Caldwell1

KelseaCaldwell
Mrs.Crichton
APLanguagePeriod5
4April2014
TechnologicalIsolationism
Itisfascinatinghowasingleinventioncanbecomesodeeplyintegratedintohumansociety.
Whatwasonceabulkymassofwiresandcodenowactsasaprimaryaspectofthemedia,culture,and
industriesofmanythirdworldcountries.Computersareeverywheretheyhaveleaptfromtheconfined
officedesktothecalculatorinonesbackpack,theGPSinonescar,andthephoneinonespocket.
Associetysdependenceuponcomputersbecomeslessandlessdeniable,themoreevidentitbecomes
thatsocialmediaironicallylengthensthesocialisolationbetweenhumans.
Evenwithglobalcommunicationattheswipeofafinger,themosttechnologicallysavvy
individualsareincapableofconversingwithlovedonesacrossthetablefromthem.Intodaysworld,I
couldeasilysnapchatmyfriendfromZimbabwe,fivebillionmilesawayandacrosstheocean,backand
forth,butifrequiredtosocializewithaclassmatefacetoface,Iaminforeignterritory.Inrecentyears,
thenumberofdivorcesinAmericahasrisenfromamere15%inthelate50stoastaggering38%in
2014,directlyproportionaltotheincreasingpopularityofiPhones,whichrosefroma0%ofpopulation
withownershipinthelate50sto22%ownershipin2014,andvariousothertechnologies.Thisdata
indicatestheacquiredhumandisabilitytointeractinanyformmoreintimatethanviaTwitterasaresult
ofthecomputerage.Somearguecomputersexpandcommunicationtobefactandeasilyaccessible
evenbetweenassociatesacrossthecountry,butnotonlyaretheseindividualsattemptingtomasktheir
guiltoverthe100,000
+
followerstheyhaveonInstagram,theyarealsorefusingtoaccountforthe
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millionsofgrandmotherswhoarestillnavigatingtheirwaysthroughMyspace.Theretheyare,sitting
directlyacrossthediningtablefromtheirgrandchildrenwhoarefuriouslytappingawayandtryingto
beattheirhighscoresonFlappyBird,buttheymightaswellbeamillionmilesaway.Thesepoor,
helplessgrandmotherslongtomessageasimpleHello(orasclosetoitastheycouldgetwiththose
darnedbuttoncontraptions)tolittleSuzyorTommyandtalkwiththeirdarlinggrandchildren,butinstead
accidentallysendanuncomfortablyclosepictureoftheirthumbtoUncleFredinNorthCarolina(notas
thoughSuzyorTommyevenhadaMyspaceaccount,whichissooo2002).Whocouldpossiblywish
toputtheirgrandparentsthroughthatstruggle?
Thealienationamongstindividualstodaywasforeshadowedearlyonbycalculators.Oneofthe
earliestformsofthecomputer,calculatorsweredesignedasahelpfulaidtomakemathquickerand
simpler.Calculatorsbecameinstantlypopularandwereconstantlyreinventedtobesleeker,faster,and
performmorefunctionswithhigherqualitygraphics.Soontheybecameanessentialpartofeverydaylife
andeducation,mycalculusteachereventoldmeagraphingcalculatorwouldberequiredtopassthe
nextexam.Manymodernstudentsusecalculatorsforsimpletaskssuchasmultiplyingbecauseitis
easier,andeveryonecanrememberthedevastatingtimetheyforgottheircalculatorandspenttheday
wandering,lostandconfused,vulnerableeven.Whatwasoncemeanttoaidcalculationsnowhindersit,
causingsocietytodependuponittothepointwherethecalculatoristreatedasanadditionallimb,with
vital,lifegivingbloodcoursingthroughitswireveins.Asthesocialbranchofthesametree,phonesand
othervesiclesoftheinternetofferthesamefateascalculators,obstructingtheindividuals
communicationskillsinawaycorrespondenttothecalculatorseffectonmathematics.Without
regulation,smartphoneswillbrainwashthefuturegenerationssoastoleavephonesastheonlycreatures
ofintellectleftontheplanetwhichwillthenleadtotheorganizationofanAndroidruntotalitarian
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governmentandthedestructionofinferiorhumanbeingswholackthecommunicationalskillstoplana
rebellion.Ineffect,societystechnologicaldependencywillultimatelycausethedownfallofmankindand
enslavementtotheTerminator.
Computersareatree,branchingoutintonumerousfieldsoflifeandentanglingitsrootsdeep
intothebackboneofsociety.Whilecomputersputtheworldatonesfingertipsandrevolutionize
culturesaroundtheglobe,theyareexcessivelyintegratedintomodernlifetothepointwherethe
withdrawalofsuchtechnologywouldemphasizethesocialisolationismadoptedbythecurrent
generation.Withthegrowinginfluenceofcomputerscomesahumanracewhichonlyrecognizesaface
throughaglowingcomputerscreen.

Relfection:
1. Howdoesyourvoiceshinethroughinyouressay?Whatimpressiondoesitgiveyourreader?
MyvoiceshinesthroughthepersonaltouchesandinjectionsofhumorIincorporated.
2. Whatwordsandphrasesdidyouusetopullthereaderforwardthroughyouressay?Iused
slightlysatiricalcontenttohumorandattractreaders.
3. Howdoyoudemonstratethatyouarecredible,butdonottakeyourselftooseriously?I
establishcredibilitythroughmyprofessionaltone.
4. Howdoesyouressayaddtoyourreadersknowledgeandexperiences?Ithighlightsthesociety
oftodaywhichreliesheavilyontechnology.
5. Whatuniqueperspectivedoyouofferyourreaders?Ioffermyopinionsontheroleof
technologytoday.
6. Isyourdictionprecise,fresh,andengaging?Yes.
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7. Howdoyoudemonstrateagoodsenseofyouraudience?Ireferenceanumberofpopular
mediatopicstotargettechnologicallyfriendlyreaders.
8. Doesyouressaysoundlikeonecompleteunit?Yes.
9. Areyourdetailsconcreteandselective?Yes.
10. Whattype(s)ofimagerydoesyourdictioncreate?(Visual,Auditory,Olfactory,Tactile,
Gustatory)Iusevisualimagery.
11. Whattechniquesdoyouusetomakeyourwritingsoundeffortless?Ikeeparelaxed,slighty
conversationaltone
12. Howdoyoudemonstratecontrolofgrammar,punctuation,usage,andformatinyouressay?I
usedstandardMLAformatandIusedphraseswhichbestfitforthestyleandtoneofmyessay.
13. Howdoesyouressaysappearancecommunicateahighlevelofprofessionalism?Myessayis
instandardMLAformat.
14. Whataboutyouressayareyouparticularlyproudof?Iamproudofmyincorporationof
fallaciesandsatiricalessay.