Part  I

A Non Sequitur fallacy in my paper appears on page 6:

“According to Hans Geser in his article Understanding Mobile Technology from a Sociological Perspective in the book Thumb Culture, ‘the cell phone is prone to increase the pervasiveness of the most intimate personal relationships in individual life… it offers an easy escape route from unfamiliar public encounters’ (Thumb Culture 31). As a result, society has become more and more individualized.”

This can be fixed by going explaining Geser’s quote and going more in depth into it. Additionally,  clarification of the claim that society has become more individualized might also help.

A Hasty Generalization fallacy can be found in the same paragraph:

“Uncertainty and unfamiliarity are high in public places; the mobile phone only adds to this. Instead of facing that fear and overcoming it, people shrink away into their phones. What’s easier: talking to a stranger or texting your best friend? Society would say the latter, but is society always right?”

This can be corrected by doing more research about cell phone usage in public, as well as changing the language and meaning of the sentence “Instead of facing…”

Part II

For my poster presentation, I will probably need to find more graphs and charts to really bring out what my paper is talking about. I will most likely put these in the center of my poster, and have a paragraph explaining the graph.  In addition, a picture or two of people on their phones in public wouldn’t hurt. This could go on one of the panels of my poster. Lastly, I might put my the concluding paragraph of my paper (which describes what action should be taken with regard to proper cell phone etiquette) on the other side panel.

Assembling my presentation helped me to clearly organize my thoughts. It enabled me to coherently describe what I wanted to research. Additionally, it may serve as an outline for my paper. Moreover, the question afterward made me back up my claims, as well as conduct further research.

1)     Vinovich, Brett. “Can We Talk?.” American Salon 133.4 (2010): 14. Associates Programs Source. EBSCO. Web. 12 Oct. 2010.

2)     Smith, N.. “luv 2 txt. ” Scholastic Choices  1 Sep. 2010: Children’s Module, ProQuest. Web.  12 Oct. 2010. 

3)      “Teens Who Text.” Communications of the ACM 51.11 (2008): 19. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Oct. 2010.

4)      Katz, James E. “Mobile Communication and the Transformation of Daily Life: The Next Phase of Research on Mobiles.” Knowledge, Technology & Policy 19.1 (2006): 63-71. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Oct. 2010.

5)  Tucker, Patrick. “Hooked Up or Just Hooked.” Futurist 43.2 (2009): 16-17. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Oct. 2010.    

The most promising source in this list is the “Can We Talk?” article. It discusses the implications of people constantly being on their cell phones. It mentions that face-to-face conversation has become “a lost art.” My research topic is going to focus more on the pyschological side of cell phone use, and this article discusses exactly that.

I somewhat agree with what Stallybrass says about thoughts and where they come from. On the one hand, others do significantly influence our thoughts and behaviors. Our friends, siblings, and parents all play a part in our upbringing and development. Yet, if our thoughts aren’t our own, then who’s are they? People from Aristotle to Thomas Edison came up with their own ideas of how things operated, and in most cases proved them to be true. For instance, when Edison came up with the invention of the light bulb, who’s idea was that? Surely not his friend’s or his father’s. It may have come from years of education, but the invention itself was his.

This has revelance to a research topic because everyone comes up with their own ideas for a paper. They originate in us, not in our roommates or the guy down the hall.

I am interested in researching cell phones because I want to find out their effect on us and on those around us. This is important and interesting to me because we constantly use cell phones, and they are rapidly changing the way we communicate.

1)      Which age groups uses cell phones the most?

2)      What are cell phones used for the most? (i.e. texting, Facebook, sports updates, etc.)?

3)      What are the most popular types of phones?

http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2003/0312/0312new4.cfm   

Enola Gay, the B-29 airplane that bombed Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, is currently on display in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. The controversy surrounding this massive creature of the sky is everywhere. On the one hand, you have the war veterans from WWII who proudly desire that this super fortress be displayed for the entire world to see.  In contrast, the public sees the aircraft as a sign of cruelty. Though the war was shortened and many U.S. soldiers’’ lives probably saved, the killing of thousands of innocent civilians can never be justified.  Japanese and people from other countries also find the Enola Gay offensive. More importantly, though, is the fact that the plane was the vehicle that carried the atomic bomb that murdered countless civilians, most of whom did not share the bloodlust of the Japanese army. Such a bone-chilling artifact should not be put on display in the National Air and Space Museum.

http://www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/doritos.html

Doritos. Delicious, cheesy nachos in a bag. What could be better? According to Dorito’s website, “Doritos® brand tortilla chips deliver a powerful crunch that unlocks the bold and unique flavors you crave.” Yet they fail to fully mention the sickening ingredients that are mixed into them. There are between 36 and 39 ingredients put into each individual Dorito. Only two of them are actually necessary in making nachos. The site claims that there is “good stuff” like “vitamin B6 and Phosphorus” put into Doritos. However, there are other, more disgusting, ingredients put into these orange chips that include dextrin, maltodextrin, dextrose, and corn syrup solids. In addition, artificial flavoring and Monosodium glutamate (MSG) are also a part of these so called “natural” chips. MSG gives Doritos their addicting quality, and interferes with the appetite-regulating hormone known as leptin. Though appealing, Doritos are a snack that should be avoided.

     Men of Color, To Arms!

     Fredrick Douglass wrote “Men of Color, To Arms!” in 1863 while in New York. He wrote this short article to arouse his fellow slaves to fight for their freedom, and more importantly for their country. The Civil War was fought over slaves, yet the slaves could be the cure for ending the war, according to Douglass. He told his brothers and sisters not to question, but to respond to the call and fight. “Action! Action! and not criticism, is the plain duty of this hour” (Douglass 1). Douglass’s words “Better to die free than live slaves” foreshadowed what Patrick Henry would say roughly 100 years later in his work “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.” Douglass went on to encourage his fellow slaves to ignore the white men, who said that this was their war. He invoked them to run to Massachusetts, where they would be welcomed into the army. He assured them that they would be treated just as the white soldiers were treated. They would be given the same wages, food, and equipment. He implored his brothers and sisters to pounce on the opportunity to win back their freedom.