Unplug and V for Vendetta
TASK #1: V for Vendetta Book 1
“The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.' The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves—or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honour, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn.”
-Sophie Scholl
Discussions:
TASK #2: Unplug
Please read the handout and article online: A Day Without Media. Contrast this article and website with the article handout "Fighting a Social Media Addiction". In the COMMENT section below, post answers to questions for critical reading:
“The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.' The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves—or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honour, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn.”
-Sophie Scholl
Discussions:
- How does the control of media play a role in oppression? How has V combatted this?
- Do you see parallels between the government in the novel and today's United States government? Do you believe we're moving closer to the kind of government shown in the novel, or away from it? What are the most important differences between our government and the one in the novel?
- Do you see any parallels between how the government uses media in the novel and how the government uses media in today's world?
- How does citizen journalism play into all of this?
Please read the handout and article online: A Day Without Media. Contrast this article and website with the article handout "Fighting a Social Media Addiction". In the COMMENT section below, post answers to questions for critical reading:
- Consider the Maryland report alongside Johnson's "Fighting a Social Media Addiction" especially in light of Rutledge's claim that the report's conclusion "had nothing to do with addiction" [para. 7]. To what extent do you think that "Fighting a Social Media Addiction" accurately represents the Maryland study? Why?
- In your article, include some carefully selected quotations from the authors of the studies, and/or the students they quote.
- Remember to attribute your sources.
- Over the weekend (Saturday-Monday) you were asked to choose one day to unplug and investigate how difficult or easy it was to unplug from all media sources during the day.
- Use your notes you took about your reaction during this day.
- Use your notes to add your reaction/experience to the article.
- Submit your Google doc article file to Google Classroom (see Google Classroom for more information).
HOMEWORK: Complete the article if you did not finish. Finish V for Vendetta.
Consider the Maryland report alongside Johnson's "Fighting a Social Media Addiction" especially in light of Rutledge's claim that the report's conclusion "had nothing to do with addiction" [para. 7]. To what extent do you think that "Fighting a Social Media Addiction" accurately represents the Maryland study? Why?
ReplyDeleteMany of them struggled to stay off their phones or laptops. It is difficult and it was even worse when they could not listen to music. I think it is because music allows people to relax, like one of the college students said, it helps improve their mood before an exam or a class. It is not really about social media itself, but talking to friends & families or news. It is an easier way to get information and chat with friends, that is why it is so difficult.
Both articles were written similarly and proved that it was difficult to live their daily life without technology, but the 24 Hours: Unplugged gave more information.
DeleteYes because the two articles were written in very similar ways and shared many of the same quotes.
ReplyDeleteConsider the Maryland report alongside Johnson's "Fighting a Social Media Addiction" especially in light of Rutledge's claim that the report's conclusion "had nothing to do with addiction" [para. 7]. To what extent do you think that "Fighting a Social Media Addiction" accurately represents the Maryland study? Why?
ReplyDeleteIt is very much so like an addiction because of all the things that the students experience after the stuff is taken away and because of how dependent everyone is when it comes to it.
The conclusions of the study and Jenna Johnson's article are very similar. They both discuss how the college students were struggling with being off technology. However, Jenna Johnson's article says that the college students were "addicted" to their technology/media while the actual study did not officially say the students were addicted.
ReplyDeleteConsider the Maryland report alongside Johnson's "Fighting a Social Media Addiction" especially in light of Rutledge's claim that the report's conclusion "had nothing to do with addiction" [para. 7]. To what extent do you think that "Fighting a Social Media Addiction" accurately represents the Maryland study? Why?
ReplyDeleteThey agree a lot because they use a lot of the same quotes to support a lot of the same arguments. The articles are almost identical in many ways and honestly if you asked me which one was which without giving me titles I would have no idea whose was whose.
This represents the Maryland study because they both basically say the same things but both of them are slightly different because they both have different opinions but overall they both are saying the same message
ReplyDeleteThe Maryland report is not accurately represented by Fighting a Social Media Addiction by Jenna Johnson. The conclusion of the actual study is not about our addiction to media and rather our dependence on it. Fighting a Social Media Addiction is trying to make the point that these students are clearly addicted by only using quotes that support her claim. The majority of the quotes are not actually about addiction and more about what they couldn't do without media. Fighting a Social Media Addiction did not represent the actual study.
ReplyDeleteI thought that they were very similar and just worded slightly different. I felt like I was reading the same article twice. They both stated that college students were dependent on social media and used the same quotes. A difference is that the article by Jenna Johnson was more focused on how they were addicted and the other one focused on the process and the students reactions.
ReplyDeleteThe Maryland study and Johnson's opinion piece matched up decently. Things like emotions towards the experiment and the excessive texting along with Facebook. It is interesting how Johnson didn't really talk about how students weren't invested in news while the study showed that was somewhat the case.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Silas hehe
Delete"Fighting a Social Media Addiction" supported the ideas of the study very well. Although the article paraphrased, the quotes from the students about being addicted and crazy. The article really sort of just restated the things that the study mentioned, managing to still have the same idea and shorten the ideas at the same time.
ReplyDeleteDavid
DeleteDavid is the SmartOldenTortoise, please remember that
Delete