A Strong Response Reflective Essay

When I first got accepted into Stuyvesant High School, I heard countless of rumors stating: “Oh the workload is terrible”, “The competition is so fierce” or “Out of schoolwork, extracurriculars, or sleep: you can only pick two.” I found it hard to let it faze me, since I graduated from one of the most prestigious middle schools. However, the rumors transformed into reality when I stepped into Mr. Nieves’ Freshman Composition Class. The workload at the beginning of the year was brutal, coupled with assignments from other core classes that seem unaware of the workload of other teachers. Reading assignments were a regular, and there were journal entries and occasional quizzes to keep us in line. What made it bearable was the friends I made in that class; everyone had their own opinion about the topic we were talking about, and listening to other perspectives really broadened my horizon and enriched my learning experience in Stuy. Another thing that this class has taught me is the importance of time management, a skill that I will carry on for the rest of my high school career and life. When I choose to sign up for Mr. Nieves’ AP American Literature class in my Junior Year, I was hoping to relive the discussion-based lesson plans and meet more outstanding peers. I was not disappointed, to say the least, reflecting through all the experiences at the end of the course. The lesson plans he laid out for us were an interesting mix between small lectures and class output, and what I

Technology grows everyday. We see technological advancements everywhere throughout the world, whether it is a new phone being released, a new computer being invented, or a new scientific experiment used in the medical field. Technology is constantly expanding, and with this expansion, we must ask ourselves one question: do we rely too heavily on technology? When discussing technology, there are limits and fine lines between using and abusing these technologies that are at hand, but as we discover these limits and ask ourselves this question, we look at the generation of fresh adults in our local area who are entering college and the growth of social media within this generation. Undoubtedly, young Americans utilize social media everyday whether

It has become extremely common for an individual to sign into their Facebook account, and see a picture that they feel exposed a little too much. Check into their Instagram account, and regret letting everyone know what their location was. Feel uncomfortable, or bullied by a tweet that a person posted to their Twitter. Per Farheen’s article on negative effects of social media “participating in social media sites such as these can make you feel more connected” (Sagheer 1). It is not okay for individuals to feel victimized due to the negative effects of social media. Social media tends to distract, humiliate, and destroy one-self through entertainment. If people would donate more time to things more supplemental to their growth, and limit their use of social media, then maybe people would stop walking over the harm that social media presents to our community. Monitoring the time invested into social media will help eliminate most of the detriment, privacy issues, and bullying flowing through today’s society.

Social media is addictive. Tweet - #Addicted. Facebook – Like my selfie. Snapchat – Snap me. I found myself on a painful and destructible path that consumed my life, without realising that I too was playing that game of seeking external validation through social media. I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel and realised - We should start living in the real world. We should banish living in virtual reality and become interactive with people again.

Students are constantly checking their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat for the latest news. The article, “Social Media as Community,” written by Keith Hampton, indicates the average social network users had more intimate connections than those that did not. Social media allows people to connect with others from a variety of backgrounds. It gives people a chance from all over the country to connect with one another in seconds, instead of days. This gives students an opportunity to learn about different cultures and traditions, expanding their interests and knowledge. Teachers can take advantage of this and remind

In his article "Making the Grade," Kurt Wiesenfeld presents a problem regarding the ethical value of grades in modern society. A physics professor, Wiesenfeld opens the article by making the "rookie error" of being in his "office the day after final grades were posted." (paragraph 1) Several students then attempt to influence him to change their grades for the class. What concerns Wiesenfeld is that many of his more recent students consider a grade to be a negotiable commodity rather than accept the grade as an accurate representation of efforts and performance and how much they learned. The author indicates that part of this

Social media is defined as websites and applications used for social networking, in other words it is a way for people to interact and express themselves without being face to face. Social media has become a large part of the life of teenagers, who make up most of the population of people who are subjected to using social media in their daily lives. Many college students are faced with balancing their social lives with school and even athletics making priorities a big dilemma for them. College students in America are affected in many ways by social media whether it be their social life, their happiness, or their grades.

We live in a world now where we have never been more connected while being more alone. Instead of spending hours on the phone or with our close friends and family, it is now much more convenient to simply tweet, Instagram, or post our feelings on Facebook. Orenstein reveals while she is spending time with her daughter, “ a part of my consciousness had split off and was observing the scene from the outside: this was, I realized excitedly, the perfect opportunity for a tweet” (Orenstein, 347). Orenstein made the conscious, yet somehow detached, decision to post her personal life on social media, instead of fully indulging in the moment. People have allowed social media to overtake both their social lives and

Today, anyone can rekindle old flames with social media or update their status to keep distant friends close at heart. Somehow, Maggie Jackson sees facilitated communication as “clashing streams of rapid-fire imagery, floating in limitless cyber-worlds” that loosen any grip on intimacy (546). It’s understandable that face to face moments are deemed an essential aspect of connectivity. Still, a digital barrier seems minute in many circumstances. Every year college students drift far from home in the pursuit of higher education. For most, leaving family behind is extremely difficult and can even hinder the way a student manages emotions. With powerful tools like Skype and instant messaging, communication isn’t so difficult. Although looking at a screen isn’t “the real thing”, it allows people to feel closer and connected. A few glances at funny pics of mom or a second to see what a friend posted about their life back home can give a feeling of comfort to those that need it. This is progress. This is proof of successful innovation. Yes, focus is briefly split into “alternative virtual universes” but the benefits of cyber-mingling far outweigh the small cost of attention (Jackson 547). Focus dispersed between real and computerized life should be seen as a positive symbol of cultural

Over the last ten years, social media has made its way into almost every human’s life, especially the new generation. From Myspace to Facebook to Twitter and Snapchat and much more, social media has changed the meaning of life. The social “norm” now is if you’re not

Social media has engulfed every aspect of our society, and colleges have embraced the change: schools have begun searching students’ profiles before accepting them to ensure that their scholarly images remain pristine. However, searches into students’ personal lives do not go unnoticed--parents and students alike find such scrutiny to be both invasive and unnecessary. Natasha Singer of The New York Times addressed parents’ concerns in her November 2013 article “They Loved Your G.P.A. Then They Saw Your Tweets.” She insisted that though there “is some reason for concern”, most colleges do not “do extra research online”(Singer).Through interviews and investigation, Ms. Singer established that social media presence does not play a paramount role in college admissions--but that there are

With over one billion Facebook users and 255 million on Twitter, there is no denying the expansion of social media uses. There is no denying that college students are not directly connected socially at all hours of the day. The rise of smart phone usage leads to a demand for a growing social media market. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin shows there is a positive relation between avid Facebook users and social satisfaction and acceptance (Valeenzuele et al. 894). Thus showing, those who engage more on social media, such as Facebook, find their connection to the world more meaningful because they can easily engage with others on

Are we becoming less human with the passing of each day? Have we become too dependent on technology, specifically social media? In this day and age, people have different views on social media. They question its true purpose and its effect on society as a whole. With that said, although there are many thoughts concerning the topic/trend of social media something that is undoubtedly true is that social media plays an active role in the lives of the majority of people. Whether in a positive or negative way, social media influences the lives of all people. However this paper focuses on the effect of social media on college students. It addresses both the positive and negative effects of social media on those in college; focusing on a student’s academic efficiency, social interactive skills, and overall productivity.

During my first lecture, it was quite difficult to not constantly check my phone and see what was going on social media. At one point in the morning, I

As a teenager associated with the “technological revolution”, it has only been fate to be consumed by the constant social media that surrounds our society. With a phone always in hand, and a new app ready to be downloaded, the people of the current generation are being mind-blocked by the tweets and posts of their numerous friends. As I walk down the hallway of my high school, I see the tops of my classmates heads. Resembling a kangaroo, they are hunched over, arms bent with an iPhone glued to their faces, eager to catch up on whatever tweets they haven’t seen. Eager to see what “selfie” their favorite celebrity has posted on Instagram. The constant mentality of, “ Oh that would be a good tweet”, or “ Lets post theses pictures on