English 102
Dr. Begert
October 28, 2014
The Destruction of Social Networking
Introduction: For my research paper, I would like to make known the overuse of technology in today's society. 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 their 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.
What I hope to get across is the abuse of technology and that it is a disease in its own form. Social networking is tearing us down little by little. Today's society, myself included, has let it begin to take over. It'll only get worse because sadly, we will let it. There was a time when social networking cease to exist. I'm not saying it should go back to that point, but it definitely shouldn't be made as a top priority anymore.
Review of Literature: I have gone back and forth for a while now wondering what this world would be like if social networking didn't exist like once before. What would we be doing? How would we be staying connected with one another? Would we be smarter than we are now? Would we get a lot more accomplished? All these questions and more have come to mind. In a previous English class I had, we were assigned to read an article in a book called America Now. Shawn Ghuman did a fine job explaining the affects of technology and what social networking is making of us. Ever since reading that piece, I have began to question technology today. There was a time when Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and more didn't even cross our minds because well, they weren't around. Not to say those sites aren't fun to go on but it has gotten out of hand. You have shows today pointing towards the cons of what social networking is doing to us. Accidents are being caused by texting and driving, you see it on the news every day. I read an article in the Elite Daily by Paul Hudson, "Why Your Cell Phone Is Ruining Your Life." Hudson went onto say even the busy streets of New York City are becoming quieter due to the excessive amount of time spent on our phones. If the city that never sleeps is becoming quiet, what's next? Just a couple days ago a book called "iDisorder" caught my eye so hopefully I will find some useful sources out of there. We, eat breathe, and sleep technology and I plan to make it known rather than stay in denial any longer. My plan of attack is to continue gathering more information for my sources in books and online as well.
Plan to collect information: The sources I've gathered so far have included all the following listed. I've pulled information from both on-line Databases as well as Web searches. As of right now I'm not having the best of luck with peer reviewed journals but will continue to keep searching for ones that aim towards my topic. Ebsco has been my least helpful for sources relating to my topic, so I have been using Kitsap library's online resources and have found better luck in that area. I have found a few useful sources, one in particular that nailed my topic in a book called America Now. I plan on taking surveys on people's beliefs on social networking and whether they feel it has benefited us or destroyed us to further more information in my research paper.
Project Timeline: Last week I was making some finishing touches on my proposal. This week and next, I am going to search for more scholarly journals that better suit my topic as well as articles and books. Over these next couple weeks I will begin a survey asking people's thoughts on social networking and whether they feel it has gotten out of hand or not. Throughout the quarter I plan on staying organized as much as possible so I'm not all out of sorts. During the majority of November, I will have enough time to draft my outline and come up with a final draft by November 27th. That way when we return the following Tuesday of our last class, Dr. Begert can look over my paper and make the edits needed. The deadline for my research paper is by midnight at the latest on December 5, 2014
Working Bibliography:
Ghuman, Shawn. "Is Technology Destroying Social Bonds?" America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2013. Print.
Kutcher, Ashton. "Has Texting Killed Romance?" America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford St. Matins, 2013. Print.
Rosen, Christine. "Electronic Intimacy" America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2013. Print.
Anqwin, Julia. "Parental Guidance: How Safe Are Social Networking Sites For Teens? We Take Them For A Test Run." The Wall Street Journal. (2006): 10. 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. 28 Oct. 2014.
Halsey, Ashley. "U.S. Teens Frightening Levels of Texting While Driving." The Washington Post. (2009) Proquest. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
George, Donna St. "The Silent Weapon In Dating Violence: Texting." The Washington Post. (2010) Proquest. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Lupsa, Crisitan. "A Campus Fad Becomes A Fact..." The Christian Science Monitor. (2006): 13. Proquest. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Hudson, Paul. "Why Your Cell Phone Is Ruining Your Life." Elite Daily. (2013) Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
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