PB3A Effects of Social Media on Adolescent Minds

Effects of Social Media on Adolescents (Sports Article/Blog)

Why Social Media Rules the World. Literally.

I think it’s pretty obvious that social media has become a huge part of the modern era. Smartphones, tablets, and laptops have literally taken over the world. Everywhere you look, someone’s checking their Facebook or Twitter every 3 seconds. I still remember the days when people used to send letters to each other. Do people still do that? What happened to the typewriter? Oh yeah, desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets replaced it. Anyways, in the modern era, people, whether it be adults, teenagers, or even kids, use their phones for almost everything, specifically social media. Social media, in the modern day, is similar to a double edged sword, it has its beneficial to the user and it can be deadly to the user likewise. Nowadays, due to the influx of smart phones, social media is more harmful than helpful. Social media not only poses gargantuan problems for kids, but it also poses huge problems for parents as they struggle to monitor and understand what their kids are looking at.

Ironically, I’m writing this blog with my phone sitting in front of me and I’ll probably check Facebook and Instagram 12 times before I finish this. The fact is, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics, “Seventy-five percent of teenagers now own cell phones, and 25% use them for social media, 54% use them for texting, and 24% use them for instant messaging.” That’s absolutely ridiculous; every 3 out of 4 people has a cell phone and a little less than 1 out of those 3 uses it for social media. Social media was probably initially created with the intention of connecting friends who don’t have the ability to physically meet. Take for instance arranging school projects or classmates helping each other with math homework. Social media provides an efficient method for large numbers of students to communicate. However, the reality is that social media is being exploited and taken advantage of. A prime example of this is cyber bullying. People take to the internet to send harassing and detestable messages to other individuals. Is there a direct way for the social media site to deal with these issues? Well spreading the word about cyberbullying helps, but they have no direct way of dealing with it! Now the why is that? If social media sites were to monitor private conversations, that would be a breach of privacy and considered illegal. There is absolutely no way that social media is a benefit to individuals anywhere since the pros are far outweighed by the cons.

How Social Media Affects Adolescents: 6 Tips (Reader’s Digest)

                Social media is now a monumental part of today’s society. A large majority of people have some sort of smart device: smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.. This statistic doesn’t just apply to the men and women in the world, but, now, it even applies to children and adolescents. The question is, does social media provide a beneficial effect to these young minds? In order to answer this question, we’ve compiled 6 expert tips/statistics provided to us by researchers in order to give readers a more in depth look at the effects of social media.

Pros:

1.       Increasing Social Interactions: Studies have shown that social media helps people increase social skills. This applies in organization of community events and charities, promoting creativity and artistry, and expanding ideas and connections.

2.       Enhancing Educational Opportunities: Students all over the world are utilizing social media sites, like Facebook, to communicate with classmates in regard to educational purposes. This may be projects, homework, or simple questions they may have. According to American Academy of Pediatrics, “Some schools successfully use blogs as teaching tools, which has the benefit of reinforcing skills in English, written expression and creativity. (AAP2)”

3.       Searching for Health Information:  Adolescents, especially those going through puberty, often times have many questions as they go through their maturation. Having online access allows them to easily and anonymously address their concerns.

Cons:

4.       Cyberbullying: Cyberbullying is defined as “deliberately using digital media to communicate false, embarrassing, or hostile information about another person.(AAP2)” Social media’s original intent is often taken advantage of. Cyberbullying is a prime example of this exploitation. Social media cyberbullying is often just as impactful as physical bullying and can often lead to depression, anxiety, severe isolation and suicide.

5.      Facebook Depression: Similar to how drug addicts depend on drugs to stay sane, excessive use of Facebook can also lead to depression. This can happen when users suddenly are prevented from using Facebook for a long period of time. This can also come about when the user, typically an adolescent, is rejected or excluded by friends on the site. Acceptance is important as an adolescent, especially as many kids begin to find themselves and want to associate themselves with a specific group of people. Rejection from a certain group can lead to extreme isolation and severe depression.

6.       Advertisements: Sites like Facebook and Pinterest display a large group of advertising. This is due to the popularity of the sites and other companies and organizations wanting to display their products and services on these sites. This, however, indirectly affects the children and adolescents who utilize the website. Although many adults don’t feel the influence of these advertisements, they have profound effects on children and adolescents. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “It is important to educate parents, children, and adolescents about this practice so that children can develop into media-literate consumers and understand how advertisements can easily manipulate them. (AAP3)”

PB2B Comparing 2 Reader Articles

PB2B “Moves”

                The word “move” is defined as a verb that means “to take action or make somebody act.”  “Hurry up, we have to move or else we’ll be spotted.” However, the word, in the modern era, has a different connotative meaning than its denotative meaning.  “Three seconds left on the clock, the ball gets into Bryant’s hands. He takes 2 dribbles to the left, he pulls up and he scores! What a move by Bryant to win the game!” Taken into context, a “move” is a certain action or convention that is repeated in a fashion that almost defines a person or a thing. Although moves can apply to a wide range of sports, jukes in football, crossovers in basketball, etc., moves also have a very special place in writing. A particular move in writing could define an author and his/her style. There is a large assortment of “moves” sitting inside the reader used for class in particular, Murder! (Rhetorically Speaking) and  Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps Toward Rhetorical Analysis. Both Boyd and Carol utilize their own unique, techniques in order to convince the readers to listen to what they have to say.

                Janet Boyd, who created the work Murder! (Rhetorically Speaking), begins her paper by talking about her own experience with rhetoric. “The college where I first started teaching writing called its freshman composition course ‘Logic and Rhetoric’ after two of the three arts of discourse in the classical tradition (the third being grammar). (Boyd 36)” The very first sentence of her work establishes her connection with the readers as she knows that many college students, who are studying rhetorical writing, will read her work. This situation allows her to set up her credibility by letting student readers know that she has taught students exactly like them. The first section of her work is an anecdote that depicts her first experience teaching the complex subject of rhetoric. This technique could be classified as a move, as most writers don’t typically start informative essays with anecdotes. The use of an anecdote in the introduction sets up the rest of her piece to be casual, yet informational as well. For example, each of the subtitles of her work combines humor and summary. One of her first subtitles, “Getting in Touch with Your Inner Detective” provides a detailed outline of how a writer should go about analyzing works. Within this work, she utilizes CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and The First 48 as examples of works in which rhetorical devices reside in.  Overall, the very first sentence in the first paragraph of Boyd’s work provides an effective way for her to both establish the overall tone of her work and create her literary “move.”

                Laura Bolin Carroll, the author of the piece Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps toward Rhetorical Analysis, writes her piece with a similar structure to that of Boyd, but utilizes her own “move” in order to make this writing her own. Her opening paragraph talks about first impressions and how many students, without knowing it, judge the professor as he/she walks into class for the first time based on what he/she looks like. “The moment your professor walked in the room, you likely began analyzing her and making assumptions about what kind of teacher she will be. (Carroll 52)” Carroll presents this idea of “snap judgment (Carroll 53)” in order to transition into the idea of being able to analyze materials and people in a more efficient manner. “The more we know about how to analyze situations and draw informed conclusions, the better we can become about making savvy judgments about the people, situations and media we encounter. (Carrolls 53)” This smooth shift from anecdotal thoughts to rhetorical allows her to also establish her credibility and logic with the readers, especially students. By providing the example of first impressions, many students, who don’t initially think about how they judge others, find that what she said is, indeed, true, thus providing evidence for her logic. This logic ultimately creates the foundation for her credibility. By calling upon a particular thought that many students have, Carroll has created her “move.” Unlike Boyd’s piece, Carroll’s piece isn’t as casual or conversational. Her piece is more directed as a breakdown of rhetorical writing. She tends to reference many educational and informative sources particularly the Ad Council Website. The use of the first impressions example at the very beginning of the piece was intended to hook the readers while presenting a very informational piece. Her move, unlike that of Boyd, didn’t set the tone or style of the paper, but was solely used to grab the reader’s attention.

                “Moves” are found in almost every genre of any field. Sports, advertisements, science, etc., but moves are found particularly in writing. Moves are connotatively defined as a repetition of a certain set of skills. In basketball it could be a pull up jump shot, but in writing it could be the use of “I” or a conversational tone between the writer and the readers. These moves ultimately not only define the style or purpose in which the writer is trying to convey to the readers, but also provide a logical/credible reason for the readers to believe the writer. 

PB2A Comparing Academic Publications

                Research and science are two subjects that are almost always associated together. Whether it be research into stem cells, cancer or diabetes, people often hear about research in terms of scientific activity. What most people assume is that conducting research is the only and most important aspect. How do people understand other people’s research? The answer is simple; writing. Science has progressed due to the spread of information from one researcher to the next. By having the ability to study other people’s research, other scientists can conduct experiments in different fashions in order to yield better results. Although most of these papers are intended to be informative, they all contain traces of rhetorical devices. In fact, almost every piece of writing and literature contains a wide assortment of rhetorical devices and literary techniques. For example, the SCIgen generator creates a computer science oriented research paper that is similar to the scientific paper. The two, however, utilize a diverse set of rhetorical and literary techniques in order to appeal to the particular audience that is viewing the work.

                 Technically the SCIgen paper and the scientific article are both considered research papers, in that they both describe the experiments conducted in order to yield certain results. However, what separates the two is that each paper covers unrelated fields or genres. This ultimately means that they both contain conventions that are unique solely to their own genre. The scientific paper, “Proliferation and Differentiation of Progenitor Cells in the Cortex and the Subventricular Zone in the Adult Rat after Focal Cerebral Ischemia,” is a neuroscience paper that talks about the development of cerebral cortex cells in rats after an ischemia. The SCIgen compiles a variety of research papers that talk about various aspects of the field of computer science. The two papers do, however, share a couple of features. These shared features allow people to classify both papers as research papers that simply focus on different fields of studies. For example, both papers include abstracts which provide an introduction /context to the topic of the paper. This helps readers understand the general outline of the work and classifies the work as an informative piece. The two papers are also structurally similar. They both begin with a title, which serves as a summary of the entire work, authors, sections, and subsections. The title serves as a “hook” that appeals to a specific group of readers and establishes the writers ethos from the get go. Logos is established through organization, images, and references. By keeping the paper structurally sectioned and organized, the writers can provide evidence and support per section thus providing a logical explanation for his/her arguments.  Incorporating images and graphs provides physical and statistical evidence for the writer’s arguments while quoting and citing other sources further fortifies the writer’s points. The arrangement of structure, graphics, and references not only allow the writers to provide a persuasive yet informative argument for the readers to gauge, but also create a credible situation in which the readers can come back for future publications.

                Although both papers are structurally similar, the content in which they are written in are two completely, unrelated topics. The SCIgen paper includes the data collected throughout the experiment and eventually denotes the results of the experiment, whereas the scientific paper includes the various steps of the experiment and the analysis of the results. This includes a background on the progenitor cells and how they’ve been affected by certain transcription factors, the experimental procedures which include preparation, introduction of the specific transgenic mice, immunohistochemistry, the analysis of the results, and cross section/time lapse images of the cerebral cortex throughout the experiment. As mentioned before, scientific papers specify every minute detail in order to allow other scientists recreate or modify certain parts of the experiments to tailor to what they are studying. Therefore, by including a detailed list and analysis of all of the procedures that were involved in the study, the readers are more likely to trust the writer when it comes to future publications. Within the procedures of the experiments are specific words and abbreviations that are specifically tailored to readers who work in the neuroscience field. For example, the abbreviation SVZ stands for subventricular zone, a region of the cerebral cortex that develops progenitor cells. OB stands for olfactory bulb which is connected to scent and smell. Both of these abbreviations aren’t explicitly stated in the work and they assume that the readers have a general understanding of the work that the writers are conducting. These differences don’t define the type of paper these two works are, but rather they define the fields in which the two are situated in.

                Research has been an integral part of science, but it isn’t the only thing. Scientific journals and articles that have been published have become a useful form of documentation for many researchers. By documenting both the findings of a particular experiment and the manner and steps that were required to get there, future researchers have the necessary information to take the discoveries from the past and modify them for the future. However, what makes each paper useful isn’t so much the information, but rather how the researchers phrase the information. This way readers not only have the ability to grasp the information, but the writers are also able to establish their credibility with the readers, ultimately ending up with others citing their work for years to come. 

PB1B Describing Genre Generators

               Each and every genre is considered its own category simply because of the unique characteristics or conventions that compose the piece. Conventions are the basic pieces that a particular genre consists of. For example, in the SCIgen generator, the system generates a random research paper based on Computer Science. Even though the paper wasn’t actually written by actual people, the essay does in fact contain conventions created by people such as a title and subtitles. If not for these conventions, what would prevent the generator from generating other genres? The SCIgen would no longer generate research papers if it included comics from the comic generator. The meme generator would no longer be funny if it included an essay talking about the Deployment of Checksums. What separates each genre into its own category is the conventions under which it follows.

                The SCIgen generator is a generator specifically tailored to generate research papers for the users. However, what separates these research papers from the meme and the comic strip generator? Unlike those two, the SCIgen generator generates a paper that contains words rather than pictures. The paper has a specific title that provides the topic of the paper. The paper first provides a quick abstract introduction to the paper and then provides the table of contents. Simply observing the paper shows that the piece is split into chapters based on topics and these chapters are split into subsections, making the work more organized for the reader. In addition to the structure, the paper provides a variety of diagrams and graphs in order to bolster and support the writer’s topics. Finally at the end, the writer cites his/her sources to not only acknowledge his references, but it also evidently depicts the fact that this piece was written based on a collective assortment of information. The combination of the structure, diagrams, and references help to also build the writer’s ethos and logos. By having an organized work, the readers have an easier time reading and understanding the entire idea, thus helping to establish ethos. Including diagrams and references helps to show the reader that the writer cited sources and used a wide range of data to back up his/her statement, helping to establish logos. The combination of the two makes for an effective, convincing essay.

                Completely different from the SCIgen generator, the meme generator and the comic strip generator have completely different conventions. One of the first things that appears on the meme generator website is a list of different advertisements; Fantasy Games, AT&T, etc. The same goes for the comic strip generator where the advertisement is listed above and below the comic generator. Another characteristic of the two websites is the link to social media. The use of social media is the main way for the websites’ popularity to spread. However, one of the main differences between the two websites is the structures. The comic strip is very simple showing only the comic generated, social media links, a donate button, and other comic templates. This simplicity helps to keep the viewers concentrated on generating and reading the comic strips. These comics are obviously intended to be read by teens or young adults as some of the comics aren’t appropriate for younger audiences. However, the main idea of the comic is to cause the reader to chuckle or laugh. The brevity of the comic is intended to keep the viewers wanting to see more.

Unlike the comic strip, the meme generator is structured a little differently. The meme generator website has different subsections for viewers to click on. The front page contains “hot images” or some of the most popular images on the website. By doing so, viewers have easy access to some of the most popular and “funny” memes. By making the viewers laugh, the website establishes an emotional connection, or pathos, with the viewers. This strategy to attract viewers once they see the popular memes is an effective way of hooking viewers onto the website. In addition to the “hot images,” the top bar of the site contains links to creating memes, logging into the website, viewing the blog, and search bar. This keeps the website organized making it easier for the viewers to access. Many people don’t actually consider how important the site’s structure plays in persuading their interest in the website. No reasonable person would want to look at a website with the sign up information, memes, and blog post mashed together. This logic plays a huge role in convincing the viewers to come back to look at funny memes while having an easy time navigating the website.

                Each of these three websites has its own unique set of conventions solely for defining what the website is used for. The specific conventions of each website, like the references from SCIgen, are tailored to define the website. There aren’t memes on the SCIgen website or comic strips on the meme generator because then the SCIgen would no longer be classified as a research paper generator and the meme generator would no longer be a meme generator. The addition of the various conventions within the specific generators truly defines the genre. By being able to understand all the little parts of the website, people are able to literally piece together the genre, almost like a puzzle. 

PB1 Defining Sports Broadcasting

PB1 Defining Sports Broadcasting

“Booyah.” This word and many other energizing phrases often accompany the many fans who sit in front of the television every Sunday morning. These fans gaze upon the near impossible catch made by a rookie wide receiver from LSU or the miraculous hook shot made by a 6’9 point guard from Michigan State. However, these incredible feats wouldn’t be as impressive if not for how sports broadcasting and reporting has changed over the past 20 years. One of the revolutionary leaders of sports broadcasting ‘s transformation happened to be the recent Stuart Scott, who recently passed away from cancer. His attitude about sports transformed what it originally was into what it is today; flair, personality and entertainment. Sports reporting has transcended the average news report and has evolved into something that allows viewers and readers to connect personally to the reporters or writers. However, in order to do so, these broadcasters and writers have to use a wide range of rhetorical techniques throughout their works in order to appeal to a variety of fans.

                Sports broadcasting, today, has become all about personality and style. However, what actually leads to a personality or a style? Scott certainly defined his style with phrases like “Booyah” and “Cooler than the other side of the pillow.” Many upcoming and current sportscasters established their own catch phrases as well. Mark Jackson, former NBA point guard and current ESPN NBA broadcaster, often accompanies amazing feats of athleticism with the phrase “Mama, there goes that man.” These phrases add a certain relaxed and humorous style to somewhat intense games. Same goes for sports articles where writers also add their own flair to their articles. Stephen A. Smith, an ESPN broadcaster/writer, brings his personality from the TV screen to his computer screen as he talks about issues involved in the sports realm. Often considered as a brutally honest analyst who is criticized for his views on certain issues, Smith’s personality plays a huge part both on the TV screen and on the computer screen. After reading his article about Phil Jackson coming to the New York Knicks to become their president, readers can see his sassy attitude come around full swing. At one point he says “If you closed your eyes, prayed, then blinked, you wouldn’t believe these are the same Knicks we’ve been suffering with for decades.” Not only does he address the readers directly, which establishes his ethos and makes it seem like he’s as comfortable with the readers as he is with his friends, but he also goes on to admit that the fans had to “suffer” through the Knicks the last couple of years. Personalities and styles like Scott, Jackson, and Smith are what truly define the world of sports. Had these personalities been absent, then sports news would lose its individuality and simply be like listening to the 12 o’ clock news, simply informative and on the borderline of boring.

Another rhetorical device that accompanies articles is the manner in which articles are titled and written. In today’s world, people often take titles for granted as they simply give the article a name. Take for example the title, “Please God, give us Wayne.” Not only does this title raise the question “Why do people want Wayne,” but it also adds a touch of humor to the article as many people know that simply praying to God for something to happen won’t actually make it happen. Another example is “Wade’s 41 pushes Heat past Pacers.” Readers know that Dwyane Wade didn’t literally use 41 to push his entire team past another team, but this title does give Wade a somewhat of a superhuman demeanor as his 41 points helped his team beat another team. These particular sports articles are highlighted by 2 things, simplicity and powerful verbs. A simple title, like “Please God, give us Wayne,” allows ordinary people to have a chance at reading about the latest trades in the NFL or the most controversial issues in the NBA. Powerful verbs, like push, help create vivid images. Accompanying these vivid images with a dynamic headline leads to an exciting narrative that fans can enjoy reading.

                The world of sports would not be the same if not for sports broadcasting. Modern sports broadcasting now emphasizes reporters’ and writers’ styles and personalities. Rather than speaking or writing about news just to inform the audience, sports broadcasting provides an entertaining way of informing the audience, in which honest and controversial opinions are expected. In addition to the personalities, the use of various rhetorical devices in the article title and the article itself defines how sports writing captivates its audience countless times. Overall, however, sports always boils down to having a personal style. Stuart Scott paved the road for others like Mark Jackson and Stephen A. Smith to create and display their own kind of flair on their broadcasting session. If not for these eccentric broadcasters and writers, every pregame show and postgame show would end up like the 12 o’ clock news; boring and “Booyah”less. 

All about me!

Hi everybody,

My name is Andrew Zhang. I’m from Diamond Bar, California. I’m a first year Statistical Science major, but I have dreams of one day attending medical school. As a requirement for medical school, I’m required to work in laboratories. This past summer I worked in the Neuroscience department at City of Hope for about 4 months. Interestingly, you could say that science runs through my blood since both my parents are also scientists. My dad is a staff scientist who specializes in research into various effects of cancerous genes and my mom is a research associate who specializes in dealing with various types of stem cells. However, beside my enjoyment of science, I also enjoy basketball. I played JV and frosh basketball my freshmen and sophomore year. Unfortunately, I broke my kneecap and had surgery which ultimately ended by playing career. As far as professional basketball teams go, I’m a die hard Lakers fan and no matter how bad they end up, I’m sticking by them until they either move cities or I die. One thing that most people don’t know about me is that I play the viola, which is also known as a bigger violin. People often ask what a viola is and typically I like to tell them that if a violin and a cello had a baby, it would be the viola. My high school was named the National Grammy School, meaning that it was recognized as the best high school music school in the country. I also had the opportunity to play in 2 other prestigious orchestras, one known as the Claremont’s Young Musician’s Orchestra and the CODA All State Honor Orchestra. In addition, music has taken me to so many incredible places; San Fransisco (4x), Boston and New York. I hope you all learned a lot about me and I look forward to learning about you all!