DIagonostic: Social Media, Teens, and Anxiety

For your diagnostic, in a 1.5-2-page response, contrast the following two articles:

• "Today's Teens are Anxious, and Social Media can Play a Role" (Salon)
• "Maybe Social Media Isn’t as Bad for Teens as We Thought" (Vice)

Mechanics:

• 1.5-2 pages in length
• MLA Style
• Works cited

Due: Thu 9.6

Social Media News 8.29

• #MelaniaLovesTrudeau trends after FLOTUS shows affection for Canada's PM (Newsweek)
• Latest Instagram trend? The Tortoiseshell Eye (Allure)
• Instagram makes a new play for Snapchat users (Vox)
• Facebook makes subtle changes to its slogan (ABC News)
• Viral Video of the Week: Indian man's paragliding adventure fail (YouTube)

Week 2: Tue 8.27/Thu 8.29

Week 2: Tue 8.27/Thu 8.29*
Class: Introductions; Lecture—“Crafting the Essay: Writing as a Process,” “MLA Style 101,” and “On Wordiness: Exercises”
Due: REFLECTION 1

*Start your social media fast no later than Wed 9.4—it should run for one full week.

Upcoming:

Week 3: Tue 9.3/Thu 9.5**
Read: “A Four-Week Social Media Fast (and Four Lessons from It)” (Art of Manliness), “Thirteen Things That Could Happen When You Quit Social Media” (Reader’s Digest), “Nine Positive Benefits of a Social Media Detox” (Lifehacker)’ “Action Plan for a Social Media Detox” (Medium)
Class: Presentation partner and topic assignments; Lecture—“Building a Better Multimedia Presentation: An Annotated Look”
Due: DIAGNOSTIC

**Social Media Fast directions: 1. Start no later than Wed 9.4 (do it for a full seven days) 2. Abstain from all non-essential social media platforms (e.g. Twitter, Instagram) for seven days 3. Summarize each day in a brief paragraph (typed; attach to next week’s in-class essay).

Reflection 1: Swipe Right—On the Ins and Outs of 21st Century Dating

Bumble, Snapchat, eHarmony, Tinder, Grindr, POF, and other social media sites, have revolutionized the ways in which people, particularly those under 40, approach dating, love, and sex. In this world of high-tech dating, emojis, relationships statuses, sexts, user profiles, selfies, catfishing, friend requests, and tagged photos have dramatically altered the rules of engagement. Today, people have far more information available to them about potential mates than at any time in the past—just consider how common the practice of Googling someone is these days. But new technology also means new standards. Just what are the spoken and unspoken rules of dating (or hookups) in the age of social media? What are some of the potential pitfalls of dating via technology? For example, what must you contend with that older generations did not? Finally, where is all of this headed? How will all of this affect the way we look at sex, marriage, and relationships in the future?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "A Woman's Guide to Online Dating for Men" (Vice)
• "Seven Crucial Tips to Practice Safe Sexting" (Mashable)
• "Delete All Your Dating Apps and Be Free" | GQ
• "A Million First Dates" (Atlantic)
• "Headless Torsos: How Smart Phone Apps Have Changed Dating for the Worse" | Huffington Post
• "Lonely, Socially Anxious Millennials are More Likely to Use Dating Apps Compulsively, Study Finds" (PsyPost)

Required:

• MLA Style
• 1.5 pages in length
• Works cited page

Due: Thu 8.29

Social Media News 8.21

• Facebook and Twitter ban accounts they say promote Chinese government-backed disinformation about the Hong Kong protests (Vox)
• No, there is no need to protect your content from Facebook and Instagram (Forbes)
• Secretary Rick Perry, the man in charge of America's nuclear weapons, falls for said Facebook/Instagram hoax (Buzzfeed)
• Facebook previews its "Off-Facebook Activity” too in Spain, Ireland, and South Korea (Wired)
• An "influencer's" outtakes show the reality of life on Instagram (Petapixel)

Week 1: Thu 8.22

Week 1: Thu 8.22
Class: Syllabus review

Upcoming:

Week 2: MON 8.26/WED 8.28
Class: Introductions; Lecture—“Crafting the Essay: Writing as a Process” and “MLA Style 101”
Due: REFLECTION 1 

Welcome to ENGL 1A