Allyn and Bacon Question Blog

1) Write out the issue your argument will address. Try phrasing your issue in several different ways, perhaps as a yes/no question and as an open-ended question. Try making the question broader, then narrower. Finally, frame the question in the way that most appeals to you. For the classical argument paper my arguments will be the communicating through technology would be that it’s a creative, easy, and fast way of talking to people. You can talk to people around the world any time of the day, which would be hard without technology because obviously you can’t be two places at once. Another argument I would make is the safety issues. With a cell phone, you can call a help line or the police if you are in a sticky situation, people aren’t always around and having a way of contacting people would be very beneficial. Also, technology is a great way to potentially meet or stay in contact with people. Internet programs like Facebook or Myspace allow you to talk and see people on the internet. Even though some might think that this could potentially be dangerous, there are many ways to protect yourself and avoid harmful situations. Questions like: Will technology harm the social interaction between people? Is technology a good thing that could have positive effects on people and their lives? In what ways could technology increase or decrease the safety of society? I think a question that would make the best paper and have the best arguments would be a question like: In what ways could technology improve the lives of society as well as the individual?

4) What personal interest do you have in this issue? How does the issue affect you? Why do you care about it? I picked the topic that deals with technology and whether or not it affects the way people communicate with each other. Most of the articles that are provided on the Blackboard Website deal mostly with communicating through technology and relationships. I think that this issue has to do with most teenagers who have a cell phone. People can have conversations through texting, email or internet, all of which doesn’t require face to face communication. In some situations this could be a good thing, like if it’s an awkward topic or unfamiliar person, but it can also get people into trouble because reading something and hearing it in person could get totally different reactions from people. You can make relationships with people and not even know who they are, which could be dangerous because the anonymous person could be a stalker or child rapist and you wouldn’t even know it. This topic is of interest of any teenager or anyone who uses technology regularly.

6) Imagine all the counterarguments your audience might make. Summarize the main arguments against your position and then free write your response to each of the counterarguments. What are the flaws in the alternative points of view? Most people who use the internet or text a lot would probably agree that it’s a good, easy way to communicate. However there are some people who may believe that using technology constantly might not be a good thing. Potential problems that could be caused from the constant use of technology could result in forgetting formal English writing and it could also negatively influence the need for personal interaction or interest in it. If a person constantly is texting or communicating with people through technology then the person could lose their social skills and it could be hard for them to have face to face conversations with people. Addressing the other potential problem with technology, the English language could be greatly affected. Using abbreviations or using phrases like “lol” or “nvm” overwhelm Facebook and cell phones and could affect how people write in a formal way. Even though these are valid concerns, I don’t think that the English language is in danger; people still know how to write properly and know how to communicate with people without abbreviating every word. I think the only time we would need to worry was if we started using cell phones or computers as the way to teach kids in school, then the English language and peoples social skills might be in jeopardy.