Final Paper

The Destruction of Technology

            Whether we choose to believe it or not, technology has become in a sense a form of addiction.  Social networking has become very popular over this past decade, more so in the last five years.  A lot of people, today’s generation especially, seem to fill a void when going online and texting.  The social world is not safe in today’s world.  It has become very dangerous and caused a lot of pain in people’s lives.  People have gotten so caught up with what is going on in the social world rather than face reality and experience the real world.  I look around and see everyone hooked on their phone rather than carry on face-to-face conversations with the company they are with.  I’ve caught myself even out to dinner with family and friends and not being able to put my phone down for that short amount of time out of the day that should be spent with one another.  People, teens especially are having trouble carrying conversations because they don’t have the time to come up with something witty to whereas during text or online, they would.  During face-to-face conversations, it is completely different though.  Once you say something, you no longer have the ability to erase what you said and start over.  Society isn’t what it used to be anymore.  We have allowed technology to corrupt us and take over who we are- who we once were.   After reading my paper, you will have learned about the extreme rise in technology, the overuse of it, the pros and cons, and lastly the dangers that follow with the excessive amount of time spent on our phones.

            For starters, social media now has its own meaning.  It was once something fun and now has become an addiction.  The excessive use of technology has created many issues in today’s society.  You can’t seem to go out to dinner without seeing people glued to their phones.  That’s not all either.  People are always on their phone.  Whether it is at the movies, in class, at the store, you are always seeing at least a handful of people on their phone.  I never really realized until recently that being glued to your phone even with company, is a rude habit to have.  Unfortunately enough for me, I had to learn the hard way (a couple times at that).  It seems almost impossible to put down your phone for any amount of time in today’s world.  Shawn Ghuman’s “Is Technology Destroying Social Bonds?” in America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, provided me with a lot of “back up” with how I feel towards technology and social networking.  Ghuman gave a great example and referred to cell phones as our security blanket.  In Shawn Ghuman’s reading, he said “Digital communication has taken away from what makes humans thrive- the ability to express thoughts through in-person discussion” (page 111).  When reading Ghuman’s piece, I found myself agreeing with everything he said and wanting to spit it all out on my paper.  We as humans, have now started to become socially awkward with one another.  It has become harder for us to make eye contact with those we talk to and have trouble keeping a nice flow during the conversation.  Technology as we know it, is taking over.  Larry Rosen’s iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession With Technology And Overcoming Its Hold On Us, gives an expert testimony in the field of Psychology of Technology.  He goes onto say how technology is too much for the human mind to handle.  While reading this book, I found something that caught my interest.  It is predicted by experts, that in the year 2015, 80% of the world’s population will have a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.  How crazy is that?  Rosen stated that social addicts experience withdrawal from being away from technology.  They have an itch for more and experience anger, depression and/or anxiety.  Larry Rosen says studies show, “Kids with text-message dependency will experience nervousness when they do not have their cell phones with them” (page 73).  Is that how we react without our phones now?  Society as we know it is spiraling down into one big mess.

            Secondly, technology has become overused more as time goes on.  For starters, Ashton Kutcher’s “Has Texting Killed Romance?” in America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, lists the overuse and a from then to now on how the social world has become today.  Actor and producer, Kutcher, shares his thoughts on how cell phones and texting have become at an all-time high.  He goes onto say, “With all this texting, e-mailing, and social networking, I started wondering, are we all becoming so in touch with one another that we are in danger of losing touch?” (page 99).  In Ashton Kutcher’s reading, he goes on about how it once use to be a boy and girl met, exchanged numbers, anticipation built, call was made, then went from there.  Now instead of calling, we text because silence over the phone is eliminated.  Instead of going over and comforting the person you care for, you send a sweet touching text or write on their Facebook wall, etc.  Society has become so caught up in technology and the overuse of cell phones has become outrageous.  We have begun to let it reel us in and now are facing problems because of it.  Relationships with those we care about are being destroyed because of us pushing those away.  We are shutting people out as if it is nothing.  As if our phones have more of an importance than our loved ones.   The social media world is slowly growing upon us more and more every day.  Cristian Lupsa’s “A Campus Fad Becomes A Fact…” goes onto give reasons as to why Facebook is no longer growing.  The famous social networking site doesn’t seem to be having a rapid growth like how it once was because everyone seems to already be on it.  It blows my mind at times to see how quickly the site has begun to grow.  I came across an article on the Seattle Refined that caught my eye and pulled me into reading more.  Tonya Mosley’s post “4 Signs You’re Addicted to Your Cell Phone” gives a great description on what the overuse has now led up to.  The sad part is, I played a guilty part in this matter.  Each one of those signs seemed to have some relationship with me.  Not only did Mosley list the signs of your addiction, but she provided ways to seek help with your addiction towards your fun.  Seems silly to have an addiction with your phone, right?  In reality though, it isn’t healthy at all to become so wrapped up in something so meaningless. 

            When social networking first came about, it was supposed to be something you checked every now and then, like your Facebook for example.  Social networking sites were there to allow you to connect with friends and family and still keep in touch with one another.  Speaking to this issue, several sources develop the pros and cons of technology and how different today’s world is because of it.  Christine Rosen’s “Electronic Intimacy” in America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, shares her feelings on the pros and cons of social networking and what an addiction it has become.  Roses begins to wonder, “Might texting, emailing, and tweeting eventually have the same delirious effect on, for instance, our ability to experience longing?”  As said before, people seem to fill a void when communicating online or through text with someone.  They feel accepted rather than rejected because they don’t have to be themselves.  People can pretend to be someone completely different from who they actually are, and that is scary when thinking about it.  What have we let society become?  Robert Piper’s article “Your Cell Phone Is Not A Part Of Your Body-You Can Let It Go” for example, relates and links to more of the con side of cell phones and how obsessed we have become with social networking.  We are all starting to realize the obsession we have, but have yet to do anything about it and are struggling to step back a little.  A lot of today’s society, myself included have become glued to their cell phones.  I am constantly checking my phone and it has become the biggest distraction.  An article from Huffpost, brought up an issue I wasn’t aware of.  Emma Stein’s “Is Social Media Dependence A Mental Issue?” brought to my attention, the killing of a 19 year old boy in the UK.  He had become so obsessed with taking “selfies” that he decided to commit suicide.  He had an addiction and felt he had to get the perfect picture.  The 19 year old would change the way he looked from the color of his hair to his weight.  We as a society have helped contribute to this.  Emma began to give her reasons as to why she feels technology and the social world were once a good thing, but now turning out to be bad.  The social media world is not all what it is cracked up to be anymore.

            My next category includes the dangers that follow with the excessive amount of time spent on cell phones.  We have begun to hear it all.  Texting while driving, cyber bullying, unsafe sites, and more have all become dangerous to us.  As you know, there have been many accidents caused due to texting while driving.  Nowadays, texting while driving is the new “drunk driving.”  It has become just as bad, if not worse.  Stephanie Hanes and Ashley Halsey both wrote articles on texting while driving and the affects of it today.  In Hanes’ article “Texting Caused Total ‘Distracted Driving’ Deaths To Rise, Study Finds,” goes onto give the dangers of texting while driving and how it has now become the most cause for accidents here in the U.S.  In Halsey’s article “U.S. Teens Frightening Levels of Texting While Driving,” goes onto provide more of a survey type aspect.  “A quarter of teens say they text while driving and about half ages 12-17, say they have been in cars with someone texting behind the wheel.”  Think about what a kid in elementary or middle school begins to think when they see that being done.  They are going to think it is alright and okay to do.  Try and think about that feeling when we almost slam into the back of someone’s car because we were more focused on texting, rather than paying attention to the road.  It is a feeling we have almost all experience before, right?  Sadly though, we still continue to keep on texting like it isn’t a big issue.  I am not saying I am innocent in any of this by the way either.  I should be able to stay off my phone long enough to be more focused on driving rather than create more danger to other drivers around me.  The world is becoming a dangerous place, to include the social world.  More and more dangerous sites are starting to come about and some teens are finding themselves in trouble because of it.  Whether it be done unintentional or not, there are a lot of people out there who fake their identity.  A new show that just recently came about called Catfish, has been a hit television show all around the world within these past couple of years now.  Catfish is about two friends, Nev and Max, who decide to help others around the world who experience being catfished.  What does it mean to be catfished you may ask?  Being catfished is when someone you are talking to pretends to be someone else, creating a false identity.  Catfishing typically happens on Facebook out of all the social media sites.  Another thing about being catfished is majority of online relationships begin to form from it.  Nev and Max go state to state helping others that reach out to them.  Once they meet the person that asked for their help, they try arranging a meeting to their significant other.  It is sad to hear what the world has come to.  It does not matter what the reason for why people do what they do, there is no excuse to toying with other people’s emotions.  People’s emotions are not something that should be messed with and faking your identity should not be the answer. 

            Going out should have its own meaning now.  The reason I bring this up, is for many reasons.  My ten year old brother has had an iPad for a couple years now.  Although yes there are some beneficial things to having an iPad, there is a fine line between when enough is enough.  Or so it should be.  Every time we go out to dinner, he is glued to his iPad.  It is like he is in his own little world and doesn’t want to be messed with.  My parents will tell him to put it away, but all he does and goes on and pitches a fit.  Then I began to think to myself.  The first thing my dad and I do after looking through the menu is pull out our phones.  Sometimes it is so bad that we pull them out the minute we sit down at the table.  What are we teaching my brother by pulling out our phones rather than talking with one another?  Kids are becoming sucked into a world where they feel it is okay to not carry face-to-face conversations with others around them.  We can’t really blame them though, because that is what a lot of them are becoming use to being around.  I have really started to struggle with how our world has become.  I find myself and others around me struggling to keep a nice flow going during conversations.  Eye contact has become awkward to maintain for those of my age group.  The struggle of not being able to hold eye contact is very discouraging and will only create problems.  For instance, when you are in an interview, eye contact is a must at all times.  It shows a sense of respect and let’s your potential employer know that you are interested in the conversation.  The excessive use of technology has made me come to realize just how disrespectful it is to pull out your phone while spending time with someone.  There is no reason for needing to be on it the whole time you are with someone.  The point is to be spending time with one another.  The excessive texting, tweeting, and updating your status on Facebook isn’t worth as much time that is put into it.  There can be many other useful things you can do.  I understand we all need our down time to ourselves and that is fine.  But being on our phones and on technology 24/7 isn’t necessary. 

            With as much time and energy we are putting into staying connected with one another online and through text, we could be getting a lot more accomplished.  Think about the better grades you could be receiving or the quality time that could be spent with your family and friends.  I know it is easier said than done but a lot of positivity can come from this I feel.  It is a practice exercise I should start using myself.  All the money being putting into all of the technology we use just isn’t worth it anymore.  Take iPhone’s for example.  They purposely make them the way they do that way when your phone slows down; you now have to go get the new latest update.  It is a sucking machine, a trap that we are all falling into.  If it isn’t the newest iPhone it is the newest laptop, or iPad, or television, or car even.  Just a couple weeks ago, I was at the dealership with my uncle getting my car looked at.  It blew my mind all the technology that was involved in the newer call models.  My goodness you have cars that brake on their own when they sense you are too close to the car in front of you.  Bluetooth is a big asset to cars nowadays.  You don’t even need to hold your phone to talk to someone now.  All that needs to be done is for you to have your phone connected with your car and it then automatically syncs once you get back in it.  That all seems cool, trust me I know.  But that is what people are made to go out and do- sell you the product.  Ever pay attention to commercials nowadays?  “You need this!”  They want your money; they want you to keep giving in over and over.  With the iPhone 4s and up and the newer Android and Windows phones, you now have your own virtual personal assistant who has the ability to talk to you.  The voice activated phone can talk to you by telling you directions or answering questions you may have.  Such as a definition, how to spell a word, ratings on a restaurant. 

            In conclusion, I hope once you are done reading this, you understand my reasoning for why I chose this topic in the first place.  I am not at all trying to bash on technology nor say it shouldn’t exist.  A lot of people complain about what technology has begun to do to society, but in reality it is the people that have led society to become this way.  We have all somehow contributed to how the world is today.  There are many problems that have arouse because how people, myself included have let technology take over.  I don’t feel we should cut technology completely out, that isn’t my intention and what I hope for.  It just shouldn’t take up as much of our time and be our main priority.  We should not let technology corrupt us anymore than it already has.  My paper helps show the rapid growth of technology and the takeover that has begun. 

Halsey, Ashley. "U.S. Teens Frightening Levels of Texting While Driving." The Washington Post. (2009). Proquest. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.

Hanes, Stephanie.  "Texting Caused Total 'Distracted Driving' Deaths To Rise, Study Finds." The Christian Science Monitor. (2010): 1-11. Proquest. Web. 23 Sept. 2010. 28 Oct. 2014.

Ghuman, Shawn.  "Is Technology Destroying Social Bonds?" America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals. Robert Atwan.  Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2013. Print.

Kutcher, Ashton.  "Has Texting Killed Romance?"  America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals.  Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford St. Matins, 2013. Print.  

Lupsa, Crisitan. "A Campus Fad Becomes A Fact..." The Christian Science Monitor. (2006): 13. Proquest. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. 

Mosley, Tonya. Seattle Refined. "4 Signs You're Addicted To Your Cell Phone." Sinclair Interactive Media. Web. 22 Jul. 2014.  28 Oct. 2014

Piper, Robert.  Huffpost.  "Your Cell Phone Is Not A Part Of Your Body-You Can Let It Go.”  The Huffington Post Publications.  Web.  24 Sept. 2013.

Rosen, Christine. "Electronic Intimacy" America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2013. Print.

Rosen, Larry. iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession With Technology And Overcoming Its Hold On Us. New York: St. Martins, 2013. Print.

Stein, Emma. Huffpost. "Is Social Media Dependence A Mental Issue?" Huffington Post Publications. Web. 7 May. 2014. 28 Oct. 2014.

Rationale

Sydney Ernst

English 102

Dr. Begert

November 27, 2014

The Destruction of Technology: Rationale

            I will first start my paper off by giving a brief introduction to what brought me onto writing this topic (the destruction of social networking) and sharing my thesis.  I will have two main points in my introduction and each will include supporting details on the matter.  I want to engage my readers and have them know right off the bat when reading my paper, why this is such an important issue to me.  Since this is my first research paper, I want to make sure I meet all the goals and requirements needed in a well thought out paper.  My paper will include sources from other scholars in the field and provided feedback from them.  Not only will my paper include direct quotations from these journalists, but some paraphrased material based on what I gathered and took from their writing.  A lot of people fail to make known what their thesis is so I want to be sure to succeed and clarify my thesis towards the end of my introduction for readers.  Doing so will allow my readers to have a better understanding where I am coming from and will meet their expectations.

            In my first main body paragraph, I will go into depth on the rise of technology and what society has become accustomed to.  My timeline will include the dramatic increase in this past decade and will use my sources to show that.  Once I give reason as to how and why we have allowed our phones to become our security blanket, I will provide a study of what our world’s population will be like in 2015 with technology.  People from all over, the U.S. especially, has allowed technology to get out of hand.  We have developed bad and rude habits with the obsession of our phones and etc.  Kids today feel it is okay to have an addiction and are facing serious problems because of it.  This first main paragraph will help give a generalization as to how out of control technology has gotten. 

            The second body paragraph will be the overuse of technology today and how it gradually increases more and more every day.  This paragraph will first start off with today’s new form of communication compared to how communication with one another was a decade ago.  Comparing the two will help readers understand the bigger picture and realize how much times have changed.  Towards the end of this paragraph, I will go onto give signs that show you are addicted to your phone and ways to help your addiction.  I felt this would be a good illustration towards my readers and would help open their eyes to what society has become like. 

            My next paragraph will include both the pros and cons of technology, more so the cons.  When deciding to choose this category to be part of my paper, I wanted readers to understand that I am not bashing technology in any way.  I love technology just as much as everyone else.  The problem being is I love it a little too much.  Technology has gotten so out of hand, it is everywhere!  Although I believe technology is helpful at times, I feel we revolve around it way too much.  This section will include voids filled when using technology and the obsession of it with the help from my sources.  My last source used in this paragraph, will really hook readers in due to the story that follows.  I am aiming to have them really engaged in and want to know more about what technology has done to us all.

            My last category expresses the dangers that follow with the excessive amount of time spent on cell phones.  I will first bring in the biggest danger of them all when it comes to our phones which is texting while driving.  In other words called the new, “drunk driving.”  I am bringing this into my paper because it needs to be brought to people’s attention.  Many people have died or been injured due to texting while driving.  We have let this get so out of hand that lives are being put at stake.  Also include with this section was the dangerous sites that have come about online.  I want readers to see just how dangerous a lot of the social world has become and how not everything you go on is safe.  A real eye opener should be brought about when reading this section of the paper.   

            In this last paragraph before I wrapped it all up, I wanted to pull in some real life experiences occurred in my life.  I will first go onto talk about my younger brother and how much technology has affected him.  What I hope to gain from doing so is for people to realize just how much of a guilty party my family and I play into this.  Technology has taken over all of us and that is really sad to say.  I want readers to maybe take a step back and think about what role models they are being to their younger family members. 

            My conclusion paragraph will reel in everything mentioned in my research paper.    Again as mentioned before, it isn’t my intention to bash technology.  That wasn’t my reasoning for writing this paper.  I just want society to go back to a life to where staring at a screen all day isn’t normal.  Technology is corrupting us and pulling us away from each other.

Outline

Outline

       I.            Introduction: Brief description of my topic, followed by my thesis.

a.)    Technology slowly corrupting us.

i.)                  Today’s world once managed without social networking and cell phones.  I am not saying the world should go back to that again, but needs to be done in moderation.  (Shawn Ghuman)

b.)    Technology has had a rapid growth over the past decade.

i.)                  Due to the excessive use of technology, many sites have come about that are dangerous and unsafe for teens to go on.  (Julia Angwin)

    II.            The extreme rise in technology.

a.)    We as a society have allowed our phones to become our security blanket. (Ghuman)

i.)                  Everywhere you go nowadays, people seem to be attached to their phones, rather than engaging in conversation with those around them.

ii.)                Recently discovering that being on your phone nonstop is a rude habit to have.

b.)    Technology as we know it, is taking over.

i.)                  Studies show that by 2015, 80% of the world’s population will have a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

ii.)                Social addicts are beginning to experience withdrawal from being away from technology. (Larry Rosen)

1.)    The after affects with kids not able to have their phone nearby at all times.

 III.            The overuse of technology that begins to increase more and more as time goes on.

a.)    Society had become so caught up in technology and the overuse of cell phones has become outrageous.  We have allowed a new way of communication to come into play and problems are now resulting because of it.  (Ashton Kutcher)

i.)                  Relationships are being destroyed and we are beginning to shut people out.

ii.)                The social media world is growing upon us more and more each day.

1.)    One of the more popular social networking sites; Facebook, has now reached a stopping point.  There no longer seems to be a rapid growth anymore due to the fact that people have already joined from all over the world.

b.)    The four signs of being addicted to your cell phone. (Tonya Mosley)

i.)                  Finding myself in the midst of cell phone addiction.

ii.)                Ways to seek help towards your cell phone addiction, yet still be able to enjoy time on your phone here and there.

 IV.            The pros and cons of technology.

a.)    A void is filled when communicating online or through text.  People feel accepted and feel they can be whoever they want to be.

b.)    The obsession we have developed for our cell phones and social networking. (Robert Piper)

i.)                  Even though we are starting to realize our obsession, we as a society are finding it difficult to take a step back and not be so addicted to something so meaningless.

ii.)                Phones are one of the biggest distractions.

c.)    The social world was once a good thing, but has now started making a turn for the worse.  (Emma Stein)

i.)                  The need to take the perfect “selfies” gone wrong.

ii.)                Society’s contribution towards this obsession.

    V.            The dangers that follow with the excessive amount of time spent on cell phones. 

a.)    Texting while driving now declared as the new “drunk driving.”

i.)                  Texting while driving has become one of the most cause for accidents in the U.S. (Stephanie Hanes)

ii.)                Survey done on those who texts behind the wheel and passengers in the car being a witness to those texting while driving.  (Ashley Halsey)

b.)    The world is becoming a dangerous place to include the social world.

i.)                  Teens are starting to find themselves in trouble due to the newer sites coming about.

ii.)                Some people online fake their identity and toy with other people’s emotions.

 VI.            Going out should have its own new meaning now.

a.)    My brother’s need to be on his iPad at all times, even at dinner.

i.)                  The examples he is being shown and the habits he is starting to pick up.

ii.)                Kids are becoming sucked into a world where they feel it is okay to not carry on face-to-face conversations.

b.)    Being on our phones 24/7 isn’t necessary.

i.)                  It shows disrespect to the person you’re with when you are on your phone the whole time, instead of interacting with them.

VII.           We have led society to become overruled by technology.

a.)    We have each in our own way contributed to how today’s world is.  Rather than fix the problem, we complain and still buy the products.

i.)                  Technology shouldn’t be completely cut off, but we shouldn’t allow it to be our main priority any longer.

Abstract

Technology has begun to make a turn for the worse.  We have begun to get so caught up in something so meaningless.  We as a society are beginning to choose technology, over more important things in life.  It’s crazy to think how much has changed in this past decade and how fast technology has surpassed the human generation.  Today’s generation would be in for a rude awakening if technology somehow disappeared.  Society relies so much on technology today that in a way, we don’t need to think.  Technology is our own brain in a sense and that is becoming discouraging when given the time to think about it.  What are we gaining from spending hours upon hours staring at a screen?  Our brains aren’t having the ability to engage and problems will later be faced, if not now.  Every problem we face, we seem to rely on technology more and more these days.  For instance, we need a break from studying so we check our Facebook.  Another example, being stuck in an awkward situation leading us to pulling out our phones making us feel like the situation isn’t as weird.  It makes you wonder how people once survived back then, right?  This isn’t how society should be, this isn’t how it should have become.  The unfortunate part about it is we have let this happen.  The U.S. has allowed technology to rise drastically.  The sources gathered for my topic include the rise in technology, the overuse, the pros and cons, and the dangers that come along with social networking.  My plan isn’t to bash technology, but to cut down a bit and not allow our lives to revolve so much around something so little.    

Drafting Process

            

        Whether we choose to believe it or not, technology has become in a sense a form of addiction.  Social networking has become very popular over this past decade, more so in the last five years.  A lot of people, today’s generation especially, seem to fill a void when going online and texting.  The social world is not safe in today’s world.  It has become very dangerous and caused a lot of pain in people’s lives.  People have gotten so caught up with what is going on in the social world rather than face reality and experience the real world.  I look around and see everyone hooked on their phone rather than carry on face-to-face conversations with the company they are with.  I’ve caught myself even out to dinner with family and friends and not being able to put my phone down for that short amount of time out of the day that should be spent with one another.  People, teens especially are having trouble carrying conversations because they don’t have the time to come up with something witty to whereas during text or online, they would.  During face-to-face conversations, it is completely different though.  Once you say something, you no longer have the ability to erase what you said and start over.  Society isn’t what it used to be anymore.  We have allowed technology to corrupt us and take over who we are- who we once were.   After reading my paper, you will have learned about the extreme rise in technology, the overuse of it, the pros and cons, and lastly the dangers that follow with the excessive amount of time spent on our phones.

            For starters, social media now has its own meaning.  It was once something fun and now has become an addiction.  The excessive use of technology has created many issues in today’s society.  You can’t seem to go out to dinner without seeing people glued to their phones.  That’s not all either.  People are always on their phone.  Whether it is at the movies, in class, at the store, you are always seeing at least a handful of people on their phone.  I never really realized until recently that being glued to your phone even with company, is a rude habit to have.  Unfortunately enough for me, I had to learn the hard way (a couple times at that).  Shawn Ghuman’s “Is Technology Destroying Social Bonds?” in America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, provided me with a lot of “back up” with how I feel towards technology and social networking.  Ghuman gave a great example and referred to cell phones as our security blanket.  In Shawn Ghuman’s reading, he said “Digital communication has taken away from what makes humans thrive- the ability to express thoughts through in-person discussion.”  When reading Ghuman’s piece, I found myself agreeing with everything he said and wanting to spit it all out on my paper.  We as humans, have now started to become socially awkward with one another.  It has become harder for us to make eye contact with those we talk to and have trouble keeping a nice flow during the conversation.  Technology as we know it, is taking over.  Larry Rosen’s iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession With Technology And Overcoming Its Hold On Us, gives an expert testimony in the field of Psychology of Technology.  He goes onto say how technology is too much for the human mind to handle.  While reading this book, I found something that caught my interest.  It is predicted by experts, that in the year 2015, 80% of the world’s population will have a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.  How crazy is that?  Rosen stated that social addicts experience withdrawal from being away from technology.  They have an itch for more and experience anger, depression and/or anxiety.  Larry Rosen says studies show, “Kids with text-message dependency will experience nervousness when they do not have their cell phones with them.”  Is that how we react without our phones now?  Society as we know it is spiraling down into one big mess.

            Secondly, technology has become overused more as time goes on.  For starters, Ashton Kutcher’s “Has Texting Killed Romance?” in America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, lists the overuse and a from then to now on how the social world has become today.  Actor and producer, Kutcher, shares his thoughts on how cell phones and texting have become at an all-time high.  He goes onto say, “With all this texting, e-mailing, and social networking, I started wondering, are we all becoming so in touch with one another that we are in danger of losing touch?”  In Ashton Kutcher’s reading, he goes on about how it once use to be a boy and girl met, exchanged numbers, anticipation built, call was made, then went from there.  Now instead of calling, we text because silence over the phone is eliminated.  Instead of going over and comforting the person you care for, you send a sweet touching text or write on their Facebook wall, etc.  Society has become so caught up in technology and the overuse of cell phones has become outrageous.  We have begun to let it reel us in and now are facing problems because of it.  Relationships with those we care about are being destroyed because of us pushing those away.  We are shutting people out as if it is nothing.  As if our phones have more of an importance than our loved ones.   The social media world is slowly growing upon us more and more every day.  Cristian Lupsa’s “A Campus Fad Becomes A Fact…” goes onto give reasons as to why Facebook is no longer growing.  The famous social networking site doesn’t seem to be having a rapid growth like how it once was because everyone seems to already be on it.  It blows my mind at times to see how quickly the site has begun to grow.  I came across an article on the Seattle Refined that caught my eye and pulled me into reading more.  Tonya Mosley’s post “4 Signs You’re Addicted to Your Cell Phone” gives a great description on what the overuse has now led up to.  The sad part is, I played a guilty part in this matter.  Each one of those signs seemed to have some relationship with me.  Not only did Mosley list the signs of your addiction, but she provided was to seek help with your addiction towards your fun.  Seems silly to have an addiction with your phone, right?  In reality though, it isn’t healthy at all to become so wrapped up in something so meaningless. 

            When social networking first came about, it was supposed to be something you checked every now and then like your Facebook for example.  Social networking sites were there to allow you to connect with friends and family and still keep in touch with one another.  Speaking to this issue, several sources develop the pros and cons of technology and how different today’s world is because of it.  Christine Rosen’s “Electronic Intimacy” in America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, shares her feelings on the pros and cons of social networking and what an addiction it has become.  Roses begins to wonder, “Might texting, emailing, and tweeting eventually have the same delirious effect on, for instance, our ability to experience longing?”  As said before, people seem to fill a void when communicating online or through text with someone.  They feel accepted rather than rejected because they don’t have to be themselves.  People can pretend to be someone completely different from who they actually are, and that is scary when thinking about it.  What have we let society become?  Robert Piper’s article “Your Cell Phone Is Not A Part Of Your Body-You Can Let It Go” for example, relates and links to more of the con side of cell phones and how obsessed we have become with social networking.  We are all starting to realize the obsession we have, but have yet to do anything about it and are struggling to step back a little.  A lot of today’s society, myself included have become glued to their cell phones.  I am constantly checking my phone and it has become the biggest distraction.  An article from Huffpost, brought up an issue I wasn’t aware of.  Emma Stein’s “Is Social Media Dependence A Mental Issue?” brought to my attention, the killing of a 19 year old boy in the UK.  He had become so obsessed with taking “selfies” that he decided to commit suicide.  He had an addiction and felt he had to get the perfect picture.  The 19 year old would change the way he looked from the color of his hair to his weight.  We as a society have helped contribute to this.  Emma began to give her reasons as to why she feels technology and the social world were once a good thing, but now turning out to be bad.  The social media world is not all what it is cracked up to be anymore.

            My next category includes the dangers that follow with the excessive amount of time spent on cell phones.  We have begun to hear it all.  Texting while driving, cyber bullying, unsafe sites, and more have all become dangerous to us.  As you know, there have been many accidents caused due to texting while driving.  Nowadays, texting while driving is the new “drunk driving.”  It has become just as bad, if not worse.  Stephanie Hanes and Ashley Halsey both wrote articles on texting while driving and the affects of it today.  In Hanes’ article “Texting Caused Total ‘Distracted Driving’ Deaths To Rise, Study Finds,” goes onto give the dangers of texting while driving and how it has now become the most cause for accidents here in the U.S.  In Halsey’s article “U.S. Teens Frightening Levels of Texting While Driving,” goes onto provide more of a survey type aspect.  “A quarter of teens say they text while driving and about half ages 12-17, say they have been in cars with someone texting behind the wheel.”  Think about what a kid in elementary or middle school begins to think when they see that being done.  They are going to think it is alright and okay to do.  The world is becoming a dangerous place, to include the social world.  More and more dangerous sites are starting to come about and some teens are finding themselves in trouble because of it.  Whether it be done unintentional or not, there are a lot of people out there who fake their identity.  People’s emotions are not something that should be messed with. 

            Going out should have its own meaning now.  The reason I bring this up, is for many reasons.  My ten year old brother has had an iPad for a couple years now.  Although yes there are some beneficial things to having an iPad, there is a fine line between when enough is enough.  Or so it should be.  Every time we go out to dinner, he is glued to his iPad.  It is like he is in his own little world and doesn’t want to be messed with.  My parents will tell him to put it away, but all he does and goes on and pitches a fit.  Then I began to think to myself.  The first thing my dad and I do after looking through the menu is pull out our phones.  What are we teaching my brother by pulling out our phones rather than talking with one another?  Kids are becoming sucked into a world where they feel it is okay to not carry face-to-face conversations with others around them.  We can’t really blame them though, because that is what a lot of them are becoming use to being around.  I have really started to struggle with how our world has become.  It has made me come to realize just how disrespectful it is to pull out your phone while spending time with someone.  The excessive texting, tweeting, and updating your status on Facebook isn’t worth as much time that is put into it.  There can be many other useful things you can do.  I understand we all need our down time to ourselves and that is fine.  But being on our phones and on technology 24/7 isn’t necessary. 

            In conclusion, I hope once you are done reading this, you understand my reasoning for why I chose this topic in the first place.  A lot of people complain about what technology has begun to do to society, but in reality it is the people that have led society to become this way.  We have all somehow contributed to how the world is today.  There are many problems that have arouse because how people, myself included have let technology take over.  I don’t feel we should cut technology completely out, that isn’t my intention and what I hope for.  It just shouldn’t take up as much of our time and be our main priority.  My paper helps show the rapid growth of technology and the takeover that has begun.  

In Class Lab: Rough Draft Workshop

Rough Draft Workshop

1.      My topic is the extreme rise in technology and how it has affected society today.

2.      Technology was my larger subject area. 

3.      In the beginning I had a hard time at first narrowing my topic down.  It was such a broad topic, but now I have been able to narrow it down to the obsession with social networking and how people cannot seem to stay off their phones.

4.      I searched peer reviewed articles along with collecting information from a couple books.  I was able to get a hold of some useful information for my sources to help back up my argument. 

5.      There are a lot of mixed answers when it comes to how people feel about technology and the rapid rise that has begun.  There are also people that are in the middle and feel there are both pros and cons that attribute to technology.

Main areas leading towards this argument is the statistics of students’ grades and the loss of communication between one another.  Students in school today are beginning to see a decrease in their grades because of the addiction with feeling they need to be on social media sites at all times, as well as texting, and etc.  Everywhere you go there seems to be no such thing as face to face communication anymore.  For example, take a look around when you go out to dinner.  Count how many people are actually conversing with one another rather than be wrapped up in their cell phones.

There isn’t one specific group involved in the talk of technology today.  You have today’s generation as well as family members and friends of theirs that join in on the conversation and give their input.

6.      I have yet to start my draft yet so I’m not sure how many words there are yet.  I just completed my review of literature and hope to now have the chance to get started on my draft for Tuesday’s workshop.

Literature Review

Whether we choose to believe it or not, technology has become in a sense a form of addiction.  Social networking has become very popular over this past decade, more so in the last five years.  A lot of people, today's generation especially, seem to fill a void when going online and texting.  People have gotten so caught up with what's going on in the social world rather than face reality and experience the real world. Nowadays you go out to eat at a restaurant and you begin to wonder *What's the point really?*  I look around and see everyone hooked on their phones rather than carry on conversations with the company they are with.  I've caught myself even out to dinner with family/friends and not being able to put my phone down for that short amount of time out of the day that should be spent with one another.  People, teens especially are having trouble carrying conversations because they don't have that time to come up with something witty to where as during text or online, they would.  During face to face conversations, it is completely opposite though.  Once you say something, you can't erase it and start over.  You no longer have that ability.  Sources for this topic fell into the category; extreme rise in technology, overuse, pros and cons, and lastly the dangers that follow with the excessive amount of time spent on our phones.  Many sources fell into the extreme rise in the technology category.  For instance Shawn Ghuman’s "Is Technology Destroying Social Bonds?" in America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, which goes onto tell the drastic change over the past decade regarding technology.  Social media has its own new meaning now.  It was once something fun and has now become an addiction.  The excessive use of technology has created many issues in today's society.  You can't seem to go out to dinner without seeing people glued to their phone.  Conversations become awkward because people just aren't use to having a face to face discussion with someone.  Technology as we know it, is taking over.  Another article in this category is Larry Rosen’s iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession With Technology And Overcoming Its Hold On Us.  Larry Rosen is an expert specifically in the field of Psychology of Technology.  He goes onto say how technology is too much for the human mind to handle.  This book will be useful to my paper because almost every chapter links up and clicks with what I hope to gain from my research.  In the Elite Daily the Voice of Generation-Y “How Technology Continues to Destroy A Social Generation,” Yasmin Hassan, listed the destruction in today’s society due to technology and what the social world is allowing.  In Hassan's article, I at first thought I would gain a lot from her thoughts and what she had to say.  Although I agree with some of the things mentioned, I feel it won't contribute a whole lot towards my paper.  Richard Alleyne’s article, The Telegraph “Mobile Phone Addiction Ruining Relationships” hits another point on how technology is rising more and more every day.  Alleyne's article will be useful towards my paper because his thoughts are aligned a lot with mine.  All sorts of relationships are slowly being destroyed due to the addiction people have started to have with their cell phones.  Today’s world is completely different from how it was once a decade ago.  Nowadays we have to worry about what kids’ today are doing on their phones.  Kelly Wallace’s article Digital Life "How to Cut Your Kids' Cell Phone Addiction" is a prime example of what today’s generation revolves around.  At first, I was a little skeptical of this article.  After reading it though I came across a few different types of cell phone addictions.  One was on a five year old who doesn't even have one, but would live on it if she could.  The constant looking over her friends shoulders as they played games or checked their Instagram.  My ten year old brother can't seem to get off his iPad wherever we go.  He has been begging for a phone (iPhone more so), for over a year now.  Is that what this world has come to?  Society is being taken over and people are failing to realize it.  I plan to get my point across when writing my paper.  My last topic really fits this category statistic wise.  Honor Whiteman’s article "Is Cell Phone Addiction On The Horizon?” does a great job with pertaining to my topic.  Whiteman goes onto say studies show that 60% of high school students admit to being addicted to their cell phones and become frustrated when it is not nearby.  This source will be helpful towards my paper because I can use calculations provided on the addictions of cell phone use and how addiction is no longer just a term used for drugs and alcohol.   

            Secondly, technology has become overused more as time goes on.  For starters, Ashton Kutcher’s "Has Texting Killed Romance?" America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, lists the overuse and a from then to now on how the social world has become today. Actor, producer, and co-founder of Katalyst Media, Ashton Kutcher shares his thoughts on how cell phones and texting have become at an all-time high.  Kutcher goes onto say that it used to be a boy and a girl met, exchanged numbers, anticipation built, call was made, had hours upon hours of conversation over the phone, then a date was arranged and went from there.  Now instead of calling, we text because silence over the phone is eliminated.  Instead of going over and comforting the person you care for, you send a sweet touching text or write on their Facebook wall, etc.  Society has become so caught up in technology and the overuse of cell phones and I plan to prove that.  Another article that fits this category is Mark Glasser’s MediaShift Your Guide to the Digital Media Revolution “How Cell Phones Are Killing Face-to-Face Conversations” which has now become a problem in society today.  Mark Glasser's article will contribute a lot of useful information towards my paper with his thoughts on how are conversations are slowly being killed with one another due to the use of technology.  Iydiaborah’s blog “Is Technology Taking Over?” in Digital Media fits this category fairly well because technology as we know it, is taking over in a since.  We are beginning to get so caught up in the social world that we shut everyone else out.  In Iydiaborah's blog, a few points hit on my topic, but for the most part I didn't feel overly confident about using this source towards my paper.  If I were to use this source, it would be one of my last options.  The social media world is slowly growing upon us more and more every day.  Cristian Lupsa’s "A Campus Fad Becomes A Fact...” goes onto give reasons as to why Facebook is no longer growing.  The famous social networking site; Facebook, doesn't seem to be having a rapid growth like how it once was because everyone seems to already be on it.  Links right up with one of the main social networking sites I plan on including in my paper.  In Anna Almendrala’s article “Our Creepy Attachment to Cell Phone Could Be an Addiction” on Huffpost, provided me with just how addicted people are becoming with their phone and how they can’t even put it down for a couple hours.  Almendrala made some good points on the excessive use of cell phones.  One of her examples given was about students paying all this money for classes, and spending all their time on their phones rather than listen to their professor.  I can use this towards my paper when explaining the disrespect that goes along with being on your phone 24/7.  One of the last articles for the overuse category, Ellen Augenbraun’s “How Real A Risk Is Social Media Addiction” on CBS news talks about the symptoms of social media addiction, especially leading towards Facebook.  Some things mentioned in the article, the symptoms for example can be useful towards my paper.  The rest of the information didn't seem like it would be that helpful when it comes down to arguing my point.  Tonya Mosley’s post “4 Signs You’re Addicted to Your Cell Phone” gives a great description on what the overuse now has led up to.   I like how the article in Seattle Refined, gave four signs of being addicted to your cell phone because, well I was guilty in this matter.  Each sign described exactly what I do and although I laughed, it isn't funny when it comes down to it.  This source will be effective towards my paper because I will be able to bring the signs of addiction in with my arg’ument as well as ways listed to help the addiction. 

            When social networking first came about, it was supposed to be something you checked every now and then like your Facebook for example.  Social networking sites were there to allow you to connect with family and friends and still be able to connect with one another.  This next category consists of the pros and cons of technology and how different today’s world is because of it.  Christine Rosen’s “Electronic Intimacy” in America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals, shares her feelings on the pros and cons of social networking and what an addiction it has become.  I am beginning to catch myself getting caught up in what seems to be so little of a problem, but in reality is escalating into an issue that can destroy us.  I plan to use Rosen's piece and tie it into my thoughts.  I had came across a couple more sources relating to this category and recently discovered cell phones and social networking are more of a con than a pro more so today.  For instance, Robert Piper’s article "Your Cell Phone Is Not A Part Of Your Body-You Can Let It Go” on Huffpost, hit me as to just how obsessed we have become with something that was supposed to be made out in something so simple, yet we find ourselves struggling to be away from it.  A lot of today's society has become glued to their cell phones.  I have slowly become part of that society.  I am constantly checking my phone.  Even when I am doing my homework and hear my phone go off, I'll check it.  Another article I discovered from Huffpost was Emma Stein’s “Is Social Media Dependence A Mental Issue?"  Emma Stein began her article with a matter I wasn't aware of.  A 19 year old boy in the UK went and committed suicide after being obsessed with taking too many "selfies."  Emma began to give her reasons as to why she feels technology and the social world were once a good thing, but now turning out to be bad.  This article will be helpful when writing my paper because it puts a twist and adds the medial/psychological effects of social media addiction.

            Lastly, this next category includes the dangers that follow with the excessive amount of time spent on cell phones.  We have begun to hear it all.  Texting while driving, cyber bullying, unsafe sites, and more.  I came across quite a few articles that consisted of accidents occurred while texting and driving and surveys done with students admitting to being on their phone while they drive.  Stephanie Hanes’ "Texting Caused Total 'Distracted Driving' Deaths To Rise, Study Finds" goes onto give the dangers of texting while driving and how it has now become the most cause for accidents here in the U.S.  Another texting while driving article “U.S. Teens Frightening Levels of Texting While Driving" done by Ashley Halsey, goes onto provide me with more of a survey type aspect.  Studies show it's the new "drunk driving."  A quarter of teens say they text while driving and about half ages 12 to 17, say they've been in cars with someone texting behind the wheel.  I hope to figure a way to tie the dangers of texting and driving in with my research paper.  More and more dangers sites are starting to come about and some teens are finding themselves in trouble because of it.  Julia Angwin’s “Parental Guidance: How Safe Are Social Networking Sites For Teens?”says majority of the sites weren't safe to go on, especially for young teens and could find themselves in danger on certain ones.  The world is becoming a dangerous place, to include the social media world.  To wrap up the dangers of social networking, I discovered an article on The Washington Post.  Donna St. George’s “The Silent Weapon In Dating Violence: Texting" was a danger I never really expected to come out of texting.  It goes onto talk about the harassment that some couples face with their significant other and their reactions when they don't receive a text back.  It had put a twist but still related to my topic and what an addiction the social world has become. 

            In conclusion, I want to get across the reasoning why I chose this topic in the first place.  A lot of people complain about what technology has begun to do to society but in reality, it is the people that have led society to become this way.  We have all somehow contributed to how the world is today.  There are many problems that have arose because how people, myself included have let technology take over.  I have mentioned before, I don’t feel we should cut technology completely, but just not allow it to take up so much of our time.  These four categories help show the rapid growth and technology and the takeover that has begun.