11-7-19 The Primary Practice

In the reading “The Primary of Practice” by Kwame Anthony Appiah, he writes about the different values that we have. Regardless of what the value is, having those values is what brings us together. Appiah writes, “What makes these conflicts so intense is that they are battles over the meaning of the same values…” (Appiah 49). The values that we have are the same, however, it is how we interpret these issues is what makes our values different. Regardless if the topic was abortion, gay marriages, climate change, etc, it is what our values are that unite us. Our values is what unites us, although, our views may clash, but if we didn’t clash then we wouldn’t have come together to argue our views. Overall, although our values are technically the same, I think the way we interpret these values is what unite us together. 

11-5-19 Coddling of the American Mind

A topic that was discussed during the “Coddling of the American Mind” is oversensitivity. Growing up my parents seem very cautious of what they talked about with me, and to me it seems as if they were too cautious. This caused me to be unable to come to my parents for help due to this problem. They were worried that their children would grow up too fast, but now they think their children are growing up too slowly. (-_-). My dad specifically, had believed that my sister and I should be talking to our mother about things because it would be easier to talk to her. Alongside that, he thinks that my mom would be more cautious of what is being said. However, this has caused a fragment to develop between my father and I, as well as not allowing us to develop immunity to certain topics. 

10-31-19 Podcast Review

During the podcast “’Mr. Robot’ Creator Says His Own Anxiety And Hacking Helped Inspire The Show”, I found that the podcast was interesting. The interviewer had interviewed a director named Sam Esmail. This author had spoke about the problems he had in college, his path to adulthood and the decisions he made to portray the show better. 

The authors time in college can be relatable to some students today. Many students today have problems socializing. Esmail had mentions that he would often stay in the computer lab due to his social anxieties. Generally, he would stay away from people, but talk to people online as a way of socializing. Later on, with the help of his wife, he is able to socialize with those on the set. With the amount of technology in our lives, I believe that the amount of social anxiety can possibly become worst. 

Personally, I think that the topics mentioned in the podcast worked best for me as a listener. The topic of social anxiety was something many of us could relate to. I think that what got my attention was what the social anxieties and how they discuss the interviewees feelings and emotions. In my opinion, that was what I could relate to and it felt good to know that you are not alone, but that there are others that are having the same problem.

10-29-19 What Is It About 20-Something?

In the reading “What is it about 20-Something?” by Robin Marantz Henig, it explains the difference between the different generations. Throughout the writing, I think that I was able to relate many points of the text to myself. Due to certain rules set, 18 year-olds are unable to do what they want freely. Henig writes,“They can drive at 16, but they can’t rent a car until 25 without some hefty surcharges” (Henig 203). Although we are adults by 18, we are still limited to things that an average “adult” are able to do. This seems to be a common problem with many “adult-like” tasks that we are to do. However, 18 years old are unable to do these tasks, because they are seen as irresponsible until they reach their 20s. The lack of trust in 18 year olds today can be a reason why the transition to adulthood has been delayed. Due to this lack of trust, these teens are forced to be dependent on their parents for certain things. Adulthood has changed throughout the years and now people in their 20s are still relying on their parents rather than be on their own. The changes has caused a delay in entering adulthood. 

10-1-19 Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation

In an article written by Jean M. Twenge Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?, it discusses the effects our smartphones have on our lives. Nowadays it is “normal” to have an iPhone in middle school. The smartphones have decreased social interactions and is linked to our mental health. Mental health has become linked to our screentime, “All screen activities are linked to less happiness, and all non screen activities are linked to more happiness” (Twenge). The more we are on our screens or social media, we are more likely to have symptoms of depression. It has also been found that, “Teens who visit social-networking everyday but see their friends in person less frequently are the most likely to agree with the statement ‘A lot of times I feel lonely’’I often feel left out of things’, and ‘I often wish I had more good friends’” (Twenge) . Social networks affect our mental health more than we think. This may be due to a lack of social interactions. In support of this, Sherry Turkle’s The Empathy Diaries, talks about the lack of face-to-face conversations that we have. Face-to-face conversations have become an experience, “It’s where we experience the joy of being heard, of being understood” (378).  I never realized the benefits of having a real conversation. With a decrease in screen time and an increase in face-to-face conversation, is it possible to reduce the likelihood of receiving the symptoms of depression? 

In my opinion, both authors are correct.  Personally, it had never occurred to me that our smartphones as a problem. Although, within the past few years I have seen significant changes within our society when it comes to the impacts of our smartphones. Growing up, my parents have always tried to keep me away from my phone and it seems to have helped me in life, so that I am not as addicted to my phone as those younger than me. However, it seems that social networks have also become a problem to our society. Smartphones have become a controversial issue, which many people have a different opinion on.

9-26-19 The Empathy Diaries

In Sherry Turkle’s The Empathy Diaries, she explains how technology has disconnected from the real world and the importance of conversation. Throughout the chapter, Turkle mentions face-to-face conversations. When we are fully present in a conversation we develop empathy. The effects of having a conversation gives us an experience that we would not think of, “It’s where we experience the joy of being heard, of being understood” (378). We experience different emotions when we have a face-to-face conversation. However, when you have a conversation with someone through technology, you are unable to receive the empathy or the emotions. Being face-to-face, allows you to see the emotions that the other person is attempting to express; unlike the monotone messages we send to our friends. With the new advancements in technology, we have been able to have “the world” in our fingertips, but it has caused people to drift away from real human interaction.

9-12-19 The Science of Happiness~TED Talk
 During Catherine Sanderson’s speech “The Science of Happiness”, what I found interesting was when she mentions that 50 percent of our happiness comes from our genetics. In class, I was taught that our genetics affects our appearances and predict what possible diseases that we may receive. However as Sanderson mentions, 50 percent of our happiness comes from our genetics. The happiness that we receive from are genes include, temperament, esteem, and optimism. The reason I found this helpful because this gives one a place to start to improve their happiness. From this starting point I think that with the help of the positive people around a person, their personality and esteem will increase. 

9-10-19 Gilbert vs. Brooks
Reporting Live from Tomorrow, a chapter from Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert; and The Moral Bucket List by David Brook both had state their opinion on our social connections. Gilbert states “everything you know is secondhand”(173), the people in our lives can put a negative impact on our lives, due to the fear that our beliefs have been overpowered by others. Gilbert believes that our thoughts should come from within ourselves rather than from the experiences of others. However, Brooks believes that the right people can help us achieve a happier life. He believes that our source to a happier life can be from others in our lives. An example Brooks gave was on a woman named Dorothy Day. She did not start her life very happily, but this changed after the birth of her daughter. This example shows that happiness does not only come from within ourselves, but it can be found in another. Between the two readings, I agree with Brooks over Gilbert. I believe that there are multiple ways to have a happier life, but