Ryan Mahjoub

Professor Padgett
ENGL: 1102
1-27-2014
Social Media Cause, Peoples Effect
Context:
I notice that social media plays a bigger role in my life than I once thought. In my
daily life I find myself partaking in the use of social media various times throughout the
day. Often times I will get on, to see how my friends are doing, or to look and see if
anyone commented or liked one of my posts. However sometimes I get on, when I have
nothing going on, in my free time, and if I become bored. Social media takes large
quantity of my time throughout the day. With this being said I feel that social media
controls part of my world, being how I feel, what I think, and the way I understand
striation. Often times I refer to social media for answers to questions, such as; whats
fashionable or whats cool. On the assumption that if a topic of discussion gets positive
feedback, its good, or if it gets negative feedback, its bad. I can relate to becoming
dependent on social media. When I do not have my phone on me, I feel as though I am
missing something, often times not being able to concentration on anything else.
Social media has a big influence on peoples worlds due to all the time spent on
social sites. I notice how some people spend too much time on social media causing
problems. Social media addiction can be seen throughout generations. I will go out to
dinner with friends or family and by the end of that dinner someone would have pulled
out their phone to check Facebook or Twitter or some other social media, just to see what
Comment [AP1]: Interesting title.
Comment [AP2]: Reconsider your use of
the word on in this sentence
Comment [AP3]: Youve said this already.
This is a filler sentence.
Comment [AP4]: In what sense are you
talking about striation?
other people posted. It is like an itch that they have to scratch, often times they cannot go
an hour without getting on their phones. Not able to realize their dependence on social
media.

Another problem that occurs with social media is called twitter beef and Facebook
bully. Both of these can be seen when two people argue over a subject that they normally
would not be arguing about, causing drama in the social media world. People who
become more antagonistics over the Internet amplify drama. Causing debate over a
subject, where there is no winner. Often times where a person will say something over
the Internet where everyone can see, and it take a private matter between two people and
involves everyone. Throughout high school I had one classmate, who always seemed to
be the root of social media drama, always putting his nose in other peoples business or
spreading rumors. One night, one of my friends got tired of this classmate-spreading
rumor about him, and confronted him on Facebook. Where my classmate acted all big
and bad since everyone could see that my friend confronted him, and started an argument.
Everyone seemed to notice this drama unfolding and soon started to pick sides. By the
end of the night the whole school seemed to know about their drama and soon it became
a fight where they were to meet after school one day. The point I am getting at is that
social media caused this fight. It started by someone who had a big mouth over social
media, and was amplified by the use of social media into more than it had to be.


Inquiry:
Comment [AP5]: This paragraph seems to
be largely a repeat of the previous
paragraph
Comment [AP6]: Can you be a little more
clear with your illustration. Try to avoid
ambiguous words like something.
Comment [AP7]: Again, lots of repetition
here.
Comment [AP8]: Why do you say
amplified? How is this different from
regular bullying?
In what ways have social media changed our views of society and how we
communicate between one another?
How much time do people spend on social media today, and what parts of their
day are they willing to give up to use social media?
How has bullying changed with the use of social media? Is cyber bullying a
problem due to social media?
Next Step:
I expect to find information on studies showing how communication between humans has
changed in the twenty-first century due to social media, comparing and contrasting the
difference in communication from the past to today. Talking survey to the older
generations to see how they feel communication has changed in this new social media
era. Also find studies showing how peoples views of the world have changed due to
social media prompting conformism. Showing how social media takes individualism
away from the people and tries to make a uniform, which the general public must try and
fit. I also expect to find statists on how much time the average teen spends on social
media throughout the day. Comparing that to what the average teen spent their time on
twenty or so years ago. Seeing what time we are willing to commit to social media
instead of other activities and how our day differ. Moreover I expect to find how social
media changed bullying. Finding information about how social media bullying by people
over the Internet is just as bad as in person. People cannot even feel free to be themselves
in the comfort of their own homes.
Ryan,
I think you have some interesting ideas here and I think you have set your self up
reasonably well for a discussion on cyber bullying. Though your personal essay
seems to be largely about abrasive online discourse as opposed to cyber bullying. I
Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.5"
Comment [AP9]: This is a really good
question, but again, I think it might be best if
you seek to find how online bullying is
different than in person bullying. Also, you
might find the documentary Bully a good
source to generate more inquiry on the
topic of bullying.
Comment [AP10]: Also, didnt social media
give birth to cyber bullying? This is like
asking are chickens around because of
eggs?
Comment [AP11]: Im not sure what
youre saying here.
Comment [AP12]: Why are you omitting
the subject of these sentences?
Comment [AP13]: How so? In what way
do you mean conformism? You didnt write
much about this in your personal essay.
wonder if you might be better asking questions about whether or not social media
has changed public discourse for the better or for the worse. Is there more
misinformation out there rather than information. These are just ideas Im tossing
out there that seem more inline with your personal essay. Seems like youre off to a
good start. Please proof read closer next time.