Urban Myths Of Urban Legends

5 Ways You Give The Government Control” written by Kenneth Coats shows how the devices we use daily slowly take over individuals lives. Coats states, “Today, most people in the United States carry a mobile phone that accompanies them wherever they go. We use them for everything...This essentially makes them the perfect tracking and bugging devices”. Although electronic devices are known to be safe, they allow outside people to figure out individuals personal life. Due to the need for devices such as cell phones, each individual has a high chance of being socially stalked once in their lifetime. Coats then states, “Not only do intelligence agencies gather information via mobile companies, but… your phone can be hacked using spyware. Even if your phone is turned off, it can be remotely accessed to recorded conversations and take photographs”. This issue causes a panic due to the wide spread of inappropriate pictures and private conversations in one's life. Even though technology is viewed as a privileged, it is also taking away people's lives without their

The author attempts to draw the casual reader in with a light, conversational tone: “So listen: Can I have your number?” Once the reader’s interest has been piqued, the tone becomes more authoritative and news-like as the author describes his main ideas: “A mobile security researcher has uncovered a flaw that leaves as many as 95% of Android devices…exposed to attack.” (Hackett, 2015)

People’s phones are being monitored by the government. Privacy and unmonitored spaces are not existent in today's world. One good example in today's world is the “Hello Barbie” by Mattel. This “smart toy” retails at 75 dollars and has features such as microphone to listen into little children's lives. The sound bites of the child are sent back to Mattel's headquarters to bexamined so the Barbie can give appropriate responses. Mattel could use this feature for advertisement. They could relentlessly pressure the children to ask their parents for the newest Barbie toy. One hacker named “Matt Jakubowski was able to get into the toy’s system to access users’ system information, Wi-Fi network names, internal MAC addresses, account IDs and MP3 files, he told NBC Chicago. He added that he would be able to use this data to find someone’s house and personal information, and could access their home network and listen to everything Barbie records” (***). This is a serious invasion of privacy and he was only able to do this with his laptop. Anyone can hack into a “Hello Barbie” and find out somebody's personal information. One other example in today's world is the NSA monitoring people. Edward Snowden was a NSA agent who exposed what the government was doing. This can be related to an section of the book Fahrenheit 451 when Montag realizes the hound is tracking him, “Outside the door, in the rain, a

Many of Bradbury’s concerns, such as privacy issues, have become a reality. Some communities have begun adopting a new form of technology which monitors people's electronics and "can also capture texts, calls, emails and other data, and prosecutors have received court approval to use it for such purposes" (Richtel). People are not given the information needed to understand how invasive this technology really is, causing many privacy concerns for people. In addition to authorities starting to invade your privacy, private corporations have also begun raising many privacy concerns. One smart television company told its customers to "be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party" (Newman). This invasion of people's privacy raised many concerns, and eventually became a reality when "when hackers demonstrated the ability to take over televisions with built-in cameras and microphones" (Newman). Even though the creators of this technology may not have meant for this to happen, this device has caused a great deal of both privacy concerns and even safety for some. As well as the privacy concerns it causes, technology has also begun to impair people's social skills. One person noticed "dozens of people riding the subway, deeply absorbed in their smartphones, oblivious to the world around them. They all seem much more comfortable interacting with their devices than with one another" (Wortham). Although some people believe their phones make them much more efficient workers and help with long distance communication, many can argue that the constant distractions because of the pings, notifications, and messages can prevent people from focusing in the task at hand and interacting with the world around the mall (Wortham).

Through the convenience of technology and social networking, people’s privacy has leaked vehemently. In the past, people only argued when door was closed, teenagers felt upset when they knew their parents had read their diaries, people wouldn’t ask someone’s age and revenue because it’s invading his/her privacy. Privacy seems elusive; everyone uses innumerable abilities to seclude themselves. In the essay, “Who Is This Man, and Why Is He Screaming,” Rachel Kadish talks about how her cousin’s photo goes global. She is shocked by the speed and the spread of the photo.

Out of the 10 myths about human behavior and environmental problems the one that surprised me the most was Myth 2. In Myth 2 is discusses how “educating people—changing their attitudes and providing them with information—is an effective way to change their behavior in a proenvironmetal direction”. I believe this true, if people are aware of what is happening they will become more sensitive and may even think twice before they throwing trash on the streets. Yet I see how I have some knowledge of how to help and I sometimes do but I mostly don’t.

Government surveillance in the past was not a big threat due to the limitations on technology; however, in the current day, it has become an immense power for the government. Taylor, author of a book on Electronic Surveillance supports, "A generation ago, when records were tucked away on paper in manila folders, there was some assurance that such information wouldn 't be spread everywhere. Now, however, our life stories are available at the push of a button" (Taylor 111). With more and more Americans logging into social media cites and using text-messaging devices, the more providers of metadata the government has. In her journal “The Virtuous Spy: Privacy as an Ethical Limit”, Anita L. Allen, an expert on privacy law, writes, “Contemporary technologies of data collection make secret, privacy invading surveillance easy and nearly irresistible. For every technology of confidential personal communication…there are one or more counter-technologies of eavesdropping” (Allen 1). Being in the middle of the Digital Age, we have to be much more careful of the kinds of information we put in our digital devices.

In the examination of the multitudes of American myths and values, a common use and theme can be found uniting all of them. These myths and values, to one degree or another, are designed to make old white men feel better about themselves and as a cudgel used against the changing culture that challenges their privileged position. The myths I will be exploring today involve sanitizing their past, glorifying their actions, and answering challenges to their thrones.

In the article “That’s No My Phone. That’s My Tracker”, Peter Maass, suggest in a seemingly, unbiased fashion, that unconsciously we are letting ourselves be tracked and investigated by simply using our cell phones, “Every year, private companies spend millions of dollars developing new services that track, store and share the words, movements and even the thoughts of their

In the article “How Urban Legends Work” Tom Harris started with an urban legend as an example of how an urban legend works. He used it as a reference throughout the article along with a few more examples. He explained briefly how to distinguish a made up tale from a story with possible truth behind it. The different types of urban legends were defined, cautionary tale and contamination story. These are just two of the more wide spread types to be told over the years. Some urban legends some would think how anyone could ever believe anything about them but Tom Harris explained that most are told by trusted friends whom in our minds would have no reason to lie. But people often make these tales personal or closer than they really are. He explained

Nowadays, the development of technology affects the way we search for the information. For instance, stories that have been told only within families or small groups of people can now be exposed to the internet, where these stories are shared amongst hundreds of people. Urban legend, by definition, is a humorous or horrific story that people usually believe, even when there is no proof of where it started from, or of the trustworthiness of that story. Urban legends have appealed to many ranges of audiences since this genre tends to attract many individuals. For instance, college students have taken an interest towards these legends, whether they like the strange stories or the actual messages behind it. Urban legends have taught college students the themes, which are based on the reflection of their conflicts or problems that they have dealt with. The two common themes of urban legends that represent the problem that college students are dealing with are the conflicts between college students and their professors and the paranormal and horror events that occur in their life.

The cash register in "Money" is heard just as the color of Oz is seen.

Misty and her brother Chris are joined by their childhood friends when they decide to go in search of the urban legend that haunts their small town.

Urban legends are very complex and interesting aspects of culture. They often inspire holidays, movies, poetry, stories and more. But urban legends go far beyond how they seem on the surface. Decoding the origins and messages behind urban legends is the key to understanding the truth of a legend. Illustrating the messages, urban legends may be benign, or malicious. In this essay we are going to look at these messages and what purpose they serve. First, the paper investigates how people use urban legends to teach lessons or send warnings. Next, we are going to look at how and why societies use urban legends for entertainment purposes. Finally, we are going to show how people use urban legends to represent tragic and macabre historic events,

I, Annant Gaur, student of B.A. Hons - 3. English of Amity Institute of English Studies and Research, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, hereby declare that I have completed the Project in English on The Influence of Urban Legends on Various Art Forms Of 21st Century in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of B.A. Hons. English