Comments for ENG 101.003 - Composition

Comment on Week of November 10-14th & Blog Response Assignment by nmalliar

nmalliar — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:55:11 +0000

1) According to Rosen, the primary reasons why people use cell phones is due to convenience and safety. It is convenient for people to be able to come into contact with whomever they want by just reaching in their pocket and dialing a number. This concept also leads to feelings of being safe. If people feel as if they are in danger, then they can easily and quickly call for help. This safety concept has also led parents to provide thier children with cell phones. This allows them the ability to contact their kids very efficiently to find out where they are. In addition to the safety and convenience factors, there is also a social concept with cellular devices. People lacking a cell phone are considered behind the curve and out of the mainstream. Cell phones enable people to communicate across long distances and allow them to enhance social skills.

Comment on Week of November 3rd-7th by mxwilchek

mxwilchek — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:24:54 +0000

I just want to say I love English and the matrix

Comment on Week of November 10-14th & Blog Response Assignment by peterdeutsch

peterdeutsch — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:32:25 +0000

Question 1.

According to Rosen, what are the primary reasons why people use cell phones? What are the primary dangers of cell phone use?

Since the invention of the cell phone, and its wide spread use in our society of late it has caused to our society become dependent on it and it’s many availabilities. Rosen argues that the three main reasons for people to use cell phones are: convenience, social life, and personal security. Rosen also mentions that the primary danger of cell phones is our own dependability on them are their many uses.
People use their phones for convenience, that is what has been reported, and what Rosen states. It is convenient because you essentially have full connection to the outside World at the end of your finger tips. Then there comes the argument that cell phones are used more for the use of social life for teenagers, rather than for convenience. For instance, Rosen talks about how many people will be in a social gathering and will put out their phone and look at it then put it back in their pocket. The final argument that Rosen states is that numerous people own cell phones for their own personal security. In case people may be in a bad situation, and need help they have a cell phone there to make the connection.
The primary danger for cell phones that Rosen states is that we, as a people have become dependent on our cell phones and their many uses. That we can not survive in a social setting without our cell phones, because we are so attached to them. It is true, we cannot go a night without using our phones in some way, may that be for convenience, social life, or for our own personal security, and that is a problem.

Comment on Week of November 10-14th & Blog Response Assignment by vixers

vixers — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:24:24 +0000

Question 1.

According to Rosen, what are the primary reasons why people use cell phones? What are the primary dangers of cell phone use?

Ever since the cell phone was invented, it has become a popular accessory to every person’s repertoire. The cell phone serves as a symbol of wealth, wherein only those who could afford the phone as well as the plan, but it also represents power, for where there is connection to the world, there is power. We use cell phones today primarily because of practical reasons such as safety and convenience. Rosen mentions the advantages of a cell phone where people could switch on the heat in their houses, confirm tax returns, or take pictures for their jobs. Not only can we easily turn any setting into our homes, work places or psychiatrist offices, we can easily connect to the world around us in a quick and efficient manner.
In reference to the prominence of connection, cell phones serve as a beneficial networking tool. “Moblogging” allows us access to the Internet to check our e-mail or facebook, while some phones have the technology to locate our friends within a ten block radius. It allows us to easily communicate with our long-distance friends or family.
Although cell phones are seemingly essential to our lives, they can be quite dangerous for us as a society. Our cell phones have become so important in our lives they we have begun depending on them to such a large extent that there are some cases of addiction. It pulls us away from society, acting as a noise pollution, where we would could attend a social event but our hearts and mind would be focused on our phones rather than social interaction with tangible persons. It gives us a false sense of privacy with our loss of interaction with the outside world. Rosen mentions that “the person who removes himself from the social situation is sending a clear message to those around him: I don’t need you.” Therefore cell phone use in socials can present a negative image to society. Not only is this behavior bad for our social perceptions, but it presents itself as a method of bad manners that could provoke annoyed or violent reactions from surrounding people.
One of the most popular reasons for cell phone use is safety. Rosen reports that “more than ninety percent of cell phone users also report that owning a cell phone makes them feel safer.” Although having a cell phone could increase chances of safety when in a remote suspicious area or a low populated area, using a cell phone solely for safety increases cell phone dependency. Although most parents approve of cell phones due to personal security, depending on cell phones can actually “weaken the traditional bonds of authority.” Parents who depend solely on their children’s responsibility to answer the phone allow their children to lie more often and bestows more freedom upon the kids.
Using cell phones as a flirting device under the pretense of popularity may seem as a benefit, however, many people use cell phones to commit adultery and invade others’ privacy. In addition, cell phones also act as a median for sicknesses. People also use their cell phones while driving, which is very unsafe. Along with its health and safety risks, cell phones can also be effected by viruses that also effect computers.

Most of all, cell phones now blur distinctions between conversation and talk. It is hard to judge whether cell phones provide a genuine method of communication between two people rather than empty, meaningless gossip.

Comment on Week of November 10-14th & Blog Response Assignment by snguyeng

snguyeng — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:40:06 +0000

Question 2:
The examples that Rosen gave were: to have a sense of security, convenience, and to improve one’s social status. Some people can’t live without a cell phone, for example, Rosen told a short description of a girl who felt like she was going to be raped if she didn’t have her cell phone. People can also use their cell phones to call for help if they are lost or got into an accident and can’t go to the hospital on their own. Cell phones being convenient is another main reason why people use cell phones. They can use it to call people they don’t see that often to schedule meetings or parties. Adults can call their kids at night to see where they are and what they are doing when they have not come home. Rosen also gave an example of a person going grocery shopping but forgetting what to buy or leave the shopping list at home; that person could call home and ask whoever is at home to tell them what they needed to buy on the grocery list. Rosen says that cell phones help us improve our social status, but it only improves the relationships with the people we already know. It does not really help us meet new people, but instead it sort of isolates us from the “outside world” of strangers we do not know, and brings us to the people we already know and makes the bonds that we have with them stronger.
The primary dangers of cell phones today would be the people who drive and talk on the cell phone at the same time, I mean I have to admit I’ve talked on the cell phone and driven a car at the same time, but I’ve never gotten into an accident. Since I usually drive with one hand anyway I do not think it would make much difference in my driving whether I’m talking on the cell phone or not. Rosen talks about how sometimes when you are talking with a friend someone calls you and you have to briefly “pause” the conversation then continue it “after” the cell phone conversation is over. So sometimes, cell phones can be quite distracting in the daily life of a person.

Comment on Week of November 10-14th & Blog Response Assignment by snguyeng

snguyeng — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:38:06 +0000

Comment on Week of November 10-14th & Blog Response Assignment by sohaiba

sohaiba — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:34:03 +0000

In response to question 5, Rosen uses the anecdote in paragraph 46 to demonstrate the ability that modern technology gives us in order to overcome common predicaments such as locating a lost member of a group. She strengthens that sentiment with the last sentence of the next paragraph “Or perhaps it is simply because cellphones have become everyday wonders – as unremarkable to us as the Great Wall is to those who see it everyday.” This statement could be interpreted as, we take our cell phones for granted, and we don’t contemplate on the aide we receive from our phones on a day-to-day basis. It is made in reference to one of her main arguments, that cell phone use is changing our behavior.
In general, Rosen uses anecdotes to explain the vague points in her article instead of well organized research data, for example the narration of a scene from the movie Cellular in paragraph 9 in order to show how conceiving a cellphone as a lifeline can encourage irrational behavior. This writing style reenacts the example in a reader’s head giving him/her an idea of the point the author is trying to make.

Comment on Week of November 10-14th & Blog Response Assignment by ssinghq

ssinghq — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:05:14 +0000

According to Rosen, cell phones have both advantages and disadvantages. People usually use their cell phones for convenience, safety, and to have better social life. Rosen describes in her article how in Slovakia, people are using cell phones to remotely switch on the heat before they get back home. Paramedics use camera phones to send ahead to hospitals pictures of the incoming injuries.
According to the article, more than ninety percent of cell phone users also report that owning a cell phone makes them feel safer. For example, CTIA reports that in 2001 nearly 156,000 wireless emergency calls were made every day. Individuals use their cell phone to call for assistance when their car breaks down or plans go awry.
Rosen believes that people socialize better with the increasing use of cell phone. In one way this increasing use of cell phone is good because people talk to people they already know; hence, making their social bonds stronger. Sociologist and psychologist explain that people feel they are not being included in society if they don’t always answer the phone. Therefore, people always answer their cell phone because they feel more socially accepted in the contemporary society. It can be said that this extensive use of cell phones in the society to socialize has become a vital part of modern culture.
Where cell phones have all these uses and advantages, Rosen also brings up a lot of disadvantages of the use of cell phones. She says that phones are weakening the traditional bonds of authority. Use of cell phones is also coming up with unintended consequences such as declaring divorce on cell phone which is considered as shame in some countries where marriage is religious, holy, and may be irreversible process. Obsessive text messaging and talking on phone has lead to numerous car accidents. It is also violating our everyday sense of normal behavior. People use cell phones and get engaged in their personal conversations in public place.

Comment on Week of November 10-14th & Blog Response Assignment by chkimi2

chkimi2 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:45:07 +0000

Why do people use cell phones? According to Rosen, the most chosen answer is convenience. Many people in many different countries have their own reasons on why their cell phone is convenient. Mostly it is used as shortcuts. From heating up homes to confirming taxes through text messages, cell phones have been letting us know and do things faster and easier. Cell phones also help many people in all kinds of occupations. From paramedics to construction workers, it makes their job a little bit easier and faster. Why bother to even buy a camera? Now-a-days every phone basically has a camera. It’s also helpful because they can send it to others right away. There’s no need to upload and send. For the everyday person, cell phones just simply make life much easier. As Rosen says, you can appointments whenever you have the time or to find out where a friend may be.
Another reason why people use cell phones is because it makes them feel safe. Cell phones are there with us whenever we need it, even in an emergency. People can call for help right away in any situation. A good situation would be car problems. If you’re in an accident or have car problems, you can call someone right away for help. Rosen speaks of cell phones during 9-11. It’s very sad, but because of cell phones, dying people were able to say good bye to their family and loved ones. *crycry* Same thing applied to the hijackings. Cell phones have become such a big part of our lives that we can’t live without it. It makes people feel unsafe and lost without their cell phones. Because cell phones help ensure safety, many parents have been giving kids cell phones. If they ever need to contact or tell their kids something, they can just call and find out. Many parents are paranoid, which results to monitoring their children with cell phones. Cell phone usage is different for each sex. According to Rosen, she says that men are more talkative on cell phones, but they mostly use it for business talk while for the women its more social talk. Many men also use their phones to show off their status in front of women.
Last but not least, Rosen says cell phones are creating new forms of social and political networking. Because most phones now have internet access, people can update their works. The cell phone is becoming more and more apart of us as time goes on. Soon all wired phones will be gone. Cell phones also help you locate friends that are near you. Or according to Rosen, you can meet new people that you’re near. Cell phones are also good for political organizers. It’s been used to send news around and to even protest.
Although cell phones can be a positive thing, it can also be a negative thing. A major concern that we still deal with today is driving while talking on cell phones. In a reading we did earlier this semester, we learned about how the language part of brain should only do one thing at a time. When we drive and talk on the phone, that part of our brain is forced to split which outputs weaker results. This caused bills to be passed and some states even made it necessary to use headsets. Viruses are also a big problem with cell phones. They can be virtual viruses…and real viruses. Some doctors in an Israeli hospital had phones that were contaminated with bacteria. Phones have also become vulnerable to viruses through the web. Now that many phones can access the internet, they can also access the viruses that come with it. People use cell phones so much that people have become addicted to it. Many students who owns phones constantly use their phone wherever they are. Whenever they don’t have their phones, they can’t stand it. Unfortunately, cell phones also help wives and husbands commit adultery. It also causes the spread of porn shot by people with their cell phones. There was a big problem where people were taking pictures of others in locker rooms, bathrooms, and dressing rooms. With cell phones becoming more and more advanced, we’re bound to face more and new dangers of cell phones.

Comment on Week of November 10-14th & Blog Response Assignment by namatirai

namatirai — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:09:18 +0000

Response to Question 1

According to Rosen the primary reasons why people use cell phones is because they are convenient and cellphones make them feel safe.Cellphones are convient in the sense that you can use them to communicate anywhere and at anytime,like when paramedics use camera phones to send ahead to hospitals pictures of the incoming injuries.
Cellphones make people feel safe because in case of emergency they can call for help.Rosen gave a good example of how individuals use cellphones to call for assistance when a car breaks down or plans go awry.
Another primary reason pointed out by Rosen is the use of cellphones for personal security.Parents now check up on there kids use cellphone tho Rosen says this is not a good way too check up on your kids.People also use cellphones to communicate.
The primary dangers of using cellphone is that they change people’s behaviours and also they make people talk about there private lives in public.cellphone also reduce the level of socialising people tend to speak to the people they know and don’t make new friends.
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