They are completely in a state of disembodiment. They do not know what’s going on around them. They just know what is going on in the screen in front of them.
We ignore each other because we are too busy with these devices which we depend on way too much. We have no control over ourselves: we are controlled by the technology we are handling at the time. This is affecting us negatively since we are becoming too dependent on them and we cannot detach ourselves from these materials. We cannot sense our surroundings, yet we seem to only look at what is in front of us. Our minds are lingering somewhere else while we appear to be here by others. This is caused by our limitless access to digital/electronic devices.
Connections
The forms of technology developed a lot throughout the years of its inventions. One piece of technology that is commonly used around the world is the computer. Computers can be found in any part of the world. There were many types of computers that were invented in the 1900’s. “The first IBM PC came out in the 1953” (Computer Hope). After the inventions of the computer, it started to spread all around the world for many uses, usually for business and research. This situation will likely lead to the events that happen in Feed by M.T. Anderson. “Feeds” may not be implanted in the brains of future generations but many other things occur already, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear “feeds” being implanted in brains of future generations. The limitless usage of technology which causes us to act like different creatures. It will lead to many health problems for current users and many may permanently stay in a state of disembodiment since they will be used to the limitless amount of technology they are used to using for years.
Opposing view points
Everything Bad is Good for You is a text written by Steven Johnson. He talks about our generation and all the technology that surrounds us. He wants his readers to realize that all these devices are doing us good. In his writing he talks about what is said in the society and what he thinks about it. In one part of the text he states: “television and video games corrupt young children’s and teenager’s minds.” (Anderson, M.T.) He argues this statement by talking about how video games stimulate the gamers mind. He backs this opinion up by saying we make challenges for ourselves without knowing it. A gamer may be setting up a challenge to complete a game with certain difficulty or reach a certain level, but researches show many health concerns regarding video games. Even though we are making “challenges”, we are harming our selves at the same time as well. How will playing video games help us in the future? Will we require these skills for something important? Will a player that is great at playing video games related to basketball join the NBA? Video games will never help us; players just want to use an excuse so they can play these games. The fact is no excuses are true at all, and everyone knows this but no one wants to admit it.
As an assignment, students from Andy’s class went outside to the “real world” and asked victims of this digital craze questions about the digital/electronic craze. Walking around the city we see many different age groups; when asking the question: “If I were to say you look like a person who is captured in the digital world, would you be insulted or complimented? Why? When asking young individuals many were neutral or usually said that they would be insulted because it would be as if someone were saying that they were from an unreal world. When asking an aged woman the same question she stated: “I would be complimented because you think that I am younger than my actual age…I own a cell phone” (Random aged lady on corner of 22nd St Lexington Ave). What she does not know is that in her generation technology was not surrounded in every corner of the planet. This caused a small amount of people having limitless access to technology, less people had health concerns regarding technology, and there were less people in a state of disembodiment caused by technology. She should be happy that she lived in such an environment where everyone was not involved in technology; instead they were concerned about other things that actually mattered. We should all learn to survive without all this technology surrounding us which causes much negative impact. We should learn to behave more like our previous generations; they were able to survive without this digital/electronic craze, why can’t we do the same?
Significance
The permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a negative way. Why does this matter so much? Why is this important? That’s because we have no more control over ourselves. Instead we are relying on technology and even though it may seem like it is helping us out, instead it is controlling us. We live off of technology; society wants us to think that without it we would end up nowhere in the future. You ask for the evidence proving this point? Well the evidence is right here before your eyes. Where are you reading this paper? Online, how was this paper put in writing? By typing it on a computer. Technology has seeped within us and we are living off of it, what’s surprising is the fact that we do not even realize this. This topic matters because we are lost in a world surrounded by limitless use of technology which may lead us into health problems cause us to be in a state of disembodiment.
Conclusion
The permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a negative way. We rely on technology without any limits, technology causes us mental and physical harm, it also causes us to be in a state of disembodiment. We do not know who we are and what is going on with us, yet we never blame technology. When asking others how has digital obsession affected our society? What will their response be? Many say that it has been affecting us in a negative way. Others say that it has done us a lot of good. Then there are those that have no idea where they stand. All sides have good arguments, but what is the right answer to this question? The only way to find out is if we stick around long enough to see for our selves.
Works Cited
1) Anderson, M.T. Feed. 1st. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2002. 297. Print.
2) University Language , . "FAFSA Online vs. FAFSA on Paper." n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2009.
3) Wikipedia, . "Mobile phone radiation and health." (2009): n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2009.
4) Science Daily, . "Links Between Video-game Playing And Health Risks In Adults Found." n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2009.
5) Imdb, . "Memorable quotes for Wall-E." n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2009.
6) Wall-E directed by Andrew Stanton
7) Computer Hope, . "When was the first computer invented?." n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2009.
8) Johnson, Steven. Everything Bad Is Good for You . Print.
9) Lady at corner of 22nd on Lexington Ave
Grades for revised drafts
Myself:
Point of View:3
Evidence:3
Organization:2
Connections and Significance:1
Opposing view points:1
Communication Written:3
Total:13/24
There are many parts I am missing but I will add them in over the weekend. My organization isn't the best but that is another thing I will be working on.
Rachel:
Point of View:3
Evidence:3
Organization:3
Connections and Significance:4
Opposing view points:3
Communication Written:3
Total:19/24
Rachel,
I like what you have so far, Your paper has everything that it needs to have. There are some things that you can make stronger though.
If I were to be grading your paper at this moment I would give you a total of 19/24. For your point of view I gave you 3 points. I feel like what you have is interesting and well said but it doesn't seem to be "sharp". For the evidence I gave you 3 points; you cite many sources and explain what you found. I think that you should get more accurate evidence. For example in your first paragraph you talk about cell phones and how they help us connect with each other. You use a quote about how it helps business people but that just limits the people who actually have a career in business. If I were you I would find a quote about how someone used their cell phone when they were in need of help. That is something that seems to relate to everyone. For organization I would give you 3 points. The overall structure of the paper is very good. I feel like your thesis needs to be short and simple. Remember your thesis is what you are trying to prove in your paper. You want the reader to have that in mind the whole time they are reading your paper. If you keep it short and simple they will remember the main point of your paper better. For connections and significance I would give you a total of 4 points. I feel like you do a great job making comparisons between the two authors. Opposing view points I would give 3 points. You don't seem to use any quotes or any other type of evidence though. Written communication would be a 3 as well. I feel like if you read your paper aloud to your self then you would be able to catch many mistakes. Same goes for communication performance.
Great job so far though, I have not completed my revised draft so I was able to learn many new things while reading and grading yours.
Later,
Amber
Point of View:3
Evidence:3
Organization:2
Connections and Significance:1
Opposing view points:1
Communication Written:3
Total:13/24
There are many parts I am missing but I will add them in over the weekend. My organization isn't the best but that is another thing I will be working on.
Rachel:
Point of View:3
Evidence:3
Organization:3
Connections and Significance:4
Opposing view points:3
Communication Written:3
Total:19/24
Rachel,
I like what you have so far, Your paper has everything that it needs to have. There are some things that you can make stronger though.
If I were to be grading your paper at this moment I would give you a total of 19/24. For your point of view I gave you 3 points. I feel like what you have is interesting and well said but it doesn't seem to be "sharp". For the evidence I gave you 3 points; you cite many sources and explain what you found. I think that you should get more accurate evidence. For example in your first paragraph you talk about cell phones and how they help us connect with each other. You use a quote about how it helps business people but that just limits the people who actually have a career in business. If I were you I would find a quote about how someone used their cell phone when they were in need of help. That is something that seems to relate to everyone. For organization I would give you 3 points. The overall structure of the paper is very good. I feel like your thesis needs to be short and simple. Remember your thesis is what you are trying to prove in your paper. You want the reader to have that in mind the whole time they are reading your paper. If you keep it short and simple they will remember the main point of your paper better. For connections and significance I would give you a total of 4 points. I feel like you do a great job making comparisons between the two authors. Opposing view points I would give 3 points. You don't seem to use any quotes or any other type of evidence though. Written communication would be a 3 as well. I feel like if you read your paper aloud to your self then you would be able to catch many mistakes. Same goes for communication performance.
Great job so far though, I have not completed my revised draft so I was able to learn many new things while reading and grading yours.
Later,
Amber
Friday, November 6, 2009
Hw 20
Essential Question: How has digital obsession affected our society?
Revised Thesis: The permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way
we live in a negative way.
We wake up in the morning get our daily coffee and catch the next train which will drop us by our destination. After getting there we realize that we left our most prized possession at home; our cell phone/laptop/I pod or any other electronic device. This is why the whole day becomes a “bad day” simply because this one item is missing from our life. But have we ever given any time to think about how these digital/electronic devices affect us and the way we live. They are creating us into robots; we rely on technology more than we rely on our family. Has this world gone mad? These materials have made us into completely different creatures; they have made our society different. They have made this whole planet different. Think about it, we didn’t use technology the way we do now ten years ago, so what happened? No answer, huh? The drastic permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a very negative way.
Technology is used without any limit which impacts us in a negative manner; this is because we simply rely on it too much since society causes us to do so. M.T. Anderson seems to think about this digital/electronic craze and how it has affected our society. He decided to write a book titled Feed to share his thoughts with others. After reading the book, it helps us get back on track and realize what is going on in front of us. We are living this life that is controlling us; we cannot live without our electronic equipment. Majority of the characters in Feed have a Feed hooked up to their brain. This is the most important part of their body; when something goes wrong with their Feed then they are in danger. One character named Violet gets to be the victim of this problem. She has a hacker that keeps messing with her Feed. This malfunctions with everything in her body, later on this leads to many problems. Her relationship with her boyfriend gets very messy. Her days are numbered, suddenly she is controlled by her electronic equipment (her Feed) and it controls many aspects of her life .When Violet is completely malfunctioned her ex boyfriend gives her a visit after lying to her about receiving her messages since he did not want to be in a relationship with her any longer. This is because her feed malfunction; it completely messed up their relationship together: “And for the first time, I started crying. I cried, sitting by her bed, and I told her the story of us. “It’s about the feed.” I said (297). Since Violet had a hacker hack into her Feed her life was ruined. She had nothing left; she had someone else that was controlling her life. This is exactly how we are living in this world; we are controlled by the digital devices that surround us. Without them we cannot seem to live. We seem to massively depend on these devices and cannot leave them behind. When we find ourselves without them we are in trouble. Even if we try to detach ourselves from the usage of such materials we are forced to use them by our society. Without the usage of these materials, it seems like our futures will be in jeopardy. This is true, because of this whole craze with digital/electronic media; everything seems to rely on the usage of these devices. If we do not have any contact with them then we will be putting ourselves in danger. For example, computers are the most common things out there. Everyone has to own a computer; in fact if you do not own a computer then you would be considered an outcast. Suddenly, applications are being filled out online, homework is being typed and students are goggling certain things for their research projects. For example many students that are applying to colleges fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In a website that answers questions about this form they give students the choice of filling it out by hand or online. “You have two choices when you fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid: online with FAFSA on the Web, or the old-fashioned way— on paper. FAFSA recommends that you save a tree and fill out the FAFSA online.” (http://www.universitylanguage.com/guides/fill-out-fafsa-online-or-on-paper/) They recommend that students fill out the application online, later on they state that applying online has the benefits of access to help, automatically checks errors, faster student aid report, more spaces to fit in college choices and more. When filling out applications and surveys online everything seems to run easily and smoothly. The society makes it even easier by adding all these benefits. They make it seem as if filling out the application by hand is an “old fashion” way of doing so. If a student were to fill out a FAFSA application they will be encouraged to do it online using their computer. This is never ending; even if we try to keep our distance from these devices our society doesn’t let us do so. We seem to be spending more time using these products rather than getting a full night of sleep. M.T. Anderson has predicted our future and so far it seems like he is right with how the way things will end up later on. Technology is taking over us and creating us into completely different creatures.
Not only do we use digital devices without limits, they can cause much harm to our health both mentally and physically. Digital/electronic media usage has really boosted up within a decade. When thinking about it, our society was very different a decade ago when being compared to the way it is right now. Society has molded us into these creatures that seem to be very different to what we are supposed to be like. These devices are just bought without having any research done. We see an ad and if it catches our eye then it’s ours no matter what happens. After bought, these devices are showed off to others to make them know that we are up to date with this digital/electronic craze. This makes the people you showed it off go out and purchase these devices and this chain keeps going on and on and on, until the product gets “old”. Nobody really knows how these devices have harmed us, mentally and physically. Spending some time doing research on these devices and how they harm us can really change ones decision when they are about to purchase this certain product. Cell phone radiation is a big concern and there are many health concerns associated with it. As of August 2005 there have been 2 billion cell phone users worldwide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health) , yet they seem to ignore this fact. This concern has raised the number of researches being done about the possibility of having health problem connected with cell phone usage. Some researches show that there are no risk factors present, but other researches show that they may cause tumors in certain nerves. One research claims when using a cell phone, radio waves are absorbed by the human head. These lead to harmful effects with memory, sleep, the brain, and many more. After reading such an article one may be very surprised because none of these risks are shown in ads or as warnings in packages when purchased. If cell phone usage stays the same way it is right now, in a couple of decades many users will have to suffer with health conditions caused by cell phone usage, they will regret it all. Looking at the way things are now, the usage of cell phones seem to be expanding more then ever. Another big health concern regards the usage of video games and how they affect gamers. There are many video gamers out there that are completely addicted to their favorite games. They want to reach the hardest level of the game and tell everyone else how they are the best at it. What they don’t realize is how all this gaming has been affecting them in a negative way. One study finds that males seem to be affected physically while females are affected mentally: “Female video-game players reported greater depression and lower health status than female nonplayers. Male video-game players reported higher BMI and more Internet use time than male nonplayers.” (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818083224.htm) Obesity is very common for video gamers since we can see that they become lazy since they are sitting around and playing their game for hours. It’s not very common to hear that video games led to depression. After looking at this research there may be many reasons for why these females playing video games are depressed. When we think about it there may be many reasons, for example female characters in games may seem to be “attractive” and females playing the game may want to look like them. Another example is all the violence and nudity in games, these may not be appropriate for all players yet they do not care. These graphics may not be suitable for any player and it may cause them to be depressed. It all depends on the players past experiences, these graphics may bring back experiences in the past that they may not want to remember. All these digital devices affect the society in a negative way, from the “outside” they may look very appealing and something that will be depended on, but digging deeper we find that they do are not much good for us.
When using digital/electronic devices, we are in a state of disembodiment. Wall-E is an animated movie which is about a robot that is abandoned in our planet full of trash and litter. This movie attracts many young viewers because it looks “cute” and kid friendly, but there is much more behind it. When looking at every aspect of the movie, it shows us how our world will look like in the near future if things stay the same way they are right now. Our planet will be a useless pile of dump, and every living human will be aboard a spaceship which will include every digital/electronic equipment built. We will all be obese and sit in a power chair that will take us every where automatically. We will have no sense of where we stand; instead we will be chatting away with others on the screens provided in front of us. In the movie, Wall-E disturbs a lady named Mary who is chatting to a monitor while sitting on her power chair. At first she doesn’t seem to nudge at all; she is too busy talking to this screen. Some how Wall-E makes the screen in front of her disappear. This is when the lady realizes that he is trying to talk to her. She then realizes where she is at and all the amenities that surround her. “I didn’t know we had a pool” Mary states. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910970/quotes) Even though this scene is ten seconds long, it really shows how disembodied she is. She has no sense of where she is, the digital/electronic materials surrounding her are enough to keep her alive. This connects to how we are living in our world. We are always watching television, texting away on our cell phones and type away on our computers. We are always in a state of disembodiment and never even realize it. Another example from this movie is when Wall-E enters the space ship and seems to be amazed when he sees all the digital and electronic media surrounding him. He is very confused at first, but later on it excites him. Since he doesn’t have a power chair like all the others do, he is on his own feet. He is very different compared to the others since everyone there is being transported by the power chairs. While he is walking around he bumps into a guy that is sitting on his power chair. He falls off the chair and cant get up; when Wall-E helps him he states his name and the man is very confused and seems to be out of it at the time. He has a very confused face on and mutters his name: “Uh hmmm, my name is John” (Wall-E). This is exactly what happens day to day in our society. We will be walking by and when we bump into someone that is typing away on their black berry they are very confused and do not know how to respond. They are completely in a state of disembodiment. They do not know what’s going on around them. They just know what is going on in the screen in front of them. We ignore each other because we are too busy with these devices which we depend on way too much. We have no control on ourselves, we seemed to be controlled by them. This is not good for us because we are becoming too dependent on them and we cannot detach ourselves from what is going on. We cannot sense our surroundings, yet we seem to only look at what is in front of us. We are lost in another world but seem to appear to other people even if we are not mentally there at all.
The permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a negative way. We rely on technology without any limits, technology causes us mental and physical harm, it also causes us to be in a state of disembodiment. Reviewing all these points, this argument can be proven correct. When asking others how has digital obsession affected our society? What will their response be? Many say that it has been affecting us in a negative way. Others say that it has done us a lot of good. Then there are those that have no idea where they stand. All sides have good arguments, but what is the right answer to this question. The only way to find out is if we stick around long enough to see for our selves.
Works Cited:
Feed by M.T. Anderson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health
Wall-E directed by Andrew Stanton
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910970/quotes
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818083224.htm
http://www.universitylanguage.com/guides/fill-out-fafsa-online-or-on-paper/
CONNECTIONS, SIGNIFICANCE AND OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS WILL BE ADDED SOON
Revised Thesis: The permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way
we live in a negative way.
We wake up in the morning get our daily coffee and catch the next train which will drop us by our destination. After getting there we realize that we left our most prized possession at home; our cell phone/laptop/I pod or any other electronic device. This is why the whole day becomes a “bad day” simply because this one item is missing from our life. But have we ever given any time to think about how these digital/electronic devices affect us and the way we live. They are creating us into robots; we rely on technology more than we rely on our family. Has this world gone mad? These materials have made us into completely different creatures; they have made our society different. They have made this whole planet different. Think about it, we didn’t use technology the way we do now ten years ago, so what happened? No answer, huh? The drastic permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a very negative way.
Technology is used without any limit which impacts us in a negative manner; this is because we simply rely on it too much since society causes us to do so. M.T. Anderson seems to think about this digital/electronic craze and how it has affected our society. He decided to write a book titled Feed to share his thoughts with others. After reading the book, it helps us get back on track and realize what is going on in front of us. We are living this life that is controlling us; we cannot live without our electronic equipment. Majority of the characters in Feed have a Feed hooked up to their brain. This is the most important part of their body; when something goes wrong with their Feed then they are in danger. One character named Violet gets to be the victim of this problem. She has a hacker that keeps messing with her Feed. This malfunctions with everything in her body, later on this leads to many problems. Her relationship with her boyfriend gets very messy. Her days are numbered, suddenly she is controlled by her electronic equipment (her Feed) and it controls many aspects of her life .When Violet is completely malfunctioned her ex boyfriend gives her a visit after lying to her about receiving her messages since he did not want to be in a relationship with her any longer. This is because her feed malfunction; it completely messed up their relationship together: “And for the first time, I started crying. I cried, sitting by her bed, and I told her the story of us. “It’s about the feed.” I said (297). Since Violet had a hacker hack into her Feed her life was ruined. She had nothing left; she had someone else that was controlling her life. This is exactly how we are living in this world; we are controlled by the digital devices that surround us. Without them we cannot seem to live. We seem to massively depend on these devices and cannot leave them behind. When we find ourselves without them we are in trouble. Even if we try to detach ourselves from the usage of such materials we are forced to use them by our society. Without the usage of these materials, it seems like our futures will be in jeopardy. This is true, because of this whole craze with digital/electronic media; everything seems to rely on the usage of these devices. If we do not have any contact with them then we will be putting ourselves in danger. For example, computers are the most common things out there. Everyone has to own a computer; in fact if you do not own a computer then you would be considered an outcast. Suddenly, applications are being filled out online, homework is being typed and students are goggling certain things for their research projects. For example many students that are applying to colleges fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In a website that answers questions about this form they give students the choice of filling it out by hand or online. “You have two choices when you fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid: online with FAFSA on the Web, or the old-fashioned way— on paper. FAFSA recommends that you save a tree and fill out the FAFSA online.” (http://www.universitylanguage.com/guides/fill-out-fafsa-online-or-on-paper/) They recommend that students fill out the application online, later on they state that applying online has the benefits of access to help, automatically checks errors, faster student aid report, more spaces to fit in college choices and more. When filling out applications and surveys online everything seems to run easily and smoothly. The society makes it even easier by adding all these benefits. They make it seem as if filling out the application by hand is an “old fashion” way of doing so. If a student were to fill out a FAFSA application they will be encouraged to do it online using their computer. This is never ending; even if we try to keep our distance from these devices our society doesn’t let us do so. We seem to be spending more time using these products rather than getting a full night of sleep. M.T. Anderson has predicted our future and so far it seems like he is right with how the way things will end up later on. Technology is taking over us and creating us into completely different creatures.
Not only do we use digital devices without limits, they can cause much harm to our health both mentally and physically. Digital/electronic media usage has really boosted up within a decade. When thinking about it, our society was very different a decade ago when being compared to the way it is right now. Society has molded us into these creatures that seem to be very different to what we are supposed to be like. These devices are just bought without having any research done. We see an ad and if it catches our eye then it’s ours no matter what happens. After bought, these devices are showed off to others to make them know that we are up to date with this digital/electronic craze. This makes the people you showed it off go out and purchase these devices and this chain keeps going on and on and on, until the product gets “old”. Nobody really knows how these devices have harmed us, mentally and physically. Spending some time doing research on these devices and how they harm us can really change ones decision when they are about to purchase this certain product. Cell phone radiation is a big concern and there are many health concerns associated with it. As of August 2005 there have been 2 billion cell phone users worldwide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health) , yet they seem to ignore this fact. This concern has raised the number of researches being done about the possibility of having health problem connected with cell phone usage. Some researches show that there are no risk factors present, but other researches show that they may cause tumors in certain nerves. One research claims when using a cell phone, radio waves are absorbed by the human head. These lead to harmful effects with memory, sleep, the brain, and many more. After reading such an article one may be very surprised because none of these risks are shown in ads or as warnings in packages when purchased. If cell phone usage stays the same way it is right now, in a couple of decades many users will have to suffer with health conditions caused by cell phone usage, they will regret it all. Looking at the way things are now, the usage of cell phones seem to be expanding more then ever. Another big health concern regards the usage of video games and how they affect gamers. There are many video gamers out there that are completely addicted to their favorite games. They want to reach the hardest level of the game and tell everyone else how they are the best at it. What they don’t realize is how all this gaming has been affecting them in a negative way. One study finds that males seem to be affected physically while females are affected mentally: “Female video-game players reported greater depression and lower health status than female nonplayers. Male video-game players reported higher BMI and more Internet use time than male nonplayers.” (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818083224.htm) Obesity is very common for video gamers since we can see that they become lazy since they are sitting around and playing their game for hours. It’s not very common to hear that video games led to depression. After looking at this research there may be many reasons for why these females playing video games are depressed. When we think about it there may be many reasons, for example female characters in games may seem to be “attractive” and females playing the game may want to look like them. Another example is all the violence and nudity in games, these may not be appropriate for all players yet they do not care. These graphics may not be suitable for any player and it may cause them to be depressed. It all depends on the players past experiences, these graphics may bring back experiences in the past that they may not want to remember. All these digital devices affect the society in a negative way, from the “outside” they may look very appealing and something that will be depended on, but digging deeper we find that they do are not much good for us.
When using digital/electronic devices, we are in a state of disembodiment. Wall-E is an animated movie which is about a robot that is abandoned in our planet full of trash and litter. This movie attracts many young viewers because it looks “cute” and kid friendly, but there is much more behind it. When looking at every aspect of the movie, it shows us how our world will look like in the near future if things stay the same way they are right now. Our planet will be a useless pile of dump, and every living human will be aboard a spaceship which will include every digital/electronic equipment built. We will all be obese and sit in a power chair that will take us every where automatically. We will have no sense of where we stand; instead we will be chatting away with others on the screens provided in front of us. In the movie, Wall-E disturbs a lady named Mary who is chatting to a monitor while sitting on her power chair. At first she doesn’t seem to nudge at all; she is too busy talking to this screen. Some how Wall-E makes the screen in front of her disappear. This is when the lady realizes that he is trying to talk to her. She then realizes where she is at and all the amenities that surround her. “I didn’t know we had a pool” Mary states. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910970/quotes) Even though this scene is ten seconds long, it really shows how disembodied she is. She has no sense of where she is, the digital/electronic materials surrounding her are enough to keep her alive. This connects to how we are living in our world. We are always watching television, texting away on our cell phones and type away on our computers. We are always in a state of disembodiment and never even realize it. Another example from this movie is when Wall-E enters the space ship and seems to be amazed when he sees all the digital and electronic media surrounding him. He is very confused at first, but later on it excites him. Since he doesn’t have a power chair like all the others do, he is on his own feet. He is very different compared to the others since everyone there is being transported by the power chairs. While he is walking around he bumps into a guy that is sitting on his power chair. He falls off the chair and cant get up; when Wall-E helps him he states his name and the man is very confused and seems to be out of it at the time. He has a very confused face on and mutters his name: “Uh hmmm, my name is John” (Wall-E). This is exactly what happens day to day in our society. We will be walking by and when we bump into someone that is typing away on their black berry they are very confused and do not know how to respond. They are completely in a state of disembodiment. They do not know what’s going on around them. They just know what is going on in the screen in front of them. We ignore each other because we are too busy with these devices which we depend on way too much. We have no control on ourselves, we seemed to be controlled by them. This is not good for us because we are becoming too dependent on them and we cannot detach ourselves from what is going on. We cannot sense our surroundings, yet we seem to only look at what is in front of us. We are lost in another world but seem to appear to other people even if we are not mentally there at all.
The permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a negative way. We rely on technology without any limits, technology causes us mental and physical harm, it also causes us to be in a state of disembodiment. Reviewing all these points, this argument can be proven correct. When asking others how has digital obsession affected our society? What will their response be? Many say that it has been affecting us in a negative way. Others say that it has done us a lot of good. Then there are those that have no idea where they stand. All sides have good arguments, but what is the right answer to this question. The only way to find out is if we stick around long enough to see for our selves.
Works Cited:
Feed by M.T. Anderson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health
Wall-E directed by Andrew Stanton
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910970/quotes
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818083224.htm
http://www.universitylanguage.com/guides/fill-out-fafsa-online-or-on-paper/
CONNECTIONS, SIGNIFICANCE AND OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS WILL BE ADDED SOON
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Hw 19
Rachel,
You use a lot of evidence from different websites that help convey your message and your thoughts about this topic.
You feel like technology helps us connect faster with each other, video games help us with our hand eye coordination, and viewing television helps stimulate our minds.
Even though I feel like you have many good points that help defend your thesis, my thoughts are very different when compared to yours. I feel like this is all impacting our society in a negative way like I stated before. Even though technology does help us connect with each other faster, we cannot limit ourselves and the amount of time we are using these technological devices. They are always testing our patience and we cannot seem to live without them simply because we rely on them too much. Also with playing video games and watching television we are only supposed to do that when we have nothing else to do, which is never. I feel like we have become addicted to them and they take away precious time. We may be challenging our self playing a video game but how will this help us in the future? In a job interview will they ask us what level of a certain game we have gotten up to? It’s simply just for entertainment, nothing else at all.
I think that you do a great job letting out all your ideas, but I think that they should flow together better. I feel as if you just wrote down all your thoughts and ideas, which is absolutely fine for a rough draft. When writing your final draft you should build up to your evidence “tie in” the quote then defend your arguments.
While reading your paper I get to understand your point of view on this topic and where we have similar thoughts and where they differ.
It was nice seeing you work off your outline.
Later,
Amber M.
Remy SB has not posted her rough draft ... I will make comments as soon as it is posted up...
You use a lot of evidence from different websites that help convey your message and your thoughts about this topic.
You feel like technology helps us connect faster with each other, video games help us with our hand eye coordination, and viewing television helps stimulate our minds.
Even though I feel like you have many good points that help defend your thesis, my thoughts are very different when compared to yours. I feel like this is all impacting our society in a negative way like I stated before. Even though technology does help us connect with each other faster, we cannot limit ourselves and the amount of time we are using these technological devices. They are always testing our patience and we cannot seem to live without them simply because we rely on them too much. Also with playing video games and watching television we are only supposed to do that when we have nothing else to do, which is never. I feel like we have become addicted to them and they take away precious time. We may be challenging our self playing a video game but how will this help us in the future? In a job interview will they ask us what level of a certain game we have gotten up to? It’s simply just for entertainment, nothing else at all.
I think that you do a great job letting out all your ideas, but I think that they should flow together better. I feel as if you just wrote down all your thoughts and ideas, which is absolutely fine for a rough draft. When writing your final draft you should build up to your evidence “tie in” the quote then defend your arguments.
While reading your paper I get to understand your point of view on this topic and where we have similar thoughts and where they differ.
It was nice seeing you work off your outline.
Later,
Amber M.
Remy SB has not posted her rough draft ... I will make comments as soon as it is posted up...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Hw 18
Essential Question: How has digital obsession affected our society?
Revised Thesis: The drastic permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way
we live in a very negative way.
We wake up in the morning get our daily coffee and catch the next train which will drop us by our destination. After getting there we realize that we left our most prized possession at home; our cell phone/laptop/I pod or any other electronic device. This is why the whole day becomes a “bad day” simply because this one item is missing from our life. But have we ever given any time to think about how these digital/electronic devices affect us and the way we live. They are creating us into robots; we rely on technology more than we rely on our family. Has this world gone mad? These materials have made us into completely different creatures; they have made our society different. They have made this whole planet different. Think about it, we didn’t use technology the way we do now ten years ago, so what happened? No answer, huh? The drastic permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a very negative way.
M.T. Anderson seems to think about this digital/electronic craze and how it has affected our society. He decided to write a book titled Feed to share his thoughts with others. After reading the book, it helps us get back on track and realize what is going on in front of us. We are living this life that is controlling us; we cannot live without our electronic equipment. Majority of the characters in Feed have a Feed hooked up to their brain. This is the most important part of their body; when something goes wrong with their Feed then they are in danger. One character named Violet gets to be the victim of this problem. She has a hacker that keeps messing with her Feed. This malfunctions with everything in her body, later on this leads to many problems. Her relationship with her boyfriend gets very messy. Her days are numbered, suddenly she is controlled by her electronic equipment (her Feed) and it controls many aspects of her life. This relates to how we seem to massively depend on these devices and cannot seem to leave them behind. When we find ourselves without them we are in trouble. Even if we try to detach ourselves from the usage of such materials we are forced to use them by our society. Without the usage of these materials, it seems like our futures will be in jeopardy. This is true, because of this whole craze with digital/electronic media; everything seems to rely on the usage of these devices. If we do not have any contact with them then we will be putting ourselves in danger. For example, computers are the most common things out there. Everyone has to own a computer; in fact if you do not own a computer then you would be considered an outcast. Suddenly, applications are being filled out online, homework is being typed and students are goggling certain things for their research projects. This is never ending; even if we try to keep our distance from these devices our society doesn’t let us do so. We seem to be spending more time using these products rather than getting a full night of sleep. M.T. Anderson has predicted our future and so far it seems like he is right with how the way things will end up later on.
Digital/electronic media usage has really boosted up within a decade. When thinking about it, our society was very different a decade ago when being compared to the way it is right now. Society has molded us into these creatures that seem to be very different to what we are supposed to be like. These devices are just bought without having any research done. We see an ad and if it catches our eye then it’s ours no matter what happens. After bought, these devices are showed off to others to make them know that we are up to date with this digital/electronic craze. This makes the people you showed it off go out and purchase these devices and this chain keeps going on and on and on, until the product gets “old”. Nobody really knows how these devices have harmed us, mentally and physically. Spending some time doing research on these devices and how they harm us can really change ones decision when they are about to purchase this certain product. Cell phone radiation is a big concern and there are many health concerns associated with it. As of August 2005 there have been 2 billion cell phone users worldwide, yet they seem to ignore this fact. This concern has raised the number of researches being done about the possibility of having health problem connected with cell phone usage. Some researches show that there are no risk factors present, but other researches show that they may cause tumors in certain nerves. One research claims when using a cell phone, radio waves are absorbed by the human head. These lead to harmful effects with memory, sleep, the brain, and many more. After reading such an article one may be very surprised because none of these risks are shown in ads or as warnings in packages when purchased. If cell phone usage stays the same way it is right now, in a couple of decades many users will have to suffer with health conditions caused by cell phone usage, they will regret it all. Looking at the way things are now, the usage of cell phones seem to be expanding more then ever. This is why it looks like this is impacting us in a negative way.
Wall-E is an animated movie which is about a robot that is abandoned in our planet full of trash and litter. This movie attracts many young viewers because it looks “cute” and kid friendly, but there is much more behind it. When looking at every aspect of the movie, it shows us how our world will look like in the near future if things stay the same way they are right now. Our planet will be a useless pile of dump, and every living human will be aboard a spaceship which will include every digital/electronic equipment built. We will all be obese and sit in a power chair that will take us every where automatically. We will have no sense of where we stand; instead we will be chatting away with others on the screens provided in front of us. In the movie, Wall-E disturbs a lady that is chatting to a monitor while sitting on her power chair. At first she doesn’t seem to nudge at all; she is too busy talking to this screen. Some how Wall-E makes the screen in front of her disappear. This is when the lady realizes that he is trying to talk to her. She then realizes where she is at and all the amenities that surround her. “I didn’t know we had a swimming pool” she states. Even though this scene is ten seconds long, it really shows how disembodied she is. She has no sense of where she is, the digital/electronic materials surrounding her are enough to keep her alive. This connects to how we are living in our world. We are always watching television, texting away on our cell phones and type away on our computers. We are always in a state of disembodiment and never even realize it. Another example from this movie is when Wall-E enters the space ship and seems to be amazed when he sees all the digital and electronic media surrounding him. He is very confused at first, but later on it excites him. Since he doesn’t have a power chair like all the others do, he is on his own feet. He is very different compared to the others since everyone there is being transported by the power chairs. While he is walking around he bumps into a guy that is sitting on his power chair. He falls off the chair and cant get up; when Wall-E helps him he states his name and the man is very confused and seems to be out of it at the time. He has a very confused face on and mutters his name. This is exactly what happens day to day in our society. We will be walking by and when we bump into someone that is typing away on their black berry they are very confused and do not know how to respond. They are completely in a state of disembodiment. They do not know what’s going on around them. They just know what is going on in the screen in front of them. We ignore each other because we are too busy with these devices which impacts how we interact with each other in a negative manner.
The drastic permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a very negative way. Reviewing all these points, this argument can be proven correct. When asking others how has digital obsession affected our society? What will their response be? Many say that it has been affecting us in a negative way. Others say that it has done us a lot of good. Then there are those that have no idea where they stand. All sides have good arguments, but what is the right answer to this question. The only way to find out is if we stick around long enough to see for our selves.
Works Cited:
• Feed by M.T. Anderson
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health
• Wall-E directed by Andrew Stanton
Revised Thesis: The drastic permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way
we live in a very negative way.
We wake up in the morning get our daily coffee and catch the next train which will drop us by our destination. After getting there we realize that we left our most prized possession at home; our cell phone/laptop/I pod or any other electronic device. This is why the whole day becomes a “bad day” simply because this one item is missing from our life. But have we ever given any time to think about how these digital/electronic devices affect us and the way we live. They are creating us into robots; we rely on technology more than we rely on our family. Has this world gone mad? These materials have made us into completely different creatures; they have made our society different. They have made this whole planet different. Think about it, we didn’t use technology the way we do now ten years ago, so what happened? No answer, huh? The drastic permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a very negative way.
M.T. Anderson seems to think about this digital/electronic craze and how it has affected our society. He decided to write a book titled Feed to share his thoughts with others. After reading the book, it helps us get back on track and realize what is going on in front of us. We are living this life that is controlling us; we cannot live without our electronic equipment. Majority of the characters in Feed have a Feed hooked up to their brain. This is the most important part of their body; when something goes wrong with their Feed then they are in danger. One character named Violet gets to be the victim of this problem. She has a hacker that keeps messing with her Feed. This malfunctions with everything in her body, later on this leads to many problems. Her relationship with her boyfriend gets very messy. Her days are numbered, suddenly she is controlled by her electronic equipment (her Feed) and it controls many aspects of her life. This relates to how we seem to massively depend on these devices and cannot seem to leave them behind. When we find ourselves without them we are in trouble. Even if we try to detach ourselves from the usage of such materials we are forced to use them by our society. Without the usage of these materials, it seems like our futures will be in jeopardy. This is true, because of this whole craze with digital/electronic media; everything seems to rely on the usage of these devices. If we do not have any contact with them then we will be putting ourselves in danger. For example, computers are the most common things out there. Everyone has to own a computer; in fact if you do not own a computer then you would be considered an outcast. Suddenly, applications are being filled out online, homework is being typed and students are goggling certain things for their research projects. This is never ending; even if we try to keep our distance from these devices our society doesn’t let us do so. We seem to be spending more time using these products rather than getting a full night of sleep. M.T. Anderson has predicted our future and so far it seems like he is right with how the way things will end up later on.
Digital/electronic media usage has really boosted up within a decade. When thinking about it, our society was very different a decade ago when being compared to the way it is right now. Society has molded us into these creatures that seem to be very different to what we are supposed to be like. These devices are just bought without having any research done. We see an ad and if it catches our eye then it’s ours no matter what happens. After bought, these devices are showed off to others to make them know that we are up to date with this digital/electronic craze. This makes the people you showed it off go out and purchase these devices and this chain keeps going on and on and on, until the product gets “old”. Nobody really knows how these devices have harmed us, mentally and physically. Spending some time doing research on these devices and how they harm us can really change ones decision when they are about to purchase this certain product. Cell phone radiation is a big concern and there are many health concerns associated with it. As of August 2005 there have been 2 billion cell phone users worldwide, yet they seem to ignore this fact. This concern has raised the number of researches being done about the possibility of having health problem connected with cell phone usage. Some researches show that there are no risk factors present, but other researches show that they may cause tumors in certain nerves. One research claims when using a cell phone, radio waves are absorbed by the human head. These lead to harmful effects with memory, sleep, the brain, and many more. After reading such an article one may be very surprised because none of these risks are shown in ads or as warnings in packages when purchased. If cell phone usage stays the same way it is right now, in a couple of decades many users will have to suffer with health conditions caused by cell phone usage, they will regret it all. Looking at the way things are now, the usage of cell phones seem to be expanding more then ever. This is why it looks like this is impacting us in a negative way.
Wall-E is an animated movie which is about a robot that is abandoned in our planet full of trash and litter. This movie attracts many young viewers because it looks “cute” and kid friendly, but there is much more behind it. When looking at every aspect of the movie, it shows us how our world will look like in the near future if things stay the same way they are right now. Our planet will be a useless pile of dump, and every living human will be aboard a spaceship which will include every digital/electronic equipment built. We will all be obese and sit in a power chair that will take us every where automatically. We will have no sense of where we stand; instead we will be chatting away with others on the screens provided in front of us. In the movie, Wall-E disturbs a lady that is chatting to a monitor while sitting on her power chair. At first she doesn’t seem to nudge at all; she is too busy talking to this screen. Some how Wall-E makes the screen in front of her disappear. This is when the lady realizes that he is trying to talk to her. She then realizes where she is at and all the amenities that surround her. “I didn’t know we had a swimming pool” she states. Even though this scene is ten seconds long, it really shows how disembodied she is. She has no sense of where she is, the digital/electronic materials surrounding her are enough to keep her alive. This connects to how we are living in our world. We are always watching television, texting away on our cell phones and type away on our computers. We are always in a state of disembodiment and never even realize it. Another example from this movie is when Wall-E enters the space ship and seems to be amazed when he sees all the digital and electronic media surrounding him. He is very confused at first, but later on it excites him. Since he doesn’t have a power chair like all the others do, he is on his own feet. He is very different compared to the others since everyone there is being transported by the power chairs. While he is walking around he bumps into a guy that is sitting on his power chair. He falls off the chair and cant get up; when Wall-E helps him he states his name and the man is very confused and seems to be out of it at the time. He has a very confused face on and mutters his name. This is exactly what happens day to day in our society. We will be walking by and when we bump into someone that is typing away on their black berry they are very confused and do not know how to respond. They are completely in a state of disembodiment. They do not know what’s going on around them. They just know what is going on in the screen in front of them. We ignore each other because we are too busy with these devices which impacts how we interact with each other in a negative manner.
The drastic permeation of digital devices has massively affected the way we live in a very negative way. Reviewing all these points, this argument can be proven correct. When asking others how has digital obsession affected our society? What will their response be? Many say that it has been affecting us in a negative way. Others say that it has done us a lot of good. Then there are those that have no idea where they stand. All sides have good arguments, but what is the right answer to this question. The only way to find out is if we stick around long enough to see for our selves.
Works Cited:
• Feed by M.T. Anderson
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health
• Wall-E directed by Andrew Stanton
Monday, November 2, 2009
Hw 17
Hey Remy,
I like your essential question and thesis. The thesis seems to be “fit” and is stated as if it is a fact; I am sure Andy will appreciate this.
You will be using many sources in your paper which will do you lots of good. Some of these sources will be from video sites such as youtube, and others may be from famous plays.
These ideas connect with what others have to say about digitalization and our media. Even if readers do not agree they will be able to give it some time and think about the idea.
I think that you should have actually started to write you paragraphs for the outline. You just seem to bullet point random sources and ideas, which seem to confuse me a bit. That’s why the only things I really like so far are the EQ and thesis. Next time for an outline you should try to write in complete sentences so I can get a better idea of what you are aiming for and be able to give you better feedback.
After looking at your thesis, I agree I should make my thesis stronger so that the reader can see where I stand. I feel like my thesis is very weak for such a big topic that I will be discussing in my paper.
I look forward to reading full sentences in your paper lol.
Later,
Amber M.
ANDREW HAS NOT POSTED ANYTHING UP YET...SO I AM COMMENTING ON RACHEL'S OUTLINE
Rachel,
I like your opposing point of view. Many people feel as if this digital craze is affecting us in a negative way. After reading your outline I see you have some good points which will hopefully stand out better in your actual paper.
You feel like modern technology helps us interact with each other in a much less time consuming manor. Video games seem to help us stimulate our minds, and watching television helps us think more deeply about what is actually being viewed.
Compared to your outline, my views on this topic are completely different. I feel that even though digital devices help us connect with each other faster, they are depended on a lot, which is not a good thing. I feel like even though video games do stimulate our minds we cannot limit ourselves and how long we use them. The same thing goes for television viewing; many of the things that are on there will not help us in the near future, yet we seem to stare at it all day.
I think that you have some really interesting points in your outline. You can make it better by having a more “tight” thesis; I feel like you are saying too many things and it just lost me and I forget what your main point is. You should also use examples of what you are trying to prove so that the reader will have a better understanding of what you are trying to say.
After reading your outline it makes me think more about my views on this topic and how it relates to yours. We seem to be on the same page here but are directed in to a different pathway.
I look forward to reading your ideas in your paper.
Ttyl,
Amber M.
I like your essential question and thesis. The thesis seems to be “fit” and is stated as if it is a fact; I am sure Andy will appreciate this.
You will be using many sources in your paper which will do you lots of good. Some of these sources will be from video sites such as youtube, and others may be from famous plays.
These ideas connect with what others have to say about digitalization and our media. Even if readers do not agree they will be able to give it some time and think about the idea.
I think that you should have actually started to write you paragraphs for the outline. You just seem to bullet point random sources and ideas, which seem to confuse me a bit. That’s why the only things I really like so far are the EQ and thesis. Next time for an outline you should try to write in complete sentences so I can get a better idea of what you are aiming for and be able to give you better feedback.
After looking at your thesis, I agree I should make my thesis stronger so that the reader can see where I stand. I feel like my thesis is very weak for such a big topic that I will be discussing in my paper.
I look forward to reading full sentences in your paper lol.
Later,
Amber M.
ANDREW HAS NOT POSTED ANYTHING UP YET...SO I AM COMMENTING ON RACHEL'S OUTLINE
Rachel,
I like your opposing point of view. Many people feel as if this digital craze is affecting us in a negative way. After reading your outline I see you have some good points which will hopefully stand out better in your actual paper.
You feel like modern technology helps us interact with each other in a much less time consuming manor. Video games seem to help us stimulate our minds, and watching television helps us think more deeply about what is actually being viewed.
Compared to your outline, my views on this topic are completely different. I feel that even though digital devices help us connect with each other faster, they are depended on a lot, which is not a good thing. I feel like even though video games do stimulate our minds we cannot limit ourselves and how long we use them. The same thing goes for television viewing; many of the things that are on there will not help us in the near future, yet we seem to stare at it all day.
I think that you have some really interesting points in your outline. You can make it better by having a more “tight” thesis; I feel like you are saying too many things and it just lost me and I forget what your main point is. You should also use examples of what you are trying to prove so that the reader will have a better understanding of what you are trying to say.
After reading your outline it makes me think more about my views on this topic and how it relates to yours. We seem to be on the same page here but are directed in to a different pathway.
I look forward to reading your ideas in your paper.
Ttyl,
Amber M.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Hw 16
Essential Question: How has digital obsession affected our society?
Thesis: Within a couple of years, our society has made a drastic change on how much we depend on digital/electronic media.
Argument 1: Feed and how it relates to our society
Feed by M.T. Anderson talks about how the digital media has totally changed us and the way we live. Majority of the characters in Feed have a Feed hooked up to their brain. This is the most important part of their body; when something goes wrong with their Feed then they are in danger. We seem to massively depend on these devices and cannot seem to leave them behind. When we find ourselves without them we are in trouble. Even if we try to detach ourselves from the usage of such materials we are forced by our society to do so. Without the usage of these materials, it seems like our futures will be in jeopardy.
Argument 2: Informal research articles
After doing some research on certain digital/electronic materials there was some troubling information found. A commonly used device like cell phones can cause users much harm. It causes radiation to the brain and this can lead to many dangerous side effects to the skin, sleep, heart and many more areas. This shows that even if these materials seem to cause harm to us if not now then right away, we don’t care at all. This shows how the digital/electronic devices have totally made us risk our health just by using them.
Argument 3: Wall-E
Watching that 10 minute clip in class showed so much in so little time. Looking at the world Wall-E lived in was exactly how our world will start to look like soon if everything keeps going the same way it is right now. Much of the planet will be filled with trash and be crawling around with insects. It will be hard to recognize how it will look in some time from now. Characters in the movie that were on aboard the spaceship were completely lost in their own world. They were all in a state of disembodiment; this was caused by the power chairs with the screens in front of them. They were all chatting away with other people; at one point Wall-E distracts one individual and the screen disappears in front of her. This is when she realizes what kind of environment she is surrounded in. Before that she had no idea where she was; the digital products kept her entertained.
Conclusion:
The digital obsession has affected our society in many different ways. For some these may be good, for others these may lead us into many problems in the very near future.
Thesis: Within a couple of years, our society has made a drastic change on how much we depend on digital/electronic media.
Argument 1: Feed and how it relates to our society
Feed by M.T. Anderson talks about how the digital media has totally changed us and the way we live. Majority of the characters in Feed have a Feed hooked up to their brain. This is the most important part of their body; when something goes wrong with their Feed then they are in danger. We seem to massively depend on these devices and cannot seem to leave them behind. When we find ourselves without them we are in trouble. Even if we try to detach ourselves from the usage of such materials we are forced by our society to do so. Without the usage of these materials, it seems like our futures will be in jeopardy.
Argument 2: Informal research articles
After doing some research on certain digital/electronic materials there was some troubling information found. A commonly used device like cell phones can cause users much harm. It causes radiation to the brain and this can lead to many dangerous side effects to the skin, sleep, heart and many more areas. This shows that even if these materials seem to cause harm to us if not now then right away, we don’t care at all. This shows how the digital/electronic devices have totally made us risk our health just by using them.
Argument 3: Wall-E
Watching that 10 minute clip in class showed so much in so little time. Looking at the world Wall-E lived in was exactly how our world will start to look like soon if everything keeps going the same way it is right now. Much of the planet will be filled with trash and be crawling around with insects. It will be hard to recognize how it will look in some time from now. Characters in the movie that were on aboard the spaceship were completely lost in their own world. They were all in a state of disembodiment; this was caused by the power chairs with the screens in front of them. They were all chatting away with other people; at one point Wall-E distracts one individual and the screen disappears in front of her. This is when she realizes what kind of environment she is surrounded in. Before that she had no idea where she was; the digital products kept her entertained.
Conclusion:
The digital obsession has affected our society in many different ways. For some these may be good, for others these may lead us into many problems in the very near future.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Treasure Hunting: Hw 15
Hey Andrew,
It was interesting to read about the different researches you did on gamming websites. You like to play on your Xbox 360 and enjoy watching videos on youtube about gaming as well.
Your favorite game of all time is Gears of War 2 and you like to look at your stats on the game. You like the concept of playing against others online and you like to compare your skills on Gears of War 2 with other players.
This connects to other video gamers like you. For example my younger brother also likes to play video games on his PSP. He always wants the latest basketball game out there. Like you, he finds these games very interesting and interacting. It’s actually funny how much time and money one can spend on video gaming just for their own entertainment. A lot of gamers out there do not care at all about the cost of the games or the game counsel. They just take the material up to the cash register, take out their wad of cash or credit card and return to their sanctuary to open up the package and set up the contents. After that it’s all about whose better at playing the game. It’s as if they are hypnotized when purchasing these things; they don’t give a damn about the price. They just want to play the game.
I think that you did a good job on expressing your ideas for homework 10, but you seem to be missing homework’s 11, 12 ,13 and 14. You should post those up soon because that could affect your grade a lot. I am interested in reading more about your thoughts and ideas for each of the homework assignments. One thing you can improve on for homework 10 is maybe do some research on the affects of video games on gamers. Also compare video gamers to TV viewers or people on social networking websites.
After reading your thoughts, I want to go out and buy myself an Xbox 360 and start playing Gears of War 2. I have never played it before and now I want to find out what it’s like to play the actual game. I have heard a lot about it by reading your post.
Well it was nice to read about you and your gaming, till next time.
Amber M.
Remy,
I found it nice to read your post. You have a lot of thoughts to express in many ways. You use many examples from the real world and movies which help your thoughts brighten up the reader.
To you parallels in Feed are accurate at times and not at others. You use the example of the Swine flu issue to talk about the phenomenon of hype. You use the example of The Titanic to show your readers how we seem to ignore signs at first, but go around screaming our heads off when something hits us hard.
This connects to many other parallels to Feed. In my post I talked about how getting lesions connects to getting plastic surgery. Also how we are always in the need of new products. Many people want to get plastic surgeries so that they can become more “attractive” or look more like a favorite celebrity. In Feed they are always coming across advertisements trying to sell them different materials or the latest thing out there. In our world today we are known for the latest product, and who has which since technology gets better and better day by day.
To sum it up I liked reading your post. To make it better I think that you should have connected the points of Feed to your own life and how you differ or have similarities with it. Also I think you have some assignments missing, you should post those up so it won’t impact your grade much.
After reading about your thoughts on Feed, it makes me consider the points you came across. I agree with most of what you had to say, and this gave me new ideas to build off of as well. Like the Swine Flu and Titanic examples.
It was nice to look at your ideas; I look forward to seeing more.
Amber M.
It was interesting to read about the different researches you did on gamming websites. You like to play on your Xbox 360 and enjoy watching videos on youtube about gaming as well.
Your favorite game of all time is Gears of War 2 and you like to look at your stats on the game. You like the concept of playing against others online and you like to compare your skills on Gears of War 2 with other players.
This connects to other video gamers like you. For example my younger brother also likes to play video games on his PSP. He always wants the latest basketball game out there. Like you, he finds these games very interesting and interacting. It’s actually funny how much time and money one can spend on video gaming just for their own entertainment. A lot of gamers out there do not care at all about the cost of the games or the game counsel. They just take the material up to the cash register, take out their wad of cash or credit card and return to their sanctuary to open up the package and set up the contents. After that it’s all about whose better at playing the game. It’s as if they are hypnotized when purchasing these things; they don’t give a damn about the price. They just want to play the game.
I think that you did a good job on expressing your ideas for homework 10, but you seem to be missing homework’s 11, 12 ,13 and 14. You should post those up soon because that could affect your grade a lot. I am interested in reading more about your thoughts and ideas for each of the homework assignments. One thing you can improve on for homework 10 is maybe do some research on the affects of video games on gamers. Also compare video gamers to TV viewers or people on social networking websites.
After reading your thoughts, I want to go out and buy myself an Xbox 360 and start playing Gears of War 2. I have never played it before and now I want to find out what it’s like to play the actual game. I have heard a lot about it by reading your post.
Well it was nice to read about you and your gaming, till next time.
Amber M.
Remy,
I found it nice to read your post. You have a lot of thoughts to express in many ways. You use many examples from the real world and movies which help your thoughts brighten up the reader.
To you parallels in Feed are accurate at times and not at others. You use the example of the Swine flu issue to talk about the phenomenon of hype. You use the example of The Titanic to show your readers how we seem to ignore signs at first, but go around screaming our heads off when something hits us hard.
This connects to many other parallels to Feed. In my post I talked about how getting lesions connects to getting plastic surgery. Also how we are always in the need of new products. Many people want to get plastic surgeries so that they can become more “attractive” or look more like a favorite celebrity. In Feed they are always coming across advertisements trying to sell them different materials or the latest thing out there. In our world today we are known for the latest product, and who has which since technology gets better and better day by day.
To sum it up I liked reading your post. To make it better I think that you should have connected the points of Feed to your own life and how you differ or have similarities with it. Also I think you have some assignments missing, you should post those up so it won’t impact your grade much.
After reading about your thoughts on Feed, it makes me consider the points you came across. I agree with most of what you had to say, and this gave me new ideas to build off of as well. Like the Swine Flu and Titanic examples.
It was nice to look at your ideas; I look forward to seeing more.
Amber M.
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