Does the TV make one Smarter?
In this website you will be comparing the essay with the original essay and view the writer thoughts. By that you will be adding two sources from the article " Thinking outside the idiot box", and constructing the essay with your argument. Your goal will be to write your own argument, partially in respond to this essay, in order to change the thoughts, opinions, with your own words. Please add the new sources in the Work cited page. This will be the second essay that will in the argument. http://www(dot)slate(dot)com/articles/news_and_politics/surfergirl/2005/04/thinkingoutside_the_idiot_box.html Please give me your best shot for this essay. Thanks,
For the first essay of Writing 1, we will begin with constructing an argument based on issues that can be found in the readings of They Say / I Say. In the second part of the book, various authors share their opinions on sports, popular culture, education, fast food, and the American dream. For this foray into writing, you will join the conversation and add your own opinions to one of those topics explored in the book. This essay is designed for two purposes: 1) to continue to familiarize yourself with the writing process and the academic essay, and 2) to get you writing in the larger academic conversation on important issues.
The Prompt:
For this essay, I would like you to select one of the above topics in They Say/ I Say discussed by the authors. Once you have your topic, select at least two (2) of the readings in the book on that topic, and construct your argument keeping them in mind for context. Once you have selected your topic and source(s) from the book, your goal will be to write your own argument on one of the issues in the book, partially in response to at least two the readings, in order to change the thoughts, opinions, and/or actions of a general academic audience.
Rules and Regulations for Full Essay #2:
- Each final draft should be at least four (4) whole pages (not counting works cited).
- Each essay should have a clear, strong, and well-supported thesis statement. I recommend this thesis to be in the introduction as well as the conclusion.
- Remember the principles of They Say, I Say, including but not limited to establishing context (what “they say”) for your topic, rules for quoting and citation, clearly agreeing/disagreeing with what “they say,” explaining the “so what?” factor of the essay, and making sure to provide plenty of strong transitions and metacommentary. These will guide you.
- Your essay is not only a response to the essays in the book. While it is important to respond to the authors and use them, the point of the essay is for you to argue your own point using the readings for context and support. Strategies like the “They Say” (beginning the paper by mapping the rhetorical situation), which we will discuss in class, can help with this.
- All essays must address a topic with a suitable scope for a short academic paper. What I mean by this is that you probably will not be able to explain all aspects of a given issue in the book. If you are unsure if your approach to the topic is suitable, come to me and I will let you know.
- Each essay must make reference to at least two (2) sources, from They Say/ I Say. If you desire to bring in more research, you may do so (from the TS/IS book or otherwise), but you must adhere to all MLA guidelines. Feel free to supplement your ideas with examples from your own life, experiences, and observations. No outside research is required for this essay.
- If you would like to use any of the other readings I have assigned in class, such as texts by Dweck, Rose, Lamott, or Hern, feel free. If I’ve assigned it and you can use it effectively, it’s fair game for this essay.
- All essays must be typed, in MLA format, with a corresponding works cited page.
- The essay is not a narrative. Though personal and first-hand examples are acceptable, they should not take the place of credible sources. Use of first person words, such as “I,” “me,” or “my,” is acceptable, but should be used sparingly.
- Avoid using the word “you” at all costs.
If you have any comments or questions regarding this assignment, PLEASE ASK ME! I am more than willing to help you out!
Good luck!
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Does the TV make one Smarter?
Television watching has become part and parcel of the lives of people globally. This is because there is always information and or entertainment benefits that people derive from this activity. As such, there have been talks, discussions and even arguments on both the benefits and the negative effects of television watching among people. In his article Watching TV Makes you Smarter, Steven Johnson presents a convincing case regarding the impact that present day television watching has had in increasing the cognitive abilities of a person watching. Through the various supporting scenarios and scientific assessments of various shows ranging from actions, sitcoms and reality shows, Johnson tries to prove his thesis that indeed TV does make you smarter.
Steven argues that TV programs of the present time such as The Sopranos have more complicated plots compared to programs that were aired in the past. The complex plots help in the development of multi threading in the human cognition where mental exercise is enhanced and thus improvement of an individual's intelligence levels. TV viewers now have to stick to set routines and to relate with characters in the program. Continuous watching of various television series becomes a habit so that one is not left behind in terms of the latest events in the movies. The basis of analysis conducted by Steven Jonson revolves around parsing of narrative threads, patience, attention and retention as cognitive measures thus his argument is valid depending on these limits.
Personally, I can relate to Steven's opinion of the increasing complexity of television programs. The programs that I used to view when I was younger were not as complex as the ones I currently view. The complexity is not just within drama based and action television programs. Even the soap operas have stepped up their efforts and can throw someone off balance if he/she does not follow them keenly. Steven Johnson calls this need to concentrate the “sleeper curveâ€. In the article, Steven defines the sleeper curve as the need to keep up with what is beneath the violence and the ethnic stereotypes. He also says that for one to keep up current television series such as 24, he / she has to be attentive, make inferences at several points and track shifting social relationships (Johnson, P1). I remember when I was growing up, I was fond of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris action movies. This was because I knew at some point that there would be some fighting involved. However, presently I am all grown up and would prefer a plot that would excite my intelligence but still take care of my childhood fantasy of the fights in the movie. Thrillers like 24 come in handy for these needs.
While analysing present day TV programs, narrative threads intertwined in the episode are put into perspective. Information revealed in the events of previous episodes are given reverence (Johnson, P2). This complexity in the plot has one glued to a television set in order not to miss even one second of dialogue. Television has moved from talking down to audiences to talking to audiences in fast paced dialogues. These fast dialogues force an individual watching to keep paying attention in order to keep up with the pace. This helps the viewer's mind to act fast in a deductive way to do more than one activity involving analysis, understanding and predicting what will happen next.
Television viewing has its own negative impact. This is in relation to the argument that television viewing actually makes people smarter. First and foremost statistics indicate that the average American watches too much television. Whereas there is no particular quantifier of how much TV watching is appropriate, a lot of time is spent on the activity. There are trained television program viewers who earn a living from watching TV who cannot be categorized as television addicts. More often than not, audiences get to interact with the show through so many media, thus feeling part of this fantasy world. As a res...