Today in the Twenty-First century we have surpassed many technological advancements and excelled far past what we would have ever thought. One of our greatest technological advancements is the thing we hold in our hands everyday, our cell phones. Sometimes we don't realize just how much our phones can distract us from our lives. As a generation glued to our phones us teenagers send an average of 3,339 texts per month. In Randy Cohen's essay, “When texting is wrong” he states how we are overcome by texting and how it damages our social and personal lives. Cohen’s main argument is that texting causes “harm.” He uses the argument that “Intimate encounters suffer greater harm.” I greatly disagree with this statement, I don't think most people are going to pause in the middle of their intimate encounters to text. He brings up a surgeon pausing during surgery to text then resuming with his procedure. I am not saying this has never happened but the odds of this are very unlikely. He uses examples and arguments that are highly unreasonable. I do agree however that texting and driving can be an issue in this era, it is a very big concern when dealing with texting, it can not only cause immense harm to the driver but others around. He always covers the issue of texting at dinner and the workplace. Most families don't find it a problem to sneak a text at the dinner table, and most workplaces aren't going to give you a slap on the wrist. I do believe some people spend too …show more content…
Instead of trying to draw in the readers with mostly facts he brings up things that are very rare and unlikely. This seems more of an essay of him showing his hatred rather than giving us facts of why texting is bad. Although he did have facts many of them were still very biased and overdrawn. His strong usage of vocabulary toward this not only made me resent his thoughts but turn against
ANALYSIS The author’s purpose is to persuade the reader to learn how to control the use of smartphones and involve more in face-to-face conversation rather than chat online “It is not giving up our phones but about using them with greater intention” (Turker). She notices that many people do not really pay attention when it comes to face-to-face conversation because they get used to playing the phones. In the article, she gives out many details and examples to support her position, her sources are reliable. She points out a lot of facts from her own experiences and other’s interviews to prove the problems that are caused by texting that people do not even realize. She then argues how the smartphone is a psychological device that changes what we do and who we are.
This is where she uses ethos to provide the reader with an understanding that she is a credible writer. First she uses the National Center for Education Statistics information to provide a strong base of knowledge regarding the topic that is already available. The article from the National Center for Education Statistics includes a quote from a teacher stating “the use of acronyms and shorthand in text messages for students’ inability to spell and ultimately to write well” (pg. 2). She goes on to explain teacher’s viewpoints and their beliefs on the topic after seeing a decrease in writing abilities. There is a quote included by Naomi Baron, a professor at American University, in which states “so much of American society has become sloppy and laissez faire about the mechanics of writing” (pg.2). This quote provides evidence that everyone should be concerned about the effects because our society is facing the issues as well not only students. As she continues to provide a foundation for others ideas regarding the topic, she changes viewpoints to those who see the positives in texting. Cullington uses an author to elaborate on the positives that increased texting can have on individuals. David Crystal explains that students “sharpen their diplomatic skills . . . [because] it allows more time to formulate their thoughts and express them carefully” (pg.4). This is something that is important in today’s day and age where people want the short and sweet version, not something drawn out that can be hard to understand. In her background information regarding the positive aspects of texting, she uses emotions to connect with the reader when she discusses children who struggle with writing. Texting can help students “overcome their awkwardness and develop their social and communication skills” Crystal states (pg. 5). The use of emotion is key to capturing
Amy Gahran, a media consultant exploring communication in the technology era, writes about how cell phones are significant. She feels that cell phones have changed our lives by providing “…vital services and human connections…offer new hope, even through simple broadcast text messages” (Gahran). Gahran is insisting that cell phones allow us to learn news quickly, connect with safety, and can even fight crime through video recordings (Gahran). In addition, she feels that the overall benefits of owning a cell phone outweigh any negatives. This somewhat challenges the ideas presented by Rosen because it points out more benefits of cell phones. In “Our Cell Phones, Ourselves” Rosen mentions that although cell phones indeed connect us with safety, they can often lead to a sense of paranoia. To expand, she writes that parents who give children a cell phone for security purposes, develop a paranoid sense of their community and lose trust in “social institutions” (Rosen). In making this comment, Rosen argues that although cell phones may be beneficial, they can change the way we view our world. Without a cell phone, many individuals feel vulnerable, as if their phone protects them from all possible dangers that they may encounter. In fact, a Rutgers University professor challenged his students to power off their phones for 48 hours and report back with their experience (Rosen). Many felt almost lost without it and one young women described the feeling “…like I was going to get raped if I didn’t have my cell phone in my hand” (Rosen). In reality, having a cell phone will not save a person’s life in all situations. Although many, including Gahran, feel a phone is a vital tool, it has changed how we feel about the world around us and how vulnerable we feel without a phone in
Hafner, K. (2009, May 26). Texting may be taking a toll. The New York Times, D1.
Smith, Lois. “Why Texting While Driving Is So Dangerous”. University of Utah. University of Utah, 29 Dec 2009. Web. 28 Sep 2010.
With the commercial advent of the Internet and cell phones in the late 1990’s, technologies such as instant messaging (IM) and text messaging (TM) have achieved increasing prevalence in our society. These types of messaging technologies are widely used among adolescents today. To cite just one personal example of this widespread usage, my friend’s daughter, who is now 11 and lives in Ireland, got a cell phone last year, and, according to my friend, “was the last person in her class to get one.” This is quite an amazing change, given that ten years ago, instant messaging and text messaging were in their infancy, and cell phones were only readily available as tools for roadside assistance.
In recent years, nonetheless, the mobile phone has seemingly become less popular for talking and mainly used for text messaging. In a Time.com article titled “We never talk anymore: the problem with text messaging”, author Jeffery Kluger explains that “the telephone call is a dying institution”. He stated that according to a 2010 survey conducted by the “Pew Institute”, that the number of text messages sent monthly from the year 2000, from 14 billion, to the year 2010, 188 billion. There are advantages that come along with texting and one of those would be convenience. Texting is very convenient compared to talking on the phone in situations where noise might be an issue, for example, a library or in a meeting. Texting also is more time efficient than making a call because text messages tend to be shorter and much quicker. Presumably, the utmost popular reason for texting over talking is privacy. For instance, when you are speaking on the phone, anyone can hear your conversation, compared to the privacy of text messaging. Even with all the conveniences that come with text messaging, it does not come without problems. The most common heard of problem with texting is texting and driving. An article titled “The Truth About Texting and Talking While Driving”, from the website Psychology Today, author Ellen E. Pastorino Ph.D., says texting while driving has become a major epidemic
Research suggests that it is no longer just a distraction, people are dependent on their phones to the point of addiction. According to an article published by The Boston Globe, people who habitually use their cellphones in daily life have a harder time stopping themselves from responding to it when they’re behind the wheel (Neyfakh). There cannot be a clear dichotomy between the positives and negatives of texting. Trying to argue that would be ludicrous, as texting certainly has its positive attributes to it. The point of this essay is not to argue that text messaging is bad for our society, but to call attention to the negative effects most people overlook.
Over the last fifteen years, the way the people of our generation communicate has altered. In the beginning, cell phones were used strictly to converse verbally. It remained that way until 1992 when Neil Papworth sent the first text message reading “Merry Christmas” to Englishman Richard Jarvis (Shannon par.1-2). Papworth was un aware that this simple greeting would have such a drastic impact on cell phones. As of 2000 all cell phones have the ability to type out and send individual letters of the alphabet. Thus, millions of Americans have become obsessed with the text message, sending out and receiving billions of text messages on a daily basis. Most teens today would rather text than talk on the phone, which makes me wonder the causes for this texting phenomenon. Since sending texts is more convenient during busy days and we are able to text exactly what we want to say in the messages, our reason to use text messaging increases. A few other causes are that texting increases privacy between those involved, eases pressure when it comes to responding, it also makes one feel important among peers, and the unlimited text package deals from service providers encourages people to text even more. As a result, texting rapidly took over the way we communicate making this phenomenon one noticed by everyone.
Technology is always growing and changing and in the 1990’s, texting became the new phenomenon. Texting is the ability to send a brief message from one cell phone to another. It has allowed people to be more efficient and independent. Teenagers can know immediately if there is a problem, or simply and quickly send a text to let someone know they will be late. Over the years, texting has grown in popularity and is now one of the main forms of communication for teenagers. However, this form of communication has resulted in long lasting, negative social behaviors for some teenagers.
Text messaging has become a common method of communication by teenagers and young adults today. By myself being a young adult, I can definitely relate to the world of text messaging. Texting has its benefits when it comes to the communication between teenagers and their parents on the go. It can open the lines of communicating when teens are out and about with their friends or even other family members such as siblings or cousins that are close to their age or the same age as them. Parents can receive a quick text as an update on where their kids are and what they are doing at all times. Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Telecommunications America, states that “text messaging may be a great way for some parents to improve the lines of communication. And with more than a billion text messages now being sent each day, I think we wi...
“Cell Phones have obviously come a long way since the two-pound, $3,995 Motorola Dynatac 8000x was first introduced in 1984. Subsequent generations of mobile phones continue to evolve and become more affordable and portable, and now offer so much more value beyond a means to call others, (Source D). At first phones were just used to call people from long distance. Now phones are used daily by all type of people. However, teenagers usage of their phone is beyond just calling. In their social world it is about how many likes or followers they have, which leads to lacking social skills generations had before. The cons of teenage Smartphone usage outweighs the pros because of how it affects their academics, social world, and emotional health.
Whether we like it or not texting has become one of, if not the most, common way to communicate and to interact with people on a daily basis. This electronic development within American culture is truly shaping the way we act, think, and communicate with one another. As a society we take this technology for granted; especially if we have grown up with it for most of our lives like I have. We People use texting in place of face to face contact interactions when we they should be doing quite the opposite. Our ability to text is more detrimental to our society than beneficial because we have become too dependent on texting, it offers a less valuable conversation rather than face to face, and texting disengages us from reality.
Technology has advanced so much that nowadays we can access anything on the internet in one device: the smartphone. The difference between a smart phone and a cell phone is that smart phones are made to enhance our lifestyle ten times more than a cell phone. A cell phone’s basic use is communication via phone call or text message. This was and will always be the basic features of any phone, or so I hope so. Text messaging became extremely popular when my generation started obtaining cell phones. We realized that texting was a more convenient way of communicating with someone for hours and not having those awkward silent minutes that you’d have during a phone call. Shery Turkle, a radio and television media commentator describes our generation as “Modern Goldilocks.” She says, “Texting puts people not too close, not too far, but just at the right distance.”¬ Social media has made us believe that face to face encounters and phone calls are uncomfortable and can be avoided simply by texting or communicating through text messages or social network accounts like Facebook and
Research Question: The effect of text messages on students writing skills at the University of the West Indies. This Topic has intrigued the researchers interest and as a result this proposal will be investigating how text messaging and the affects the writing skills of students that attend the University of the West Indies.