Analytical Essay Sample on the Body Image Standards of Health and Beauty

Analytical Essay Sample on the Body Image Standards of Health and Beauty What is the average weight? What is healthy? How do these two things compare to the standards society has on health and beauty today? What do you see when you look in the mirror? And why don’t people see regular people in fashion TV advertisements? I personally think that advertisers should introduce people of all weight sizes into the fashion advertisements. Throughout history, women’s roles have been to make themselves as attractive to others as possible. Although fashion and physical values have changed over time, this drive has remained constant. The recent change of women’s extreme thinness has become a topic of concern in the health department. This issue starts as early as the first day a person was born. Gender differences, the surrounding environment, and the pressure of ideal image are almost impossible to escape due mostly to the everyday occurrences that one encounters. Roberta Seid’s â€Å"Too ‘Close to the Bone’: The Historical Context for Women’s Obsession with Slenderness† discusses both present ideals and those of previous time periods, as well as the negative effects these standards have had on women. Andy Vu’s â€Å"The Struggle for a Healthy Body Image† presents a similar topic, but it’s related specifically to both male and female college students. S. Almond’s â€Å"The Influence of the Media on Eating Disorders† tries to make the point of how everyone was made to be unique. Almond says that products are often advertise to promote the ideal body image. A lecture by Susan Rausch touched on both college students and society as a whole, offering statistical data on eating disorders and societal views on physical appearance. And In Ann Marie Cussins â€Å"The Role of Body Image in Women’s Mental Health† she discusses the issue from a standpoint aspect. Rausch begins her speculation with a question: Why is it that people treasure variations in the magnificence of nature, but not in the concept of beauty in ourselves? Each expert comments the fact that over the past 40 years, the representations of beauty such as models, actresses, and Miss America, have been getting thinner and thinner. These symbols of perfect beauty are wearing sizes 1, 0 and even smaller (Vu 1), portraying only the thinnest 5 to 10 percent of Americas that fit in this size category (Seid 479). Each agrees that the current average American is now considered â€Å"overweight†. However, Seid and Raush support this statement with statistics: 90 to 95 percent of women do not feel they meet the â€Å"standard†, leading millions of women to think abnormal of themselves (Seid 479). Rausch mentioned that 47 percent of women with normal weight feel they are overweight (Raush’s speech outline 3). Seid mentions that women’s self-image successfulness, and survival could be determine mostly by the way the look. As for men, success is based on how they act and what they accomplish (Seid 480). The way a person looks and their personality determines the person they are able to interact with. In society today, women are viewed as beautiful and vulnerable whereas men are classified as strong and powerful. Cussins explains that women are unconsciously dissatisfied with their motherly role toward daughters (Cussins 2). One of Cussins’s patient talk about her unhappiness with the problem of bulimia, and how bulimia effected the relationship with her mother and family. The patient tries to develop a healthy diet to make her mother happy but she throws up everything she eats or she will feel depressed. Not only is it hard for the patient but also for the mother since she feels that her child is communicating less in-depth with her (Cussins 110-111). This only one of few effe cts that a person has to deal with if he or she tries to achieve the ideal weight. Almond said that â€Å"constant media pressures can lead to body dissatisfaction, which may result in distorted eating patterns†. He also says that the media portraits the â€Å"ideal figure†, making women think that they are overweight because they don’t look like the person in the advertisement, resulting in body dissatisfaction. He points out that products are advertise displaying the ideal body image in hope that people will purchase the product thinking that they are also going to look like that person in the display. Trying to achieve this can lead to â€Å"depression, stress, guilt, shame, insecurity, unhappiness, and lower self-confidence† (Almond 367). The most recent transformation in clothing styles have also played a key role as well; Seid states that the more revealing fashion allows no compensation for the body â€Å"underneath†. With men the issue tend s to be on a different side of the spectrum: bigger is better. In the attempt to â€Å"bulk up† and play the man’s role, many turn to the use of steroids, which are harmful to the body and can produce many serious problems, including cancer (Vu 3). We must now look at the main problems in order to find a way to solve this problem, it has already become a social disease and people need to realize that trying to achieve the â€Å"ideal size† is almost impossible (Vu 3), and even if they do, the damages they do to their bodies can make them feel worse than when the first started to lose weight, it could even lead to death. The question that remains is weather the advertisement individuals and institutions have truly looked into, and understood, the effects of such ideal standards, and when, or if, changes will ever take place. The aftermath that occurs while trying to aim for the so called ‘ideal’ image. And how family and friends affect the way you feel about your body. In the attempt to become the â€Å"perfect† woman, each expert holds that many put themselves trough both psychological and physical pain. Though they each emphasize eating disorders, they do so in different ways. Seid speaks of eating disorders on a whole, relating them to current dieting practices. She states that effects of deprivation can be found in many dieters: tension, irritability, pre-occupation with food, and exhaustion are all present (Seid 478). Vu asserts that a lack of nutrition can lead to the consequence of disorders such as anorexia and bulimia: anorexia can force the body to start feeding on itself, bulimia can cause damage to the teeth and esophagus, and both are life threatening (Vu 3). When the person tries to starve itself to lose weight the body might develop anorexia and bulimia; causing the individual to throw up everything he or she might eat. Men use steroids in to deal with body dissatisfactions. Excess of this drug may lead to â€Å"brain cancer, liver damage and heart attacks†, even young healthy men can be effected (Vu 3). The question now lies on whether or not the person pays a high price in trying to achieve the ‘ideal’ image. All of the experts say the price is not worth it. Rausch states in Vu’s article that the advertising industry promotes a body image that is â€Å"biologically† impossible to achieve and â€Å"live up to† (Vu 3). Seid says that â€Å"numerous studies demonstrate that the majority of the â€Å"fat† cannot slim down permanently. The problem is not their lack of willpower, but the unreasonable expectation placed on them to weight a certain amount† (Seid 478). I personally think that the effects of trying to achieve the â€Å"ideal† image is not worth paying the price for. The person is damaging the body instead of trying to help it. Some people lose weight only to gain it back later, so what is the point of doing it. I think that each person has a different body type and metabolism, some people can’t lose weight even if they try to, leaving them depressed and anxious in the â€Å"journey† towards the perfect body. Bulimia and anorexia are horrible diseases to deal with because of the things they do to the body. I’m not suggesting that if your fat, you can’t exercise or live a healthy life, I think this can be achieved. Just look at the line men playing football, summon wrestlers, they are â€Å"big† but at the same time they are healthy. People cannot just look at the body from the outside, but from the inside. Skinny people are not always healthy, sometimes they are malnourish, or have diseases s uch as the ones pointed out by Vu, anorexia and bulimia. Media has greatly influence people into falling into the trap of what is in style and what is not. Teenage girls are affected by compulsion to receive a degree of thinness that they see in models (Cussins 2). Women who look at fashion magazines wanted to weight less and are more worry about getting fatter than the women who read news magazines (Rausch 3). â€Å"There has been a shift in the media portrayal of the ‘ideal’ body size for women, from the voluptuous curved figure of Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s to a thinner ‘waif-like’ look of Kate Moss in the 1980s† (Almond 367). Over the years the media advertising models have been getting thinner and thinner; making women more dissatisfied because they want to look like that â€Å"girl† in the advertisement. The media have developed the ideal body shape in the hope that it will create more sales of the product that they are trying to sell. But it seems like the advertisement and media industries a re not caring about how a person feels in trying to achieve the ideal body. By promoting the ideal body the media contribute to eating disorders (Almond 367). I believe that the media is the most contributing factor to this problem. They have develop the ideal image of what a person should look like but most of it is false advertisement. I never see a â€Å"fat† person on TV advertising about a beauty product or a new fashion design. When you flip the pages of most magazines all you see is thin women advertising the new Victoria’s Secret new collection. Why doesn’t the media use people of all sizes in their advertisements to fill up the needs of all people. I’m not saying I don’t like the present people in the advertisements, to be honest, as a man I like to see â€Å"hot† women in advertisements but we have to look at the reality: that the people need to see more variety of â€Å"sizes† to satisfy the kinds of people who are looking for something like them, and not making them feel bad because they are looking at something that is â€Å"impossible† to achieve. Now the question that remains is how can we start solving this problem of the ‘ideal’ imagine. Short says that â€Å"Once society starts to realize that society’s stereotypes are just stereotypes, and actually not ideal situations, then people will start to find a cure† (Vu 3). Seid suggest that â€Å"we recultivate our tastes and find a saner middle ground where our bodies can round out with more life, flesh, and health; where we can relish the fruits of our prosperity without self-punishment† (Seid 483). Seid also says that people must get rid or the thought of the ‘ideal’ image, â€Å"because it is misguided and destructive†, she says (Seid 484). Cussins suggest that psychotherapist need a new approach in treating eating disorders. Cussins says that many doctors threat the eating disorder as a second symptom to the eating disorder, making the patient have to come to many visits in a lengthy recuperation. The problem is that the lengthy treatment has a high drop out rate. â€Å"A specialized service where a woman feels that her initial contact gives her hope through feeling that someone is immediately making sense of her problems would avoid the high drop-out rate of those who take a tentative first step†, Cussin suggest (Cussing 113-114). I agree with all the suggestions that have been made by all of the experts, a therapy that understands the patient’s psychological problem with weight needs to be an option for the patient, not just one therapy that looks at the problem from the â€Å"outside†. Having the support of family and friends should also help the person accept who they are. This is very important because sometimes even family members put the person down, and the family is the most important thing in a person’s life. If the person does not have the support of the family than it is going to be even harder for he or she to deal with the problem of the ‘ideal’ obsession. And finally, I think the media contribute the most damage to the ‘not ideal’ people. When I’m watching TV all I see in the fashion advertisements is thin models, not only on television but also in most fashion magazines. I am not â€Å"fat†, but I can not even imagine how an â€Å"ever size† person feels when they see mostly thin people advertising something that is: not fitting for them, too small, or just not their â€Å"taste†. I think that the media should advertise products, and fashion for all types of people: thin, oversized, pretty, ugly. This way of advertising would please all stereotypes, and I honestly think that it would help reduce the problem that itself has created: the â€Å"ideal image†. The obsession over thinness has been in the past, is here in the present, and will be in the future. Based on the sources synthesized, if people don’t do something soon to change this â€Å"ideology†, it will take many centuries to get over something that has evolved for hundreds of years. Fashion, media, family members, and peer pressure will continue to be major factors in the obsession with slenderness. As a result, as long as these issues are still here, the dangerous aftermath will continue to plague Americans for centuries to come: â€Å"We stand poised between a past for which we have lost respect and a future we must now struggle to envision† (Seid 485).

Although Ashbery has said 'I do not think of myself as a gay poet', Essay

Although Ashbery has said 'I do not think of myself as a gay poet', critics such as John Emil Vincent and John Shoptaw offer rea - Essay Example Borrowing some elements form modernist poetry the poet has invented his own style keeping at par with the period he belonged. However the move of this great poet from the shadows to the limelight was quite sudden without giving any scope to the readers for deeper perception of his style. Though his style was simple and straightforward as declared by him, his poems raised puns and questions about the theme enfolded between the lines. His approach to poetry has often provided different scopes for interpretation form more than one angles. It is the aspect of hidden meaning which has raised the controversies against him amongst his critics and this relates essentially to the homosexuality and autobiographical content. Hence criticism of his work continued for the next decades till date and these works of criticisms have gained literary acclaim and worth overtime. some examples of such are â€Å"On the Outside Looking Out, by John Shoptaw, Five Temperaments, by David Kalstone, Beyond Ama zement, edited by David Lehman, John Ashbery: Modern Critical Views, edited by Harold Bloom, The Tribe of John, Ashbery and Contemporary Poetry, edited by Susan Schultz, and John Ashbery and American Poetry, by David Herd† (Hilbert). The nature of his poems comprise of changes in tone, speaker and voice randomly. They often seem to lack integrity and each line cannot stand out independently. The themes are often combinations of abstract expressionism, deconstruction and contain cultural components. Looking at the scenario of American poetry John Ashbery has made huge fame and smoothly made himself a delicacy for the critics to discuss. It is often hard to classify him under categories like romantics, an â€Å"abstract thinker†, or a gay poet without any autobiographical indication. His compositions began to be difficult to interpret over the 80s and often have been disjunctive and irregular. Although Ashbery picks up conventional topics to approach in an unconventional manner, some of them are actually â€Å"funny† where he mocks the life of a surgeon and the attitudes of poets like Homer and others who slept while writing. He borrows from the works of other poets and incorporates them in his writing and â€Å"untraceable borrowings from the wild variety of ordinary speech, filled out with fleeting parodies of humble written forms: the family Christmas circular, the letter from a consumer, the office memo† (Hammer). Even the first person tone of his poems is distracted by quotations and other voices. The speakers of his poems are represented collectively. In his own words, â€Å"Research has shown that ballads were produced by all of society / working as a team† (in Hotel Lautreamont) (Hammer). He wrote some poems in pantoum form and some in haibun (prose poems). The phrases used by Ashbery in his poems lay stress on providing verbal pleasure and revelation. He progresses from one phase to another and if read between the lines , then some apparently haphazard lines might have deep moral implications. His work contains â€Å"languor and urgency†. He does not adhere to any fixed pattern or rule, rather concentrates on creating meaning with the pattern of the lines. The poet himself invites criticisms in his lines in ‘

Urban planing and policy law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Urban planing and policy law - Coursework Example Most cities across the world carry almost more than half of the total population, hence the decisions made by governments, business community and individuals have fundamental impacts on cities consequently on the populace. This requires policies to moderate such decisions and subsequent policies. Secondly, critical challenges need to be solved to secure lasting production and sustainability. Te complexity of these urban issues calls for a national approach, which is articulate and well understood to guide city development and expansion for the sole purpose of improving urban lives. For continued prosperity and wellbeing of the city population, the governments should ensure that, the cities meet the needs of the present and future cohorts and sustaining economic expansion without compromising the natural resources. For these reasons, the National City policy becomes a fundamental element of having a healthy city population. Transportation Policy Pressure of the continued growth of pol lution adds pressure on the existing resources and facilities. In the past, high population in cities has congested roads and this led to expansion to fit the ever-growing population. However, this option is proving to be unsustainable due to the growing cost of building roads. In addition, there is less appropriate land for new roads. According to the vision 2030, most nations across the globe have resolved that urban transport policy and development should not be a one-body orientated, but instead distributed to diverse organizations to help come up with viable policies, which can solve the current trends in transport (INTERNATIONAL ITF/OECD SYMPOSIUM ON TRANSPORT ECONOMICS AND POLICY, 2010). These efforts might not provide the same service to every person but each urban resident will enjoy access to a reasonable standard of service. It is imperative to note that, incorporation of regional and local transport systems promotes competent modes of the transport. For instance, the pas senger reform policy is fundamental in planning transport services at the municipal borders and across other regional. This uniformity across municipals and other regions help in improving the universal level of transport systems and thus adding the value of attractiveness of public transport services to users. Urban polices on transport systems are significant both in the main cities and around the suburbs. Majority of the populace lives in the city suburbs, which are far from the services and jobs. This implies the as day counts, journeys to work, schools, supermarkets, social places among others are increasingly becoming distant. Hence, policy development on transport systems should be concentrated on solving challenges such as a reduction of dependency on the car and stopping urban fragmentation (INTERNATIONAL ITF/OECD SYMPOSIUM ON TRANSPORT ECONOMICS AND POLICY, 2010). The overall essence, of the transport policy should be focused on land use planning, which will provide consid eration on the impacts on traffic and divide between diverse modes of travel. Some of the fundamental aspects of urban transport policy include Vehicle efficiency and emission

Coffea arabica Essay Example for Free

Coffea arabica Essay I. A. About the Industry Coffee is a brewed beverage with a distinct aroma and flavor, prepared from the roasted seeds of the Coffea plant. A coffee plant is usually a bush or small tree that grows to 10-12 feet (although it can grow up to 32 feet) and can produce coffee beans for decades. It can live for between 60 and 70 years. It can take up to four years for a coffee tree to reach maturity and bear fruit. The English word coffee originates from the Arabic word ‘kaweh’ meaning strength or vigor. The seeds are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa. Green (unroasted) coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. Coffee is slightly acidic (pH 5. 0–5. 1) and can have a stimulating effect on humans because of its caffeine content. Commercial coffee is grown in an area between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn affectionately known as the â€Å"bean belt†. In order for the coffee plant to thrive, it needs moderate sunshine and rain, porous soil and constant temperatures between 65 and 75? F. Before the coffee bean can be used to make coffee, it has to be roasted. The roasting process changes the color of the green coffee beans. First they turn yellow and then brown. The longer they roast the darker they become. The strongest roasts result in black beans. At the same time, the heat causes changes in the taste and smell of the beans. Aromatic oils are released that bring out the flavor of coffee. In the nineteenth century, people roasted their coffee at home on their stoves or over open fires. Nowadays, the commercial coffee roasters use enormous ovens to roast the coffee. Temperature and time are carefully controlled, sometimes by computers, because just a few seconds can dramatically change the final flavor of the coffee. The roasting can be done in just a minute. In general, a light roast gives a mild taste, a medium roast produces a well–rounded, rich flavor and aroma and a high roast gives a strong, distinctive flavor. Coffee is one of the most consumed drinks after water. Coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the world after oil. Over 1400 million cups of coffee are drunk around the world each day. The majority of coffee is consumed at breakfast. Coffee berries, which contain the coffee seeds, are produced by several species of small evergreen bush of the genus Coffea. The two most commonly grown are also the most highly regarded Coffea arabica, and the robusta form of the hardier Coffea canephora. The latter is resistant to the devastating coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix). Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The seeds are then roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor, before being ground and brewed to create coffee. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways. An important export commodity, coffee was the top agricultural export for twelve countries in 2004, and it was the worlds seventh-largest legal agricultural export by value in 2005. Some controversy is associated with coffee cultivation and its impact on the environment. Consequently, organic coffee is an expanding market. The top 10 coffee-producing countries are: Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Guatemala , Vietnam, Cote d’Ivoire, Mexico and Uganda. The emotional and physical benefits of coffee are numerous. Not only does coffee taste good, it can stimulate, relax and refresh the body. Coffee stimulates the senses through its caffeine content which stimulates metabolism and supports mental alertness and concentration. The body absorbs it within 30 minutes, and its positive effects may last 2-5 hours. Coffee relaxes the body because it hydrates it. Because water is the main ingredient in a cup of coffee, it helps the body work towards its daily water needs and is practically free of calories. Coffee also refreshes the body with its wealth of polyphenols. Polyphenols are nutrients that help maintain the body in good health over time. They are also found in green tea, fruits and cocoa. B. Brief History of Coffee The history of coffee goes at least as far back as the thirteenth century. The story of Kaldi, the 9th-century Ethiopian goat herder who discovered coffee while searching for his goats, did not appear in writing until 1671 and is probably apocryphal. From Ethiopia, coffee was said to have spread to Egypt and Yemen. The earliest credible evidence of either coffee drinking or knowledge of the coffee tree appears in the middle of the fifteenth century, in the Sufi monasteries of Yemen. By the 16th century, it had reached the rest of the Middle East, Persia, Turkey, and Northern Africa. Coffee then spread to Balkans, Italy, and to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia, Asia and then to America. Wild coffees energizing effect was likely first discovered in the northeast region of Ethiopia. Coffee cultivation first took place in southern Arabia; the earliest credible evidence of coffee-drinking appears in the middle of the 15th century in the Sufi shrines of Yemen. In East Africa and Yemen, coffee was used in native religious ceremonies that were in competition with the Christian Church. As a result, the Ethiopian Church banned its secular consumption until the reign of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia. The beverage was also banned in Ottoman Turkey during the 17th century for political reasons and was associated with rebellious political activities in Europe In the Philippines, coffee has a history as rich as its flavor,† says the National Coffee Development Board (NCDB), whose main objective is to develop and promote the Philippine coffee industry through technical assistance and credit programs for coffee farms and through marketing and promotions of coffee for domestic and export markets. History records show that the first coffee tree was introduced in Lipa, Batangas in 1740 by a Spanish Franciscan monk. From there, coffee growing spread to other parts of Batangas like Ibaan, Lemery, San Jose, Taal, and Tanauan. Batangas owed much of its wealth to the coffee plantations in these areas and Lipa eventually became the coffee capital of the Philippines. â€Å"By the 1860s, Batangas was exporting coffee to America through San Francisco,† the NCDB- records. â€Å"When the Suez Canal was opened, a new market started in Europe as well. Seeing the success of the Batangenos, Cavite followed suit by growing the first coffee seedlings in 1876 in Amadeo. In spite of this, Lipa still reigned as the center for coffee production in the Philippines and Batangas barako was commanding five times the price of other Asian coffee beans. † In 1880, the Philippines was the fourth largest exporter of coffee beans, and. when the coffee rust hit Brazil, Africa and Java (Indonesia), it became the only source of coffee beans around the world. The coffee rust disease almost wiped it out during the last quarter of the 19th century. Coffee registered a total production of 123, 934 metric tons valued at P6818, 18 million in 1995. Today, however, the Philippines produces only . 012% of the worlds coffee supply. Efforts are being undertaken to revive the industry however, with the majority of coffee produced in the mountain areas of Batangas, Bukidnon, Benguet, Cavite, Kalinga, Apayao, Davao, and Claveria.

A Tradition of Spirituals Essay -- Essays Papers

A Tradition of Spirituals Origin of Spirituals A Look at Prominent Composers and Performers Including Literary Analysis of Spirituals: Wade In the Water Summertime Nobody Knows De Trouble I've Seen Deep River Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child I Want Jesus To Walk With Me Spirituals: Age to Age Origin of Spirituals African American spirituals are one mode through which the melodies and rhythms of Africa found their way to America. Spirituals arose out of the songs the slaves would sing working in the fields on the plantations. In the fields the slaves developed a musical combination of "call and response" which becomes characteristic of gospel singing. Early spirituals acted for a number of practical functions for the slaves. Some were a mode of communication or a map to the North. Aside from these reasons, their song was a cry for freedom and salvation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Look at Prominent Composers and Performers Henry Thacker Burleigh (1866-1949) Henry Thacker Burleigh. was born on December 2, 1866,in Erie, Pennsylvania. His mother was a domestic worker, and it was advantageous to young Henry that his mother was so employed. His mother's employer, Mrs. Elizabeth Russell, would hold concerts by well-known performers in her home and Burleigh was permitted to attend. His interest in music was accute even at this young age and it would continue throughout his life and illustrious career. Burleigh sang in the choirs at St. Paul's and the Park Presbyterian Church as well as at the Reform Jewish Temple. It seemed that he was always singing. He sang while he worked at jobs such as stenographer (which he took on to s... ...adition, in varying forms, today. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bibliography Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Music. Seventh Edition Boatner, Edward. I Want Jesus To Walk With Me, Galaxy Music Corp.,1939. New York Burleigh, H.T. Album of Negro Spirituals, Belwin, Inc., Florida. 1969 Knowledge Adventure. Inc. (1998) Gospel Music: Where Blues and Spirituals Meet n.pag. Online. Internet. 18 Nov. 1998. Available:http://www.orat.ilst.edu/students/kgtarra Sionimsky, Nicholas, Schiemer Books. Advisor of Macmillan, Inc. New York. 1900. Terrance, Kelvin. "African American Music: The Spiritual.(1996): n.pag. Online.Internet. 18 Nov. 1998. Available: htttp://www.orat.ilst.edu/students/kgtarra. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Penn Foster Journal Enteries

That decomposing bodies can bring disease. Many religions turned such b when church and state were homogeneous. Modern medicinal technology allows for the harvesting of organs from a corpse, and the successful implantation of that organ into a living human being. Why is that worse than letting that same organ decompose? Treating our dead with respect and reverence is a beautiful characteristic of any society. By honoring the dead we are cherishing the memory of our loved ones, following paradigms of our various belief systems, and honoring the radiations of previous generations.None of those are time valued traditions hold their value if we do not put a higher value on our living than our dead. Our societies need to move forward, and let go of archaic belief systems that hinder our society and hold our citizens health hostage. Reflect If feel that my attitude to writing is relatively the same. My knowledge about writing though has increased substantially throughout this process.I fee l a lot of growth has happened as I have made my way through this Journey. I know a little bit more about my writing style. I have also learned many essay writing techniques that will prove invaluable as I continue my academic and professional careers. I think I could improve as a writer, by being more patient and allowing more time for my ideas to form. Some I am very thankful for the educational opportunity the English module at Penn Foster College has provided.

Did Our Way Of Processing Information Change - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 746 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/05/08 Category IT Essay Level High school Tags: Is Google Making Us Stupid Essay Did you like this example? Is Google Making Us Stupid? was a cover story magazine of the Atlantic, written by Nicholas Carr. It was published in July/August 2008. This article tells us how the Internet is affecting our way of processing information. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Did Our Way Of Processing Information Change?" essay for you Create order Carr did his best to find all sorts of evidence to convince his audience that the Internet is changing our brain. He did his research on studies from different universities, bloggers, and his own experiences on the issue. Carr enables the readers of the Atlantic to relate/ engage their emotions to his own observations. The knowledge that was given was to appeal to readers if they agree or disagree. As a reader, I find his argument somewhat effective because I did a little research on him that gave him more credibility. At the beginning of the article, Nicholas quoted a line from Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey, David Bowman states Ive had an uncomfortable sense that someone or something has been tinkering with my brain Im not thinking the way I used to think. Nichola is explaining how the supercomputer is messing with Dave Bowmans brain as a metaphor. When I did my research on Carr, whom is a known author for the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. One of his books in 2010, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a New York Times bestseller. Throughout the article, he relies a tad bit on his fame to convince the readers that he is an expert on the subject. Most of what was mentioned in the article was based on his personal opinions on the issue. For those whom have no background information of Nicholas Carr, they might most likely automatically think the article would be ineffective. Carr moved on to mentioned how his friends and acquaintances experienced the same problem. Saying that most of them find it both difficult and cannot finish reading a book from beginning to end. I understand that he is trying to make his argument more credible by involving others who experience the same thing. In this case, he did not tell us who his friends were or what they did for a living or perhaps their age range which may have perhaps spread a little light on the conclusions they have on the subject. Anyone can agree or disagree with him, but what could have made them valid is their backgrounds. Carr also mentioned that he follows a few bloggers that have spoken about the subject, Bruce Friedman and Scott Karp. Scott Karp is someone who writes a blog about online media, and Bruce Friedman is someone who blogs regularly about the use of computers in medicine. No offense, but bloggers are also not as valid or as substantial not to completely dismiss their reviews. However, when it comes to reliable sources because anyone on the Internet can start a blog. University College London, a well-known university that Carr uses as one of his sources. The study from this university suggests that people who visited research sites usually skim through pages of a book or article. He failed to expand on this source for his argument because he only stated what he found from the university. His next source was from Maryanne Wolf, a developmental psychologist at Tufts University. Her expertise on the subject is that reading is not an instinctive skill for human beings. Meaning how we process information will depends on what we tell our brain to take in and how it is taken. Wolf said that how we read online is different from how we read printed text. Our ability of making connections while reading online lessen because of all the distraction that is part of the Internet. The third source he tried to use was a little story about Friedrich Nietzsche, a philosopher back in 1882. Nietzsche bought a typewriter which change his way of writing. Friends of Nietzsche said that his writing became duller, the quality of his writing is better through a pen and paper. Given the typewriter is a form of computer in its own way, the assessments based on Nietzsches drop-in quality or substance when it came to writing with his hands versus typing the story could be used as substantial evidence. I somewhat agree with his friends conclusions on his writings as I did a little research on his writings before tis use of the typewriter and after. I did indeed find his writings did to a point vary in terms of quality.