HW 25 - Story Comments and Analysis

To Dinorah,

"The third time was actually my first time. And it was like her thirtieth time. I knew it because those guys around me told me their night adventures with her. Then I felt disgusted."

I like this part a lot, because usually people values "first time" and called it cool. But when his third time is count as the "first time", he seems to hate it. Very ironic.

To Richard,

This is a very confusing stories, because in some ways it seems like he is a cool person since he has some insights about the world. Also, he thinks and be aware of things around him. But what makes him very lame was that he doesn't care about this and that. Although in class we mentioned "not care" is an element that is consider "cool". In your story, it doesn't seem that way. "Not caring" about "anything seriously" actually makes him a very lame person to me.

You have a very good point in your story that sometimes not caring is not necessary "cool" all the time.

To John,

I think the part that Ryan passed the note to David was not that "cool". Maybe texting and take out the phones when they are not supposed to make more sense in terms of "cool" in my definition. Anyway, I think you got the element of being cool in this story.

To Andy,

I agreed with John also this story it is somehow very mysterious. You create the characters that could have so many possibilities, and the readers did not get all sides of them. (I didn’t even see any names in this story, which it shows what I mean.)

The story is very plain in a way, but I do see the idea of cool in here. But whether the guy who is staring at clouds is cool, or the guy who plays video games and sign on aim, I don’t think you draw the line clear in this story.

To me, they are both not cool regarding on my definition. xD

To Sandy,

Wow, Sandy. I really like this story just like all the ones above me. Based on my definition of cool, I do think the character that you are depicting is cool. I really like the way that you show but don’t tell in this story, and most of the description is well enough for the others to see she is cool.

Although you did not intend to tell the readers what’s going on at the end, it makes Lynette a very mysterious character. Is she pretending to be tough in front of the friends? Or is it something personal that she wouldn’t share. In this case, I do see that she does care about her situation inside, but externally, she is not showing that she doesn’t care but just decided not to tell.

Very nice story, it defines cool differently over all the stories that I have read.

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One pattern that I see throughout all the stories that I have read is to be special and make a commitment to your own self. All these characters that I have read are very truthful to who they want to be, and never intended to be somebody else. They have their own ideas of being “cool”, or did not even intended to be cool but others view them as “cool”. Somehow they just act different over the rest of the crowds and they do not have to be popular from what I see throughout all the stories. What it really makes them cool, is to have attention from certain people. Just like what we discussed in class before that being cool is just depending on the “groups” that you are in. In certain groups, you might be super cool, but in the other group, they might view you as not that cool or lame.

Like in Andy and Richard’s stories, there are only two characters in it. So the reader cannot really say being popular is consider cool. But all you can draw from that is that they are special, and they are somebody that you do not necessarily see over the rest of the group. But while being special and cool, in other words different from the others, they are somehow the same as the ones who admired them. However, often times, the characters do not really realized that they are actually the same. Because most of us, as human always think we are special and think we are different from the others. Always looking for the better and wanted to be superiors to have control over certain things.

Overall, Sandy, Dinorah, and John’s stories have certain crowds/groups that people are in, and they play a role as the archetypes. Either the peacemaker, or the badass, they do have their own characteristics depending on the archetypes. This contradicts with the “being special” idea of consider cool, because although they are special. They are not necessary the only one, they are just one of the typical in the group. If the “cool” one hangs out with his similar types, it would be bunch of the same types. Although it did not mentioned in most of the stories, I will assume that the one who is cool must have someone that they look up to. None of the idea of “being cool” seems to be pure, it is more of like a combination of the ideas of your own and from the others.

From all these patterns of being the special one, plays a role, be different…etc., the major pattern of being cool is to pursuit a certain sense of pride from the others as a satisfaction of being accepted, and thus it proves you once existed. It is not about right or wrong, it is about a way of living then pass down to the next generation and modifies it as another way of living. Either copying the others or being your own self, within all, people are just being who they are and reaching for the “mythic” state of living.

HW 24 - Short Story 1

When Pakho snaps a picture of the beautiful sunset and planning to upload it when he gets home, he saw one of the class clown passing by that caused him to giggle.

“Ha…what a loser.”

The wind blows through Pakho and the class clown Eddie as they walk pass by each other. Meanwhile, the tiny small sunlight cause the cloud to completely separate from each other. The dark ones and the dark orange ones, all blend in together hanging upon the sky.

Simultaneously, Shawn walks out from a fashion shop and saw Pakho, one of the good friends.

“Have you seen the Olympus PEN E-P2 yet?”
“Yeah, the electronic view finder is hot!”
“Right. They are mailing it to me; I probably will receive it by tomorrow.”
“You want to check out what I just bought?”
“Sure.”
“Wow, this ‘Levi’s 501 Unbuttoned’ fits you so much man.”
“Where are you going now?
“I will head to DJ Becareful’s new opening bar to cheer for him.”
“Another new bar?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, have a good time; I am going home to upload some of my new pictures. Check them out.”
“Sure! Nice Subcrew X Clot Cap!”
“Thanks.”

While the MacBook Pro is turning on, Pakho takes off his JS Wings and grabs his guitar to play few notes. Sits down on his little couch, grabs the USB and starts uploading his new updated photos, 1000 comments from the old post. Mostly are from the girls.

Smiles a little, upload succeed.

Signs in Maskbook, uploads his new modeling pictures for some known brands. Fingers typed in http://www.clotinc.com/ and sees himself being the CEO of the brand in his head.

Goes back to Maskbook page and looking at what’s going on to the people in his school.

Lame. This is stupid. Boring. Living in the age of dinosaurs. Not COOL.

Checks out the anonymous blog that he usually goes, and loves almost every line this person writes.

Lights dim, shower, sleep.

Sunrise, puts on the clothes that he usually wears and sprays some perfume. Put on his bags, goes out and shoot.

Walking along the beach and saw his friends Shawn and the class clown Eddie. Even DJ Becareful is there. Fishing.

As he walks over and greets his friends, his eyes are wide open and have a question mark face to his friend Shawn. Winds blow on him and the sunlight has a very soft orange and a darker orange reflected to the clouds. All combines into one hanging on the sky.

“Hey, I know. But seriously fishing doesn’t mean it is not cool. It is one of DJ Becareful’s favorite activities.”
“Oh! Cool. I still have to shoot a few more photos. See you and have a good one.”
“Hey, I like your camera. Check out my blogs, we can be friends.”
“Sure. I am trying this new one that I just got it this morning.”
“Oh, I got it too. But I didn’t open the box yet.”
“Nice! I’ll check it tonight. See you all.”

Walk passing the cooler ones and the chilly winds are like sharp pins blowing through him. His shadows fade away.

Goes back home and signs in his blog account. Saw DJ Becareful’s fishing pictures and his new bar pictures. Right on the left corner, there are some recommend links that DJ Becareful post. One of them is exactly the same as the ones he used to go everyday by some unknown person. But DJ Becareful named the link differently; it said Eddie – very cool insightful writer.

Right at this moment, Pakho is absolute defeated.

The cool game is OVER.

HW 23 - 1st Constructivist Exploration of Cool

Cool steals your identity and creativity. Often times when you are trying to fit in and be cool, you begin to lose yourself. Not that because you are not cool, but you are just consider not cool in certain groups or usually the majorities. Then this makes you want to be cool as them so you look alike compared to the “cool” person and at that point, you are no longer original and pure. By doing this, you did not just lose yourself; you blind yourself to the fullest at the same time towards your own creativity. You might think being cool sometimes have to be special and typical, but then you would ask then why I am not cool? Is cool really tried to be special after all? But being the same only labels you nothing else cooler other than just a follower. Everybody is cool, but you make yourself not cool because you join the majority. If nobody supports the one and only, everybody is cool, nobody is cool.

Cool reflects your vulnerability, you are lame. I asked myself why people always support the only one that they admired but not trying to be cooler than their “icon or hero”. Does this reflect you are vulnerable and you are just impossible to be better? Or it shows you know how to appreciate or flatter? Being a follower or a fan of somebody does not make you look cool but reveals your weaknesses somehow. Because you cannot be better, that’s why you will never be the lead. Perhaps you are looking for the better and use that to create something else. Is just like putting sentences or quotes in another word and say it is yours. Does this mean everybody is plagiarizing? This does not only lessen the possibilities of being creative, it makes the world having mirrors all around that reflects you. Aren’t that’s what we all once wish for? World Peace.

Cool is a commitment, meaning no freedom. It seems like this is the only word that can leads you to be accepted and make a living. Therefore, even this word does not worth anything other than just 4 letters, you value them. If you have your own product, but nobody buys them, you fail. This means everybody have to be cool in whatever the group’s definition is, and live on from that. It almost seems like an investment, you have to invest the word “cool” to live. The moment you were born, this word is already being tie to you, and there is no way out. This is the only way to live, be cool. The toughest life style. What a tragedy.

Cool directs you to the maze. Now in the class, most people might have wonder what this word mean. But who knows exactly what that means? Aren’t we all just swim along with the flow? Not only thinking about this is complicated, it almost seems as it leads you to a maze that you will never find a way out. You or I don’t know what cool really is and we will never know. You have your own definition, and I have mine. Maybe it looks like an equal sign between our definitions, but you will never fully know or learn my meaning. Yes, this doesn’t mean anything or have any values. Nevertheless, the most complicated words that I find it hard to explore from seem to start with the “C” also. Who makes it so contradictive and complicated? Why is it so complex? C is not like the "O", it makes you walk half of the circle, and never be able to walk back to where you start from. This is not cool.

HW 21 - Art Project 1

Transformation

Poladroid (looks more like "photograhphy" now...)

1. Is your art a hammer or a mirror? Why?

Looking at the photos that I took, I think it is both a hammer and a mirror. But of course, mirror comes first. Many of the ideas are based on the unit and I believe it really did reflect our perceptions and how we view the world. Therefore, it makes my photos a mirror that shows how people acts in the world towards digitalization. Then, rather the photos are a hammer or not, I think it is not really for me to decide. But to me, I think somehow it did send out some messages to the others regardless whether it is strong enough to shape the others, it is not really for me to say or to judge on.

2. Does your art make you fink and theel? What are some of your own reactions to your art?

At first, when I was jotting down ideas about how to set the scenes up and do some shootings, I think that part went very well. Especially after I went to the library to look at many photos from different sources, I got more ideas of making the art project to happen with some confidents. But when I actually want to get started to do the actual work, there are many difficulties that keeps happening to me (fail to make fake blood, lack of professional scenes and props…etc.) which it bothers me a lot to a point that I am close to give up on it. When I am done and try to edit all the photos, it gets even more frustrated because I realized the first picture that I took is totally unrelated to “digital”. But I decided to upload it because I think it is the similar idea that now a day many things that we used are just a representation of reality and we are not very interacting with the actual reality. So I think somehow it is relevant to the digital unit if people look at it as a metaphorical perspective. Overall, it turned out to be something else that I did not expect to make, and my reactions towards my art is simply a disappointment. Not only that I do not like it, it also leads me to see my weakness in many ways.

3. What was the most interesting aspect of your making of the art?

The most interesting aspect of making the art is to imagine and face the reality. Before making the actual product, all the images and the art piece in mind is pretty satisfying, and I still do believe my ideas are pretty good while i was dreaming. But what is more interesting and upsetting, is that I am lack of the strength to make it happen. I realized that not only that I am imagining too much for being childish, I am unable to put everything together to form my imagination into the actual art piece. I totally lack of the strength to bring out what is in my mind to real life and I have found another weakness in me while doing this art project. I should have learned that people should not expect too much and live through their imagination, and I should know that there is a gag between hallucination and reality. Anyway, this art project is awakening. Not towards the others, but to myself personally.

Knowing there was a chance to do something more than just typing words and upload it as a post, it is very excited. I actually enjoy doing this type of assignments more than the others, and it is way more challenging than I thought it is. Although it did not meet my own standard, I am glad that I saw my own failure. So now I learned.

This is not COOL! :(

Few Notes for Who May Want to Know:

• the photo with the flower and perfume, it is really just a picture that tries to send out the message that people actually prefer something that can help them to alienate from the reality more than interacting with the reality (although it is flower vs. perfume, you can also look at the flower as people hanging out and chatting, and the perfume as a cell phone talking through air)
• the photo with 2 usb port, this picture is trying to bring out the message that people now a day no longer need to remember things and the usb will actually enlarge their memories when they insert the usb into the port
• the camera lens in the eye is probably the most obvious one, what is really saying was that people use their cameras to capture the meaningful moments instead of witnessed and enjoy it with their own eyes first, what is more important is to show off what is being captured, not what they really see
• the reflection one is the one that I do not like the most, but what I am trying to do is to make a person who look at the mirror and found their own reflection that it is not really themselves, but a person's identity that got taken and replaced by various of brands
• the last one is one of the picture that is on my dislike list, but what it is trying to portray is that in order for a person to live, it is not really from eating but from the charge of the computers, we need the computers to keep us alive

If I did succeed in bringing out these messages above

without typing this long description but through the images,

then the photos are considered ART to me.

HW 22 - Big Paper Final Draft

Introduction

In this generation, digitalization has played a big role in our lives. Not just the teens, even adults and some seniors have been using these digital representational devices obsessively to keep up with the society’s pace. We did not only abuse these efficient devices that can make our life more convenient, we used them conventionally for everyday life as a necessity. Most of us immerse ourselves into these addicting devices, and came to the conclusion that these dead objects are the murderer of our intelligence. No doubt that we rely on these devices the most now a day, but what we don’t realize was that we are the one who can actually decide whether to use it or not. Moreover, these attitudes could form us into varies of ways such as disvaluing the precious things, blame others for our own fault, and avoid the truth behind reality. Many of us attempt to blame the digital representational devices have directed us to the trail of stupidity while the digital representational devices are the real victim that got censured.

Argument # 1

While inviting or avoiding the digital representational devices into our daily life, we only pay the center attention to the objects, not much of ourselves. In the book Feed by M.T. Anderson, he used allegory to enhance the idea that the feed (DRDs) have made us into ignorant, and it caused people to lost the ability to think. However, he did not address the real cause and effect that has turned the teenagers into ignorant. He did depicts some characters especially Titus who obsessively used the feed in his daily life. He also mentioned the habits of teenagers using these digital representational devices. But he never claimed that we, human are the one who caused ourselves to be stupid. All he stated is the feed that caused the problem.

Although he talked about how people are abusing these DRDs, and illustrates the way people are using them deeply, he did not seem to think it is our own fault. One quote from his book was “Nobody knows. The feed is tied into everything. Your body control, your emotions, your memory. Everything. Sometimes feed errors are fatal. (Anderson, 2009)” This shows that he thinks the feed is causing the dangerous in a regular digital teen, not the teen themselves. Perhaps, he does not want the readers to feel offended by his perspective. Therefore, he writes in a tone demonstrating the teens as the victim. Nevertheless, making the teen to realize their own mistakes for overusing the DRDs, it could harm them, but not telling them the roots of the problem, it forms the teens to have the attitude to blame the others. They will no longer have the tendency to be self critical about themselves for not looking for the momentum to think while there are available sources that are for them to simply search from.

Argument # 2

Additionally, from the book Everything Is Bad For You by Steven Johnson, he also writes in a perspective that only focused on the digital representational devices, but not on us. Throughout the excerpt that I read, Steven John claimed that video games, television, and Internet are actually good for us. He tried to break through the wall of how the dominant culture thinks and he argued that these things are actually making us smarter in different ways in terms of how we think. Although he did not have the tendency to blame these DRDs, he is directing his attention towards the objects, not the human. This means, when the DRD turns out to be wrong or having errors that affected us negatively, we will directly blame the devices, not ourselves for causing it.

Especially when he talks about the video games that catch our attention because there are obstacles to overcome and they are not actually having “fun”, he is saying that when people are playing games, “what you actually do in playing a game – the way your mind has to work – is radically different; it’s about finding order and meaning in the world, and making decisions that help create the order.” In other words, video games will somewhat help people to deal with problems in real life other than just having “fun”. However, these solutions may not always apply to real situations that people might face in life. If it directs the person to cause even more problems, the DRDs soon become an excuse that people will use for unable to resolve whatever they are facing. Even the video games might be able to suggest some great tips about life that people can use, people start to take these things for granted and stop pushing themselves to think.

This may seem obvious that it is the digital representational devices’ fault for assisting DRD users to form the habit of relying and using it as an excuse, but what people don’t realized is actually themselves who is leading themselves to the trail of stupidity. Steven Johnson did not blamed the DRDs for causing the problem, but he neither said it was our own fault, which it prevents the reader to reach the state of self-revelation.

Argument 3:

Furthermore, we all make excuses for our own fault and we refused to admit to the fact that our intelligence is killed by our own hands. One of the article that I read called Is Google Making Us Stupid by Nicholas Carr, it is directly blaming how now in modern days these massive sources on the Internet prevents people from reading books for a long period of time. Moreover, it shapes people’s habit to skim through lines instead of actually reading it. First of all, what is a better reason for reading books over reading researches online? The whole purpose of a book existed, is for people to read. What is the juicy part of the books are the words or quotes that the author brought to us. Therefore, this applies to articles online too.

The main goal of reading either from books or from the sources through Googling is to learn and to expand our perspective about the world and ourselves. Either it is from the book or through a screen; it will be exactly the same. What it actually matters are our habit of reading the texts. While Nicholas Carr blamed Google for making us stupid, what it really causing the problem is people’s own habit of reading not the object itself. “Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged”. This quote reveals how Carr believes reading texts on the Internet could distract people from focusing on reading, which it lowers people’s ability to interpret and make rich connections.

This is a perfect example of how human did not realize their own mistakes but blame the DRDs for causing it. If the reading is well interested enough whether it is from a real book or through the internet, there is no such thing that book is better than the sources on the internet because one has more distractions. Reading a book definitely has the possibility of having distractions from the environment also. By using the DRDs or not using it, we often view ourselves as the victims of the matter, and have the tendency to blame for causing the effects.

Argument #4

When we are blaming the digital representational devices are making us into ignorance, we don’t realize they are just objects that made out of human hands and it caused no harm, we are really the one who is in control. In Feed, the teenagers rely on feed to do everything for them, and therefore they do not think. They take what has been offer for granted and they do not learn how to manage things for themselves. Because feed solves all the difficulties and make their life easier, they get lazier to think for themselves and allow it to completely dominant their life. It is not the feed that caused them to be stupid, it is the way they rely on the DRDs that caused them to be ignorance, which it shows they did not realized their own mistakes and to just to blame.

If they have more self awareness like Violet, one of the characters in the book who realized feed has dominant her life, they will have more self critical. “Everything I think of when I think of really living, living to the full – all my ideas are just the opening credits of sitcoms. See what I mean? My idea of life, it’s what happens when they’re rolling the credits. My god. What am I, without the feed? It’s all from the feed credits. My idea of real life.” If the teenagers think as Violet, being more self-critical, they will realize their own true mistakes that they are the one who opens the door for letting the feed to dominant their life. Although in the book, the teenagers did not blame the feed yet, but it is obvious that they are ignorance. It is expected that they will not realized their mistakes because they do not even know how to think.

As a result of this phenomenon, we can predict that these teenagers will blame the feed in their future when it becomes a problem for them. Because they do not realized they have the actual “control” over what to do, they just keep relying on these digital representation devices to solve their difficulties. But what they don’t realize is that these DRDs are unable to solve their problems for overusing the devices, and the only way to get out of the obstacle is to think for their own. Since they let feed to dominant their life, the way they sees it is the feed that is controlling them, not themselves controlling the feed.

Argument #5

During the interview that I have with the pass by on the street, around 30 years old, male, he realized it is not the digital representational devices’ fault, but human. He claimed that, “people do not know how to use it and they just filled it with crap”. This shows that we as human are the one who is really in control over the DRDs, not the other way around. When he said “do not know how to use it”, he meant that people do not know the true meaning of the DRDs’ existence, and they just take everything for granted. If people learn and really use it effectively, soon they will realize the DRD could actually assist them to be smarter instead of leading them to the trail of stupidity. It is because many people do not know “how to use it”; they do not know how to manage using the DRDs, and starts to rely on it. If people realized they should not rely or let the DRDs to completely dominant their lives, they will soon realize they are the one who is controlling the objects to help them. Just as the person that I interview said, the DRDs are actually “a great source to look for information” if people know how to use it.

Argument #6:

Similar to the book Feed, a song by a band named Bad Religion called “21st Century Boy” who also blamed the digital representational devices is the cause of people being ignorance. This song basically talks about how the DRDs have dominant people’s lives and they no longer know how to read, and it just make people getting stupider. Lines like “I don’t know how to read but I got a lot of toys”, it really shows how most people do not realized the fact that these “toys” do not have legs or hands that controls us in certain ways. What it is really causing it, is the way we consume to these “toys” and used it obsessively to allow it to take over our lives even identity. Another line like “I don’t want it, the things you’re offering me, symbolized bar code, quick ID”, it shows that people do not realize that they have the right to choose whether to take the “offer” or not. All they know is that the DRDs have dominant and replace their identity, but do not know they can actually change that. While people are blaming the digital devices, they do not realize they are the ones, who are in control, not the objects that caused no harm.

Connection & Significance

If people keep making the mistakes and refused to realize it is their own fault, soon this will become an even more dangerous phenomenon than obsessively using the digital representational devices. As we all see now a day in this society, the way people value things are definitely insane. Everybody carry their cell phones with them even when they are in the park or hanging with their friends. Additionally, student texting in class is another image that people can often see now a day. This show how people starts to value things differently. While they could have enjoyed the beautiful day and the great surroundings they are at, they rather spend time on staring at the screen. People no longer learn how to appreciate and starts to take things for granted. Moreover, people will start to train themselves with the habit relying on the others to do the things for them. If everybody tempt to think of the idea that “somebody is going to do it”, then nobody will contribute to the society and this will no longer be digital corrupted, but also socially corrupted.

Not only that people will stop taking responsibilities for the others and themselves, they will start to avoid reality sooner or later. Since now a day the digital representation devices are getting more advances for people to use, many people no longer live in the actual reality. They could blame the DRDs for making them stupid, and they could simply rely on these devices to do the work. But if they keep refusing to face the reality, the reality will soon deal with them. They did not only prevent themselves from the guilt for leading themselves to the trail of stupidity, they also start to train themselves to live in a world that alienates them from the reality. Many of us might think we will be able to run away from our mistakes and just keep live their lives ignoring the problems. But if people keep echoing the same actions in everyday life and form into a habit, this will become an endless chain that people can keep on blaming the others for making their own mistakes.

Opposing View Point

Another way of looking at this is that it is not really the human’s fault. We are not the "murderer of our own intelligence" and it is the "dead objects' fault". The world needs to improve, and that requires experiments. Therefore, when these products are being made accidentally, and it works conveniently, why not using it? This also means when it breaks or it affects us negatively, it is the DRDs’ fault even though we invented it. Because we are just “trying” it as an experiment to make the world a better place, and the DRDs are simply coincident inventions. We do have to keep the world running, and even though the DRDs might be harming us in some ways, there always should be solution for the problem. We do realized we are the one who is in control, but these DRDs do have a lot of power over us because we need to use them and rely on it most of the time in order to make everything more efficient and faster.

In addition, people did focus on the way they used the digital representational devices and they are aware of the issue. People do realize their mistakes, but not fully to a point that is powerful enough to make a change. Many times people do recognize their own mistakes especially when most of us have learned and discussed about this digital unit in the class, but why they are still not strong enough to change us? It is not that we do not know it is our fault, including myself while writing this paper, but why I am keep making the same mistakes? This reflects that there are people who are aware of this issue and it definitely leads to another issue to talk about why people making the same mistake even they do realize it. My theory about this further issue was that it is just the way of living, and most people do not want to dig for more problems when they are comfortable of being who they are at the period of time. When it actually comes by them, people could make a change as quick as a blink of the eye.

Lastly, I do like Andy L.’s comment about “you can't really put blame on someone being stupid”. For my paper, I think I did not draw the line between being “stupid for not knowing it” and “blame” clearly. When I write the paper, I did not really think about this point. But I do agree with Andy that there are people who are simply ignorant and they are not blaming, they just don’t know what is going on. There is definitely a difference between someone who knows their mistakes and blames the others and someone who completely don’t realize their mistakes. Thus, I think I could have clarified more specific on the targets that I am focusing on in this paper. It is definitely not the ones who do not know their mistakes’ fault for blaming, but the ones who do know but blame the others.

Conclusion

As the digital generation keeps going on and on, people did not only refuse to realize their own mistakes, they are blaming the digital representational devices as the murder of their intelligence. This is not only a reflection of people's bad attitude towards refusing to take their own responsibilities; it also shows how people avoid reality in these days. If this continuously happen and people do not admit their own mistakes, they will soon be the murderer of their own wisdom. It is as blaming your own child for causing such inconvenient when you actually decided to have them.

Work Cited:

Bad Religon. “21st Century Digital Boy”. Against the Grain. Westbeach Recorders, Hollywoord, California, 1990.

“Google Is Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr. The Atlantic. July/August 2008.

M.T. Anderson. Feed. United States: Miramax Books. 2002

Steven Johnson. Everything Bad Is Good For You. Riverhead. 2005

HW 20 - Big Paper Revised Draft

Introduction:

In this generation, digitalization has played a big role in our lives. The just teens, even adults and some seniors have been using these digital representational devices obsessively to keep up with society’s pace. We did not just abuse these efficient devices that can make our life more convenient, we became to use them conventionally for everyday life. Most of us immerge ourselves into these addicting devices, and came to the conclusion that these dead objects are the murderer of our intelligence. No doubt that we rely on these devices the most now a day, but what we don’t realize was that we are the one who can actually decide whether to use it or not. Moreover, these attitudes could form us into varies of ways such as disvaluing the precious things, blame others for our own fault, and avoid the truth behind reality. Many of us attempt to blame the digital representational devices have directed us to the trail of stupidity while the digital representational devices are the real victim that got censured.

Argument # 1:(1st Evidence)

While inviting or avoiding the digital representational devices into our daily life, we only concern about the objects, not ourselves. In the book Feed by M.T. Anderson, he used allegory to enhance the idea that the feed (DRDs) have made us into ignorant, and it caused people to lost the ability to think. Throughout the book, he did not address the real cause and effect that has turned the teenagers into ignorant. He did depicts some characters especially Titus who obsessively used the feed in his daily life. He also mentioned the habits of teenagers using these digital representational devices. However, he never claimed that we, human are the one who caused ourselves to be stupid. Although he talked about how people are abusing these DRDs, and illustrates the way people are using them deeply, he did not seem to think it is our own fault. One quote from his book was “Nobody knows. The feed is tied into everything. Your body control, your emotions, your memory. Everything. Sometimes feed errors are fatal.” This shows that he thinks the feed is causing the dangerous in a regular digital teen, not the teen themselves. Perhaps, he does not want the readers to feel offended by his perspective. Therefore, he writes in a tone demonstrating the teens as the victim. Nevertheless, making the teen to realize their own mistakes for overusing the DRDs, it could harm them, but not telling them the roots of the problem, it forms the teens to have the attitude to blame the others. Teens will no longer have the tendency to be self critical about themselves for not looking for the momentum to think while there are available sources that are for them to simply search from.

Argument # 2:(2nd Evidence)

Additionally, from the book Everything Is Bad For You by Steven Johnson, he also writes in a perspective that only focused on the digital representational devices, but not on us. Throughout the excerpt that I read, Steven John claimed that video games, television, and Internet are actually good for us. He tried to break through the wall of how the dominant culture thinks and he argued that these things are actually making us smarter in different ways in terms of how we think. Although he did not have the tendency to blame these DRDs, he is directing his attention towards the objects, not the human. This means, when the DRD turns out to be wrong or having errors that affected us negatively, we will directly blame the devices, not ourselves for causing it. Especially when he talks about the video games that catch our attention because there are obstacles to overcome, he is saying that when people are playing games, “what you actually do in playing a game – the way your mind has to work – is radically different; it’s about finding order and meaning in the world, and making decisions that help create the order.” In other words, video games will somewhat help people to deal with problems in real life. However, these solutions may not always apply to real situations that people might face in life. If it directs the person to cause even more problems, the DRDs soon become an excuse that people will use for unable to resolve whatever they are facing. Even the video games might be able to suggest some great tips about life that people can use, people start to take these things for granted and stop pushing themselves to think. This may seem obvious that it is the digital representational devices’ fault for assisting DRD users to form the habit of relies, but what people don’t realized is actually themselves who is leading themselves to the trail of stupidity. Steen Johnson did not blamed the DRDs for causing the problem, but he neither said it was our own fault, which it prevents the reader to reach the state of self-revelation.

Argument 3: (3rd Evidence)

Furthermore, one of the article that I read called Is Google Making Us Stupid by Nicholas Carr, it is directly blaming how now in modern days these massive sources on the Internet prevents people from reading books for a long period of time. Moreover, it shapes people’s habit to skim through lines instead of actually reading it. First of all, what is a better reason for reading books over reading researches online? The whole purpose of a book existed, is for people to read. What is the juicy part of the books are the words or quotes that the author brought to us. Therefore, this applies to articles online too. The main goal of reading either from books or from the sources through Googling is to learn and to expand our perspective about the world and ourselves. Either it is from the book or through a screen; it will be exactly the same. What it actually matters are our habit of reading the texts. While Nicholas Carr blamed Google for making us stupid, what it really caused the problem is people’s own habit of reading not the object itself. “Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged”. This quote reveals how Carr believes reading texts on the Internet could distract people from focusing on reading, which it lowers people’s ability to interpret and make rich connections. This is a perfect example of how human did not realize their own mistakes but blame the DRDs for causing it. If the reading is well interested enough whether it is from a real book or through the internet, there is no such thing that book is better than the sources on the internet because one has more distractions. Reading a book definitely has the possibility of having distractions from the environment also. By using the DRDs or not using it, we often view ourselves as the victims of the matter, and have the tendency to blame for causing the effects.

Argument #4 (1st Evidence)

When we are blaming the digital representational devices are making us into ignorance, we don’t realize they are just objects that made out of human hands and it caused no harm, we are really the one who is in control. In Feed, the teenagers rely on feed to do everything for them, and therefore they do not think. They take what has been offer for granted and they do not learn how to manage things for themselves. Because feed solves all the difficulties and make their life easier, they get lazier to think for themselves and allow it to completely dominant their life. It is not the feed that caused them to be stupid, it is the way they rely on the DRDs that caused them to be ignorance. If they have more self awareness like Violet, one of the characters in the book who realized feed has dominant her life, they will have more self critical. “Everything I think of when I think of really living, living to the full – all my ideas are just the opening credits of sitcoms. See what I mean? My idea of life, it’s what happens when they’re rolling the credits. My god. What am I, without the feed? It’s all from the feed credits. My idea of real life.” If the teenagers think as Violet, being more self-critical, they will realize their own true mistakes that they are the one who opens the door for letting the feed to dominant their life. Although in the book, the teenagers did not blame the feed yet, but it is obvious that they are ignorance. It is expected that they will not realized their mistakes because they do not even know how to think. As a result of this phenomenon, we can predict that these teenagers will blame the feed in their future when it becomes a problem for them because they do not realized they have control over what to do. Since they let feed to dominant their life, the way they sees it is the feed that is controlling them, not themselves controlling the feed.

Argument #5: (2nd Evidence)

During the interview that I have with the pass by on the street, around 30 years old, male, he realized it is not the digital representational devices’ fault, but human. He claimed that, “people do not know how to use it and they just filled it with crap”. This shows that we as human are the one who is really in control over the DRDs, not the other way around. When he said “do not know how to use it”, he meant that people do not know the true meaning of the DRDs’ existence, and they just take everything for granted. If people learn and really use it effectively, soon they will realize the DRD could actually assist them to be smarter instead of leading them to the trail of stupidity. It is because many people do not know “how to use it”; they do not know how to manage using the DRDs, and starts to rely on it. If people realized they should not rely or let the DRDs to completely dominant their lives, they will soon realize they are the one who is controlling the objects to help them. Just as the person that I interview said, the DRDs are actually “a great source to look for information” if people know how to use it.”

Argument #6: (3rd Evidence)

Similar to the book Feed, a song by a band named Bad Religion called “21st Century Boy” who also blamed the digital representational devices is the cause of people being ignorance. This song basically talks about how the DRDs have dominant people’s lives and they no longer know how to read, and it just make people getting stupider. Lines like “I don’t know how to read but I got a lot of toys”, it really shows how most people do not realized the fact that these “toys” do not have legs or hands that controls us in certain ways. What it is really causing it, is the way we consume to these “toys” and used it obsessively to allow it to take over our lives even identity. Another line like “I don’t want it, the things you’re offering me, symbolized bar code, quick ID”, it shows that people do not realize that they have the right to choose whether to take the “offer” or not. All they know is that the DRDs have dominant and replace their identity, but do not know they can actually change that. While people are blaming the digital devices, they do not realize they are the ones, who are in control, not the objects that caused no harm.

Connection:

If people keep making the mistakes and refused to realize it is their own fault, soon this will become an even more dangerous phenomenon than obsessively using the digital representational devices. As we all see now a day in this society, the way people value things are definitely insane. Everybody carry their cell phones with them even when they are in the park or hanging with their friends. Additionally, student texting in class is another image that people can often see now a day. This show how people starts to value things differently. While they could have enjoyed the beautiful day and the great surroundings they are at, they rather spend time on staring at the screen. People no longer learn how to appreciate and starts to take things for granted.

Significance:

Not only people start to twist the meaning of things and their values, people start to train a bad attitude to blame. If people still refused to realize their mistakes for obsessively using the digital representational devices, but to blame them for making them stupid or in any other way, people soon will get use to this habit of blaming the others and not learn their own mistakes. We all learned and grow because of our own mistakes based on our own experience. If we do not learn how to self critical ourselves a little more, soon many of us will become even more ignorant.

Most importantly, if people do not face the reality earlier or soon, they will be living in a world that is full of fantasy with imaginations. Once people refused to listen from the others and do not think for themselves. Very soon, they will start to avoid reality. Since using the digital representational devices already trained people how to avoid the reality most of the time, people starts to get used to this mode. Which later on, they will not be able to adapt to the reality and live in the real world properly. This is not only insane, it is also dangerous. If people do not know how to respond back to reality, and keep living in their own world. The world will be full of individuals who live in their own little “bubbles”. If people refused to deal with reality, reality will soon deal with them.

Opposing View Point:

Another way of looking at this, it is not really the human’s fault. The world needs to improve, and that requires experiments. Therefore, when these products are being made accidentally, and it works conveniently, why not using it? This also means when it breaks or it affects us negatively, it is the DRDs’ fault even though we invented it. Because we are just “trying” it as an experiment to make the world a better place. We do realized we are the one who is in control, but these DRDs do have a lot of power over us because we need to use them and rely on it most of the time in order to make everything more efficient and faster.

Conclusion:

People did not only refuse to realize their own mistakes, they are blaming the digital representational devices as the murder of their our intelligence. This is not only a reflection of people's bad attitude towards refused to take reponsibilties, it also shows how people avoid reality. If this continously happen and people do not admit their own mistakes, they will soon be the murderer of their own wisdom.

Work Cited:

Bad Religon. “21st Century Digital Boy”. Against the Grain. Westbeach Recorders, Hollywoord, California, 1990.

“Google Is Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr. The Atlantic. July/Agust 2008.

M.T. Anderson. ­Feed. United States: Miramax Books. 2002

Steven Johnson. Everything Bad Is Good For You. Riverhead. 2005

HW 19 - Big Paper Suggestions

Richard,

I think this is great. Your arguements are way more strong than the outline, and I am amazed that you did a lot of outside research to write this rough draft. Overall, I think it is pretty good for a rough draft, but I think you should add sub titles to your paper so it is easier for the reders to read.

By the way, I like the point that you mentioned in Opposing View Points, "the book was made in 2002".

Lastly, I think you should copy and paste it in word, and check your grammar and sp.

Good Job!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Andy,

You need:

-significance

-connnections

-opposing view points

-conclusion

Wow. I like your thesis a lot! Overall, I think your arguements are strong enough to support your thesis. But for the second arguement, third paragraphy, I do see how it connects to your thesis, but I think the arguement is unclear.

I think you should put your arguments in one sentence for every paragraph so it is clear that it supports your thesis. Then talks about your examples or evidence. I think this way will make more sense to the readers. Also tie back to your thesis for every arguement, because when I read it, I keep having to look back at your 1st paragraph to remind me what you are arguing for.Lastly, put sub titles for every paragraph, I'm sure this will help a lot.

I like your third argument a lot, it connects to my paper a little. "We can return to our DRDs, because now we have an excuse to. "

Overall, I like your paper and it is an interesting angle of writing the DRDs that I would like to read about.we know our mistakes and we keep going back to it. what is the solution to that?

By the way, my paper is about people do not realize their mistakes for blaming the DRDs causing them to be ignorant. But yours is like the next step of my paper.

Great Job!

I am looking forward to read the final.

HW 18 - Big Paper Rough Draft

In this generation, digitalization has played a big role in our lives. The just teens, even adults and some seniors have been using these digital representational devices obsessively to keep up with society’s pace. We did not just abuse these efficient devices that can make our life more convenient, we became to use them conventionally for everyday life. Most of us immerge ourselves into these addicting devices, and came to the conclusion that these dead objects are the murderer of our intelligence. No doubt that we rely on these devices the most now a day, but what we don’t realize was that we are the one who can actually decide whether to use it or not. Moreover, these attitudes could form us into varies of ways such as disvaluing the precious things, blame others for our own fault, and avoid the truth behind reality. Many of us attempt to blame the digital representational devices have directed us to the trail of stupidity while the digital representational devices are the real victim that got censured.

While inviting or avoiding the digital representational devices into our daily life, we only concern about the objects, not ourselves. In the book Feed by M.T. Anderson, he used allegory to enhance the idea that the feed (DRDs) have made us into ignorant, and it caused people to lost the ability to think. Throughout the book, he did not address the real cause and effect that has turned the teenagers into ignorant. He did depicts some characters especially Titus who obsessively used the feed in his daily life. He also mentioned the habits of teenagers using these digital representational devices. However, he never claimed that we, human are the one who caused ourselves to be stupid. Although he talked about how people are abusing these DRDs, and illustrates the way people are using them deeply, he did not seem to think it is our own fault. One quote from his book was “Nobody knows. The feed is tied into everything. Your body control, your emotions, your memory. Everything. Sometimes feed errors are fatal.” This shows that he thinks the feed is causing the dangerous in a regular digital teen, not the teen themselves. Perhaps, he does not want the readers to feel offended by his perspective. Therefore, he writes in a tone demonstrating the teens as the victim. Nevertheless, making the teen to realize their own mistakes for overusing the DRDs, it could harm them, but not telling them the roots of the problem, it forms the teens to have the attitude to blame the others. Teens will no longer have the tendency to be self critical about themselves for not looking for the momentum to think while there are available sources that are for them to simply search from.

Additionally, from the book Everything Is Bad For You by Steven Johnson, he also writes in a perspective that only focused on the digital representational devices, but not on us. Throughout the excerpt that I read, Steven John claimed that video games, television, and Internet are actually good for us. He tried to break through the wall of how the dominant culture thinks and he argued that these things are actually making us smarter in different ways in terms of how we think. Although he did not have the tendency to blame these DRDs, he is directing his attention towards the objects, not the human. This means, when the DRD turns out to be wrong or having errors that affected us negatively, we will directly blame the devices, not ourselves for causing it. Especially when he talks about the video games that catch our attention because there are obstacles to overcome, he is saying that when people are playing games, “what you actually do in playing a game – the way your mind has to work – is radically different; it’s about finding order and meaning in the world, and making decisions that help create the order.” In other words, video games will somewhat help people to deal with problems in real life. However, these solutions may not always apply to real situations that people might face in life. If it directs the person to cause even more problems, the DRDs soon become an excuse that people will use for unable to resolve whatever they are facing. Even the video games might be able to suggest some great tips about life that people can use, people start to take these things for granted and stop pushing themselves to think. This may seem obvious that it is the digital representational devices’ fault for assisting DRD users to form the habit of relies, but what people don’t realized is actually themselves who is leading themselves to the trail of stupidity. Steen Johnson did not blamed the DRDs for causing the problem, but he neither said it was our own fault, which it prevents the reader to reach the state of self-revelation.

Furthermore, one of the article that I read called Is Google Making Us Stupid by Nicholas Carr, it is directly blaming how now in modern days these massive sources on the Internet prevents people from reading books for a long period of time. Moreover, it shapes people’s habit to skim through lines instead of actually reading it. First of all, what is a better reason for reading books over reading researches online? The whole purpose of a book existed, is for people to read. What is the juicy part of the books are the words or quotes that the author brought to us. Therefore, this applies to articles online too. The main goal of reading either from books or from the sources through Googling is to learn and to expand our perspective about the world and ourselves. Either it is from the book or through a screen; it will be exactly the same. What it actually matters are our habit of reading the texts. While Nicholas Carr blamed Google for making us stupid, what it really caused this is his own habit of reading. “Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged.” This quote reveals how Carr believes reading texts on the Internet could distract people from focusing on reading, which it lowers people’s ability to interpret and make rich connections. This is a perfect example of how human did not realize their own mistakes but blame the DRDs for causing it. If the reading is well interested enough whether it is from a real book or through the internet, there is no such thing that book is better than the sources on the internet because one has more distractions. Reading a book definitely has the possibility of having distractions from the environment also. By using the DRDs or not using it, we often view ourselves as the victims of the matter, and have the tendency to blame for causing the effects.

If people keep making the mistakes and refused to realize it is their own fault, soon this will become an even more dangerous phenomenon than obsessively using the digital representational devices. As we all see now a day in this society, the way people value things are definitely insane. Everybody carry their cell phones with them even when they are in the park or hanging with their friends. Additionally, student texting in class is another image that people can often see now a day. This show how people starts to value things differently. While they could have enjoyed the beautiful day and the great surroundings they are at, they rather spend time on staring at the screen. People no longer learn how to appreciate and starts to take things for granted.

Not only people start to twist the meaning of things and their values, people start to train a bad attitude to blame. If people still refused to realize their mistakes for obsessively using the digital representational devices, but to blame them for making them stupid or in any other way, people soon will get use to this habit of blaming the others and not learn their own mistakes. We all learned and grow because of our own mistakes based on our own experience. If we do not learn how to self critical ourselves a little more, soon many of us will become even more ignorant.

Most importantly, if people do not face the reality earlier or soon, they will be living in a world that is full of fantasy with imaginations. Once people refused to listen from the others and do not think for themselves. Very soon, they will start to avoid reality. Since using the digital representational devices already trained people how to avoid the reality most of the time, people starts to get used to this mode. Which later on, they will not be able to adapt to the reality and live in the real world properly. This is not only insane, it is also dangerous. If people do not know how to respond back to reality, and keep living in their own world. The world will be full of individuals who live in their own little “bubbles”. If people refused to deal with reality, reality will soon deal with them.

Another way of looking at this, it is not really the human’s fault. The world needs to improve, and that requires experiments. Therefore, when these products are being made accidentally, and it works conveniently, why not using it? This also means when it breaks or it affects us negatively, it is the DRDs’ fault even though we invented it. Because we are just “trying” it as an experiment to make the world a better place. We do realized we are the one who is in control, but these DRDs do have a lot of power over us because we need to use them and rely on it most of the time in order to make everything more efficient and faster.

Work Cited:

Bad Religon. “21st Century Digital Boy”. Against the Grain. Westbeach Recorders, Hollywoord, California, 1990.

“Google Is Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr. The Atlantic. July/Agust 2008.

M.T. Anderson. ­Feed. United States: Miramax Books. 2002

Steven Johnson. Everything Bad Is Good For You. Riverhead. 2005

HW 17 - Outline Suggestions

Richard,

I think you have to make your thesis stronger, and I don’t really see what you are arguing. Perhaps, clarify on what you are arguing more in your thesis, other than just saying it helps people to prepare for the future. It sounds more like significance than an argument. (I am guessing you are agreeing with “Everything Is Bad For Us” reading in your big paper?)

I think your argument 1 is weak and it doesn’t seem to connect to your thesis. You are arguing how electronic representations help people to prepare for their future, but you mostly focused on games. I think the term “electronic representations” might be too vague for you to use in this paper, because you did not cover all the different types of devices that we have such as cell phones, television, iPod…etc. Additionally, maybe for evidence, specify one game that does help people’s growth and future. Also, deepen the point why different point of view presented by CP is important and helpful? In other words, why realizing will help us in the future? Lastly for your 1^st argument, when you said games are so real, what do you mean by real? In class, we said that the DRD is a representational device that represents the reality. Thus, we are not fully experiencing the full reality of everything, but just a representation of it by cell phones, iPods, video games…etc. I think you should clarify on what you mean by “real”. In my opinion, I don’t see how your argument connects to your thesis, you did not mentioned anything about the future, either expected or unexpected.

I think your second argument seem pretty good, it does connect to your thesis more compare to your first argument. You are saying how people can experience things through video games first before actually experience it in the real world. I do see how this will help people in the future, because they have picture, sounds, something that people can actually visual and imagine in their mind how it looks like. So they can sort of picture how it will be. However, I think by saying that, you are arguing the real world is very similar to the digital world (just slightly different), which I think they are completely different.

I think your third argument is pretty good also. You are saying how televisions and movies are one of the sources that provide us hints and tips in real life. So when we face certain situations that we see in daily life, we can use it as a helpful tip to solve the problems that we find it difficult to solve. Also it provides a different perspective to people, so they know the consequences of making certain decisions. I think this argument is definitely arguable, but keep in mind that by doing this, it doesn’t fully help us in the future. Because I can simply argue that by taking these advices that the television, we, as individual, do not or never get the chance to learn how to think for ourselves. Additionally, television doesn’t always provide us all the situations that we face in the future, how will this actually help us? Wouldn’t it make it worst for us in the future?

To sum up the main points that you should revise:

- Argument 1 (clarify)

- Thesis (vague by using the term “electronic representations” when you only cover video games, television in the paper. If you think about it, how can cell phone (electronic representation) help us in the future?)

I hope this help! Good luck on your paper.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dinorah,

I was looking at your thesis, and I think it could have been stronger. But first of all, I think you should scratch out the word “technology”, because I don’t think it is what the paper should be focusing on. Andy’s unit is really just focusing on “digital representational devices (DRD)”. But I guess you don’t intended to use that term. Anyway, in your thesis, when you are arguing that these DRDs have lessened our ability to build relationships, I think you should clarify that a little bit more. Because, aren’t people building relationships way better online? More friends? Contact more? Also, I’m not sure is you last part of the thesis is trying to be sarcastic or not, because it seems it contradicts with your thesis.

I think your first argument did somewhat support your thesis, but not fully. Again, I think people are still interacting and building relationships with the others, but not physically. So I guess you should specify that to make your argument stronger. I do agree these DRDs are a way for people to escape from reality or even to talk about it most of the time. But without these DRDs, face to face, I don’t think people usually bring this type of conversation also. I do think many people refused to think, not really the DRDs are in the way of making people not to talk about reality. If people are willing to talk about it, aren’t chatting online will make the conversation less awkward? The example seems okay and helpful if you deepen the argument a little bit more. Specify a little more also.

For argument 2, I don’t think it is supportive to your thesis related to communication and relationships. I think you are on the right track, but the argument is too vague. Based on your examples, I think I do know where you are trying to get to, but not specific enough.

I think your third argument is completely the opposite of your thesis. At first you are saying how it caused people to lessen the ability to build relationships, but now you said there are advantages.

Lastly, the significance and conclusion looks fine, you are on the right track to me.

Hope this is helpful! Good luck on your paper.

Bao Lin

HW 16 - Big Paper Outline

EQ: Who is the real victim of digital representational devices?

Thesis: Many of us attempt to blame the digital representational devices have directed us to the trail of stupidity while the digital representational devices are the real victim that got censured.

Intro: In this generation, digitalization has played a big role in our lives. Not only teenagers, even adults and some seniors have been using these digital representational devices obsessively to keep up with society’s pace. We did not just abusing these efficient devices that can make our life more convenient, we became to use them conventionally for everyday life. Most of us immerge ourselves into these addicting devices, and came to the conclusion that these dead objects are the murderer of intelligence. No doubt that we rely on these devices the most now a day, but what we don’t realize was that we are the one who can actually decide whether to use it or not. Moreover, these attitudes could form us into varies of ways such as disvaluing the precious things, blame others for our own fault, and avoid the truth behind reality.

Argument 1: While inviting or avoiding the digital representational devices into our daily life, we only concern about the objects, not ourselves.

- Feed (The author wrote the book as an allegory using feed to represent the digital representational devices to enhance the idea that it is bad and it makes us into ignorant. He never address that it is the way we used these devices, he blame the one that has no say instead of ourselves who choose to use them. Feed make us stupid? Or we are stupid for using it abusively.)

- Everything Bad Is Good For Us (The author tries to break through what the dominant culture says about the digital representational devices, and he claimed that they are actually good for us. Although he did not blame the devices that we used, he only directing his argument towards the devices not ourselves. This reveals that we never think self critically, but what it affects us.

- Informal Research (Google is making us stupid? Or really the way we used Google? Perhaps massive of sources could shape us to skim read a lot, but we could have read it as a book. What is important is the material and the text itself, we should not judge the format. Instead, the article complains how Google caused us form a bad habit of reading. Additionally, we are able to think deeply while reading because of the distractions. I think we all have self control, why blame the computer? It really depends on how we form our habits.)

Argument 2: The digital representational devices are just objects that caused no harm, what it really matters are the way we use it.

- Feed (The teenagers rely on the feed to do everything for them, and therefore they do not think. It is not the feed’s fault that caused them to be stupid. It is just that they do not know how to make use of it. All of advertisements are getting on their way, and they do not know how to avoid it. All they know is to buy this and buy that while they could have formed certain momentum to learn and be curious about the world. If they force themselves to think like Violet, they would not be like ignorant. Violet is a good example of self critical, she did not blame the feed but actually thought about her own actions towards feed. She questioned about herself and thinks behind the surface to be aware of where she is.)

- Interview (There is a pass by around 30s claimed that he is not against it, and he doesn’t think it is the way of avoiding reality. What it actually matters are the way people used it. He said, “people do not know how to use it and they just filled it with crap”. This example shows that the devices are really the real victim who got blamed by us.)

- Bad Religion 21st Century Digital Boy (lines like “I don’t know how to read but I got a lot of toys”, this sentence could be interpret as how people blamed the devices but not themselves. Is it really the DRD’s fault that caused people don’t know how to read? Also lines “and I don’t want it, the things you’re offering me, symbolized bar code, quick ID”, do we have to take what the ads offer? Aren’t we are the one who is there to decide? If every individual who consumes to DRD trying to fit into the society’s mainstream, we could also have reverse to the other way around due to the fact that majority wins.)

Argument 3: We all make excuses for our own fault and we refused to admit to the fact that our intelligence is killed by our own hands.

- Every Bad Is Good For Us (The author tries to enhance the idea how all the DRD are good for us, and thus it is not our fault for using it. Such as the Internet and the video games, he claimed that it actually help our minds to get smarter. By giving credits to the DRD, we just have created an excuse for ourselves to use it obsessively, and later on blamed the devices because they are the main cause. We use it because it makes us smart, but if it doesn’t, it is totally the DRD’s fault.)

- Informal research (We claimed that Google make us stupid as an excuse for being stupid, while it might have to do with the self control that we have. We could not control ourselves to interact with the DRD, and called it the distractions. But in fact, if we control ourselves better, we can fully read the text online also, just like the books. It is the way we form the habits, not the computer. The DRD barely can touch us or change us in anyway, unless we open it up and allows it to do so. Overall, we still obtain the say. )

- Own Life experience. (Video Project, Experiment …etc. How I used to blame the DRD for not getting work done earlier, and there are so much distractions.)

Significance (Connections): Avoid Reality, Disvalue things, Attitude for balming

Alternative Point of View: It is not our fault, just a transformation to more advance and better society. We have to keep it up with the pace, and we should improve and create new things to replace the old. We cannot just stop improving from doing "science research", and we should always look for the better. Therefore, if anything went wrong, it is the DRD's fault. We need to try new things in order to make it happen.

Conclusion: How can these dead objects can actually affect us in anyway when they are actually make by our own hands?