"Observe Electronic Etiquette" by Michelle Engel

           

The commentary essay "Observe Electronic Etiquette" (May 2012) by Michelle Engel asserts the need to curb electronic interruptions. She relies on personal experiences to back up this statement. Her clear purpose is to make it know how annoying and costly our lack of electronic etiquette is in order to convince people to stay off their devices at inappropriate times. The audience is broad since this applies to anyone with an electronic device who engages with it in public.  

                  I have mixed feelings about this article. Although I agree with the author’s stance, I am not quite sure her delivery was strong enough. Her only reasons why electronic use should be curbed in public is because it is annoying, and the case where the two people lost a leg was the last point she made, as if it were her “weakest” piece of evidence. Because I agree wholeheartedly, that I don’t know a single person important enough to need to constantly be on a phone with the glazed over expressions and oblivious to the rest of the world, I automatically agree with the author. But because those on the other side feel differently, and Engel is trying to convince those people to stop their excessive behavior, she needed stronger evidence other than it’s annoying. A lot of people now have little regard for how someone else feels, probably due to the self-entitled importance some assume they have which spawn their awful etiquette in the first place. To convince these kind of people, you need better evidence.

                  This article was probably written as a commentary, due to the formatting of the paper, and is also informal. Engel’ tone is chastising, and almost snippy.  “Enough. I’ve had it with people and their smartphones" (Engel 311). This isn’t formal language or tone, and the spacing, probably for emphasis, is not formal formatting. Engel wrote this as a call to action. “We all need to look at our electronic etiquette.” (Engel 313) The author’s reason for writing is clear, as this is a subject she has dealt with personally. Nearly all of the evidence consisted of personal experiences. “On a recent Amtrak trip, a woman sat next to me and made a call to her friend. . . “  (Engel 312). However, she did include one compelling piece of evidence when using the case of the texting driver. Therefore, she relied on ethos mostly.

“Education, Democracy, and the Life Worth Living” by Mark Kingwell

       

           In the informative essay “Education, Democracy, and the Life Worth Living” (2008), written by Mark Kingwell, Kingwell claims that there is a great reason to pursue a higher education, but that reason is not for the general education you receive. Kingwell develops this by stating to “Call this familiar mixture of doom and market optimism the standard position” (239). This means that the standard position of higher education is ultimately measured by its usefulness than the actual education. Kingwell highlights that the standard option then adds the soft option: get a degree because the “knowledge economy” will otherwise crush you, and national presidents as well as university presidents favor this soft option. The intended audience for this informative essay is newly college students who may be thinking twice about their education, and people who may be concerned about education generally versus how it prepares the students for the workforce.

            Education can be a difficult topic to discuss. I agree with Kingwell. Education at a national level should be assured that it is worth it. You want to make sure the American people are getting their money’s worth.

             

          Kingwell appeals to logos and ethos when connecting to his audience using logical and ethical standpoints. This essay is strengthened just by using these appeals. He begins to state and breakdown the word “use.” He continues to state that “Something is useful when it has instrumental value” (241), philosophically comparing how useful can higher education can be.

"Is College Worth It?" by Adam

In the article, “Is College Worth It?" written by Michelle Adam, Adam argues based on a study reported that a majority of Americans (57%) say that the higher education system in the U.S. fails to provide students with good value for the money (Adam 231). Adam supports this claim by giving numerous examples supported by the Pew Research Center, including telephone and online surveys. Adam further highlights that both surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center not only revealed that the majority of the public felt they were not getting a good value, but also disclosed a long-held belief about the importance of higher education also remained true. The intended audience for this article would be college students worldwide who may also hold the same perceptions on the value of college. 
In my own perception, this article is valid in many cases; mainly because I too am a college student. College is very expensive and it will make you question if it is really worth it. 
Adam’s arguments are strongly supported by her surplus use of statistics. With such numbers, Adam’s main reason for asking “Is College Worth It?” is the financial basis. She states this with textual support saying that “While the number of students attending college steadily rises in the U.S., the majority does not attend four-year colleges and the primary reason is financial" (Adam 232). Adam concludes that college is worth it, but this report reveals an urgent need for our nation to address the high cost and practical value of a college education that still remains out of reach for most Americans. 

Adam, Michelle. "Is College Worth It." Connection. Ed. Mary R. Lamb. N.p.: n.p., 2013. N. pag. 
      Print.

"Is College Really Worth It?" by Melville

      Yolanda Melville, in her informative article “Is College Really Worth It,” explains that college students are graduating and obtaining jobs, but many argue they are not making enough money after they graduate to pay off their student loans and debts (Melville 235). She shows this by using bullet points from President Obama’s plan and gives recommendations on what to consider as you make your educational investment (Melville 235). Melville wrote this article in order to show students that understanding college is an investment is key (Melville 237). The author speaks to all students, especially those currently in college or those considering college in their future. 

After reading Melville’s article, I am not in agreement with her. My reason being that even though college is a great experience where you can meet new friends and just enjoy life for a few years before being forced out into the "real world," that's not what it's all about. What it all boils down to is money. How much is my education going to cost? How much can I make when I get out? If I'm not making enough money to live off of and to pay for my college education then I'm not doing well. The majority of college students leave school with a staggering amount of debt that will take the majority of their lives to pay off. Having fun and enjoying your four years does not outweigh a mountain of student loan debt.

Yolanda Melville’s article is strengthened by the information she presents from President Obama’s plan. His plan is to include larger grants, investments in community colleges, increased support for minority serving institutions, and expanded income-based repayment plans to make college more affordable. This strengthens her article because it shows it could make college worth it in the long run, but, until then, we have to face reality and not make decisions that will take our entire life to pay off. 

Melville, Yolanda. "Is College Really Worth It?" Connections. Ed. Mary R. Lamb. N.p.: n.p., 2013. 

       N. pag. Print.

“Mirror, Mirror on my Facebook Wall: Effects of Exposure to Facebook on Self-Esteem" by Gonzales & Hancock

        In the informative article, “Mirror, Mirror on my Facebook Wall: Effects of Exposure to Facebook on Self-Esteem” (2013), written by Amy L. Gonzales and Jeffrey T. Hancock, the authors claim that Facebook lowers the self-esteem of the users of the site (Gonzales, Hancock 202). Gonzales and Hancock exploit this information in the results found in their experimental research. The authors explain the effects the social media site has on self esteem in order to make everyone aware of the extremity of the situation and how media may alter social processes. The intended audience of this article is people who may not be aware of the drastic effects to self-esteem Facebook has on themselves and the world around them. 

After reading this article, I am in agreement with part of it, but I also slightly disagree. I believe that Facebook, along with other social media sites, tend to lower the self-esteem of the majority of its users due to the rude comments, negative feedback, and snide remarks made by others on the site. But, in contrast, the other people on the site, people who are your family and true friends could boost your self-esteem easily by a polite comment or compliment such as on a photograph or self update status.

Gonzales and Hancock’s argument is weakened because the long-term effects of using Facebook cannot be determined from a single study taking place in such a short amount of time with 63 students. They do not draw a strong conclusion with such an overgeneralization of the effects on self-esteem of Facebook in their one experiment. 

Gonzales, Amy L., and Jeffrey T. Hancock. "“Mirror, Mirror on My Facebook Wall: Effects of Exposure to Facebook on Self-Esteem"" Connections. Ed. Mary R. Lamb. N.p.: n.p., 2013. N. pag. Print.

"Curiouser and Curiouser" by Scruton

        Roger Scruton’s nonfictional essay “Curiouser and Curiouser” (Nov 2011) defines the roles technological gadgets and social media have taken on in our lives. Using logical arguments and realistic examples, he supports his claims that such things have become our masters.  Scruton clearly wants his audience to think and reconsider the way devices are used in everyday applications in order to lessen dependency on them. Because the average person uses technology and Internet, his audience is broad and general. 

Scruton’s views on our technological phase almost completely mirror mine. Those who exist through a screen in the name of communicating have become slaves to their devices. Most of the time, those afflicted most deeply with Insta-everything don’t even see how it’s an issue. While it’s true, that there is convience in the portability of tablets and smartphones, it’s simply unhealthy to be so dependent on a piece of hardware no more than a few inches wide. It’s changed how we think, and the author outlines this idea in his essay.  The vapid have long existed, but their numbers grow when we can put whatever we want out into the world with the tap or swipe of a finger. 

Scruton makes many observations, and sometimes turns these into generalizations. In the phrase “. . .and young people are now governed by the gadgets in their hands” (Scruton 228) Scruton assumes that young people alone are the utilizers of new devices. Again he makes this idea clear when he comments that “Intimacy and privacy are dreams of the oldies. . .” (Scruton 228). However, throughout the piece he does a good job of keeping the generalizations to a minimum and keeping the extreme, extreme. 

    Scruton, Roger. "Curiouser and Curiouser." Connections. Ed. Mary R. Lamb. N.p.: n.p., 2013. N. pag. Print.

"How Stupid is Google Making Us?" by Badke

William Badke, in his informative article “How Stupid is Google Making Us?” explains that technology causes our generation to be negligent to information around us. He shows this by stating that since there is no challenge to find information on the internet, we choose what is easily accessible (Badke 222). The author emphasizes the impact of technology in order to make readers realize the role that technology plays in their lives. The intended audience for this article is people who overuse search engines instead of looking up information in books. 

After reading this article, I am in agreement with the author. I believe that information is too easily accessible and causes us to be lazy and incompetent instead of working for information. I also agree that their devices, instead of what is truly important in their lives, often control people.

        William Badke’s argument is strengthened by the examples found within his article. He bases his argument on the research discovered in the iBrain study that measured brain function during sessions on the Internet. From the study, Badke found that by using the Internet, we have no need to store information in our long-term memory; most information is temporary (Scientific American Mind, October/November 2008, www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=your=ibrain; excerpted from iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind, William Morrow, 2008). He proposes that students should be presented with research as a problem-solving task, work slowly and soak in all of the information presented to them, and read physical books when they have the opportunity (Badke 227).


          Badke, William. "How Stupid Is Google Making Us." Connections. Ed. Mary R. Lamb. N.p.: n.p., 2013. N. pag. Print.
Scientific American Mind, October/November 2008, www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=your=ibrain; excerpted from iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind, William Morrow, 2008.