Isabel Caton
March 10, 2017
“Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens.”
Dreifus, Claudia. "Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 09 Mar. 2017.
I read the article “Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens.” by Claudia Dreifus, I thought the article was very interesting and I was able to learn a lot. The article talks about how people are actually addicted to their phones, similarly to cocaine or nicotine. Today people are spending nearly three hours a day tethered to their cellphones. Snapchat boasts that its youthful users open their app more than 18 times a day. The author defines addiction as “something you enjoy doing in the short term, that undermines your well-being in the long term” She states that we’re biologically prone to get hooked on these experiences. For example if you’re someone who “compulsively plays video games the minute you load up your computer, your brain will look like that of a substance abuser.” We are engineered in a way that our brains will release the neurotransmitter dopamine. We get a flood of dopamine that makes us feel wonderful in the short term, though in long term you build a tolerance and want more.
This article is very relevant for today because everyone today is on their phones constantly. Even children are becoming addicted to phones and other technology devices. In South Korea and China they have a law called the Cinderella law. This law is to protect children from playing certain games after midnight. Games and internet addiction is a serious problem, some parents commit their children for months where therapists treat them with a detox regime.
The article taught me a lot about how we look at technology and how our brain works. I was attracted to the article because I am curious about why and how we are constantly looking at our phones. Overall the article was very well written, each paragraph was formatted by asking a question and then the author answered it which I thought was an interesting format. I wish that the author had included more facts about the addiction to our phones and what professionals and scientists think about it, and included a possible solution.
I decided to comment on Isabel’s review of the article “Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screen.” Overall, I thought Isabel did a great job reviewing the article. I liked how she began the review by saying that we can get addicted to our phone and included comparisons to other addictions such as cocaine and nicotine. This helps to the reader to grasp the severity of some people’s addiction to their phones. Another thing I liked was how she included references to certain apps. This made the article more relatable as I have many of those apps. I also really enjoyed how she included a definition of addiction. This made is so that all the readers would be on the same page and would fully understand what it means to be addicted to your phone.
ReplyDeleteEven though this review was very well written, there were still some areas that could have been improved. For example, I wish that she had included details of why being addicted to our phone can be so terrible. This might have made the reader more included to really think about the points the article brought up. Another area that could have been improved is she could have included a more personal reference in her second paragraph instead of discussing laws in China. This would have made the article more relevant to the people reading it.
I first choose to read this article and review because of the title. As someone who is immersed in the age of technology, it was interesting to see the negative effects of all this technology. I found it extremely interesting that people can get addicted to phone like they can to cocaine and nicotine. I would really be interested to see what specific negative effects can be caused by being addicted to a phone.
Allison Barker
ReplyDeleteMarch 10, 2017
“Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens.”
Dreifus, Claudia. "Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 09 Mar. 2017.
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I greatly appreciated Isabel’s review of the article “Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens” and found it informative about a topic that affects many of us. I liked that Isabel included statistics in her review, which helped me to understand the true effect that this technology has on our lives. I also thought it was great that Isabel included quotes in her article, as this clarified her author’s stance on the issue. Third, I appreciated Isabel’s discussion of the Cinderella law, which is not part of her topic but is relevant to the complexity of the technological issue at hand.
Although Isabel’s review was extremely compelling, I would change a couple of things to make it even better. For one, I would fix the minimal grammatical errors present in the review. Although these were extremely rare, a complete lack of errors would help the flow of the review. I would also include quotes from people other than the author, as this would allow us to receive more varied viewpoints on the use of technology.
Overall, this article was very eye-opening, and I did not know that we are biologically wired to get a flood of dopamine from using technology. This will change the way that I use my phone!
I read Isabel's review of the article, "Why We Can't Look Away From Our Screens." There were many aspects of her review that were very well done. Firstly, her summary was very clear and concise. There wasn't any unnecessary information in it. Second, she used many quotes from the article and used statists, which made her review stronger. The third thing Isabel did well was connecting the article to her own life and to the world, explaining that people do get addicted to phones.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Isabel's review was well done, there were some aspects that could have been better. One thing is that she could have explained the negative long terms affects of looking at screens. Also, she could have put in possible solutions to people being addicted to phones.
Overall, Isabel's review was very well done. I read the review because I use technology for hours each day, so I thought the topic was interesting.
“Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens.”Dreifus, Claudia. "Why We Can’t Look Away
ReplyDeleteFrom Our Screens." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 09
Mar. 2017.
Isabel did a great job on her review of “Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens” by Claudia Dreifus. I particularly enjoyed Isabel’s eloquent and clear description of what she means by “addiction.” Isabel defined addiction as “something you enjoy doing in the short term, that undermines your well-being in the long term.” By providing a clarification of a key term Isabel established authority and clarity that makes her review more understandable for the average reader. An additional element upon which Isabel flourished was in her inclusion of apps that are familiar to many, including teenagers like myself. By stating “Snapchat boasts that its youthful users open their app more than 18 times a day” readers, such as myself, realize this issue is close to home and makes the reader become attentive as it is something many partake in. A final part Isabel did well on was in her comparison of the addiction to your phone being the same as cocaine or nicotine. Again, this abrupt comparison jolts the reader to attention and we realize this is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with immediately.
However, Isabel did have two areas of her review in which she could improve. Primarily, I would recommend that Isabel include more quotations from experts. Throughout her review Isabel did not mention a single expert’s opinion or viewpoint. Expert opinions are necessary in order to establish the authority and relevance of a piece to its audience. In order to improve this Isabel simply needs to be diligent about including relevant quotes and opinions in order to enhance her review. Additionally, I felt Isabel could improve her review by providing a better description of why this article was significant. I felt her short description that “this article is very relevant for today because everyone today is on their phones constantly” seemed superficial. Her review would be made more interesting by going deeper and perhaps providing further details on why increased phone usage is similar to a drug and how it is negatively impacting our health.
Overall, Isabel did a brilliant job of creating a well-written piece that exemplifies the current knowledge of increased phone usage and the biological effects it can have. I now will think twice before grabbing my phone to check snapchat, now that I understand the negative effects it can have. Although this article did not specifically discuss the negative health risks associated with increased screen usage it begged readers to think about why we feel so desperate to check our email, instagram, etc. In doing so, this review has allowed me to realize that by bettering our understanding why humans are drawn to our screens, we may be able to stop the spread of increased screen usage ailments such as poor eyesight. As our technology improves more and more we must be careful in order to preserve our eyesight as well as brain function. This idea is even more relevant when taking into account the development of artificial intelligence that while it can make our lives easier, we must find a way to stay intellectually engaged.
Evelyn Kluemper
ReplyDelete3/21/17
AP Biology
Dreifus, Claudia. "Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 09 Mar. 2017.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/science/technology-addiction-irresistible-by-adam-alter.html
Isabel’s review of “Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens” by Claudia Dreifus is interesting. She included examples that are relevant and relatable to her audience, which is composed of teenagers. Isabel discussed the severity of such addiction and how this can occur over time, involving the release of dopamine. She incorporated relevant quotes from the article that help readers understand how humans are prone to become addicted to things that release dopamine, whether it is healthy or not.
Although Isabel’s review was informative, I would like to know the impact this “screen-addiction” can have on our bodies. I would also like to know any possible treatments or solutions to this addiction.
Isabel’s review was intriguing, and caught my attention, as I also use screens constantly. This is a problem that should be dealt with, since there are many studies that prove that using screens for an extensive amount of time leads to diminished brain function. It saddens me that as a society, we are unable to maintain our focus and frequently look to our phones for happiness.
Dreifus, Claudia. "Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens." The New York Times. The New York
ReplyDeleteTimes, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 09 Mar. 2017.
Isabel’s critique of Claudia Dreifus’ article,“Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens” was very well written. Specifically I enjoyed her incorporation of quotes directly from the article as it backed up her thoughts as well as giving me a greater understanding of the topic. For example when she brought up the topic of “addiction” she then went on to quote the author of the article by saying,” The author defines addiction as ‘something you enjoy doing in the short term, that undermines your well-being in the long term.’” Her incorporation of specific text from the article added informative detail that made a big impact in her critique. Another thing Isabel did well is that she connected the issue of phone addiction to its relevance in our society. Isabel wrote,”This article is very relevant for today because everyone today is on their phones constantly. Even children are becoming addicted to phones and other technology devices.” She went on into detail on specific things being done such as the Cinderella Act in South Korea which restricts children to phone usage as they shut off at midnight. The connection Isabel made had a huge impact on me personally as I knew it was a big deal in our society but I did not realize how big it actually was and I am glad to see societies attempting to limit the usage. Finally Isabel did an amazing job on explaining what she took out of reading the article and how it impacted her. Not only did the article inform her on how screen addiction is becoming a problem but she also explained that she learned about the brain as well. She started off her conclusion by stating,”The article taught me a lot about how we look at technology and how our brain works” as she goes into depth on her thoughts and ideas.
Although Isabel did a good job reviewing Claudia Dreifus’ article, there are still some parts that could improve. She started her second article off very strong talking about the topic’s relevance today but I believe she could expand on her thoughts. Although she did incorporate a specific example I believe she could find more acts and other things other countries have done to limit the usage of phones in order to restrict addiction. Another thing Isabel could improve is in her conclusion. Once again she started off strong by stating the impact the article had on her and how she learned more than she thought she would as she learned about the brain’s functions as well as screen addiction but after a strong opening she didn’t get deep into her thoughts. I believe she could have expanded on specific things she learned in her conclusion to make it stronger.
Personally I constantly find myself checking my phone and going on social media. I did not realize how big of a problem this was in society today until after reading both the article and Isabel’s review. I didn’t realize what all the “screen time” could do to your brain and how it affects your personal health. After reading this article I am going to personally watch myself and to not only limit my time on my phone or computer but I am going to tell my friends to do so as well and explain the negative effects it can have on your life.
Alexander Plaza
ReplyDelete“Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens.”
Dreifus, Claudia. "Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 09 Mar. 2017.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/science/technology-addiction-irresistible-by-adam-alter.html
Isabel, I read your review of “Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens.” by Claudia Dreifus and I thought that you did a nice job. I thought that you did a nice job with your summary of the article. I was not confused about your topic. This is good for the readers since it creates a firm base for your review. Also, I like that your summary is brief. It does not bore the reader with useless information and you are able to move to the main point of your review faster. Finally, I like that you incorporate text from the article fluidly into your own review. Your own work takes on the same scholarly tone as the article.
Although your article was good, there are some things that you could improve on. First, I think you could add more quotes from contributors other than the author. It would provide credibility to the article as well as different viewpoints and new knowledge. Also, I believe that you could improve some minor grammatical errors. This would stop the reader’s attention from being drawn away from the content of the review towards the grammar.
Overall, I enjoyed your review. I knew that we could be addicted to our phones but I never knew the specifics about dopamine and the brain. I’ll definitely be interested in the negative effects of long term phone use.
Isabel did a great job with her review of the article "Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens." I thought that she gave a very thorough summary that helped the reader understand the topic. I liked that she used specific facts, such as the way video games trigger a dopamine response, to support her claim. Finally, I liked how she connected the science behind screen addiction public policy, including examples such as the Cinderella laws in South Korea and China.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Isabel did a great job, there are a few things she could work on. I would have liked her to include an quote from an expert on the subject. This would have given her review more credibility. I also thought she could have done a better job explaining the science behind the issues-- why our brains react the way they do to video game and electronics.
Overall, Isabel's review was well-done and informative. It gave me a new perspective on something that is extremely routine in my everyday life. I will now be more aware of screen addiction and how it could affect me.
“Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens.”
ReplyDeleteDreifus, Claudia. "Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 09 Mar. 2017.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/science/technology-addiction-irresistible-by-adam-alter.html
Isabel’s review of the article “Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens” was very well done. Her summary was clear and concise, while still providing a depth of information about this topic. She also did a great job expressing her own opinion and critique of the article. Her well articulated stance showed she really absorbed the information and considered the authors work. Finally, I thought Isabel did an exemplary job including data points that helped the reader understand the information. She said, “Today people are spending nearly three hours a day tethered to their cellphones. Snapchat boasts that its youthful users open their app more than 18 times a day.”
Overall Isabel did a good job, but she still could improve a few areas. For example, she could have used a couple more direct quotes from the article. This would give her readers a better sense of the author's voice and add some additional credibility. Also, she could have expanded on what negative effects phone addiction and overuse might have.
I was very interested in Isabel's review and the article she cited. I had knowledge about this topic before, but it was interesting to learn more about the science behind this issue of rising concern.
Mia Gradelski
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Biology
September 25, 2017
Dreifus, Claudia. "Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens." The New York Times. The New
York Times, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 25 Sept. 2017.
After reading this intriguing review based on the article, “Why We Can’t Look Away From Our Screens” I thought Isabel did an excellent job summarizing the main points represented. Before reading her review, I immediately noticed that she picked an article to write about that was relevant to kids our age. In addition, she started her review with her own reaction to the article which I thought was nice to include. Throughout the article, we teenagers feel blamed for being so attracted to our phones, but Isabel incorporates details that are evident inside the article such as “today people are spending nearly three hours a day tethered to their cellphones” which makes us interested about our feelings and why we are wasting our time due to the very specific details of evidence she provides. I like how she includes no bias from the author saying that “even children are becoming addicted to phones and other technology devices” which sparks new interest for debate. Lastly, while reading her review it really stood out to me that she included many different opinions on this issue from “scientists to professionals keeping track of every move.” Inside the article, it discusses a technology and neurology aspect to how these phones attract us. It was very well written and incorporating different views makes this article very interesting for all ages especially since this is an issue that we can fix ourselves.
Although I thought this article related to me due to the understanding and precise chronological summary that Isabel gave in her review, at times she was a big vague with the lack of research. For example, she explains that there is a law in South Korea and China called Cinderella which protects children from playing certain games after midnight but doesn’t explain how it was adopted or why, which was provided in the article but not mentioned in her review. In order to fix this, she needs to go back into the text and further explain this interesting fact that people around the world might want to put in place. In addition, she didn’t incorporate the main issues of this so called “addiction” of how and why humans are attracted to their pieces in bold in the article, “how do you define addiction.” This is her key weakness and to correct this she should of explained reasons how this addiction is spreading possibly through the economy, stated in the article“Snapchat will boast that its youthful users open their app more than 18 times a day.” She was very vague in explaining how this research is being conducted and I would’ve liked to of heard the impact on this research. At the end of her review, she briefly mentions her reaction but she can improve upon this by explaining “the harm that is being on the phone for three hours daily” can do to your brain.
Overall, I thought Isabel’s review was very informative and I learned to pay much more attention and be conscious about what I’m doing on my phone because I now know that it is not only good for me, but most of the time I’m not getting anything done. What especially caught my attention was when she stated, “we’re biologically prone to get hooked on these experiences and your brain will look like that of a substance abuser.” It was fascinating how she incorporated her own experiences and to real information that we all can relate to. The main reason I chose to comment this review was because I wanted to read an article which would have a direct impact to my daily life and I got tips to keep me more present in my life instead of on my phone. This article will not only change my own perspective on technology in the ways that it can be harmful and good, but for my personal life, to focus on my life instead of scrolling mindlessly on social media.