English 101

Step 1:

Thinking about the Topic

Watch the video "I Forgot My Phone" and think about the questions below. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgKqSl0UXNU (Links to an external site.)

What is the point the creator of the film is trying to make?

What are some disadvantages of having a smartphone to people's interaction with each other?

Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Why or why not? 

(Note: This is to get you thinking about the topic and you do not have to turn in the answers).

Step 2:

Read the Article

According to Sherry Turkle’s article “The Flight from Conversation (Links to an external site.)” in The New York Times, she discusses how “[w]e expect more from technology and less from one another and seem increasingly drawn to technologies that provide the illusion of companionship without the demands of relationship”. After reading “The Flight from Conversation” reflect on her idea of the “three powerful fantasies” that technology appears to promise us (Turkle). 

Format:

Please be sure to use the MLA 8 Essay Template Preview the documentto create your essay. Your essay should include

 Introduction – one or two sentences that take the reader from the big picture to the

specific topic.

Thesis statement (multi-part). Tell the reader what the topic is, why it should be

discussed, and how it is important to the reader. PLEASE UNDERLINE THE THESIS.

At least three quotations and examples from the essay that support the thesis.

Transitional techniques between thoughts and paragraphs to make the essay flow.

Conclusion – restate the thesis and recap the support.

Works Cited page – lists all the sources that were quoted/cited in the essay, alphabetically by author’s last name. 

The essay should be a minimum of three typed, double-spaced pages (about 600-750) words and follow the MLA format.

Papers submitted that do not meet the requirements will be returned to you ungraded.