Negative Impact Of Texting On Teenagers English Language Essay

Negative Impact Of Texting On Teenagers English Language Essay Texting is a very fast form of communicating with others. It consists of brief messages often typed in abbreviations known as text speak. Though it delivers thoughts with lightning speed, those who believe it is as, if not more effective than face to face conversations have their heads in the sand. Whether you are meeting someone for the first time or conversing with an old friend, face to face interactions have superior quality. Facial expressions can be seen, voice inflections heard and body language interpreted. Valuable verbal and nonverbal information essential to human interactions is lost in text messaging. In person conversations are self regulating while the silent nature of text messaging is not. Many young people text constantly no matter where they are or who they are with; hence, they are in a perpetual state of distraction and are unable to maintain focus beyond the next text. There is more to communication than sending and receiving bits of abbreviated text. Conveying emotions and feelings along with conversation adds depth and aids in interpreting meaning beyond words on a screen. Further, face to face communication allows for body language and facial expressions to enliven and enrich conversations and one another. Texting relies on emoticons (little faces that show happy, sad etc) which are a sorry replacement for human gestures and emotion. The purpose of interpersonal communication is to encourage the listener to fully grasp the thoughts and ideas the communicator wishes to convey. Though texting enhances access to others, it limits the ability to personally connect with others and bond. The more people choose texting to connect with others over interpersonal communication the further apart they become. In face to face communication people do not rely solely on words to understand what is being said. Intrapersonal communication is 7% spoken words, 38% tone of voice and 55% non verbal. This means that 93% of communication is determined by nonverbal cues; therefore, if text messaging is the chosen means of communication 93% of the intended message is lost. (http://www.dest.gov.au/nwt/hospitality/comm_non.htm, Non Verbal Communication (body language). There are six types of nonverbal communication: facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, posture and body orientation, proximity and paralinguistics . Facial expressions confirm how information is being received and delivered. Smiling for example is an expression that is welcoming while scowling is the opposite. Eye contact is extremely important in that consistent (not starring or ogling) eye contact during a conversation makes the listener feel relevant, and heard. Gesturing can insert warmth, connectedness, and personality into one on one or group communications. Posture and body orientation (how you stand, walk and sit), sends a multitude of messages. A person who is shy or nervous may convey it by slouching or turning slightly away; contrarily, a confident, relaxed individual will exhibit a relaxed posture and face their conversation partner or group. Proximity is the distance an individual places between themselves and the person they are conversing with. If too much distance is placed between individuals it signals that one or both is uncomfortable with the conversation. It can also become uncomfortable if someone (particularly if they are not a friend) stands too close or touches too often. How your voice sounds is paralinguistics. Tone, inflection, pitch, volume and rhythm give richness and depth to a conversation. Paralinguistics can also reveal when there is a hidden or different meaning than the stated words suggest (http://www.focused-momentum-lifecoach.com/types-of-nonverbal-communication.html, The Six types of Nonverbal Communication). Computers and text messaging sources were originally created for data, not for the intricacies of human interactions. Yet, over seventy five billion text messages are exchanged each month in the United States. The majority of the texters are between the ages of thirteen and seventeen and each average two thousand, two hundred seventy-two texts a month. An extreme example was reported by Greg Hardesty, a reporter who wrote a story about his thirteen year old daughter racking up 14,528 texts in one month. After the story appeared in the Orange County Register, his daughters volume rose to 24,000 messages. Her parents took no action until after her grades fell precipitously. Thankfully, they took her phone away. (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/health/26teen.html, The New York Times, by Katie Hafner, May25,2009). David E. Meyer, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan said that texting is a huge cultural phenomenon with huge down-the-road consequences (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2008774199_texting23.html, O.M.G.! Teens lives being taken over by texting, By Donna George, The Washington Post, February 23, 2009). Some educators believe those consequences are currently surfacing in the classroom. They are seeing declines in word choices, spelling, the complexities of writing and an inability to stay focused. Further, educators are seeing text speak (LOL-laugh out loud, THX- thanks, L8R-later) and emoticons show up in assigned papers as well as a growing absence of punctuation (http://www.wsbt.com/news/national/40499712.html, Constantly Texting Teens Worry Parents, Experts, March1, 2009, Rockville Md. (AP). Many educators (and parents) are concerned about teens seeming inability to stay focused and tuned in to the world around them. Their attention is constantly divided between where they are at and what they are supposed to be doing and the next text message. It takes self-discipline to pay attention and learn and self discipline is not a character avid texters display. Texting distracts from the here and now of daily activities and interactions with others. A person is often exchanging texts with four or more individuals while trying to converse with others around them. Neither the in person or texting group has the full attention of the texter. The focus of the texters attention is constantly being pulled in several directions so no one benefits from the exchange. The same holds true in the classroom. To master the knowledge being presented, the full attention of the learner is required; therefore, a student who spends class time sending and receiving texts cannot be receiving the information required for learning. In the long run, it is the texter who loses from this addictive and rude behavior. Relationships both inside and outside the family deteriorate as does the quality and quantity of their education. Texting is undermining communication skills and therefore, human interactions. Texting is producing a generation that is self absorbed, distracted, unable to communicate in the here and now effectively and have no sense of propriety. Communication that is void of nonverbal cues and tones, laced with abbreviated speech which lacks grammar and punctuation and consumes ones time from dawn to dusk, clearly is destined to severely negatively impact the future of intrapersonal communication and interactions. Texting is inferior to communicating face to face and enjoying the richness and depth that language (verbal and nonverbal) provides.

Lifespan Development Essay

Lifespan development, also known as human development, is a field of study that is devoted to understanding constancy and change throughout a person’s lifespan (Berk, 2010). Lifespan development begins with infancy and looks at several points in a person’s life in which significant change takes place. The study of children did not begin until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (Berk, 2010). Throughout the years, there was much speculation about how people grow and change and when combined with research, theories of development surfaced. These theories were vital and provided organized frameworks for observations of people and they are verified by research and provide a basis for practical action (Berk, 2010). Many theories developed to study the development of infants and children through out life and these theories continue to have an impact on society and research today. There are many notable development researchers and schools of thought such as Locke, Rousseau, Arnold Gesell, Ivan Pavlov, Lawrence Kohlberg, Social Learning Theory, Stages of Moral Development, and Ethiological Theories just to name a few (Crain, 2005). There are some researchers and schools of thought who still have an impact today such as Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution, Jean Piaget and his Cognitive-Developmental theory, and the Psychoanalytic theory first developed by Sigmund Freud. Charles Darwin is significant to developmental studies today because it was he who paved the way, or opened the door for the many schools of thought that followed. Darwin is known as the forefather of scientific child study (Berk, 2010). Darwin was a naturalist who observed the variation among plant and animal species but along with that, he also noticed that within a specific species, no two individuals were alike (Berk, 2010). Darwin developed his theory which emphasized the principles of natural selection and survival of the fittest. Darwin’s theory stated that certain species survive in particular environments because they have characteristics that fit with or are adapted to their surroundings (Berk, 2010). Those within the species that best meet the survival requirements live long enough to reproduce and keep the species going (Berk, 2010). Darwin, in his travels and research, noticed some similarities in prenatal growth among species. Darwin noted that the embryos of most species are highly similar in their early forms revealing their descent from a common ancestor (Crain, 2005). Today, in the broad scheme of things, Darwin’s theory is correct in that there is variation within species and only some survive long enough to reproduce and pass along traits. What Darwin did not understand was the mechanisms underlying the transmission of traits (Crain, 2005). Because of this, Darwin is considered the starting point for the vast amount of research done on lifespan development. Another important aspect of the study of lifespan development is the Cognitive-Developmental theory of Jean Piaget. Piaget’s theory stated that children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world (Berk, 2010). Piaget did not believe that a child’s learning depended on reinforcers as the behaviorists believed. Piaget developed stages and he realized that children pass through his stages at different rates and did not pay specific attention to the ages at the various stages but noted that they all pass through the stages in the same order (Crain, 2005). Piaget’s theory consisted of four periods: Sensorimotor Intelligence (birth to 2 years), Preoperational Thought (2 to 7), Concrete Operations (7 to 11), and Formal Operations (11 to adulthood) (Berk, 2010; Crain, 2005). Piaget was able to convince people that children are active learners whose minds consist of rich structures of knowledge (Berk, 2010). Piaget’s research influenced much of the research today that focuses on children’s concept of self, other people, and human relationships. Many educational philosophies and programs that place emphasis on discovery learning and direct contact were encouraged by Piaget’s theory (Berk, 2010; Crain, 2005). Piaget’s theory did not come without criticism and challenges. Some researchers believe that Piaget actually underestimated the competencies of children. This called for much research to be conducted to challenge and refute Piaget’s theory and also to find ways to expound upon and improve his theory. The most influential school of thought is that of the Psychoanalytic perspective developed by Sigmund Freud. This perspective states that people move through a series of stages in which they confront conflicts between biological drives and social expectations. (Berk, 2010). The school of thought basically focused on the fact that psychological change is governed by inner forces such as feelings, impulses, and fantasies (Crain, 2005). Freud had all of his patients use free association in their sessions allowing them to talk freely about the painful events of their childhood (Berk, 2010). Freud developed the psychosexual theory based on theiry unconscious thoughts. This theory states that how parents manage their child’s sexual and aggressive drives in the first few years is crucial for healthy personality development (Berk, 2010). Freud’s theory was considered the first to place importance on the influence of the early parent-child relationship and its involvement in development (Berk, 2010). Freud’s theory received much criticism because he did not study children directly and was heavy on the sexual influences in development (Crain, 2005). The controversy surrounding this particular school of thought, prompted much research making it one of, if not the influential theories in development. Research on the many aspects of emotional and social development which includes infant-caregiver attachment, aggression, sibling relationships, child-rearing practices, morality, gender roles, and adolescent identity grew from the theory of Freud (Berk, 2010). There are many different ways in which development is researched. One way is systematic observation. There are different ways in which observations of children and adults can be conducted. Some researchers choose to go into the field or the natural environment and record the behavior which is known as naturalistic observation (Berk, 2010). Through naturalistic observation, researchers are able to get a first hand look at the subjects. On the other side though, some people may not display the same behavior in their everyday life. Structured observations happen when the researcher sets up a laboratory situation that evokes behavior of interest so that every participant has equal opportunity to display the response (Berk, 2010). The ways that the research is gathered varies depending on what is being researched. Systematic observations tell how people actually behave but fail to provide the reasons behind the behavior. Self-reports allow participants to provide information on their perceptions, thoughts, abilities, feelings, and other things of that nature. They are normally structured interviews, unstructured interviews, questionnaires, and tests. Clinical interviews allow for researchers to use a flexible, conversational style to probe for the participant’s point of view (Berk, 2010). Structured interviews, which includes tests and questionnaires, asks all participants the same set of questions (Berk, 2010). They are easier to score and the researchers are able to identify a behavior of interest because the participants is given alternatives in answer choices. The case study methods brings together a wide range of information on one person, including interviews, observations, and test scores (Berk, 2010). This method is generally used when one wants to study a particular group that may be small in size but varies in characteristics. This method can be viewed as bias because the information that is collected is sometimes done unsystematically and is subjective and geared toward the researchers theoretical perspective. There are other ways of studying development such as ethnography which is aimed at studying a culture as a whole or a distinct social group through participant observation. Ethics plays a major role in the study of development as well. It is important to consider things such as the rights of the participants. This includes, protection from harm, informed consent, privacy, knowledge of the result, and beneficial treatments (Berk, 2010). Informed consent is especially important because it provides safeguards for children and elderly people who are cognitively impaired or have to be cared for in settings for the chronically ill (Berk, 2010). Research generally creates ethical issues because of the search for scientific knowledge and at the same time has the opportunity to exploit people. References Berk, L.E. (2010). Development through the lifespan. (5th Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon Crain, W. (2005). Theories of development: Concepts and applications. (5th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall

Happy Family Essay

Before we talk about the requirements that make a happy family, let’s try to define what a happy family is. What makes for family happy? Is it something material like a big house or a nice car? Is it financial stability? Is it a good paying job, vacations, a cabin by the lake? I know that at least for me, a nice job, a big house, and a nice car I could drive to my cabin by the lake would definitely make my family at least a couple of notches happier. But are those the things that really make a family happy. I think about the really happy moments in my family’s history and they all come back through flashes of smiles, hugs and laughter. I may not remember what car we had then, when I was a young little woman, but I clearly remember the times my father took me fossil hunting and how happy those times were for me having special time together. So I believe there is something more profound, something deeper, something that lasts long after the shine of the new car is gone. I do not know, and I do not think it really matters which one is more important than the other, but my belief is that the main ingredients for a happy family life are: Love, honesty, and caring. I believe that every good thing comes from some combination of those three. Love is the main ingredient, the feeling that keeps the family together in spite of anything. Love lets us forgive easier and understand each other better. It makes us care for one another, worry about one another, want to do nice things for one another. Love is the one thing that keeps the family together. Love brings about empathy, compassion for the loved one, it makes his pain our pain, his sadness our sadness and the wanting of doing everything we can do to stop his and our pain. Honesty would have to be another one of these requirements for a happy family. Being honest with our partner releases us from having to keep things secret and from the constant effort of not being ourselves. Honesty brings people together because we get to know them they way they really are, we get to know their fears and their happiness. And they also get to know about us. Children learn by watching their parents.They will learn to be host by watching thei parents being honest. Our children will then feel closer to us knowing they can be honest to us as their parents. Knowing what is really in the hearts of our family gives us and understanding of one another. And this understanding brings with it, a tolerance to everybody’s quirks and peculiarities. Finally, honesty is about truth, and teaching our kids to be honest and true makes them want to teach their children and that’s a good thing to be able to say we were responsible for. And then there is caring. So much is connected to caring. We care for the things we love, and we love the things we take care of. Theres nothing like taking the new car for that first wash; looking at how the light comes through the windows, how shiny the tires look, and how much better it drives when its clean. Just the act of caring for something brings about love. By really caring about our partner’s or children’s dreams and goals, we show them we love them. Those are the three most important thing, I think, a happy family should have; love caring and honesty. We can teach our children by being honest, caring and loving with them. If we can teach our children to teach theirs about these three things, then is not too hard to see how this could really go on for ever.This makes me hopefull of a better place in the future.

Kurt Vonnegut s Personal Experiences - 1599 Words

THESIS STATEMENT Kurt Vonnegut’s personal experiences of World War II and the firebombing of Dresden were important factors in determining his writing style and the political and philosophical views that it conveyed. Throughout his works, the overarching message that Vonnegut delivers is the need for love and compassion in a world where humans are helpless against an indifferent fate. PURPOSE STATEMENT Through critical analysis, historical research, and textual evidence, a study on Kurt Vonnegut’s background will be conducted in order to display the effects that the era in which he lived had on his writing. INTRODUCTION A baby boy, named after his father, was introduced into the world on November 11, 1922; this day, better known as Armistice Day, was set aside to celebrate the peace treaty signed after World War II. The United States of America was celebrating a time of hopeful peace and prosperity. But, a world away, a young German soldier named Adolf Hitler was rising to power and gaining the support of the Bavarian Fascist Party. Ironically, this child who was born in a time of optimistic abundance would grow up amidst a horrible economic depression and would become a man as his country was preparing to enter a brutal war. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was born to his father and Edith Lieber in Indianapolis, Indiana on Armistice Day. At home, his parents struggled to pay every bill but still ensured that their children became educated. After graduating from Cornell University withShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Kurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse Five 1634 Words   |  7 PagesKurt Vonnegut once said, â€Å"So it goes† to describe the unavoidableness of fate. This aspect of seeing terrible things and being able to continue on would become a main theme in his novels. Vonnegut, as an author, received his essential voice by writing about his own experiences, using what would become his signature pessimistic yet humanist view. Vonnegut is described by Lindsay Clark as, â€Å"Worse than a pessimist†¦ he is an eternal optimist doomed to disappointment† (Clark, â€Å"Viewing Four Vonnegut NovelsRead MoreKurt Vonnegut : A Hybrid Of Science Fiction And Satire1716 Words   |  7 PagesLeanne Arata English 11 Mrs. Wheeler 5/8/2016 Kurt Vonnegut The idea of making a work that does not fit into a single category of work is how Kurt Vonnegut has become such a phenomenon. Kurt Vonnegut has a hybrid writing style which allows him to critique human nature and this is evident in his work. A hybrid writer is someone who makes something by combining two different genres to create something new. Vonnegut’s work is a hybrid of science fiction and satire. Satire is an author’s way of sayingRead MoreSlaughterhouse Five Are Obvious And Piercing As One1139 Words   |  5 PagesIt Goes Kurt Vonnegut’s anti-war novel, Slaughterhouse Five, illustrates the ghastly experiences within World War II and the journey through the universe and time of the main character, Billy Pilgrim. Although war is a sensitive subject in most cases, Vonnegut’s sarcastic, dark humor on the matter helps bring light to the fact that war is horrendous. Slaughterhouse Five demonstrates the reality of war throughout its major themes, historical accuracy, and Kurt Vonnegut’s personal experiences withinRead MoreMany Writers In History Have Written Science Fiction Novels1055 Words   |  5 Pageshave been as enduring over time as Kurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse-Five. Slaughterhouse-Five is a personal novel which draws upon Vonnegut s experience s as a scout in World War Two, his capture and becoming a prisoner of war, and his witnessing of the fire-bombing of Dresden in February of 1945 (the greatest man-caused massacre in history). The novel is about the life and times of a Wo rld War Two veteran named Billy Pilgrim. In Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut uses structure and point of viewRead MoreSlaughterhouse Five By Kurt Vonnegut1242 Words   |  5 PagesFive, a novel written by Kurt Vonnegut, depicts unchronological and sometimes nonsensical moments of the life of Billy Pilgrim as he â€Å"become[s] unstuck in time†(Vonnegut S. Five 23) Billy has no control over where he will end up next. â€Å"He has seen his birth and death many times, and he pays random visits to all the events in between†, and â€Å"is in a constant state of fright, ... because he never knows which part of his life he is going to have to act out next.†(Vonnegut S. Five 23) The story followsRead MoreHow War Has Changed Us1350 Words   |  6 Pages The Experience That Has Changed Us Through our time here on earth, we all experience different events that make us into the people we are. Some of us experience the small things in life and never experience the sensational things. Certain people experience pain and unimaginable hardship while others experience love and comfort. We can be effected by small subtleties and overwhelming moments that open our minds and change us. War is an event that has influenced the human race since the beginningRead More Kurt Vonnegut Essay2033 Words   |  9 PagesKurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is a contemporary American author whose works have been described by Richard Giannone as comic masks covering the tragic farce that is our contemporary life (Draper, 3784). Vonneguts life has had a number of significant influences on his works. Influences from his personal philosophy, his life and experiences, and his family are evident elements in his works. Among his comic masks are three novels: Cats Cradle, The Sirens of Titan, and God Bless You, MrRead MoreKurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse Five 1901 Words   |  8 PagesKurt Vonnegut developed his view of America through a history of personal loss and trauma that was largely endured at the same time by his characters. As a child, Kurt Vonnegut lived in Indianapolis, Indiana, which he would use in many of his later novels. His father was a prominent architect, while his mother came from the family of a wealthy brewer. After the depression hit, his father lost his business and gave up, his mother became addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs. In his teen yearsRead MoreAnalysis Of Shirley Jackson s The Lottery, And Kurt Vonnegut Jr. s Harrison Bergeron1604 Words   |  7 PagesA common theme of placing societal influences over personal values and beliefs can be found in Shirley Jackson’s, â€Å"The Lottery†, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†. These short stories describe situations in which the citizens allow the superiors to have full control, without thinking twice about the laws and traditions that require their submission. Both of these short stories are similar in theme, because each tells about a community that chooses to participate in cruel and inhumane traditionsRead MoreSlaughterhouse Five By Kurt Vonnegut1199 Words   |  5 Pagesmiddle of the twentieth century, Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, is able to show the various possible results war can have on a person’s mind. In the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut is e ffectively able to portray the psychological effects of war through Billy Pilgrim and his fantasies, his indifference, and his alienation because of Vonnegut’s own personal experiences in war. Billy Pilgrim creates different fantasies after his experiences in Dresden. These fantasies are a direct result of