Cool : How The Brain 's Hidden Quest For Cool Drives Our World Essay

One of the essay our group represents is “Freaks, Geeks, and Cool Kids”. The author of this essay is Miller Milner, professor of sociology at the University of Virginia and senior fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. In his essay he showed how consumer culture has changed in United States. The social ideal becomes the person who both works hard and plays hard. Young people try to get a good education and work hard in order to attain a status that they become a lavish consumer. Most of these young people may or may not care about learning and ideas, but they concerned about getting decent grades to avoid be labeled as “looser” and in their adulthood to have a luxury life.

Four years ago, the first iPhone was released and it still remains as a popular aspect of our technological culture today. Though it is in its fourth iteration with more to come, the iPhone continues to be one of the best selling smartphones. In a fast paced world with new technology constantly being released, the iPhone is still remarkable although some might argue that it is outdated and overhyped. This device is more than just a phone to consumers, but another way to connect with the world. There’s just something about this device that has Americans camping outside Apple stores and enduring long lines to get their hands on one. Although the iPhone may seem like just another smartphone, it is a cultural phenomenon because of the way it

Jean M. Twenge despises smartphones! That is the initial reaction to the title of her article “Have Smartphones Destroyed A generation?” . This will be an analysis of the effectiveness of the article written by Jean M. Twenge about the effects of smartphone usage on younger generations. With modern reliance growing more heavily on smartphones and younger generations being born with these devices around them, Twenge has gathered information pertaining to this new generational adaption that began to show signs around 2012. “Around 2012, I noticed abrupt shifts in teen behaviors and emotional states. The gentle slopes of the line graphs became steep mountains and sheer cliffs, and many of the distinctive characteristics of the Millennial

When Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone at the Macworld convention in January of 2007, a tidal change in the way users communicate with one another was unleashed. The phone, which combined the already popular attributes of an iPod with the traditional cell phone, was an instant success, selling millions of units even at the initially haughty price of $599 each (Vogelstein, 2008). The theory behind the creation of the phone was deceptively simple: combine an MP3 player with a Blackberry, camera, and regular cell phone operating on a sleek touch-screen controlled software system. Consumers were finally freed from carrying separate devices to perform all they tasks they now wanted to away from home. In one simple hand-held device they could take pictures, listen to music, play games, communicate with friends and family, and even surf the Internet. This one device changed the way that people began sharing information, allowing them to instantly access information anywhere in the world while also transmitting it just as quickly. The iPhone is now universally recognized and has become a cultural artifact in our times.

Like Solnit, I believe society, especially the younger generation, has suffered greatly with the expansion of the Digital Revolution that we are now living in. One of the main perpetrators in my opinion is the emergence of the smartphone. Considering that presently there are over four billion mobile phone users in the world right now, and that 3.5 billion people with access to the internet in 2016, a 900% increase since the year 2000, it is no wonder that our society has changed drastically in these past few years. Thanks to smartphones, the vast population of the world now have easy access to the internet from their back pocket. In recent years smartphones have become the most popular way to surf the web, so with that in mind I have chosen the smartphone as an object which will signify how our culture has changed in recent history.

In past and recent reports experts tell us that this is accurate and they rely heavily upon trendsetters to popularize new brands for them so that they are successful because often times this can either make or break a company. Now a days marketers are using crafty strategies to win over the hearts of young kids. In today’s youth the age group that market consists of includes kids which are age 6-9 years old, tweens which are 10-13 years old, and teens that are 14-18 years old. For example The

In The Cool Kids, Waldman shares common interests with her audience concerning the ideas of cool. The audience that Waldman addresses is adults around there 20’s and is interested in popular culture. Waldman first begins her article with her own experience of what was considered cool throughout middle school. She utilizes examples of different television series that were once considered cool, as well as different fashion trends that only cool kids wore throughout those years. Through her own experience, Waldman is able to draw a connection to her audience as her audience has most likely experienced scenarios that were similar. Since her audience is people who are concerned about the current events regarding popular culture, it is guaranteed that they have all gone through the struggle of trying to keep up with popular culture, whether it is trying to keep up with the latest television

Product Image is also an important factor when marketing to this age group. For teenagers brand is everything. Focusing on the exclusivity of the Apple iPhone with its various ways to enjoy music and stay connected will appeal to this group (Goodstein, 2007). College student will share some of the same wants and desires as teenagers. Product image, and being able to stay connected through social media and music are also important to this age group. College students are experiencing their first taste of adulthood as they leave the nest and go off to campuses or apartments for the first time. They need things to make this transition easier as well as tools to help them through their college coursework. Apple can appeal to this groups needs by placing strong emphasis on the iPhone’s ease of use and the multitude of iPhone specific apps useful for this age group.

People involved in the IT industry and people who use technology, including current Apple users, affluent young adults and adults who have money to spend on a new phone have been targeted by the authors of the texts. Boxall’s text appeals to all as it is a factual article, whilst Lovejoy’s opinion text appeals to those interested in his subjective viewpoint. Boxall’s text is factual and he provides unbiased information such as “The screen, which takes up the whole of the phone’s front panel, is made from surgical-grade stainless steel, with glass on the rear panel. It’s water- and dust-resistant, and available in space grey and silver.” By stating these facts, his information is directed towards technologically savvy people who understand the phone’s complicated features and functions and are appreciative of the information. On the contrary, Lovejoy’s opinion is negative and his audience is people who desire an expert’s opinion on Apple’s new release. This is clear by Lovejoy including critical information such as “The first piece of bad news is photos. 16:9 photos are fine, as those are just centred on the screen. But display a wide-aspect photo horizontally on an iPhone X, and… the notch intrudes into the side of the photo.” With Lovejoy’s

It is sad to see how these teenagers think of themselves as being cool because of the activities they choose to do, when they each see how it is making them live a shorter life and none of them are doing a thing about it. Life is worth more than feeling cool. Proverbs says, “Since they hated knowledge…the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them” (Proverbs 1:29a, 32). The teenagers in “We Real Cool” have an image of their selves as being cool on the outside because of the badly behaved things they are taking part in and want others to think them as being cool. These teenagers want to think that they are cool for doing the things they do, but they know that the destructive life they live will soon be a factor to their deaths. Brooks demonstrates in “We Real Cool” that even though people acknowledge their own behavior and think of themselves as being cool, their destructive ways will be a part of their short lives and none of their coolness will ever matter again.

When I go to the doctor's office to receive my annual checkup, one of the first questions I am inevitably asked is “how many hours of screen time do you average per week?” In a nutshell, this is how my generation is perceived by others and is how we will be remembered unless a behavioral change occurs. I believe the problem of smartphones and technology is being severely underestimated and may have an active role in the downfall of mankind. Government regulation clearly has no impact and this sector of the economy is too lucrative for companies to shy away from ($478.7 billion in annual global sales). Smartphones are an engineering feat, arguably one of the greatest inventions ever, but they also

Growing up with technology, exposure to what it considered “attractive” is not hard to discover. A simple

Then again, that may not be true. The root of coolness can be the exact opposite of the general definition. Coolness may begin with self rather than others. Coolness can mean being comfortable with yourself, smiling in front of the mirror, or being completely satisfied with your identity. Everyone praises the supposed “cool kids” who run the school or flaunt their cash, but the “cool kids” might be the most uncool people. They do not have any reason to be defined as cool. There are no real world elements that give legitimacy to their coolness. Others must define their coolness, but that coolness immediately dissipates when those others are gone. The ignorant public does not know about the many hours dressing for style, the shopping for expensive clothes, and the sitting behind closed doors. These “cool” people are not cool in these moments. They are simply servants to the public, trying so desperately to impress the public eye that will easily turn a blind eye for the next best piece of eye candy. There is nothing “cool” about spending your life trying to impress everyone else when you have yet to impress yourself. At the end of the day, behind all of that makeup, behind the nice cars, and behind all of that false sense of glamour, what is really left? Just an empty shell of a person who has given his or her self for a fading

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

Steve Jobs once said, “Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything. It's very fortunate if you can work on just one of these in your career.” On January 9th, 2007 Apple changed this society by introducing the iPhone, virtually putting the world in the palm of society’s hands. IPhones provide individuals with the latest technology, allowing one to do anything from chatting with friends to measuring ones heart rate. This innovation is excellent and makes society’s lives a lot easier by the simplicity and instant gratification. Although helpful to everyone, iPhones have become addictive. This current generation has become attached and less self-reliant, now relying on the technology of a phone. IPhones