HW 30- psychological and Philosophical Theorizing of cool

What are the sources of this sense of meaninglessness but also of the need for a sense of meaning?

Questions like this came up a lot in English question and even in my own personal life. This question could have a lot of answers to it that people wouldn’t think of or understand. When I thought about this question, I thought that meaninglessness had sources that were dependent of other stuff. But reading what Viktor Frankl has to say is making me change what I think.

"People today seem more than ever to be experiencing their lives as empty, meaningless, purposeless, aimless, adrift, and so on, and seem to be responding to these experiences with unusual behaviors that hurt themselves, others, society, or all three." people in this world to feel that that if they have no meaning in their lives, the only thing that's left for them to do is hurt other people or themselves. That's only one of the sources that makes meaninglessness inside of people. For people to try and "fill" that emptiness they try and find someone to value in their lives or some one to value them. This is what makes people wanting meaning in their lives to fill that gap that's thats making them feel like they have no purpose in this life. Like when Viktor said "Experiential values is the love we feel towards another. Through our love, we can enable our beloved to develop meaning, and by doing so, we develop meaning ourselves!" Like, people use other people to find this emptiness, more like a hole that is missing something that, if that hole gets filled, they feel complete. Like when someone comes in a person's life and makes a difference, that could be a hole that is complete. That can be the emptiness that isn't empty no more.
When I think about when Viktor said "If meaning is what we desire, then meaninglessness is a hole, an emptiness, in our lives.", it really means alot. I never though about it like that. When we look for meaning in our lives then that ACTUALLY does mean we have emptiness. So my question is can we ever be fulfilled with meaning if it means that we are empty? I guess not. But the sources that make people's lives meaningless is when they are alone. When Viktor says that we attempt to "fill our existential vacuums with “stuff” that, because it provides some satisfaction, we hope will provide ultimate satisfaction as well: We might try to fill our lives with pleasure, eating beyond all necessity, having promiscuous sex, living “the high life;” or we might seek power, especially the power represented by monetary success; or we might fill our lives with “busyness,” conformity, conventionality; or we might fill the vacuum with anger and hatred and spend our days attempting to destroy what we think is hurting us. We might also fill our lives with certain neurotic “vicious cycles,” such as obsession with germs and cleanliness, or fear-driven obsession with a phobic object.", I agree with him 100% and it makes me believe that these are the main sources that make use have meaninglessness in our lives. The fact that whatever we do try and fill our "EMPTINESS" is never enough is the reason why we would always feel unhappy, empty, and meaningless.

HW 29 - Merchants of being cool

Some people think that it is wrong for people or corporations to manipulate others to make a profit off of them, while others think its right. I see it all the time and I feel that sometimes people or businesses need to do what they have to do in order to make profit and if it means manipulating kids buy selling stuff that teens are addicted to then so be it. So is it evil to help the corporations to manipulate the minds of young people for the sake of profit?

Businesses have to make money. And not only that but they have to make profit as well so they can keep growing. The fact that there are 33 million teens in our generations, means that if you sell the right thing, there could possibly be a lot of money coming into your business. So what do you do if you want your business to grow financially and there is 33 million teens who most likely what the "next best thing"? You sell WHAT THE TEENS LIKE. Plain and simple. You can't get mad at the businesses for manipulating teens with stuff to sell that they like. It's the parent's fault. Corporations aren't worried about how teens are buying their product or when they get it, they are worried about how much money is coming in from their product. So I don't think that its evil to manipulate young teens to make profit. When they said "Marketers have to find a way to seem real: true to the lives and attitudes of teenagers; in short, to become cool themselves. To that end, they search out the next cool thing and have adopted an almost anthropological approach to studying teens and analyzing their every move as if they were animals in the wild." I think that is a perfect idea! That's an excellent way of getting 33 million and counting teens to buy your stuff. See what they like because PEOPLE BUY STUFF THAT THEY LIKE! That is the way life works. If companies didn't know what kids liked then how would they know what's "the next best thing" they like. And they wouldn't make any profit.

When media critic Mark Crispin Miller said "What this system does is it closely studies the young, keeps them under constant surveillance to figure out what will push their buttons.", that was an excellent way of finding out a capitalizing teens and their desires. The only way it could be evil for them to do this is if they are interfering with their personal lives to the point where it gets annoying and abusive. But they have the right to interview people to learn about whats the hottest thing out in our teen society. Ain't nothin wrong with that. Even when the analyst went to the concert to speak with teens to see what kind of music they liked to listen to and why that music is so appealing to them. What's wrong with that? I think that is a completely good idea for them so they know what kind of music the teens like so they can make money. I just feel that companies do what they have to do to make their money and that it's the parents fault for pulling out their wallets to buy these companies products. I say this because if the parents didn't want to buy their kid this stuff they could easily say one word.."NO".

Even though companies have great ways to sell things, there also can be looked at in a bad way. Them selling bad things for you like 50 cent drinks, cigarettes, sour patches, etc. Those products that the companies puts out to sell is bad for you but since its peoples desires to have them that's all they care about, they don't really care about people's health and the fact that their minds are only set one one thing. But Companies like that you can't blame, but then at the same time you can blame them. You can blame them for putting these products out to mess up peoples bodies. But then again, you can't blame them buecause at the end of the day, someones health isn't going to make profit, desires and products thats a must-buy" are. So the argument of businesses manipulating teens minds for profit has 2 arguments to it. It's not wrong but it ain't because you can manipulate them towards the wrong products.

Hw 28 - informal research - Internet, magizines, and TV shows

Tips on how to be cool website: http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/how-to-be-cool-3148.html

In this website they give you tips on how to be cool. Instead of telling you what cool people do or how they act, they give you tis on how to be cool. And some of the tips they gave you to be cool was some of the things that we discussed in class. Things like, not following the crowd and having your own identity, to speak your mind, being different then everybody else and not foloowing the trend and maybe start your own trend. There was one tip that they gave that we haven't talked about in class I don't think. The tip was being calm in any situation that is given to you. I like that one alot because I seen when people thought that the brave kid that didn't choke up in any situation was cool. So this website gives you tips on how to be cool. But who is to say these tips are the actual ways of being cool. Some one could think other wise.

TV show-The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

This is a 90's TV show that still comes on because it is so cool and popular. It's about this teenager from Philadelphia (Will Smith) and he moves with his aunt and uncle and they deal with his clowning around and crazy life. Cool people tend to be the cool people which is why Will Smith and Carlton Banks seem to stand out above the other cast members. Will stands out because he wears sneakers, Hats and sporty gear while his other family members wears casual outfit's, is one the reasons why he stands out and makes the show cool and different. There was never a show like this becasue the stuff that goes on is so crazzy and it makes you think how someone could have a character like that. Like in one episode they was going to a dinner and the family had suits and ties and dresses while Will had black shorts on with a T-shirt that had a fake Tuxedo on it. He was loud and making jokes. As crazy and disrespectful that is, it's also the reason why so many people watch the show. So sometimes acting crazy can make you cool in a way.

Magizine- PEOPLE magizine

This is a Celebrity magizine that everybody likes to pick up while they are waitin to put their groceries on the conveyor belt. It's a magizine thatEverybody has because of the information and articles that is has in it. Like in Some of those Magizines, they have interviews on celebrities and their sex life whats going on in their lives and so on and so forth. And stuff like that is what people love to feed off. Because to hear about the personal life of a celebrity is so much of need like bases, that the more stories and interviews they have the more popular they get. Not only that but the magizine has Red carpet photo's of different celebrites wearing the same thing. They would have a percentage posted bassed on which celebrity wore that particular outfit better. This magizine is so cool to people because the features that it has in it, allows people to see the world of fashion and celeb life and have opinions about it. So it's not only being the things certain people do to get coolness but it can be a simple magizine that has alot of things to offer to the public that make them cool.

HW 27- informal research

During Class on wednesday December 2nd, we had went out in the streets and we had did interviews on random people that was in the streets. We had interviewed them based on the questions that we had made the day before.

Question: What do you think it means to be cool?

Austin (Person#1) - I think cool is just something that everybody wants to be because they just want to be down with everybody else.

Question: Do you think being cool is important?

Austin(Person#1) - No I just think it that it's a self esteem builder that everybody esepecially kids in school want to have.

Question: What do you think it means to be cool?

Joe(Person#2) - Stay away from drugs and alcohol, and just live a good good life. Be your self and not everybody that is in the crowd. Stay out of trouble and be good. Take care kid.

Question: Do you think being cool is important?

Joe(Person#2) - No I don't, I just think it's just a way for people to stay uncool. Just a way to get their hopes up to think they can be somebody.
do
Question - What do you think it means to be cool?

Officer Perez(Person#3) - Being awesome, Being your self.

Question - Do you think being cool is important?

Officer perez(Person#3) - Yeah, if everybody thinks you are cool, thats a positive thing and we need more people like that in this city.

Question - What do you think it means to be cool

Emily(Person#4) - I would need an hour to tell you that (laughing). I'm in a rush got to go...hey your cool though (smiling and walking away)

Question - What do you think it means to be cool?

Guy holding package(Person#5) - Being myself, being a leader not a follower

Question - Do you think being cool is important?

Guy holding package(Person#5) - Sorry no more questions

I decided to interview my brother Jeffrey. He is into all the name brand stuff just like me so I figured interviewing him would be interesting.

Question: What do you think it means to be cool?

Jeffrey(brother) - Man listen you gotta be fly, gotta have the lastest gear out and you just gotta be successful. I mean there ain't much more you could say feel me. I mean you could just tell by the way a person look if they cool or not, sometimes by the way they act but rarely.

Question - Do you think you cool?

Jeffrey(Brother) - Stop it Charles. You already know.

Question - Do you think being cool is important?

Jeffrey(Brother) - I don't think it's important, but if you cool then that could be good too.

The interview for my friends are on HW 26.

Through out all the informal research we have done, most of the people think that makes you have an image that stands out from everybody else. Rather its something that you wear, doing something positive, or acting a way that that makes people happy. Being cool to everybody is things that are good and make people compliment. Everybody's answers is the same that i interviewed but they are just said in a different way.

HW 26- photos and questions

Kareem

Q:Do you think you are a cool person?

A: Who doesn't. I know you think you are cool right? Imma cool person cause I'm to popular Charles you know this (laughing). Nah but yeah I think I'm cool.

Q: Do you even know what it means to be cool ?

A:Yeah, being the person that everybody knows or like the person that is known for making people laugh and have fun. Like you (laughing) when you be making them faces, that shit be so funny. So ugly. (laughing) Yeah but Being cool means to be a leader and not follow everybody elses decisions. And don't wear FILI'S (laughing).

Anias

Q: Ok so Anias do you think you are a cool person?

A: Come on Charles is that even a question you should be asking me.(peeking and laughing). Nah yeah I think I'm cool, me and you are like the most known people in this school and we fresh light money cheese. (laughing again)

Q: (laughing alittle) what do you think it means to be "cool"?

A: Well to be honest, I think being cool is being ya self. If you a funny person then be the funny person, if you the unique person, BE that unique person. Don't be something your not, because your either going to get joked on or looked at like a fool. So that's what I feel. (paused) Oh and another thing, you gotta be fresh, gotta have things no one got. (smiling)

Kiana

Q: What up Kiana, Do you think you are "cool"?

A: Duh dummy. DO you think you are cool or something? For I slapped you. I'm cool cause I'm not like these little girls around here ok now leave me alone

Q: Woah hold up I ain't done with you, so my next question is What you think it mean's to be cool?

A: UUUGH..(fusturated but laughing).. it mean's not acting a fool of your self and being regular. Trying to be something your not, is a wanna be and stupid. Cool can be just plain talents you have. Be original, and not being fake like all these other people in this dam school (laughing)...Now beat it.

Kareem,

Great story Kareem! I'm really surprised on the types of things you had to say about your character. Sounds a a little bit like you because all the girls and what not be running up to you and saying hi and stuff. But I really like when you go into detail about his ego. It's shows the type of person these kids were making him and the way he was reacting towards them. Some suggestions I would give you is to make sure that before you press publish, that you go to spell check and go to grammar so you can fix those uncapped letters and fix some of the spelling errors you have. But other than that I liked it a lot and I definitely look forward into reading more of your stories and blogs.

Jakob,

Yeah I definitely agree with marco. You took it to another type of cool. Instead of worrying about their exterior points you decided to WRite how his inner person felt about things, and that alone i being cool. A story like this is cool because it isn't about being a bully or being the best-dressed in school, you talk about motivation to get that BMW. And stuff like that is what makes cool go into a deeper meaning then what everybody thinks it is. ALso I would like to say that this is a well detailed story. It isn't a broad one. It's a story where I can picture exactly what is going on at each moment and that shows that your story is very good. I really enjoyed reading your story and look forward into reading more of them throughout this cool unit!

Kiana,

I really enjoyed your story and I can tell that you have wrote some before or it seems like it. You know how to make people paint very detailed pictures in their mind and see exactly what goes on. I also like when you use dialouge to get your point across on what chris is acting like and what kind of person he is trying to be. He sounds like a person who doesn't really care about his grades or about school in general. And I could see how that he is trying to be the cool guy using all of those slag words and having a disrespectful tone towards the dean. So I really like your story, it's well written and shows that you put alot of time into it. Great work!

Anias,

Real funny story! I like how you mixed Beyonce knowles the singer and Nicki Minaj the rapper's name together. Creative! Your story is straight to the point. You explain how she was so cool and why and how she reacted to people who were "uncool" that dressed like her. I can picture this story in my head in no less then 10 seconds, thats how clear it was and that is what made it so good. I also like how you said that she had all the newest gear because you used a real life experience. The people who are "cool" to other people seem to be the people who actually do have the latest gear and all of that. So this was a good funny story and I enjoyed all of it!

Beatrice,

I liked the story alot! It was different then all of the other stories that I have read. What I really liked about your story is that you thought outside of the box. Like most of the stories they would right people being cool because of who they were, or because they was a flashy dresser or even athletic. But what you did was make the character cool be making her different then other people. By her being different in a cooler way then the norm, that is what made her stand out. I had to read it 2 times because it was so good. To be honest I never read a story like this because it was different type of story that I am used to reading. But this is one of the best short stories I have read. Great work !

These stories were great that I have read. I mean I didn't think there could be so much stories of different characters trying to be cool or being cool because of their attitude or anything. That is why I got so hooked on to it. Some of the patterns I have seen in these stories plus more is that people tend to try and be cool by dressing to stand out. Like in many stories such as mine, the charaacters are either going to school with a very expensive outfit, or even going place to buy expensive things, just so they can have that extra attention that a regular person don't have. It's sort of like a person that want's to have a purpose in their school. Other patterns that I have seen in these stories is people who be different. Like Beatrice's story. Her character isn't wearing what everybody wears or doing what everybody does, she act's and dresses different. Stuff like that is what makes people give their attention to that person because they are standing out from the others.

Some of the archetypes I've seen in these short stories is expensive stuff, trying to be the bad one of the funny one, onyl doing things they want, etc. I say these are the archetypes I have seen because most of the stories had these things in them. Seeing how these characters interact with people around them and how these "uncool" people make these so called "cool" kids feel add's to why they act the way they act which is which is mean and cruel to people who they feel is under them. Someone who would be the "nerdy" type kids is the people who don't seem to stand out and their people who the "popular" kids tend to pick on. But in a way, and it always been like that, all "popular" kids do that. And to Andy, he say's "We want attention and we want it now!" is an excellent way to tie all of this together. Popular kids want attention all the time, that's and thats what drives them to do things that will make them stand out and get all the attention they have been dying for.

short story hw 24

Andy hopping up and down in the cab, waiting to arrive on 5th avenue to go to the Gucci store. As he arrived in front of the store and walked inside the warm tempature and the smell of fine leather came to his senses. Seeing everybody try on Gucci slip-on's, Gucci sneakers, belts, hats made him even more eager to buy his first pair. Seeing different types of Gucci's made him think even harder because this first pair of Gucci's could be his best start to get all the ladies, so his choice had to take time.

He alway's loved being casual. It's 2010 and he felt its time to start showing people that he isn't all about nikes and jordans and that he can also have a grown man side too. From when he seen people at parties being in Gucci from head to toe, and seeing the amount of attention they got from being in these expensive gear made him want what they had but twice as more.

"How much are these?" Andy asked the Gucci store employee

"$480 sir" she replied

"And these?"

"520 with tax sir." she replied again

"Yeah can I get these in a size 11"

"Which ones?" she asked

"The $520 ones"

"Ok no problem"

Andy thought the more the shoes cost the better. she brung back the 520 dollar shoes and without any questions he said he would take them. His face lit up like a person winning a million dollars. He was so happy that he got his first pair of Gucci's that he could speak for a minute when they asked cash, credit or debit. He thought to himself "I know the ladies are going to love me now". He forgot that his mother had put money in his bank from earlier in the week so he asked the Gucci employee one more thing.

"How much is your gucci belt's?"

"$250 sir"

"Add that to the tab too. Thanks so much."

Wen she gave him the receipt and the bag with the Gucci's and the belt inside he walked fast and full of joy out the store, and he then said to him self "There is no way I'm not going to get these ladies attention now." And he got in a cab and went home with a smile on his face.

HW 23- exploration of COOL

Cool to me can mean alot of things. I thought cool meant something that made people amused and at the same time make them happy. In class when we had made the bubbles of what we thought cool was. When I was writing them, I realized that I was just writing things that I liked and that was when I had a different perspective of what cool was. I then came to the conclusion that I thought that cool was something that that you liked and something that more than one person likes for enjoyment. But I feel cool can mean alot of things. To me cool can mean that it's stuff that people's enjoy's but somebody might think something different. Some people think that its when someone tries to start a new trend that they people would follow because its the "new thing that is out" or because everybody likes it. For example people would start a trend of wearing flip flops with socks because they feel that it's cool and that every body would folllow. And their can be another type of of Cool, when it's not something you like or to start a new trend. Another cool is when you are trying to be down. People, especially teens today, want to be down, or in other words "want to fit in". They feel in order to be excepted or be "cool" in this world they have to be like or dress like the popular kids or try to be like them. So the world cool can definitely mean alot of things.

When I looked up the world "COOL", it said "fashionable and attractive at the time; often skilled or socially adept". At first I didn't get the definition the first time but when I read it the second I got it. It's bascially a society attraction, or a fashion statement during that time period that people like. And when the definition said society adept, it's more of like a society attraction towards a skill or thing that one does. So basically what that person do is cool because of what they have or what they can do and the list goes on and on. So cool can mean alot of things. From stuff about people's clothing, attitude, skills, to even a tempature, not being to hot or to cold, you are just cool. But that isn't the cool we will be talking about in class, I just wanted to add that definition in cause it had to do with the word.

Some question's that I might have for this unit on COOLNESS is: How deep will we be going on the word cool? What type of lessons will we e doing to find out what different people think cool means? What movies will we be watching to give us a better understanding of what cool is from a different perspective of than the classes? Could their ever be a right or wrong answer to the what we think cool can be? Are we going to be going in circles and circles in this lesson? What will we do to expand it. When we are in class, most of the time I would like to learn something different that none of us new about cool like if there was a history behind the word, would we learn about it? I just want to make sure that we can go deeper to the full extent on this cool unit and not just be saying the same things over and over and over again. Another question that i have for you is: At the end of this unit what type of project or essay would you have us do? And alittle note to you is I think that for one of the lessons we should go ou in the street and do interviews and surveys on what strangers in the streets think cool means and how they feel about it. Simular to the lesson that we had did for the digitial technology unit that we did. So I'm looking foward into having a well though out unit on cool and I hope to have fun with it, and most importantly, learn something new about the word cool that I never thought I would learn if we didn't have this unit.

art project- poem and pic

Technology at night- By Charles

Technology at night

something most of us do

facbook, myspace, IMing all at one time

Technology at night

can't go to sleep unless you are all through

9 at night, 10 at night, getting later and later

not caring at all about anything but the screeen that sits infront of you.

Should I play video games or stay on the internet?

I might as well do both

Technology at night

something thats very addictive
can't live without it

so much that I can't get sleep

wondering and wondering

what people are writing next on their status's on facebook

12 o clock, getting later and later
still

on technology

bags under the eyes as if I didn't get sleep in weeks

technology at night

wanting to shut it all off, but deep, down inside

you just have to know whats going on

instead of doing your make up homework

im on technology at night

1 in the morning

2 in the morning

3 in the morning

5 hours till school start and still on tehnology

watching TV by your self while your brothers and sisters are snoring

wondering why you are up at 3 in the morning
snores and silence make up the room
and yet your still on technology at night

by 4 in the morning, you sleep and next thing you know..

school,

then that night you do the same thing as if its a daily tradition.

Big Paper

Technology. An overused alternative to getting stuff done quicker without having to do much thinking or work. Not only that but it is also a way to deal with an individual’s boredom and in some way’s to make people happy. People in this world today are way to addictive to technology like Television, The World Wide Web, video games, and even miscellaneous technology such as calculators or cell phones, etc. People want to find a way to do things with out have to work hard, and this is the problem we have now. We use these pieces of technology for reason’s, in most of our cases, that make our society lazy and happy. The fact that technology is so great, The overuses of digital technology are in societies like our own because almost all aspects of our lives have become dependent on it, from social use, to physical and mental emotions, and even easier information sources.

People today don’t like the fact that they have to do a lot of work to retrieve their information. They try to find a quicker way of finding it wit out using their actual brains. Like in the book FEED, they are going in a dangerous direction of depending on the “Feed” because they use it every where they go and they never want to use their actual brains because they are too lazy to. The feed is a chip that is in the kid’s brain. It’s like having the encyclopedia, the World Wide Web, television, and video games, all in one little chip that is inserted into their brain. These teenagers use this feed way to much. They use it because they feel that it is the less work than having to actually go on the computer and having to go through all of that drama to go on a single website, when they can just go on the feed while they are doing something like going to a party. One of the kids said that they had missed the feed because of the fact that you didn’t have to do much work to get what you wanted, and the fact that everybody is super smart and they could get stuff they needed automatically. He said “I missed the feed. I don’t know when they first had feed. Like maybe, fifty or a hundred years ago. Before that, they had to use their hands and their eyes. Computers were all outside the body. They carried them around outside of them, in their hands, like if u carried your lungs in a briefcase and opened it to breathe….That’s one of the great things about feed – that you can be supersmart without ever working. Everyone is supersmart now. You can look things up automatic, like science and history, like if you want to know which battles of the Civil War George Washington fought in and shit.”(P.48). They use the feed way to much. Never want to take the time to just think things through or pick up a book to find their research. The feed puts them into a state that makes them use this source as part of their lives and unfortunately, making them depend on it to the point where it they can’t use it no more. They don’t realize that by them using this feed all the time to get their information, it one, lowers their thinking ability because they depend on the feed, and two, it make’s them very lazy. Because of the power the feed beholds on these teenagers, it shows that their depending on it more and more because of the fact that it’s a quicker reliable information source that makes them supersmart with them not having to do nothing to gain that knowledge.

In WALL-E, the inventor’s of the ship that had the humans living on there after the earth was trashed, depended on their automated systems (the screens that were abruptly in front of their face’s) to keep the obese people from seeing reality. Wall-E is a film about a robot that helps Americans see how the technology has affected them. The people that live on the ship do nothing but constantly look at the screen that is front of their face. They pay no attention to what is around them or the outside world. Even the old people that live on the ship know nothing of what is outside of their screens. During the movie when Eve was sent to earth to find signs of life, she had brought a plant back to the captain and he did not know what she had brought. He had to learn from the computer what earth was and what the plant was. Having been in space for so long everyone forgot that earth existed and that there was other stuff that was outside in the outer space. When the lady had got release from her chair by mistake, she was then able to realize reality. She had a confused look on face because she didn’t know what reality looked like, for the past years all she has seen was this screen in front of her face. When she was singled out in from the others and she was seeing many things that she never thought the ship would have, little did she know that was illegibly their “new beginning”. Those being in the chairs stuck to the screen greatly affected them physically and mentally. They being glued to technology and stuck in one spot for so long they had bone problems and they had blank expressions on their face as if they were observing something like a new born baby. The technology and digital device idea that they use on the ships to keep these people from facing reality, shows that they greatly depend on these automated technology devices because humans now a day’s zone out in technology because of the mental emotions it puts forth.

People in our society love the fact that you can social network. It’s one of the reasons why we’re dangerously dependent on our Iphone’s and iPods to do the job. In order for them to get through their day, they must be social networking or using the cool web browser on their digital devices because it makes them feel joyful. During one of the class periods we had with Andy, we had to give a survey to different strangers about how they feel about technology and how much they use technology. When we were giving the interviews we had heard a lot of different answers. When I asked how much do they depend on the internet and their Iphone’s, most of the grown adult’s said that if they didn’t have their phones they probably wouldn’t know what to do at their job’s and that they would be late for almost everything and forget about things. When I asked one guy named Mark this question he said “Who doesn’t need their Iphone. I love all the cool applications and internet browser you are able to have on it. Some times people aren’t around the internet or a company phone and the Iphone has all of it in one. You can play games while searching the internet, texting, and at the same time listen to your music. Now how you like them apples. (Laughing)”. When said “who doesn’t need their Iphone in this city” I thought about that and then when I seen people on their Iphone’s, it did look like they needed their Iphone’s as if it was the only valuable thing they have. People in our society need some kind of digital device that can handle their big need and concur their mental emotions. Not only that but so many people also depend on their MP4 players. People in the street felt that their Ipod’s were their life. For some people, they said that they couldn’t even leave the house without they’re Ipod’s. When I asked a young teenage girl named Shauna walking by 7/11 I asked her “How much do you depend on your Ipod and why?” And she thought about it and said “My Ipod is my life; there have been times where I would grab my Ipod before I even think about grabbing my keys or my wallet. It’s just that I need my music because it keeps me happy and it blocks out the negative thoughts and stuff that go on in my life. So I do depend on my Ipod A lot A lot A lot. It sounds crazy but yeah.” It’s just plan and simple that people need these digital devices in order for them to stay happy. Because of the individual’s having the gift of having a Digital device that has internet cell phone and music in it, it proves our society is becoming more dependent on this type of technology due to the fact that it Fulfills our needs mental, physical, and social being.

Being that my friend’s are also hooked on it technology, I noticed that my close friend Kiana is being very dependent on technology to keep her happy and interested in life. Kiana is a girl that was in one of my classes. At times I would look her and see that she would have this focused face. As I thought she was doing her work, I realized that she was on her phone. I thought to my self “Why can’t she just wait till the end of the day or lunch to go on her phone and text and stuff” But then I realized that this is what the teens today have problems today. She was so hooked and dependent on her phone to keep her focused and happy that she didn’t want to do her work. Even when kid’s go on college trips, they you would think they are their to look at the college and see what they think about it. But kid’s, such like Kiana still have the tendency to use technology because they are so hooked on it. When Kiana went to her sister’s college she had recorded a minute or so of herself, and what she does on her time, not caring about anything else that’s important. She states that she when she was there, all she was doing was IMing on the computer and texting on her Blackberry. She didn’t even know what was going on in the back of her because all she was interested, and the only thing she depended her to fulfill her happiness is the web surfing and IMing she was doing on the internet and her Blackberry. “In the video you can observe that I am not really engaged or apart of what they were doing.... I am more so concentrated on texting and IMing people from my blackberry… While watching it my video I noticed that I seemed very dead and zoned out while texting on my cell phone. Although I was engaging in interesting conversation with friends via text message”(Kiana’s video blog post) She was able to analyze her own self and know that what she was doing made it seem to other people that she was very attached to her phone and the internet. She depends on these digital devices, not because it’s reduces her work, but because it makes her happy. People do want make’s them happy. But this particular case doesn’t only concern Kiana; it’s everybody in our society. For some strange reason the offer’s that technology give us, seem to have made us more dependent on it. Because Kiana was so hooked on her phone and internet where she couldn’t even leave that part out of a College trip, shows that her she depended on the digital devices to keep her mental emotions and needs happy and interested.

People usually depend digital devices like video games or television as a scapegoat to facing reality because it betters their mental and physical emotions by relaxing their body and minds. Because television is so popular in our society, from the Reality Television show’s, to sports games, to shows like The Tyra Banks show, it puts people in a physical and mental state that makes them want to forget about every thing that is going on. Like my father, he work’s 2 job’s. He works all night and all day most of the week and is on 24 hour call which means they call at any time and he has to show, no matter what time. And on his day off he mostly watches the Jets game and on Monday night he watches other football games. He escapes reality by watching football to relieve his hard working that he has done throughout the week. When I asked him why he had watched Television so much, especially football he said “Chuck you should know me by now. I work two jobs. I manage a club and I am a super of a building. And when I watch football its like I am in a whole new world. It’s like me actually being at the stadium. I didn’t by this 62” flat screen and this HD cable box for nothing. I spend a lot of money on these things because I love the way it makes me feel. I take work off my mind, it takes my phone going off all the time of my mind, and it just lets me relax.” He doesn’t like having work on his mind when it isn’t the time a place for it. But reality is he must because he has to constantly do stuff at his club and he is always on 24-hour call at his maintenance job. But he uses football and other Television shows to make him get away from all of that and relieve his body from all of the commotion. Because he watches Football when he is on call most of the time, proves that people would try to turn towards the Television unit to escape and run from the stressful reality that some people live.

People often depend on video games to keep them from facing reality. People tend to do the things they want to do rather than handling their responsibility. Like one of my friends named Kareem. He is a video gamer and he often decides to play video games, rather then face the fact that he has homework and other busy errands to do. He uses video games as a scapegoat for not doing what he is supposed to do. He is the type of person that often puts his mental and physicals needs in front of what he has to do. When I was at his house around the middle of October, he was on the video games while his school books where right next to him. And as I was observing, he would pick up his notebook, write a little, and then go back to the video game. It was like he was going back and fourth to reality and to his scapegoat. After He kept on doing it I finally asked him “Why do you keep going back and fourth from the game to your homework” and he said “Because this homework is pissing me off, and the game is helping me relax and calm down.” The game was making him leave reality. He didn’t want to deal with what was going on in the real world so what he did instead was go to the game to help him relieve some stress and help him calm down. Like in this preteen culture article its states that video games are “very compelling with increasing complexity, so a child becomes more facile, yet wants to know more and apply new skills." While wanting to improve their game isn't a problem in itself, it becomes one if video games are "taking a youngster away too much from other activities,"(preteen article). Kids are so dependent on games because it’s addictive and people would use it, like in Kareem’s case, use it to get away from reality. Kareem runs from facing reality by playing video games, and he tends to find this is the only thing he can depend on to that.

Not only in our time period did people depend on digital devices for many reasons like information sources. In our society in the 20th century, we use computers all the time. We use them to look up data, information, web pages, etc. Not only in the 20th century did they do that. They also did that back in the 70’s and the 80’s. I found on this one website on 1980’s technology. It talks about how the computers were starting to be used by a lot of people and how it had become popular when they came out with personal computers. It talks about how they used the internet to get web pages, send emails, and to get information, just like we do today. It states “Through the internet users can access electronic mail and send files, and access web pages. The internet in the 1980’s was a new tool that people began using and today it is used by everyone who has a computer.” Technology was only dependent in our time period. Even back then they used it to get what they needed jus like us. Even though people today abuse the fact that we have technology to deal with emotions and needs, it is in fact significant that we have it. If we didn’t have technology, it would take much longer to get the information that we have now. If we didn’t have it, wouldn’t be able to look at things deeper than what they would be. Like on ESPN, back then they didn’t have halftime shows where you can look at a play-by-play in a 3-D angle. Back then they were only able to look at 2-D pictures. Even being able to type a paper on word, rather than having to write it, or being able to use a power point presentation instead of a poster board. Us having this advanced or even simple technology gives us an alternative way of doing things quicker and finding things out quicker.

Most of the people in our society depend on the gift of technology to keep themselves happy and complete. But for some people it isn’t that much the same. Some people feel that to keep them complete and happy they just need to be around their family, and if not that just being able to be around their friends and having a good time. And other people said that love makes them happy. In the Seattle times, in the Business and Technology section a women does her own little interview asking the question to her family “Does technology make you happy?” When she asked her young daughter does Technology make her happy she said “No. I take it for granted — like breathing. It just is…I'm unhappy when it doesn't work ... when my cell phone battery's dead and when the Internet's not working." Some people feel different about technology because of the very bad flaws it comes with rather than the good ones. And because of these bad flaws it forces them to question the trust on whether they can depend on these digital gadgets or not. Some people just take advantage of the fact that it is a helpful source of fulfilling needs, while other feel that just living life is another possibility.

Throughout all of this you can see that people depend on their digital devices to complete their essential for getting homework done, communicating with friends and looking up stuff. Based on WALL-E, Feed, People’s interview’s answers, and others idea’s, you can clearly see that people depend on their digital devices to make them happy and to keep their mental and physical states positive. Whether the digital device helps them be happy, or Get info in the less amount of work, or even as a scapegoat, Technology is being overused in our culture because it’s in almost all parts of our lives whether it be for social use, information sources, or to help mental and physical emotions.

WORK CITED
1980 technology
http://spxtech.tripod.com/id3.html

Video Game Addiction http://www.theparentreport.com/resources/ages/preteen/kids_culture/130.html

I ask does technology make you happy
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003675350_ptgett21.html

WALL-E film

Interviews and surveys

Feed

Classmates Blogpost

rouch draft suggestions

Dear kate,


As I told u before, your outline should basically be your rough draft because of how detailed and good it is. So I think that I already said what I had to say to you. But what I would say to you is that if you don't forget to write your connection and opposing view para graph's because this is like a mini exhibition and those paragraphs are very important. When you are writing the connections paragraph, Make sure you connect it to something that is strong, like your own life and/or other peoples life. If you are going to use a work piece, then make sure it connects strongly back to your thesis. And for the opposing view point paragraph, be sure that you know what opposing view you are to talking about. Make sure it is the exact opposite or close to the exact opposite to what your thesis is talking about therefore it could be a strong opposing view. Other than that you have a set rough draft, try and have a family member look over it so you can also have more opinions about it.

Dear Yu-Xi

Your rough draft looks good from what I see. You seem to have the criteria and the way you put information together down packed. Your thesis is simular to mine, and so I could definitly see how your arguments connect to that. Like I said for Kate, make sure that you input your Opposing view paragraph and your connections paragrapnh and make them as good as posiible. Make sure that they are detailed and most importantly, connect back to your thesis. If they don't then then the paragraphs are useless. These particular paragraphs needs to show how they oppose your thesis and also connect to your thesis. But Besides that, your rough draft looks good and you can definitely build up on this and make it a big part in your final dradft (obvioously). Also take some time and have your mom or friend proff read it so they can catch stuff that you probably didn't see when you were writing it. Also Make sure you get other opinion's on your rough draft because the more opinion's the more more feedback you can get. I look foward into reading you final draft!

digital project rough draft

Technology. An overused alternative to getting stuff done quicker without having to do much thinking or work. Not only that but it is also a way to deal with an individual’s boredom and in some way’s to make people happy. People in this world today are way to addictive to technology like Television, The World Wide Web, video games, and even miscellaneous technology such as calculators or cell phones, etc. People want to find a way to do things with out have to work hard, and this is the problem we have now. We use these pieces of technology for reason’s, in most of our cases, that make our society lazy and happy. The fact that technology is so great, our society is going in a dangerous direction of depending on technology because people are hooked on the happiness it gives them and at times lazy and not wanting to do much to find information (or people are so hooked on this technology life that they forgot how to live the natural life).

In Feed they are going in a dangerous direction of depending on the “Feed” because they use it every where they go and they never want to use their actual brains because they are to lazy to. The feed is a chip that is in the kid’s brain. It’s like having the encyclopedia, the World Wide Web, television, and video games, all in one little chip that is inserted into their brain. These teenagers use this feed way to much. They use it because they feel that it is the less work than having to actually go on the computer and having to go through all of that drama to go on a single website, when they can just go on the feed while they are doing something like going to a party. One of the kids said that they had missed the feed because of the fact that you didn’t have to do much work to get what you wanted, and the fact that everybody is super smart and they could get stuff they needed automatically. He said “I missed the feed. I don’t know when they first had feed. Like maybe, fifty or a hundred years ago. Before that, they had to use their hands and their eyes. Computers were all outside the body. They carried them around outside of them, in their hands, like if u carried your lungs in a briefcase and opened it to breathe….That’s one of the great things about feed – that you can be supersmart without ever working. Everyone is supersmart now. You can look things up automatic, like science and history, like if you want to know which battles of the Civil War George Washington fought in and shit.”(P.48). They want to find an easier solution of getting your information and at the same time do it so it can be less work as possible. They don’t realize that by them using this feed all the time to get their information, it one, lowers their thinking ability because they depend on the feed, and two, it make’s them very lazy. Because the feed can give them information that they need when they want, it shows that they are depending on it more and more because of the fact that it makes them be supersmart without ever having to do work.

Not only in books, but also People in our society are being dangerously more dependent on their Iphones and iPods in order for them to get through their busy day and because it makes them feel joyful. During one of the class periods we had with Andy, we had to give a survey to different strangers about how they feel about technology and how much they use technology. When we were giving the interviews we had heard a lot of different answers. When I asked how much do they depend on the internet and their Iphone’s, most of the grown adult’s said that if they didn’t have their phones they probably wouldn’t know what to do at their job’s and that they would be late for almost everything and forget about things. When I asked one guy named Mark this question he said “Who doesn’t need their Iphone in this busy city. Some times people aren’t around the internet or a company phone and the Iphone has all of it in one. How you like them apples. (Laughing)”. When said “who doesn’t need their Iphone in this busy city” I thought about that and then when I seen people on their Iphone’s, it did look like they were depending on them. People in our society need some kind of digital device that can handle their big needs. So many people also depend on the Ipod’s. People in the street felt that their Ipod’s were their life. For some people, they said that they couldn’t even leave the house without they’re Ipod’s. When I asked a young teenage girl named Shauna walking by 7/11 I asked her “How much do you depend on your Ipod and why? And she thought about it and said “My Ipod is my life; there have been times where I would Grab My Ipod before I even think about grabbing my keys and my cell phone. It’s just that my music because it keeps me happy and it blocks out the negative thoughts and stuff that go on in my life. So I do depend on my Ipod A lot A lot A lot. It sounds crazy but yeah.” It’s just plan and simple that people need these digital devices in order for them to stay happy. Because of the individual’s having the privilege of having a Digital device that has internet cell phone and music in it, it proves our society is becoming more and more dependent on these things because it Fulfills our needs without taking up any work and effort.


Being that my friend’s are also hooked on it technology, I noticed that my close friend Kiana is being very dependent on technology to keep her happy and interested in life. Kiana is a girl that was in one of my classes. At times I would look her and see that she would have this focused face. As I thought she was doing her work, I realized that she was on her phone. I thought to my self “Why can’t she just wait till the end of the day or lunch to go on her phone and text and stuff” But then I realized that this is what the teens today have problems today. She was so hooked and dependent on her phone to keep her focused and happy that she didn’t want to do her work. Even when kid’s go on college trips, they you would think they are their to look at the college and see what they think about it. But kid’s, such like Kiana still have the tendency to use technology because they are so hooked on it. When Kiana went to her sister’s college she had recorded a minute or so of herself, and what she does on her time, not caring about anything else that’s important. She states that she when she was there, all she was doing was IMing on the computer and texting on her Blackberry. She didn’t even know what was going on in the back of her because all she was interested, and the only thing she depended her to fulfill her happiness is the web surfing and IMing she was doing on the internet and the her Blackberry. “In the video you can observe that I am not really engaged or apart of what they were doing.... I am more so concentrated on texting and IMing people from my blackberry… While watching it my video I noticed that I seemed very dead and zoned out while texting on my cell phone. Although I was engaging in interesting conversation with friends via text message”(Kiana’s video blog post) She was able to analyze her own self and know that what she was doing made it seem to other people that she was very attached to her phone and the internet. She depends on these digital devices, not because it’s reduces her work, but because it makes her happy. People do want make’s them happy. But this particular case doesn’t only concern Kiana; it’s everybody in our society. For some strange reason the offer’s that technology give us, seem to have made us more dependent on it. Because Kiana was so hooked on her phone and internet where she couldn’t even leave that part out of a College trip, shows that we depend on the digital devices to keep us happy.


My connections paragraph is going to be about how the way people depend on their digital devices is the similar to how I depend on my own digital devices.
My opposing view is how People don’t depend on digital devices to keep them happy or to make them do less work. Talk about an example where somebody uses a different method then technology to get their info or how somebody uses something else other than technology to make them happy.

My conclusion is going to restate the ideas and the arguemtns that I have talked about in my paper. Then I am going to restates my thesis in a different way.

***FIX THESIS..FIX THE WORDING AND FOR EACH BODY PARAGRAPH MAKE SURE THESIS CONNECTS TO THE ARGUMENT AND FIX EACH OF MY ENDING SENTENCES AND BEGINNING SENTENCES IF NECCESARY.***

***DO THE WORK CITED PART TOO***

outline suggestions for kate and yuxi

Dear Yuki,

I like the ideas that you want to put inside of your big paper. I like the fact that you talk about how technology is over used and how it is in everything u use. I also like when you talk about how technology is even in our love life. It seems to me like you have clear and detailed arguments and your thesis is also very clear and understanding. Your evidence is also good but i also what you to use one more source. I think you should definitely use andy's lectures as some of the evidence because we talked about how teenagers and een adults use digitalization to much. I don't know if I saw it, but some other evidence that I also think you should use is the interviews and surveys. Use the answersthat you have got from people on the street on how much technology they use. It would be good information if you pick the 2 or 3 of the best interviews that can mostly connect back to your thesis.

But other than that it seems like you have a good outline and you are ready to start writing your big paper! Like anybody else would say, make sure that you don't have any grammer or spelling mistakes. Otherwise start writing, I can't wait to read it!



Dear Kate,

I love love love your outline! It is very organized and it already has alot of information. It was so detailed that I thought it was your rough draft so you had me bugging out for minute saying to myself "where the heck is Kate's outline, all I see if a big rough draft" and little did I know that "big paper" was the outine. Silly me.

Anyway like how you have some of the exact evidence you are going to use for your paper. I like the fact how you made most of your arguments and paragrapghs already, and at that, have them analyzed already. I thought that was really good. Something that I want you to add to your paper is another piece of evidence. I like the fact that you have tons and tons of evidence of feed and WALL-E, but another IMPORTANT piece of evidence that I feel you should use, just like I told Yu-Xi, is Andy's lectures. They help so much and they can most definitelty connect back to your thesis. I'm not really undeerstanding what your thesis is saying, but from the looks at the body paragrapghs its talking about how these digital devices is blocking us from the real world, and I know for a fact that Andy has talked about that.

Other than that you are VERY ready to start your paper, if I was you I would use this outline as your rough draft. Just add a little parts to it and 1 or 2 more pieces of evidence. Also make sure your grammer and spelling is good. Great Job, I look foward into reading your paper!!!

my paper outline

The thesis that i wanted to have for my paper was: People in our digital world today are very hooked on videogames, internet, and television because of the way it makes them feel and the fact that the gossip and type of game it is, is so intersting. I was also thinking of making my thesis on how the bad parts of these digital devices not only helps us pts us in a positive mood, but I don't know I need more opinions. 

 The addictiveness that the digital devices attracts to us is the way it makes us feel....still need to add stuff

I kno this thesis is vey long but this is what I have my triad people for, so they can help me shorten it and make it alittle more clearer.

One argument that I wanted to use was how people be so hooked on these digital devices that they don't even know what's going on in the outside world. some evidence I can use for this argument is from WALL-E. I wanted to show the humans was so stuck on the technology that was in their face that they didnt even know where they were. Also how they didn't even know what their surroundings were. some other evidence I can use for this argument is in feed. I don't really remember what I can use but I can ask my triad for that info or suggestions.

Another argument I wanted to bring up is how people are so hooked on the their ipod's and Computers because it helps them calm down in chaos situations, or for some people how it makes them happy. Some evidence I can use is from the interviews that we took in the street. Aslo I can use evidence from some of the conversations and lectures that andy brings up in class about how these digital devices makes us feel.

And the last argument I wanted to talk about is how these digital devices keep us happy because of the simple fact that it's just something we enjoy rather than something that is boring like homework. Some of the evidence I can use for this argument is the interviews. I don't really know what other evidence I shpuld use for this but if anybody has any suggestions they should let me know =).

And for the Conclusion I am going to tie back all of my arguments together and at the end I am going to re state my thesis in a different way. That's about it for my outline. It is an OUTLINE so it is very broad. But the more I work on it the more detailed it's going to be (the paper).

So any sugggestions, jus comment this blog...I would appreicate if Andy comments also cause it will definitely help! THANKS ALOT!!

Treasure Hunting- Yu-Xi

Dear Yu-Xi,

Your writing is very unique but interesting I must say. The idea's and thoughts that you write in your Posts, are very very detailed and you write it in a way were the person reading it will understand completely what's going on and at the same time understand what message or opinion you are trying to get across. Like in the Feed blog responses you gave very authentic and good information about the certain topics of Feed. Like in Feed A blog response, you say that the Feed book is an allegory and then after that you give opinions on why and you bring up very strong, hardcore evidence to back up each of your statements. That's why when I read your post I can never be confused about what you are saying because every piece of evidence is in there. What I also Liked about your post, especially the Experiment blog post, You were very organized. I feel like if your work is organized then it is easier to understand, rather than if it was messy, the reader would be confused since information is all over the place. But I liked that its organized be cause it showed neatness and it give your reader a better understanding.

In feed B I liked when you said "All art to some extent is a hammer, even children's books because children often seek to follow the ideals displayed in the story sometimes even to adulthood". I Kind of agree with that point. I like the fact that you brought that up because you are looking at the question from a different perspective from others. When you said that statement it could make the reader think differently, like making him think that the book is a mirror and a hammer rather than one or the other. I also liked how you brought up a children's book because it shows that it isn't just teens or adults learning from books and getting insight from them. it could even be little kids.

The tone that you wrote in was a little hard to catch. But it looks like to me that you speak in a tone that is strong because of the fact that you want to get your point across and you want the reader to really get what you are talking about. And I also think that you give really sharp evidence. Like some people they would just throw a quote in and talk about it. But you, you say your strong argument, and then give a strong quote or other piece of evidence to back it up and that is key when you are trying to make your opinion count as something. The best parts of your Feed responses is the First two paragraphs because they have a lot of opinions with evidence to back it up. And for the experiment, your best info is where you explain your change of digitization and how you you limited your use.

I enjoyed reading your post a lot Yu-Xi and I hope that you write more blog post that I can comment on! Great work !!

Tresure hunting-Kate

Dear Kate,

I really enjoy your writing. I liked it ever since we were in the triangle. Everytime I read a blog of your you always have something to say about a certain topic and at the same time tell people how you feel about that and I like it. Another thing that you do is you liked to go with a neutral point of view like with the Feed B homework, you said that Feed was a mirror because "Feed only showed us our own lives and did not really come up with any solutions to how we live our lives." but then after you said "But i feel that through that mirror readers will have the option of creating a hammer and using it to help redefine their lives and people around them." That shows that you are looking at both sides of the argument instead of one. You aren't just looking at one side and going with it, you write so you can leave the reader re thinking what they had thought about the whole mirror or hammer argument.

Another aspect of your writing that seems to stand out with me is that you are very opinated and you always find a way to make people agree with you instead of thinking otherwise. Like when you said that you hate when people text while driving. you gave good points on why you didn't like it and on top of that gave a good MSN article to prove everything you were saying in your opinion.

Most of the stuff you say makes me think about my own blog post and that is what good writers do. Throughout all of ya blogs, your tone is more of a voice that is telling the reader " im sick of stuff that people do and hear is why", you sound very confident in what you are writing and thats one of the reasons why at times your words can be meaningful and powerful. Like in The Feed post you give excellent points on what the author is trying to portray in this bbook and you give good evidence to back it up. Like I said before, you are very good with backing up what you think and thats what makes you the good writer that you are.

Kate, I really like your post and I will be reading more of them since I am in your "Triad". Continue to write and keep them as good as these!

Second text

This was a very long excerpt that I have read and didn't know was 100 pages. But to be honest with you, the points that Steven Johnson was bringing up was very good. He was like a Devil's advocate towards the common thoughts and opinions that people usually have towards video games, the Internet, and Television. He talks about different ways these digital devices help us rather than how they screw our lives up like most people try to do.

Speaking of this, one of the main ideas that were brought up were how these pieces of digital devices not only puts a negative effect on our lives, but they have strong positive development and personal values that some people just might not see. Then through out the whole excerpt, he tries to back up this argument and talks about television, Internet, and video games. He Talks about how each of these Helps us in our lives and how they help us with not only fulfilling our needs but also help us develop mental skills and other skills that you can't really get from reading books or anything. He talk's about how books aren't really as good as watching tv or going on the internet, or even playing video games. Talks about how the difference between books and video games is that books are something that "understimulates the senses", whereas the video game engages "the full range of the sensory and motor cortices."

Based on what the excerpt said about video games, it teaches you how to work out your problems to the best of your ability and it teaches you how to strategize and find alternative ways to get to your goal. It also teaches you how to use your mental skills and cope that with your senses and hands. It teaches you how to use your thinking logically, so you can find the quickest way to learn the game or to achieve what you need to achieve to get to the next level.

And for Television and the Internet, that has also helped us with stuff that books or other non virtue literacy is able to give an individual. He talks about how television can not only give you want you want to see, but it can help you social skills and helps you think about complex relationships there are. He also brings up reality TV, something that I watch often. He talks about how it helps you understand social interactions and how it make you understand these things and also, to some extent, make it enjoyable with all the extra stuff it has to come with it. And for the internet, if used for the right reasons, is an excellent way for gathering information and finding what you need to find. Its the biggest information source in the world. Even though the internet can be used for the wrong reasons at times, it some times can be more helpful then books. I feel that Television and the internet can be more helpful than how people think it is. For the most part, I feel that people would rather learn about stuff of the discovery channel or animal planet rather than reading about it or looking at just words on a page to get an idea about each of the topics.

This excerpt definitly contradicts Feed because Feed is a book that shows the next level of the problem we have with deigitalization now. But with this excerpt Steven Johnson writes is saying how these digital devices have more to it then jjust building ignorance into teens and only doing stuff thats fun instead of teaching and being helpful to kids. It's contradicting feed because in the excerpt, it showing what kids do now a days with the video games and internet and Television, but it's not showing how it's getting worser and worser. Intstead it's showing how the things you do with the video games and the internet and TV helps you. Like reality TVshow is stupid for people to watch but for Johnson he tries to bring out the good in Reality TV shows by saying that it helps you understand social interaction. Stuff likr that shows how he is contradicting Feed. The whole time the two authors were talking about different aspects of digitalization. Steven talks about how it helps you and Feed is talking about how the way the characters act in Feed is a mirror of the teens today and how they use technology so much. Basically saying, Feed wants the reader to understand the bad part of technology, while Steven Johnson wants you to understand the good.

feed B

Feed is a scary book. It's shows that we aren't as bright as we think we are. We think that we are something but in reality we are so stuck in the mix of digitization that it makes us so stupid and ignorant. It proves Andy's point about how kid's today don't really know history but they would know everything about a video game that is really good or something that happens in the celebrity world. If that book Feed was imitating how we are acting today or how my child would act in the future I am going to make major changes before this gets any further. I think Andy has this course for a reason. I think he has this course to put a "video recorder" where we can't see and show us how ridiculous we are and hooked we are on all this digital non sense.

When Bert Brecht said that "Art is not a Mirror with which to reflect the World. It is a Hammer with which to shape it", it made me think allot. I feel that our lives aren't shaped upon this book. I feel that it is more as a mirror because its more of reflecting what we do. Its like feed is exactly on the other side of the mirror. So I wouldn't really consider this book as a hammer its more of a mirror.

In my opinion I think that Feed is a mirror because it is a perfect reflection of all the digitalizing devices we constantly use that we can't get off of. It's just a future device that can possibly help people enjoy the nature of life and being able to explore the outside world, and at the same time be able to surf the Internet and all those stupid things with these devices at the same time.

I would want my art to be be a mirror for many reasons. One of the reasons is because when you look at art most people have good opinions about it and their is many points of view about it And with that you can take that advice and try to make your art better than it already is. Also another reason is because no matter what art it is, we are always going to have some one who is going to criticize it in a way to try and make it as perfect as possible. And having some one criticize your life in way so you can change in a positive way is always good. Lastly, I would want my art to be a mirror so people can reflect on it and try to change their lives if it is the same as mine. I wouldn't want it to be a hammer because you really aren't getting anything out of it by just destroying something. I want to try and get POV's so I can learn how to make the situation better. You can't just destroy something if you don't know what needs to be fixed.

The kids in the book were really not understanding the feed just like teens today don't understand the computer. The Kids in the book and Teens today only worry about their needs that the computer or feed gives to them and not what it can really offer like how it can give good facts about educational stuff. But none of the teens seem to realize that. They just do what they want with the digital devices and that is what the problem today is and it's sickening.

I think this book is for teens that are So obsessed in the digital world. I say this because it wants to put the teen in a 3 person view so it can see how teens who use digitization for the wrong reasons act. I also think that it's for them because it wants to teach a lesson. It's wants to teach a lesson to not use digitization for the wrong reason's. It shows the outcome of our life and it's shows how ignorant you really are when you can't see it. Like I said in the beginning IF my life is like the teens in FEED then it definitely time to grow up and change.

Feed A

      The kids in feed live like us. Plain and simple they act like us because they are so ignorant (like andy would say) jut like us, but the difference is that they dont realize that they are ignorant but we do. The Feed is all the stuff that kids now a days can't stop doing which is surfing facebook, Myspace, Gossip websites, etc. 

       

      I feel that if feed was to be a book about teenage life today, i think it would definitely be on target. I say this for many reasons. one reason is because people in feed are hooked on the same type of things teens no and days are hooked on. the only difference is that they have all of this inputed into their heads, but with us, it like we go running to the stuff that keeps us hooked. like we go to video game store to get games. We go out of our way to go on the computer just to go o the websites that excites us just for no reason. But with the feed everything is plugged into their brains. I just feel that the feed is just another step in our world of technology. Instead of going to the computer and going to the phones, you will get a device in put in your brain which is called a FEED. This book is just one step ahead thats it. 

      

          Some of the tragedies that happens in the book was that their was viruses in the Feed, lesions, the earth wasn't natural, the air factories was clouds, etc. These tragedies collide with each other because it shows how the earth is dying and everything isn't natural any more. mostly everything you want to do is inside the feed, it just proves that something so little can change a persons life completely and can have a big affect on life.

        

           Them having artificial babies is a bad thing to me. I think that is wrong that you wouldn't want to have a baby just to have it and love it for who it is. Why would you want to have a baby and create how it look's. I mean it would be nice to have want you want but then the world would be that diverse. Everybody would have the choice of having their baby look a certain way. When thats not what this world is about. People who are born are always going to have a purpose in life no matter what. Some people were born to play basketball, some people were born to be doctors, etc. Im not saying that people were literally born for those particular reasons but they were born, and those were some of the things they came out to be. I just think no a days stuff is starting to be taken for granted and people don't care if about having something just come at them. People always have to have what they want, and that is what's killing the world now. 

 

      When Violet died because of the virus that was hacked into her feed was really sad. It made me think other wise about thinking that feeds was a good idea. You can't have a internal life with a feed because people are able to to hack into you r body which is a very bad thing i think. It made me feel like if feeds were ever invented and actually stored into peoples brains there would be a lot of death's in the world, especially with all the hackers there be in the world today. 

       

          I think that evn though you have smart genes you can still be dumb. I know people who have smart siblings but them their selves isn't so bright in the class room. I feel that everybody is different some people might be smarter than others, thats just the way life is and that is the way it is going to be. Everybody is different and everybody is always going to know something that the next person in their family won't know  

       

      The kids that are in FEED and the kids today aren't different at all. They all like being into the whole web surfing, texting world and they don't realize how much they use it. The only thing that separates them from us is that we don't have feeds. we have to stay stuck in the house playing video games, or being on the computer. But for them, they can do what they want and explore the world outside their houses and at the same time be on the "feeds". The book is a good way to show how kids are today and what they would be like in the future if they was to have feeds in their brains. 

         

My self assignment

Before we had this unit about digitalization, I use to be on AIM, watching TV, Playing multiple Video games, being on multiple websites all the time. I would be one all of these til about 2 to 3 in the morning. It was something about these gadgets that made me want to stay on them til I wanted to just fall asleep no matter what. But now Since I found out that when I don't get enough sleep, my body gets weak and so does my immune system, I limt my self to my digital world to stop at 1 am. so I am taking a hour off of the digital devices. At the end, that one hour could go towards my homework or SAT help or sleep or relaxing, or any thing non digital and poductive.

links and paragraphs

http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

Facebook is something that I go on daily. It doesn't matter where I am at, whether it be in the car, at my games, or at home, I have to check my facebook for the latest update. Its so interesting because there is so much you can look at, like video's, pictures, people's comments, the whole 9 yards. It is something that interests me and it makes me feel like I know whats going on in other peoples lives and experiences right through my computer screen.


http://mediatakeout.com/index.html

Mediatakeout is also something that I am addicted too and interested in. I like to know what celebrities are doing and what they are going through. They don't always do celebrities, they also just give politics sometimes, and they give you insight on stuff that is all over the united states. It's also funny to read other peoples reactions on the celebrities and politics that mediatakeout talks about. It's a website that keeps me on top of the things that I am interested in, and thats why I like it.

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/video_games/concerns/index.cfm

This website talks about how video games put a big imact on children.It also talks about how the growth sales of video games exceeded 18 billion dollars because video games are being brought so much and it is so much into the youth culture now and days. They say that even though video games can give a positive impact on children, parent should be concerned about the influences that video games can give them.

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA631243.html and http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2005/Teens-and-Technology.aspx

These 2 websites talks about how Teens that are using the internet are increasing rapidly. They say that 21 million kids between the ages of 12 and 17 are surfing the web and half of them are saying that they use it everyday. They also said that "81 percent of wired teens play games online, which is 52 percent higher than four years ago".They just talk about the different pieces of technllgy and how the percentage of the usage is getting bigger and bigger. I feel that this is crazy and if parents don't sop their kids now from using the internet everyday, then i feel that this situation is really going to get out of hand. Even though I use the internet, I now try to limit myself to using it for only 1hr.

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1984/5/84.05.03.x.html

This website talks about how Television has teens glued to the screen all the time. It says that TV's are "an unpretentious-looking box that has the power to hold individuals in a hypnotic state with their eyes glued to a screen of rapidly moving images" I agree. Kids are watching TV so much that ater they graduate they have more hours watching TV then hours working in the class room. This shows that TV has a big impact on teens and adults these days.

Comment on Yu-xi's video

Assume video Yu-xi !

You and Kate are some focused people I tell you. Did you even know you was getting recorded at that time? It seemed so real because you were making face expressions to the screen that I don't think you know about. When your face was close to the screen, I can tell that you was very attached to what was going on in it and that it had you hooked because you had a small little smile on and then you had a seriousface on like you were concentrating alot. When you were eating you food without looking at it, I thought to myself "Does that computer screen so interesting that she can't stop for a minute to take a bite of her food and then continue on again? I can see that you like digitalization more than you say you did =].

I like the fact that it was real and it was what you actually do. You didn't do anything you wouldn't normally do because you said that you was playing with your computer which you was doing. In your reflection of the video you said "At the end of it I say 2:40 because I realized I went over time (I wasn't looking at the camera)." I felt like you can't be more concentrated then that. It was excellent for you to bring that up because that is a good way of saying, the attention you have on digitalization is beyond others at times.

Overall, I liked your video alot. great work!

Comment on Kate's video

Nice video Kate!

I like the total realness of the video. What I mean by that is you wasn't putting on an act just because you was shooting a video on how you use and act towards digitalization. You were focused on the TV from the jump and you didn't even look at the camera. I dont even think you knew you was getting recorded half of the time. I thought you ttold who ever was recording it to do it when you didn't know so it could be easier. I don't know I'm just guessing. But I also like the idea how you did it straight on and you wasn'tcutting into parts. It was was one run through and that was it.

Looking at this video alone I can tell straight off the back that you like watching TV. When your cat's came into the video and they were rubbing all over you, you didn't move or try to brush them away. You was so stuff onto the screen and what you were watching that you didn't even know they were there or you just ignored them. That shows how TV brings an affect on you and it makes you zone out other things around. It's sort of like you have a tunnel vision of you and the TV. Nothing else.

I liked ya video alot and I loved how you kept it real and didn't do no "non-reality" things to it. NICE VIDEO!

digital video from charles hunter on Vimeo.

When I was making this video I had just went to the Chinese restaurant to get me some Young chow fried rice. It had chicken, shrimp, vegetables, and pork inside of it. I was eating, on my phone talking to Kiana, and on myspace, facebook, NBA.com. I was in the room and I was by myself since my brother was in college and my sister, mother, and father was at work.

When I watched the video over after I had made it I thought to my self, why do I chew like that? Also it looked funny because I never saw myself through a "third person view" of me on the computer and on the phone. I never thought I made face expressions like that but i guess i did.

Doing what I was doing in that video is callled addiction. I wouldn't want my kids or yuonger sibling doing what I was doing. Because as you can see, it looked like I wasn't moving in no time soon and that's not what I want my kids doing. They need to be out more exploring the world, not hooked to the computer and phone.

Im looking at the screen most of the time because I was recording on my web cam and I was looking at a bunch of website that really catch my interest. But as you can see I am going back and forth from my phone to the computer. I do this alot when people right crazy things to me or what to have interesting conversations with me on aim or text messaging. So I'm hooked on both which makes make break my neck looking and the computer screen and mycell phone screen

Parents response to my questions

My parent's are something else. that's all I have to say. When I was asking them my questions they gave me answers that I really didn't understand I don't know if I was bothering them or what but when I asked them a question they would think about it and say "why are you asking me this, go do your homework." when I told them that this was my home they had no choice but to answer. I knew my questions was good. I knew that they were difficult to answer because if I wouldv'e asked them a simple question they would have no problem answering it and then moving on. But when they procrasinate on something I knew it was a good answer. One of the questions I asked them is "Why do they feel that using their black berry's and computers so much is imortant to them when they can use a news paper or a regular phone that doesn't cost so much to do the same thing as what they have?"...they really thought about it and at first they gave me the answer that a parent usually gives their child, "don't worry about why I am always on my blackberry, mind your business and stay out of grown folks business". But I didn't give up, even though I had to be annoying since I didn't want a zero on this assignment, I asked them again. Then they thought about it for a few minutes and they finally said, "we use these blackberry's and computer's chuck because it's easier to type on it then a regular phone. We have jobs and if we need to write emails or something real quick to our bosses then we can do that. a regualar phone takes to long. Plus you can do so much which these computers and stuff these days that you have to have. Never settle for the old stuff, stick with the new. Why do you think we have a 62" flat screen in the living room? we love the new stuff thats why." So in the end I gav them a thoughtful question that they had to think about and they gave me a thoughtful answer.

When I was asking people in the street about digitalization, it would be hard. People had job's and appointment's, and other stuff to attend too so it was alittle difficult for them to stop and talk, even if you told them that you would walk with them. But for other stranger's, I went to one guy named Hashim and he was the news stand guy. he said "I am online for 1 hour and my kids are on for 1 and a half to 2 hours a day", while another guy that I had stopped at during a stop light while he was in the car, he said "I'm watching TV for a couple of hours, I am on the computer for a half an hour, and on the phone for uhhhhhh....oh shit (laughing) like 5 to 7 hours (laughing again). So different types of people where saying mostly 4 to 8 hours a day of technology on the average. I noticed that the business man and women are using technology more than the delivery people and other low payed workers. It seems to me that it's this way because the low payed workers don't ever have time to be on it, they can't afford it, or the business men and women' job or career has alot of technology involved in it, rather it be a iphone, blackberry, the computer, etc.

All of my friends are all in your class so I couldn't ask them how they feel. But what I did do is ask my friends that where outside of the school and the answers that they gave for digitalization and how much they use it is ridiculous. When I asked one of my friends " How many hours do you be on technology and do you think it is bad that people use it more than enough?", My friend Rob replied and said "I am on my phone texting the ladies for about 12 to 16 hrs a day" Then he starts laughing and say's " Why shouldn't people be on the phones and what not. I feel people need to be very social so they can know more people and it can lead to certain things and connections in your life. But to be ocial in general, especially when you can't go to clubs and what not at a certain age, myspace and facebook are perfect to meet knew females and men NO HOMO." So asknig him this qeustion was basically the same answers that I got from the other 20 and sum people I've asked. There isn't really much you can answer when you ask somone questions like this, it's either you agree with the effect that technology puts on people or you don't. Plain and simple.

response to andy's comment

I like your comment a lot. It brings up good points and the bad points that I have done. It shows that even though people can have a good post, but no one is perfect. I really liked how your tone was in this response because you seemed amused by the ideas I had to say about technology. When you brought up something that happened in class to what I wrote in my response I liked it a lot because of the way you connected them. When you said "Your perspective is probably the dominant one-most people enjoy this stuff (even if maybe less vigorously than you) but also want non-digital life too." I felt that you explained how I felt about technology in a very detailed way. It was like you summarized what what I thought about it and at the same time you proved that I liked technology but that I still wanted to have an outside life as well. Some suggestions I would give you is make sure you do spell check before you publish anything just so it can be spic and span. Thanks again for the comment, I liked it alot.