Cell Phone Detox
This experiment will test the effects on ones social and daily life when they are put to the test of no cell phone use for an entire week.
This case study will consist of three groups of five people. Group one will be within the age range of 20-30. Group two 31-40 and group three 41-50.
Each group will be required to go sans cellular phone for one calendar week. Groups will have no access to any cellular device or feature for the duration of the experiment. They will be required to take a daily journal reflecting on how they cope without the use of their phone. They will log in their journal how they keep in contact with friends and family, how not having their phones affects their day to day. This includes how the absence affects their personal and business relationships. They will also keep not of how they scheduled social time and if there was an increase or decrease in those interactions throughout this week.
Groups will then report back at the end of the week and results will be determined based on the journals that are turned in.The groups are broken down into age brackets to see if the effect will vary by age. There will also be a control group within the same age range that will not be required to go without their mobile phones. These groups will also be required to keep the journal. The control group will help determine if in fact the mobile phone users have much less social interaction than those without the phones
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Individualism Module 3 Essay
It was a mere 35 years ago that the first call was made from a cellular phone. The invention can be credited to Dr. Martin Cooper and the Motorola Corporation. In 1973 a cordless land line phone was unheard of, let alone a phone that allowed you the freedom to be mobile while placing a call. It is amazing how far this technology has developed and just how advanced these devices have become in such a short time. These devices have opened so many new doors from mobile internet to wireless navigation and can even help to keep a watchful eye on your children. While the invention of the cellular phone may be recognized as one of the greatest inventions ever, one can only wonder what affect this invention has had on the social order in society. The mobile phone has many critics that suggest that the cell phone has single handedly destroyed the social order. While the cell phone has undoubtedly altered the social order, it has opened far more doors in society than it has closed.
For some, it is hard to remember back to a time when the cell phone did not exist. If you needed to get in contact with someone, it was done with a letter, landline call or face to face interaction. If that person was not at home to catch your call, you simply had to try again later. Hans Geser, author of “Is the Cell Phone Undermining the Social Order?” argues that the cellular phone has damaged society’s ability to interact on a social level.
When determining the effect the cell phone has had on the social order, it is important to understand what is meant by social order. According to Wikipedia, social order is a concept sociologists use to describe “a set of linked social structures, social institutions and social practices which conserve, maintain and enforce "normal" ways of relating and behaving.” This is meant to describe how groups relate to one another and interact on a social level.
Geser suggests in his article, that the cell phone has a “potentially subversive and regressive impact of mobile telephony—reconnecting the individual with a smaller, tighter social world, one which is perhaps solipsistic in its concentration on small individual social networks, oblivious to the larger institutional society surrounding it. While his argument shows strong points to support his theory, there are strong points to the latter.
In fact, with all the advances in the wireless industry it is hard to believe that the cell phone has caused a sort of regression in society and individuals interactions. The cell phone allows for much more freedom in communication in a time when individuals tend to be busier than ever. With more people out in the working world, it leaves less time for social interaction. Families and relationships would suffer if it weren’t for the service a mobile phone provides to them. Having the ability to be in contact at the push of a button no matter where you are in the world can only bring people together.
Furthermore, the typical familial structure has seen drastic changes over the 35 year period that the cellular phone has been around. Society has moved from a structure of extended families to a more nuclear structure. The family makeup has gone from a large unit consisting of parents, grandparents and children under one roof to a structure that consists of parents and their children. Families have often moved across state lines leaving behind many loved ones in the process. Families tend to be spread more widely across the nation and even continents. The cell phone has become an indispensable part of the new family structure. The cellular phone helps to bring these families closer together. When face to face interaction is just not an option, the wireless phone is a suitable alternative.
In addition to bringing families closer together, the cell phone offers parents and care takers a piece of mind when caring for children and loved ones. It allows parents to know where there child is at all times. The cell phone allows parents to be with their children when they cannot physically be there. This helps to settle any worry that parents and caretakers may have when they send their child out into t he world. After all, interaction with your child is still a part of the social order, and any device that makes that communication easier increases the overall amount of interaction.
Similarly, the cell phone has lent a hand to many business owners and entrepreneurs. Liz Robbins, an author for the NY Times writes, “Technology, of course, has accelerated this development. As frequent international business travelers can attest, mobile phones have shrunk the distance between land masses, making it like prehistoric times when all the continents touched.” Mobile phones offer something that quite simply cannot be replaced. They make doing business in this great big world seem like working out of your back yard. Having the ability to carry out business with a client across the globe without ever having to get a passport is advancement and an improvement to the social order. The cellular phone allows many businesses and entrepreneurs opportunities they may not have seen otherwise. Wireless phones offer a wide array of programs and business solutions. They allow business professionals the freedom to roam while never missing a prospect. The cell phone expands the range of business and does not limit it to the office. Wireless internet cards allow 24 hour internet access and enables users to take the office with them. The cell phone helps to maximize productivity and profitability in the business world.
While the cell phone has undoubtedly altered the social order, we must remember that times have drastically changed from the time that the mobile phone was created. The cell phone has become a medium in the social order of the modern time. As technology advances, changes in how society interacts follow closely behind. It’s time to redefine the social order and include the cell phone as an integral element. Use of a cell phone has become a “normal” part of societal relations.
For some, it is hard to remember back to a time when the cell phone did not exist. If you needed to get in contact with someone, it was done with a letter, landline call or face to face interaction. If that person was not at home to catch your call, you simply had to try again later. Hans Geser, author of “Is the Cell Phone Undermining the Social Order?” argues that the cellular phone has damaged society’s ability to interact on a social level.
When determining the effect the cell phone has had on the social order, it is important to understand what is meant by social order. According to Wikipedia, social order is a concept sociologists use to describe “a set of linked social structures, social institutions and social practices which conserve, maintain and enforce "normal" ways of relating and behaving.” This is meant to describe how groups relate to one another and interact on a social level.
Geser suggests in his article, that the cell phone has a “potentially subversive and regressive impact of mobile telephony—reconnecting the individual with a smaller, tighter social world, one which is perhaps solipsistic in its concentration on small individual social networks, oblivious to the larger institutional society surrounding it. While his argument shows strong points to support his theory, there are strong points to the latter.
In fact, with all the advances in the wireless industry it is hard to believe that the cell phone has caused a sort of regression in society and individuals interactions. The cell phone allows for much more freedom in communication in a time when individuals tend to be busier than ever. With more people out in the working world, it leaves less time for social interaction. Families and relationships would suffer if it weren’t for the service a mobile phone provides to them. Having the ability to be in contact at the push of a button no matter where you are in the world can only bring people together.
Furthermore, the typical familial structure has seen drastic changes over the 35 year period that the cellular phone has been around. Society has moved from a structure of extended families to a more nuclear structure. The family makeup has gone from a large unit consisting of parents, grandparents and children under one roof to a structure that consists of parents and their children. Families have often moved across state lines leaving behind many loved ones in the process. Families tend to be spread more widely across the nation and even continents. The cell phone has become an indispensable part of the new family structure. The cellular phone helps to bring these families closer together. When face to face interaction is just not an option, the wireless phone is a suitable alternative.
In addition to bringing families closer together, the cell phone offers parents and care takers a piece of mind when caring for children and loved ones. It allows parents to know where there child is at all times. The cell phone allows parents to be with their children when they cannot physically be there. This helps to settle any worry that parents and caretakers may have when they send their child out into t he world. After all, interaction with your child is still a part of the social order, and any device that makes that communication easier increases the overall amount of interaction.
Similarly, the cell phone has lent a hand to many business owners and entrepreneurs. Liz Robbins, an author for the NY Times writes, “Technology, of course, has accelerated this development. As frequent international business travelers can attest, mobile phones have shrunk the distance between land masses, making it like prehistoric times when all the continents touched.” Mobile phones offer something that quite simply cannot be replaced. They make doing business in this great big world seem like working out of your back yard. Having the ability to carry out business with a client across the globe without ever having to get a passport is advancement and an improvement to the social order. The cellular phone allows many businesses and entrepreneurs opportunities they may not have seen otherwise. Wireless phones offer a wide array of programs and business solutions. They allow business professionals the freedom to roam while never missing a prospect. The cell phone expands the range of business and does not limit it to the office. Wireless internet cards allow 24 hour internet access and enables users to take the office with them. The cell phone helps to maximize productivity and profitability in the business world.
While the cell phone has undoubtedly altered the social order, we must remember that times have drastically changed from the time that the mobile phone was created. The cell phone has become a medium in the social order of the modern time. As technology advances, changes in how society interacts follow closely behind. It’s time to redefine the social order and include the cell phone as an integral element. Use of a cell phone has become a “normal” part of societal relations.
Module 3 Questions
Essay Questions
In reference to the article about cell phone use and the social order, these are the essay questions I came up with.
The author says “In this way, the mobile can function as
a “pacifier for adults” that reduces feelings of loneliness and vulnerability in any
place and at any time. A similar metaphor conceptualizes the cell phone as an
“umbilical cord”, making social emancipation processes more gradual and less
traumatic by allowing parents and children to retain a permanent channel of communication
during periods of spatial distance “ How does the use of cell phones promote these instances and what effects may this have on parent/child relationships later in life?
The author argues that: Cell phones can even more effectively be used to shield one’s self from wider surroundings by escaping into the narrower realm of highly familiar, predictable
and self-controlled social relationships with close kin or friends.
Do you agree or disagree with this notion? Are cell phones used as merely an excuse to not interact socially?
According to the author, “In general, the cell phone can give new impetus to the old-fashioned idea that individuals “belong” exclusively to particular groups, communities or organizations—
to which they have to be committed unconditionally for limitless hours. This idea clashes totally with all of the recent societal developments that have provided a secure basis for individual autonomy: for the individual capacity of everyone to maintain a secure private sphere as well as to divide his or her commitment to several segregated roles.” Does the cell phone encourage exclusion or inclusion within society? How may the use of a mobile phone encourage this type of behavior? Provide examples to support your idea
The author also states that “Homes, churches or school buildings will of course continue to symbolize the unity of families, parishes or schools as organizations and institutions. However, they may become “empty shells” without much determining influence on what is “really going on” on the level of social communication and cooperation.” What do you feel the author meant by this statement, and what effect does the use of a mobile phone have on these institutions?
Do you agree or disagree with the author on this subject? Are his ideas about cellular phones and the social order extreme, or do you feel he is right on in his thinking? Use examples to support your ideas.
In reference to the article about cell phone use and the social order, these are the essay questions I came up with.
The author says “In this way, the mobile can function as
a “pacifier for adults” that reduces feelings of loneliness and vulnerability in any
place and at any time. A similar metaphor conceptualizes the cell phone as an
“umbilical cord”, making social emancipation processes more gradual and less
traumatic by allowing parents and children to retain a permanent channel of communication
during periods of spatial distance “ How does the use of cell phones promote these instances and what effects may this have on parent/child relationships later in life?
The author argues that: Cell phones can even more effectively be used to shield one’s self from wider surroundings by escaping into the narrower realm of highly familiar, predictable
and self-controlled social relationships with close kin or friends.
Do you agree or disagree with this notion? Are cell phones used as merely an excuse to not interact socially?
According to the author, “In general, the cell phone can give new impetus to the old-fashioned idea that individuals “belong” exclusively to particular groups, communities or organizations—
to which they have to be committed unconditionally for limitless hours. This idea clashes totally with all of the recent societal developments that have provided a secure basis for individual autonomy: for the individual capacity of everyone to maintain a secure private sphere as well as to divide his or her commitment to several segregated roles.” Does the cell phone encourage exclusion or inclusion within society? How may the use of a mobile phone encourage this type of behavior? Provide examples to support your idea
The author also states that “Homes, churches or school buildings will of course continue to symbolize the unity of families, parishes or schools as organizations and institutions. However, they may become “empty shells” without much determining influence on what is “really going on” on the level of social communication and cooperation.” What do you feel the author meant by this statement, and what effect does the use of a mobile phone have on these institutions?
Do you agree or disagree with the author on this subject? Are his ideas about cellular phones and the social order extreme, or do you feel he is right on in his thinking? Use examples to support your ideas.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
I started this project with the idea that vegetarianism was a fad, more of a popular trend than a belief. I chose to have an open mind and truly attempt to understand the reasons some make this choice. I felt by creating the power point along with the comic strip would best get the message across. The flash file was made purely for my amusement.
In order to gather all the information I needed to complete these pieces I turned to my sister for the answers. After all, it was her who inspired this to begin with. I wanted to get as much from her point of view as possible. My sister and I grew up cooking out steaks with our dad. We asked for extra pepperoni on our pizza. So you can see why I was surprised to find out she gave up something I thought she enjoyed. I asked her what inspired her to make this change, and what she said seemed to be pretty consistent among those who make this change. Animal suffering, environmental constraints and the health factors were the main reasons given.
What seemed to be the primary cause for her choice was cruelty to animals. I learned quite a bit about how livestock are treated prior to their “harvesting.” They are not always given the same treatment we expect to be given to animals that are considered our pets. Often times they are crammed in small cages denied any physical activity and altered genetically. For any human being that believes in fair treatment and that all life is important, this is something that could certainly make you think twice about supporting an industry that has a complete disregard for the life of an animal.
I never really thought of the environmental protection as a valid reason for becoming a vegetarian. That was before this project. The fact that it takes so much of the environment to sustain the amount of meat eaten each year was a surprise to me. I wanted to make sure to include this piece on my power point because I felt this was an important factor. Our earth cannot be duplicated and it is extremely important to preserve for the human race to survive. It takes an amazing amount of land and labor to generate what is consumed in a year. Land must be cleared for the animals to graze on. Cows consume large amounts of water. In fact, it takes over 2500 gallons of water to produce one single pound of meat. The fact that cattle emit an enormous amount of harmful gasses into the atmosphere plays a huge role in the destruction of the environment as well.
Her last reason for this lifestyle change was to better her health. As I included in the power point, meat eaters are nine times more likely to be obese than vegetarians. That is a vast statistic. Eating vegetables will also drastically reduce the risk for high cholesterol and other chronic diseases. Fruits and veggies protect against cancer, and vegetarians eat many more than the average meat eater. So you can see by this list alone the health benefits that come along with vegetarianism.
Through this project I learned that this is a personal choice that takes a lot of work to maintain. It takes commitment and proper planning to ensure that you are providing your body with the essential nutrients it needs to function. It also takes tough skin at times. As I did prior to this project, I thought of vegetarianism as a trend and gave my sister a hard time about her choice. This can make it difficult to follow your beliefs when there is always people asking “why” or stating “that doesn’t make sense.”
While I certainly have a new found respect for those that fall into this lifestyle, I can say that this is not the lifestyle for me. I will continue to support her decision and make an effort to stop giving her a hard time and admire her conviction.
In order to gather all the information I needed to complete these pieces I turned to my sister for the answers. After all, it was her who inspired this to begin with. I wanted to get as much from her point of view as possible. My sister and I grew up cooking out steaks with our dad. We asked for extra pepperoni on our pizza. So you can see why I was surprised to find out she gave up something I thought she enjoyed. I asked her what inspired her to make this change, and what she said seemed to be pretty consistent among those who make this change. Animal suffering, environmental constraints and the health factors were the main reasons given.
What seemed to be the primary cause for her choice was cruelty to animals. I learned quite a bit about how livestock are treated prior to their “harvesting.” They are not always given the same treatment we expect to be given to animals that are considered our pets. Often times they are crammed in small cages denied any physical activity and altered genetically. For any human being that believes in fair treatment and that all life is important, this is something that could certainly make you think twice about supporting an industry that has a complete disregard for the life of an animal.
I never really thought of the environmental protection as a valid reason for becoming a vegetarian. That was before this project. The fact that it takes so much of the environment to sustain the amount of meat eaten each year was a surprise to me. I wanted to make sure to include this piece on my power point because I felt this was an important factor. Our earth cannot be duplicated and it is extremely important to preserve for the human race to survive. It takes an amazing amount of land and labor to generate what is consumed in a year. Land must be cleared for the animals to graze on. Cows consume large amounts of water. In fact, it takes over 2500 gallons of water to produce one single pound of meat. The fact that cattle emit an enormous amount of harmful gasses into the atmosphere plays a huge role in the destruction of the environment as well.
Her last reason for this lifestyle change was to better her health. As I included in the power point, meat eaters are nine times more likely to be obese than vegetarians. That is a vast statistic. Eating vegetables will also drastically reduce the risk for high cholesterol and other chronic diseases. Fruits and veggies protect against cancer, and vegetarians eat many more than the average meat eater. So you can see by this list alone the health benefits that come along with vegetarianism.
Through this project I learned that this is a personal choice that takes a lot of work to maintain. It takes commitment and proper planning to ensure that you are providing your body with the essential nutrients it needs to function. It also takes tough skin at times. As I did prior to this project, I thought of vegetarianism as a trend and gave my sister a hard time about her choice. This can make it difficult to follow your beliefs when there is always people asking “why” or stating “that doesn’t make sense.”
While I certainly have a new found respect for those that fall into this lifestyle, I can say that this is not the lifestyle for me. I will continue to support her decision and make an effort to stop giving her a hard time and admire her conviction.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Project Plan
For my project I chose a topic that I do not necessarily agree with or deny, but one that I have been recently exposed to and would like to understand more of myself. You see, recently my sister decided that the vegetarian lifestyle was for her. This coming from the girl that used to ask for double pepperoni on her pizza. I am unsure as to where this sudden insight came from, and at first was a bit shocked. Frankly, I did not see this as anything more than a phase, but it has seemed to stick with her thus far.
When I asked her where this came from, I was given a few answers. That it is cruel to animals. That vegetarianism is healthier and that really, the human body does not need meat. I had many arguments to counter her beliefs-not that I was trying to change her mind, but only to try and better understand. I have a hard time understanding the whole concept. So for this project I plan on finding images to support her reasoning and maybe counter them as well. I plan on keeping the images as clean as possible as I am sure they can get pretty graphic when it comes to the animal cruelty part.
While I know that vegetarianism is NOT for me, I am hoping this project will allow me to accept her decision and shed some light on her reasoning so maybe I will stop trying to force feed her a steak!
When I asked her where this came from, I was given a few answers. That it is cruel to animals. That vegetarianism is healthier and that really, the human body does not need meat. I had many arguments to counter her beliefs-not that I was trying to change her mind, but only to try and better understand. I have a hard time understanding the whole concept. So for this project I plan on finding images to support her reasoning and maybe counter them as well. I plan on keeping the images as clean as possible as I am sure they can get pretty graphic when it comes to the animal cruelty part.
While I know that vegetarianism is NOT for me, I am hoping this project will allow me to accept her decision and shed some light on her reasoning so maybe I will stop trying to force feed her a steak!
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