Against Listening To Phones By Virginia Heffernan

The history of publishing has been plagued with literary hoaxes — from the somewhat harmless Ern Malley hoax to the most recent Belle Gibson scandal. Unfortunately literary hoaxes will continue to happen, unless publishers begin to fact check manuscripts before publication. Publishers claim they are unable to do this due to the financial cost of the procedure and this is a believable claim. If you spoke to an average person they would say that the print industry is dying, thanks to the rise of digital technology, and there has been a downturn in profits.

In “To Siri, with Love,” Judith Newman argues that Siri is helpful to our society because Siri can help children with autism. Siri is a personal assistant that can help you on your iPhone. Although Newman is right that Siri give us some advantages, Siri also has disadvantages. It can cause us to not deal directly with problems, it poses a health risk for people, and it makes us lazy and lets us entirely depend on it.

In the chapter, "No Need to Call," by Sherry Turkle, the author uses repetition, contrast, and anomalies, to exemplify today’s generations inability to talk on the phone. With our world consumed with the latest technology, all available at the tips of our fingers, it's no wonder this generation doesn't even know how to hold a phone conversation properly. Texting is the newest way of communicating with one another. It is fast, easy, and convenient. However, only texting and not speaking on the phone is not preparing this generation for the real world.

The next article I read was How Headphones Changed the World by Derek Thompson. He writes to explain that although its scientifically proven that music makes us preform worse why are they still allowed in the work place? He uses logos when using facts from previous research to show that although music makes us less productive it also “relaxes our muscles, improves our mood, and can even moderately reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety.” So, music causes us to relax and in turn work better at work. He pathos when describing how headphones help people privatizes themselves in public spaces.

Unspeakable Conversations by Harriet McBryde Johnson is an article about her experience visiting Princeton University to exchange views and challenge Peter Singer, a professor who strongly believes that all disabled people, like herself, are “better off” not been born at all. The article provides an insight into Johnson’s life as a disabled person. She takes the readers on a journey that explores both sides of her own and Singer’s contrasting beliefs. She protests the prevalent stigma and prejudice of disabled people and gives voice to this marginalized community. Johnson challenges stereotypes of disability, uses her a personal experience to better understand the world and help others, and attempts to directly address oppression by arguing against Professor Singer’s theory and assemble a group of diverse and like-minded people for social change.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for equality during the nineteen fifties and sixties. The passage “Heeding the Call”, by Diana Childress explains how his childhood experiences influenced his actions as an adult. He learned a lot from personal situations as a black male, people he looked up to as a child, and his educational background.

In “The Victims” by Sharon Olds it describes a divorce through the eyes of the parents’ children. The first section is shown through past tense as the speaker is a child and the last section is shown in present tense with the speaker already being an adult trying to make sense of past events. The word “it” in the first two lines carries a tremendous weight, hinting at the ever so present abuse and mistreatment, but remaining non-specific. The first part generates a negative tone toward the father who is referred to as malicious by the mother who “took it” from him “in silence” until she eventually “kicked him out.” Through the entirety of the poem the children are taught to hate their father. Who taught them? Their mother showed them that their father was a villain and were taught to have no sympathy for him but “to hate you and take it” and so they did so. Although the poem never directly states what the father did to receive the family’s hated, the speaker gives examples as to why he is hated.

Ever since technology began so prominent in the modern world, can anyone remember going outside for more than 30 minutes and not see a cell phone or computer? Probably not, as these pieces of technology have become so ingrained in people’s lives, no one wants to leave their home without still being connected. And there is no reason to, as friends, family, and strangers share the same sentiments. Unplugging from technology is not only a decision people don’t make for personal reasons, it simply isn’t conducive to a productive life, as many people’s work and social lives wouldn’t be the same, if exist at all, without being connected to other people or the internet with just a single touch.

Did you know that music is one of the few activities that utilizes the whole entire brain? Did you know that music can physically alter your brain structure? Today I am going to be talking about the power of music and its impacts and effects on the brain. Throughout my whole life I have always had a passion for music of all different types and genres. I listen to music wherever I go and during whatever I’m doing. My mom would continually badger me about the music I was listening to and how it was corrupting my brain. After much research and many songs later, I discovered it actually has many positive effects on the brain. In the rest

Loud music is annoying to most, but

"Women's Voices in Stories by Raymond Carver" In the article "Women's Voices by Raymond Carver," the author Marshall Bruce Gentry explains how Carver attempts to write in a woman's voice. Gentry argues that most authors "male and female . . . tend to have strongly empathetic feelings toward the opposite sex," allowing them to portray their "fears and faults" into the characters (86). During Gentry's interview with Carver, Carver admits that he felt his writing of a woman's voice would be restricted.

A century has passed since the creation of headphones, yet they have only recently come under fire. Headphones provide a way for people to listen to music, audiobooks, and podcasts privately without disrupting others around them. However, all of this private listening may soon fall on deaf ears. In Virginia Heffernan’s article “Against Headphones”, she presents an argument stating that although headphones are useful in some professions, they cause substantial hearing loss, especially in young people. The formulated argument is effective and valid, and incorporates ethos, logos, and opposing viewpoints with rebuttals.

Headphones are a necessity for many people in today’s society. Headphones allow a person to listen to music without disturbing others; therefore people are listening to music all day while they eat, sleep, or work. In Derek Thompson’s essay, “How Headphones Changed the World”, Thompson addresses the problem of why workers use headphones even if studies have shown that it interferes with their productivity levels. Thompson effectively uses precise language and organizes his essay in a way that shows a breakdown of his thoughts on this topic. These two elements make the essay easy to understand, which enhances the audience’s reading experience.

“Heavy metal music has been a source of criticism ever since its’ birth in the late nineteen eighties” (Coss). Many people criticize this type of music because there is anger shown in the lyrics. Although the lyrics can be controversial at times, there is no evidence saying that heavy metal music causes violence. “Its’ controversial lyrics and harsh sounds have made it the target of much blame for psychological and behavioral problems in teenagers” (Coss). Parents of teenagers now and in past decades have worried about their kids listening to this kind of music. Most parents do not want their kids to listen to this kind of music; they are afraid that the music will lead to devastating effects in society. Another reason why parents do not like heavy metal music is that the music is extremely loud and ear shattering. Most people over

Music has been apart of society for thousands of years and an outlet for people's stress and other problems they may be facing. It helps the brain function and understand conditions better by breaking it down and trying to comprehend it. Music has made and is still making an impact on the lives of people all around the world. Because of its impact on peoples lives neuroscientist wanted to get to the source and have been looking at the brain to determine the exact effects of music and they can now answer the question, what effects does music have on the brain? Listening to music can send pleasure to your mind, decide your emotions, lower stress, and improve learning.