In the preface of her 2015 book Mind Change, Susan Greenfield states that the purpose of her book is “to explore the different ways in which digital technologies could be affecting not just thinking patterns and other cognitive skills but also lifestyle, culture and personal aspirations” (xvi). In this project, you will consider the impact of social media on people’s sense of self OR connection to others. You may focus your main argument on the implications of constructing a social media “self” (or selves) OR on the connections between social media use and feelings of connection (or lack of) to others.
You will develop your main argument by including claims of your own and claims from class sources. Your evidence will support the claims. You will be integrating your ideas (and possibly your experience) with others’ when you make multiple references (in multiple paragraphs) to two sources from class. You are required to use either boyd, Greenfield, or Twenge as one main source; your second source should be one that offers an alternative view to the first source (naysayer) or that complicates to allow new connections.
Main Sources
- “Identity: Why Do Teens Seem Strange Online?” (chap. 1) by danah boyd
- “Social Networking and Identity” (chap. 10) by Susan Greenfield
- “Has the Smartphone Destroyed a Generation?” by Jean Twenge
Other Possible Source
- “Connected, but Alone” TED Talk by Sherry Turkle
Resources
- Little Seagull for guidance on MLA format and other style issues
Due Dates and Expectations
- First draft with integration of two sources (about 3 pages + 1 page works cited) due March 7 (via Google Docs and two paper copies)
- Self-directed revision activity and peer reviews completed by March 8 at noon
- Final draft due March 21 by 8 p.m. (via Google Docs)
- Final draft should be in MLA format (see Little Seagull for sample) and should be 1000-1200 words (about 4-5 pages), including a works cited page.
Process
Step 1. Freewriting or Brainstorming (10-20 minutes)
These questions are meant to get you thinking about the topic that most interests you. You do not have to answer all of them in your essay, nor do you have to use all of them in your brainstorming.
Social Media and Identity:
- How do social media impact our sense of self importance? In what ways might this be positive changes? In what ways negative change?
- Should our social media personas reflect our “true” selves? How do our social media personas allow us to create a “possible” self? How might creating a “possible” self be beneficial to teens, in particular? How might it be detrimental?
- What are some pros of constructing multiple social media personas? What are some cons? Do the pros outweigh the cons?
- How does social media usage impact self-worth? Does it boost or lower self-esteem?
Social Media and Sense of Connection:
- Are social media changing the way we relate to each other or are these platforms just giving us online spaces to relate in the same way we always have? Is our social media usage changing our expectations of each other?
- What are benefits of using on social media to connect with others? What are the drawbacks? Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks?
- How might social media make us more secure in our relationships? How might they make us more insecure or lonely?
- Do social media platforms encourage us to behave differently than we would in face-to-face interactions? Does revealing more about ourselves using social media create stronger or weaker interpersonal connections?
Step 2. Organized Pre-writing
- Colored sticky notes to organize your sources (balancing “they say” and “I say”): one color for claims about your experience, one color for claims from source #1, one color for claims from source #2. Arrange the sticky notes to consider possible connections (in other words, stick claims together that might get linked as similar or as a counter claim). Write a working thesis that states your a position at the top of a piece of paper and then arrange the sticky notes into an outline.
- Traditional outline: Write a working thesis that states your a position at the top of a page. Under it, make an informal outline (see Little Seagull p. 11) that includes at least three main ideas (one may be a claim that represents a naysayer) and possible source connections.
Step 3. Drafting
- Using your pre-writing activity, develop a first draft. Include a working thesis and incorporate information from at least two sources. You may choose to include quotes, summary, or paraphrasing from the sources, but be sure to cite the sources.
- Your draft should be about 3 pages PLUS your Works Cited page. Whenever you use sources, include a Works Cited in all drafts; otherwise, source information is plagiarized.
- Do not fall in love with your first draft! Expect to make significant changes.
Step 4. Peer Review
- Peer review categories will be discussed in class and will center on source integration and claim development.
- Ultimately, you are the author. You do not need to make all suggested changes, but seriously consider the suggestions. Start with an expectation to follow all suggestions and then eliminate those where you have a definite reason for NOT making the change.
Step 5. Global Revision
- Revision begins with global changes. Examples of global revision include revising the order of paragraphs or rewriting sections of the essay to clarify your meaning, including adding (or deleting) detail to better help your reader understand your purpose for writing. Adding a few sentences is not global; it is local change. Wording and punctuation changes are local.
Step 6. Polishing and Local Revision
- On final draft day, we will spend some time in class working on local issues. This will include some sentence structure work, wording revision, and apostrophe review. Polishing also includes proofreading. At this point in the writing process, you should be making local changes, such as wording or punctuation fixes.
Step 7. Final Draft Submission
- Final drafts will be officially submitted by 8 p.m. on the due date via Google Docs.
