Digital Nation
Due Wednesday am–for all periods.
We live in a time that demands we incorporate and rely upon technology more than ever. After reading “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” and watching the film, Digital Nation, take a position that argues for or against increasing the current amount of technology in our lives. Consider Toni Morrison’s essay, “The Dancing Mind” as you contemplate a well-developed response. Please write between 2-3 developed and proofread paragraphs. Your paragraphs should be logical, thoughtful and supported by relevant evidence.
Before submitting your response, copy your work (so you do not lose it) and proofread for sentence boundaries, subject verb agreement, active voice, appropriate verb tenses, and needless verbiage. You have entered the period of more critical writing and grading. Be careful! You will be scored on a 0-9 AP rubric score. Use this link to see AP scoring guide: http://teacherweb.com/CA/HaywardHighSchool/MsKeeble/photo2.aspx then click the last link, 9-Point AP Scoring Guide.
This is a short argument–just to get your feet wet.
Amacalli Duran
Ms. Keeble
AP English
Advancements in technology are the achievements and progress of the human race. Unfortunately, these advancements carry more negative consequences than positive. The usage of technology leads to the ignorance, laziness, and conformity of the human race.
With internet browsers such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing, humanity believes their intelligence is increasing with the amount of information available. Although this statement seems logical, it is in fact false. Because if their never-ending usage of technology, The People’s common sense and knowledge lowered. Humanity relies upon technology to supply them with information. The effect of their dependency is their increasing illiteracy. People are now incapable of reading novels, but why should they? The internet quickly summarizes and annotates any novel with the click of a button. As well, thanks to internet browsers, people do not know how to read maps. But again, why should they? With the click of a button, the browser uploads precise directions with screen a “voice” to guide the driver. At last, thanks to technology, people no longer know how to write formal letters. Instead, thanks to email and other social networks, letters seem ancient. Even though technology is a very useful tool, it deprives humanity with the capability of accomplishing simple tasks.
Technology also causes of the lack of physical activity in The People. Before marketers targeted children with televisions, computers, and game consoles they once indulged in physical activities. Physical activities included a game of soccer, baseball, or football, dancing, or even games such as tag. Children considered theses games entertaining, yet now they are seen as unnecessary. People find much more comfort in watching T.V or playing video games. Several years ago, Korea established the addiction of video games is present in their country and is affecting many young adults and teenagers. Individuals in Korea play video games for over ten hours a day and several quit their job or school to continue with their addiction. This “addiction” is not only present in Korea, but everywhere in the world. Children are refusing to play outside and instead believe playing Fifa or killing zombies will contribute to their daily exercise.
Humanity’s obsession with technology prohibits them from embracing originality. Social media fermented the image of “perfection” into the female and male minds. Women fluster with their make-up, hair, body, and clothes to appear similar to the image they see on T.V. or the internet. As well, males infatuate themselves with their muscles, hair, and clothing to best imitate the images they see. Television and computers advertise beauty products and tools to constantly point out the flaws of The People. Technology promoted to humanity that there is such a thing as perfection and that it can be achieved. Thanks to technology, humanity entered a period of self-loathing and envy.
Amacalli Duran
Ms. Keeble
AP English
Advancements in technology are believed to be the achievements and progress of the human race; however, these advancements carry more negative consequences than positive. Technology leads the ignorance, laziness, and conformity of the human race.
With internet browsers such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing, humanity believes their intelligence increases with the amount of information available. Although this statement seems logical, it is in fact false. Due to technology, the common sense and knowledge of The People lowered. Humanity relies upon technology to supply them with information. The effect of their dependency is their increasing illiteracy. People are now incapable of reading novels, but why should they? With the click of a button any novel can be summarized and annotated. As well, thanks to internet browsers, people can no longer read maps. But again, why should they? With the click of a button, precise directions can be placed on the screen with a “voice” to guide them. At last, thanks to technology, people no longer know how to write formal letters. Instead, thanks to email and other social networks, letters seem ancient. Even though technology is a very useful tool, it deprives humanity with the capability of accomplishing simple tasks.
Technology leads the lack of physical activity in The People. Before technology such as televisions, computers, and game consoles became attainable, people indulged in physical activity as entertainment. Physical activity included a game of soccer, baseball, or football, dancing, or even games such as tag. These activities were once considered fun and entertaining, yet now they are seen as unnecessary. People found much more comfort in watching T.V or playing video games. Korea established the addiction of video games is present in their country and is affecting many young adults and teenagers. Individuals in Korea play video games for over ten hours a day and quit their job or school to continue with their addiction. This “addiction” is not only present in Korea, but everywhere in the world. Children refuse to play outside and instead believe playing Fifa or killing zombies will contribute to their daily exercise.
Technology does not allow humanity to be original individuals. Social media fermented the image of the “perfect” female and male inside minds. Women fluster with their make-up, hair, body, and clothes to appear similar to the image they see on T.V. or the internet. As well, males infatuate themselves with their muscles, hair, and clothing to best imitate the images they see. Television and computers advertise beauty products and tools to constantly point out the flaws of The People. Technology promoted to humanity that there is such a thing as perfection and that it can be achieved. Thanks to technology, humanity entered a period of self-loathing and envy.
Come see me.
Adria Watson
AP English per. 2
30 November 2012
Technology in this time is hard to escape. Many people have become dependent on it and don’t even realize it. I am both for and against the increasing of current technology. It seems like the only problem there is with technology is that many people do not know when enough is enough. If society had a better balance on when/how technology is needed, rather than when it’s not, then there would not be an issue on whether or not technology is taking up our lives.
When watching the film “Digital Nation” I remember a specific part where they were talking about how the college students put use into their cellphones and laptops. The college students would use their electronic devices for school uses but then got easily distracted by things like social media and networking websites. That shows a problem with technology because those students might not get what is important done because of the distractions of social media. Personally, I have had a hard time with completing task on a computer because I get distracted but in the end I know that if their is something important I need o do then then I will finish it. Technology can test a persons self control. You can get lost with all that has to come with technology but the real matter is whether or not you can use it with caution and wisely.
As it is, people highly value technology since it is a part of their everyday life. In the case of some people technology has become an addiction that people will even camp out for the latest IPhone, or any other gadget. In previous experiences, people will set technology and social media as a priority before doing tasks that matter. Therefore, the current amount of technology should not increase because it will take up more of one’s life without one even realizing it is happening. If it continues this way, technology will run the people instead of people controlling the use of technology. If this time ever comes it will be a devastating scene because as mentioned in, “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” people will not know how to deal with each other in person since everyone usually talks via the internet or text messages.
Although some of the advances in technology are stunning, people need to learn how to limit themselves from the use of the cyber world. People are too dependent on technology and do not see the negative effects it has on one’s life. College students in “Digital Nation,” approve of the increase in the use of technology because it is easy access to information, and increases productivity. In reality, there is so much information on the web that will make people lazy because they no longer have to read huge books to search for an answer. With the new technology people can type in their questions on “Google,” and receive an answer within minutes. Such as in the book Fahrenheit 451, which also deals with the same topic, where the author conveys the idea that one day we will be controlled by technology. Even though the use of technology cannot be stopped completely, people need to start watching the amount of usage and minimize it to the lowest amount of time possible.
angela reid
period. 1
ms. keeble
11/29/12
ever since technology came into our lives we have not been able to control ourselves into using it wisely. some people tend to use technology in a good way, for instance work, school, etc. but then you have some people who tend to use it only on social networking and playing games. i think technology tends to use a lot of our time. for me i tend to just play games and use it for social networking and of course homework. to be honest it takes away a lot of time away pretty fast. i think technology takes a lot of our time but at the same time we should be able to control ourselves.
Tanzeel Hak
Ms. Keeble
AP English, Period 2
9 November 2012
Through everyone’s differences there is one thing we all have in common. As a society, we all use technology. Some of might use it more than others, although all of are addicted to technology and often rely on it. As the years go by, the technological world continues to grow rapidly. We can use technology almost everywhere: school, home, work, and many other places. Everyone believes that technology is extremely beneficial and makes our lives easier. Technology helps us when we’re bored, when we need to get something done, or just when we’re looking for entertainment. Although, once we begin relying on it constantly, where we can not go a day, an hour, or even a minute without it, there is a problem. We should all put our best foot forward by not getting intrigued and drawn into the technological world more than we already have and fight against our dilemma in which there is an increasing amount of reliance on technology in our lives.
In the movie, “Digital Nation”, we saw that stepping back from technology would be very beneficial. The video illustrated that people that multitask actually accomplish tasks slower than people who do one thing at a time because we can not put all our efforts into two or more things at once and still be efficient. So for some of us who attempt to juggle multiple tasks at once, we should pause, rethink things, and make a better decision, which would be to do one thing at a time, seeing as how it is a lot more efficient. Technology is a huge distracting factor. If we were to stop using it or just completely get rid of it, we could do work much more productively and it would be more adequate. It is never too late to take a break from technology. In the end, technology is just simply more harmful than beneficial.
The article “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely,” stated that the more time we spend on social networks the further we become from social interaction. Everyday we meet less and less people compared to the past. This is absolutely ridiculous, we should really make an attempt to socialize with more people to change theses statistics along with our terrible technological habits. The article also stated that, “In 1985, only 10 percent of Americans said they had no one with whom to discuss important matters, and 15 percent said they had only one such good friend. By 2004, 25 percent had nobody to talk to, and 20 percent had only one confidant.” As technology is advancing day by day, the statistics are getting worse. The sad part about it is that a lot of people realize what is happening. So the biggest problem might not be the fact that we are furthering ourselves from social interaction, but not being aware of it, so we can change the habits. To take a stand against the brainwashing technology, we should limit our use of social networks as it will distance us from forming real bonds with people.
So much better organized. Awesome. Now I can see what you mean more clearly. It looks like the organizer worked! Great job. Some word choice issues, but you can work on that. Great effort and broad-based analysis 7.
Heather H.
Ms. Keeble
AP English, Period 2
08 November 2012
Technology is impossible to escape. It is around each looming corner and more often than not right in your pocket. Some may seem threatened by this; some may feel it is isolating and depressing. On the contrary, technology, specifically the Internet, is a huge benefit to society in general as well as individual growth.
The Internet is often the first thing many think of when technology is mentioned. Both the article “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely” and the film Digital Nation make the point that the Internet is addicting. I truly believe that if you allow yourself to be consumed by the Internet, you will be. It is all a matter of self-control. It is in the hands of the individuals to limit their time with electronics if they feel it is too extensive. Where Do the Children Play, a song by British musician Cat Stevens, can now be filtered through a modern light to address this issue. In the chorus, Stevens sings, “I know we’ve come a long way/ We’re changing day to day/ But tell me, where do the children play?” The internet, with its multitude of games and fun information available at all times, may seem like it is replacing simple children’s play. If parents and children alike would take control of their actions, they could easily go outside and frolic in nature if they so desired. I do sympathize with how difficult it is to pry oneself away from the immense knowledge of the Internet, though. The vast amount of information available in literally one second is astounding and wonderful. It allows us to help others and ourselves, be it Googling a suspicious health condition or researching how to help with a natural disaster fund. Online, one can even help feed the hungry through http://www.freerice.com, an opportunity that would not be available to many if it weren’t for the Internet.
People are too quick to criticize technology, to say that it is detrimental to society. Yet, many of these people do not apply these views to their personal life and are quite hypocritical. The benefits of technology clearly outweigh any potential negatives, and before criticizing the advances the human race has made, one should ask what their quality of life would be if technology did not evolve and improve.
Awesome–8–watch the use of “your” in first para. It makes your audience feel like you are pointing a finger. You can use “we” instead.
Areli Sanchez
Ms. Keeble
AP English 11, Period 2
November 8th, 2012
Technological advances during this era are intended to benefit the people and create a more developed and advanced civilization. Although modern day technology has achieved that, it has also back tracked humans throughout the world. Technology has become a source of dependency that has psychologically made an impact of humans. After reading “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” and watching the film, Digital Nation, my belief that technology is far too much praised and overly used on a regular day basis was re-enforced.
I believe technology use should be limited, rather than used extensively. I personally can connect to the feeling of addiction when it comes to using the internet. I cannot run away from it, for I have access to the internet everywhere. I am slowly coming to a realization that I spend too much on this technology, and I am loosing connection to the outside world. Although the internet grants you connection to the whole world, by placing yourself into this whole new world, you are losing connection to the real world. The real world is not waiting for us and while we ignore real time and focus on this other world, we lose connectivity. Essential communication skills are beginning to disperse because of the lack of use of them. One begins to wonder, where did we go wrong? Was it the moment that we decided to spend inside the house on the computer, rather than meeting up with a friend? Or was it the moment we sent that friend request when we should have been giving thanks during dinner?
Broad worldview. You move from universal to personal. Mature, introspective analysis with concrete evidence. Instead of saying “you” it is helpful to use the word “we.” Some Word choice issues in paragraph 1. I love your topic sentence for paragraph 2. 6
Kiloni Driskell
Ms. Keeble
Period 2
07 November 2012
Technology has played an important role in our lives to the point we cannnot live without it. We use it for research, communication, weather, news and more. What happen to the newspaper articles? That has been thrown away because of technology. I do not think technology should be increased because it is a distraction. I always try to multi task by listening to music and doing my homework but i always get distracted. When I am doing my homework and listening to music, I really do not listen to the music. That reminds me of the video “Digital Nation” we watched in class when they said it is impossible to multi task.
Technology has a big effect on people. It can distance you from your family because you have a text message, tweet, or you want to post something on instagram. I do not think this world can go a day without technology. I think kids people should limit theirselves from technology and take the time to read a book or take a walk and a breath of fresh air.
All in all I think people should just limit theirselves from technology. Everyone shouldn’t have to rely on technology.
word choice, “themselves,” need parallel structures, sentence fluidity, organized, clear–4
Gonzalo Haro
Ap Lang. and Comp.
Ms. Keeble 1st
Nov 7, 2012
We live in a society where technology is more than abundant. It surrounds our day-to-day activities and greatly impacts the way we think. Sometimes the way we think is impacted in a negative way, that’s when we need to worry. Facebook is making us lonelier, Google is making us more dependent on the internet for answers, and some people become dependent on their smartphones. When people start getting addicted to these things, it’s time to cut down.
Our lives wouldn’t end if we all limited our use of technology. In fact, they would improve. We would have more time, better social skills, our brains would be better equipped to deal with real-world situations and they would be reprogrammed to be independent from instant info sources. A lot of people wouldn’t like this because they forgot what it’s like to live a life free from a million different distractions. The youth is so dependent on technology that they wouldn’t even think about giving it up.
I’m not saying all technology is bad. There have been countless improvements in our society as a result of better technology. Education, business, health, nutrition, etc. have all benefited greatly from technology. The real problem is the addiction and growing dependency. A clear, and maybe not-so-easy, solution would be to simply cut down on tech and learn and re-adapt yourself to life without it.
Well-organized, concise, pointed, supported, and few grammatical or usage errors. Stay away from contractions. Do not use them in formal papers. Academic language appropriate. Writer voice present. Well done. 7
Jasmine
AP English 11, Period 1
Ms. Keeble
7 November 2012
Technological advances are necessary for development in society but humans have to be careful as to not to abuse it. With that said, I am increase the use of technology. Irrelevant things on the Internet can easily distract people. It’s not good for the mind and forces us to multitask. Technically speaking, the brain is supposed to be incapable of multitasking. As I learned in Digital Nation, virtually all multitaskers are worse at multitasking and slower than they think.
There are so many things accessible on the Internet, its unhealthy for mankind. One example is computer games. People easily are addicted to computer games. However, constantly playing computer games shrinks your capacity to think. We have gotten so addicted to technology as a people; some have compared it to air. The way we use technology right now can lead to a decline in our society. We should slow down.
Wonderfully thoughtful. Mature. Clear. Thank you for moving from universal application (worldwide) to personal. I would have actually added a qualifying statement to the “air” comment and its logic; you would need to do that on the AP exam, specifically on the synthesis essay. Be sure to support your claim with valid evidence. Once you make the assertion, then add your analysis, give a real world example from something you’ve read, seen or heard about. That’s what you need to do every time. 6 (you could have written more).
Jennifer
period2
Technology has brought us acess to the entire world at the push of buttons. For example the internet has many benefits to be thankful for. We can communicate with and see someone on the other side of the earth in real time time through the internet. We can also look up facts and news on the internet as well. The only thing that gives technology a downside is us.
We forget that we are the ones in control of tecnology instead of the other way around. This brings us to blame technology itself for our decrease in attention span and effective thinking. We are making ourselves victims when in fact we choose to distract ourselves and unfocus. Ultimately no one forces us to use technology in an unacademic manner.
commas,”brings us,” thesis, where’s your position 3
Awesome thinking. Organize. Make your assertion, then support it with analsis and evidence. Scratching the surface. Think of evidence as examples you have either read, seen, heard about, or thought of as hypotheticals. You absolutely must support your claims with evidence. Always be sure the words you use are words you already know. 3
Trhas Bairu
AP English 11
7 November 2012
5th period
From watching the film “Digital Nation” and reading the essay “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” it made me think how much the people have to do with this. The world I personally think needs help with self control hen it comes to technology. Meaning using it when it’s necessary and not using it as a necessity. Without technology a lot of lives would be ruined. It’s sad to say also people depend on it to an extent that they remember less on their own because they know the internet has the answer.
Though technology has a positive impact on our lives to, but the negative things about it seems to attract the people more. There are many great things of the web. For example is keeping in touch with friends and family worldwide, and online shopping. It makes your life easier in a good way and sometimes in a bad scary way. All you need is self control and don’t take advantage of the knowledge the internet feeds you and actually remember things.