Reaction 1

**NOTE to students reading this example paper: This essay was required to include the following references:

1. https://www.npr.org/2019/10/31/775173107/when-a-listener-calls

2. https://www.npr.org/2019/07/15/741827437/finding-your-voice-how-the-way-we-sound-shapes-our-identities

3. https://www.npr.org/2019/06/10/731240001/me-myself-and-ikea-what-our-love-for-swedish-furniture-says-about-narcissism

4. https://www.npr.org/2016/07/12/485087469/me-me-me-the-rise-of-narcissism-in-the-age-of-the-selfie

I have included my brief notes in blue throughout.**

Personal Personality

It is an odd thing to experience when you try so hard to fit in, but fitting in means being different and unique. Growing up on the cusp of the Millennials and Gen Z, I found myself in a society that was shifting from this notion of conformity to wanting to be different. This social change allowed me to grow in my self-esteem and how I otherwise carried myself. Constant application of who I was as a person to my work, in an effort to make it unique, seemed like a tall order to me even though it was simple for others in my class. My ability to fit in was not accepted as well as those who were able to set themselves apart since uniqueness and individuality receives higher praise. While people around me have helped shape how I express my personality, the roots never changed, and what I truly wanted ruled. My personality served and continues to serve me. Aspects of self-esteem, narcissism, and uniqueness, live close to one another within personalities with a fine line of separation, and our personalities use these outward traits it support our individualistic ideals in this sea of social rejection.  (*The writer has an interesting introduction in which she pulls the reader in and then ends up her thesis statement)

           In the first podcast, When a listener calls, the concept of high sensation seekers sits on this fine line of narcissism and uniqueness. The social and physical risks that those who seek scary situations, are purely for their gain and not for meeting the expectations of society (Sofia, 2019). This can be explained by the difference in the chemical effect that comes from how the fight or flight response reacts with the production of cortisol or dopamine. High sensation seekers make dopamine instead of cortisol, which works in their favor of enjoyment even if those around them do not like the horror aspect (Sofia, 2019). People who enjoy scary situations tend to enjoy thrilling experiences, seek out new experiences, are not good at tolerating boredom, and are willing to be unrestrained. As a result, their personalities are “bigger” in comparison to others, yet are unafraid of social rejection for it since the dopamine response is so strong for their personal gain (Sofia, 2019).  (*Paragraph 2 is a clear supporting paragraph that ties into her thesis statement and gives the reader a thorough tie-in to her first piece of media that she was required to include.*)

           Another aspect that impacts our unique identities are perceived, is through our voices (*this is a nice transition). We tend to think that our voice serves others, to speak and be heard. However, that is not the full story, as our voice is much more personal since it affects how we perceive ourselves, and impacts how we express ourselves. In the podcast How the way we sound shapes our identity, the stories of Shay and Jackie serve as great examples of how our voices affect us in dramatic ways (Vendantam, Lu, Boyle, & Cohen, 2019a). The sound and perception of her voice is something that affected Shay in different ways as she was discovering herself and transitioning. Early in life, Shay tried so hard to sound more masculine, but later on, she worked to reverse that in order to match her voice with her identity (Vendantam et al., 2019a). As for Jackie, she talks about her voice in two parts, one before and one after her surgery. Similar to Shay, Jackie was defeated by the sound of her voice after surgery which destroyed her confidence (Vendantam et al., 2019a). Our individual voices carry something so unique about us, while it may seem like it serves others as a form of communication it is actually so personal that it can determine how we present ourselves in society.  (*The writer used proper APA style in-text citations and clearly used her second supporting paragraph to delve into her second required piece of media. It also clearly ties into the theme of creating a unique identity which is the focus of her thesis statement*).

           Narcissistic tendencies are another good example of how our identities/personalities work to serve us and not the broader expectations of society. In the podcast, Me, myself, and IKEA…, the effects of narcissism on the self and how it related to those around you are explained (Vendantam, Penman, & Boyle, 2019bb). Implicit biases and egotism exist within us to appease our own desires. We tend to like people who look like us and share similar characteristics to our own, for example, one’s birthday or name. Such biases lead us to look away from others who are different from us, which is where racial biases can stem from (Vendantam et al., 2019). There is even a psychological benefit from being narcissistic to a certain level, which is explained from the point of building IKEA furniture. When you build your own furniture, you are prouder of the creation since it is associated with you (Vendantam et al., 2019b). For these reasons, narcissism is not necessarily a bad thing, especially since it works to serve you in a social world that is so demanding.  (*The writer used the third supporting paragraph to tie in her third piece of media*).

           As our society becomes more individualized, through the repercussions of social media, selfies, and obsessing over uniqueness, the general population has taken these narcissistic influences ideals to use to their own benefit. The difference between Baby Boomers and Millennials are explained in the podcast Me, me, me, with the main difference being that Millennials are more likely to say that they are above average compared to the Baby Boomers (Nesterack, Benderev, Vendantam, Schmidt, & Penman, 2016). Our newfound confidence in ourselves stems from the notion that narcissistic traits are not frowned upon anymore, and work to serve ourselves rather than society. With less focus on the social rule, our self-esteem has risen even though nothing else around us has drastically changed to cause that (Nesterack et al., 2016). While this can be harmful in the way of thinking we are able to achieve something that we really are not, the shift in language has allowed for personal growth outside of societal expectations (Nesterack et al., 2016).  (*The writer finally uses her last piece of media and devotes an entire paragraph to tying it into the essay, just as she has done with her previous supporting paragraphs*).

           Brummelman and Sedikides (2020) further discuss the fine line between self-esteem and narcissism. Western parenting in the 20th century became obsessed with individualism, which incidentally led to generating narcissism within their children as an increased amount of praise was given to them (Brummelman & Sedikides, 2020). With narcissism being rooted in the desire to be better than others, the building of self-esteem worked to align itself with narcissism in the way of focusing on oneself and pursuing goals. Walking on this thin line of self-esteem and narcissism can be difficult to navigate, but ultimately Brummelman and Sedikides (2020) argue that it leads these children to create their own identity/personality that is not dictated by social judgement. Although individualism may lead to greater accounts of narcissism, it is also associated with a greater personal take on expressing identity.  (*The writer found a peer-reviewed study that is both new and relevant to the other pieces of media and her thesis statement. She clearly integrated it into her essay*).

           Personality can be shaped by one’s surrounding environment, but it is important to realize that your personality should be serving you and not the greater society. Between the growth of individualism in modern parenting tactics, the growth in the importance of uniqueness, and complacency with narcissism, we are providing the proper foundation for allowing personality to be personal. Fitting in is no longer the only option for kids in the upcoming generation, and to survive that new expectation, they must do everything they can to be uniquely their own. We may not be prepared to live individually, but we are ready to take a step towards expressing ourselves without remorse.  (*The writer includes a final paragraph in which she comes back to her thesis statement and wraps everything up. She does not use her conclusion to present new information, but instead she brings her message back to the thesis*).

Work Cited

Brummelman, E., & Sedikides, C. (2020). Raising children with high self-esteem (but not narcissism). Child Development Perspectives, 14(2), 83-89. doi:10.1111/cdep.12362

Nesterack, M., Benderev, C., Vendantam, S., Schmidt, J., & Penman, M. (2016). Me, Me, Me: The Rise Of Narcissism In The Age Of The Selfie [Audio blog post]. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2016/07/12/485087469/me-me-me-the-rise-of-narcissism-in-the-age-of-the-selfie

Sofia, M. (2019). When A Listener Calls... [Audio blog post]. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.npr.org/transcripts/775173107

Vendantam, S., Lu, T., Boyle, T., & Cohen, R. (2019a). Finding Your Voice: How The Way We Sound Shapes Our Identities [Audio blog post]. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2019/07/15/741827437/finding-your-voice-how-the-way-we-sound-shapes-our-identities

Vendantam, S., Penman, M., & Boyle, T. (2019b). Me, Myself, and IKEA: What Our Love For Swedish Furniture Says About Narcissism [Audio blog post]. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2019/06/10/731240001/me-myself-and-ikea-what-our-love-for-swedish-furniture-says-about-narcissism

**The writer has a complete reference page that has been put into APA style. She likely used the Purdue OWL cite to create her references for the podcasts. In this site ( https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html ), you can just enter in the website and the site will automatically generate an APA style citation.

I really do hope that you guys find the media for these essays to be interesting. They do allow you to go into greater depth in these topics.

Here are some general guidelines for your reaction essays.

· You need to complete TWO of these essays in total.

· Essays need to be completed by their individual due dates. They cannot be all completed at the end of the quarter. Late essays will have a 10% deduction for every day they are late with a cap of 50%. For example, you cannot complete an essay for lesson 3 during lesson 5.

· General formatting and length guidelines: Your essay should be approximately 3-4 pages in length, double-spaced, 12-point font. If the essay is significantly under 3 pages (approximately 1000 words), then there will be a point deduction. If your essay is longer than 3 pages, that is completely okay.

· Introduction and conclusion: Your introduction needs to include your thesis statement and your conclusion needs to wrap up your main points and contain a final integration of the material. Your introduction and conclusion should not be places where you are introducing new content. Your introduction and conclusion should be normal length paragraphs and should not be extremely short or extremely long.

· A missing introduction or conclusion is a 10-point deduction.

· An inadequate or problematic introduction or conclusion is a 5-point deduction.

· Thesis statement: Your thesis statement should be included in your introduction. This is a statement that brings all of the pieces of media together and presents a coherent message. This should represent your primary take home message. It should be clearly identifiable within your introduction.

· A missing thesis statement is a 10-point deduction.

· An inadequate or problematic thesis statement is a 5-point deduction.

· Referencing each of the pieces of media: Each piece of media from the instructions needs to be significantly discussed in your essay. These are the pieces of media that are listed in the instructions to the individual essay. They should not be just mentioned ‘in passing.’ There needs to be a focused discussion and inclusion of each piece of media. In addition, each source does need to be properly referenced using APA style within the essay itself (these are called in-text citations). Each source must be represented by the thesis you are supporting in your essay. Your pieces of media must be referenced within the supporting paragraphs. They cannot just exist within either the introduction or the conclusion.

· With 3 or fewer media pieces, a missing media reference is a 20-point deduction, with 4 or more media pieces, a missing media reference is a 15-point deduction.

· An inadequate integration of a piece of media is a 5-10-point deduction.

· Organization and integration of ideas: There should be a clear organization of ideas both within paragraphs and between paragraphs. Your paragraphs should clearly transition from one to the next. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence that supports the thesis.

· Poor organization is between a 5-10 point deduction.

· Quotations: Do not use quotations. If you absolutely must use a full quotation because it is a famous quotation, then use quotation marks and properly reference it. However, in general, quotations should not be used and instead you need to use paraphrasing. Please see this APA style resource that explains paraphrasing: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/paraphrasing

· Including a quotation is a 5 point deduction.

· Including extensive quotations is a 10 point deduction.

· Grammar, spelling, wording, and tone: Be sure to do a basic spell check and grammar check. Also, be sure that you are using a formal tone for your essay. Although you can discuss your opinions and experiences if they are relevant, please do not narrate what you are doing in your essays. For example, it would not be appropriate to say “First, I am discussing how cognition fits with my thesis. Then I will state my conclusion.”

· Poor grammar, spelling, awkward wording, or inappropriate tone is a 5-10 point deduction.

· Using APA style (7th ed): You need to use APA style for your in-text references and your end of text references. You do NOT need to include an APA style title page, header, or abstract. It is just the references and citations that need to be in APA style. All citations used must be on the reference list at the end of the essay and they all must be properly cited within the essay using in-text references.

· Please see this site for more information about how to do in-text APA style citations: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_author_authors.html

· This site explains more information about how to do end of text APA style citations: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_articles_in_periodicals.html

· This site shows you how to cite TED talks: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples/ted-talk-references

· This site shows you how to cite podcasts: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples/podcast-references

· This site shows you how to cite youtube videos: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples/youtube-references

· A complete lack of APA style is a 10-point deduction.

· Poor APA style is a 2.5 to 5-point deduction.

· Peer-reviewed reference: You need to find and integrate a peer-reviewed study in your essay. Please see the other attachment for more information about how to find a peer-reviewed article. This must be a peer-reviewed study and not a popular press article nor can it be just a general informational website.

· A completely missing peer-reviewed study is a 10-point deduction.

· Including a study that is not peer-reviewed is a 5-point deduction.

· A poorly integrated peer-reviewed study is a 5-10-point deduction.

· Do not plagiarize: Do NOT copy and paste from other sources without properly citing those sources. You should not have more than four-five words in a row from any source. I do have Turnitin.com activated for each essay submission. You can check your essay in Turnitin.com yourself. Please check your similarity report. If you do find that you have accidently copied one or more sentences from a source, please update this immediately and if need be, turn in a revised version of your essay. If you have a sentence or more that has been copied from another source and it is not in quotation marks and properly cited, then you will receive a zero for the entire essay. You also need to be sure to properly cite ideas using APA style citation. Using AI generated text is another form of plagiarism. Please know that your essay will be run through an AI detector as well. Essays that show 95% likelihood of being written by AI or higher will receive a zero.

Good luck with your essays. If you do have any questions for me about them, please just email me.

**NOTE to students reading this example paper: This essay was required to include the following references:

1. https://www.npr.org/2019/10/31/775173107/when-a-listener-calls

2. https://www.npr.org/2019/07/15/741827437/finding-your-voice-how-the-way-we-sound-shapes-our-identities

3. https://www.npr.org/2019/06/10/731240001/me-myself-and-ikea-what-our-love-for-swedish-furniture-says-about-narcissism

4. https://www.npr.org/2016/07/12/485087469/me-me-me-the-rise-of-narcissism-in-the-age-of-the-selfie

I have included my brief notes in blue throughout.**

Personal Personality

It is an odd thing to experience when you try so hard to fit in, but fitting in means being different and unique. Growing up on the cusp of the Millennials and Gen Z, I found myself in a society that was shifting from this notion of conformity to wanting to be different. This social change allowed me to grow in my self-esteem and how I otherwise carried myself. Constant application of who I was as a person to my work, in an effort to make it unique, seemed like a tall order to me even though it was simple for others in my class. My ability to fit in was not accepted as well as those who were able to set themselves apart since uniqueness and individuality receives higher praise. While people around me have helped shape how I express my personality, the roots never changed, and what I truly wanted ruled. My personality served and continues to serve me. Aspects of self-esteem, narcissism, and uniqueness, live close to one another within personalities with a fine line of separation, and our personalities use these outward traits it support our individualistic ideals in this sea of social rejection.  (*The writer has an interesting introduction in which she pulls the reader in and then ends up her thesis statement)

           In the first podcast, When a listener calls, the concept of high sensation seekers sits on this fine line of narcissism and uniqueness. The social and physical risks that those who seek scary situations, are purely for their gain and not for meeting the expectations of society (Sofia, 2019). This can be explained by the difference in the chemical effect that comes from how the fight or flight response reacts with the production of cortisol or dopamine. High sensation seekers make dopamine instead of cortisol, which works in their favor of enjoyment even if those around them do not like the horror aspect (Sofia, 2019). People who enjoy scary situations tend to enjoy thrilling experiences, seek out new experiences, are not good at tolerating boredom, and are willing to be unrestrained. As a result, their personalities are “bigger” in comparison to others, yet are unafraid of social rejection for it since the dopamine response is so strong for their personal gain (Sofia, 2019).  (*Paragraph 2 is a clear supporting paragraph that ties into her thesis statement and gives the reader a thorough tie-in to her first piece of media that she was required to include.*)

           Another aspect that impacts our unique identities are perceived, is through our voices (*this is a nice transition). We tend to think that our voice serves others, to speak and be heard. However, that is not the full story, as our voice is much more personal since it affects how we perceive ourselves, and impacts how we express ourselves. In the podcast How the way we sound shapes our identity, the stories of Shay and Jackie serve as great examples of how our voices affect us in dramatic ways (Vendantam, Lu, Boyle, & Cohen, 2019a). The sound and perception of her voice is something that affected Shay in different ways as she was discovering herself and transitioning. Early in life, Shay tried so hard to sound more masculine, but later on, she worked to reverse that in order to match her voice with her identity (Vendantam et al., 2019a). As for Jackie, she talks about her voice in two parts, one before and one after her surgery. Similar to Shay, Jackie was defeated by the sound of her voice after surgery which destroyed her confidence (Vendantam et al., 2019a). Our individual voices carry something so unique about us, while it may seem like it serves others as a form of communication it is actually so personal that it can determine how we present ourselves in society.  (*The writer used proper APA style in-text citations and clearly used her second supporting paragraph to delve into her second required piece of media. It also clearly ties into the theme of creating a unique identity which is the focus of her thesis statement*).

           Narcissistic tendencies are another good example of how our identities/personalities work to serve us and not the broader expectations of society. In the podcast, Me, myself, and IKEA…, the effects of narcissism on the self and how it related to those around you are explained (Vendantam, Penman, & Boyle, 2019bb). Implicit biases and egotism exist within us to appease our own desires. We tend to like people who look like us and share similar characteristics to our own, for example, one’s birthday or name. Such biases lead us to look away from others who are different from us, which is where racial biases can stem from (Vendantam et al., 2019). There is even a psychological benefit from being narcissistic to a certain level, which is explained from the point of building IKEA furniture. When you build your own furniture, you are prouder of the creation since it is associated with you (Vendantam et al., 2019b). For these reasons, narcissism is not necessarily a bad thing, especially since it works to serve you in a social world that is so demanding.  (*The writer used the third supporting paragraph to tie in her third piece of media*).

           As our society becomes more individualized, through the repercussions of social media, selfies, and obsessing over uniqueness, the general population has taken these narcissistic influences ideals to use to their own benefit. The difference between Baby Boomers and Millennials are explained in the podcast Me, me, me, with the main difference being that Millennials are more likely to say that they are above average compared to the Baby Boomers (Nesterack, Benderev, Vendantam, Schmidt, & Penman, 2016). Our newfound confidence in ourselves stems from the notion that narcissistic traits are not frowned upon anymore, and work to serve ourselves rather than society. With less focus on the social rule, our self-esteem has risen even though nothing else around us has drastically changed to cause that (Nesterack et al., 2016). While this can be harmful in the way of thinking we are able to achieve something that we really are not, the shift in language has allowed for personal growth outside of societal expectations (Nesterack et al., 2016).  (*The writer finally uses her last piece of media and devotes an entire paragraph to tying it into the essay, just as she has done with her previous supporting paragraphs*).

           Brummelman and Sedikides (2020) further discuss the fine line between self-esteem and narcissism. Western parenting in the 20th century became obsessed with individualism, which incidentally led to generating narcissism within their children as an increased amount of praise was given to them (Brummelman & Sedikides, 2020). With narcissism being rooted in the desire to be better than others, the building of self-esteem worked to align itself with narcissism in the way of focusing on oneself and pursuing goals. Walking on this thin line of self-esteem and narcissism can be difficult to navigate, but ultimately Brummelman and Sedikides (2020) argue that it leads these children to create their own identity/personality that is not dictated by social judgement. Although individualism may lead to greater accounts of narcissism, it is also associated with a greater personal take on expressing identity.  (*The writer found a peer-reviewed study that is both new and relevant to the other pieces of media and her thesis statement. She clearly integrated it into her essay*).

           Personality can be shaped by one’s surrounding environment, but it is important to realize that your personality should be serving you and not the greater society. Between the growth of individualism in modern parenting tactics, the growth in the importance of uniqueness, and complacency with narcissism, we are providing the proper foundation for allowing personality to be personal. Fitting in is no longer the only option for kids in the upcoming generation, and to survive that new expectation, they must do everything they can to be uniquely their own. We may not be prepared to live individually, but we are ready to take a step towards expressing ourselves without remorse.  (*The writer includes a final paragraph in which she comes back to her thesis statement and wraps everything up. She does not use her conclusion to present new information, but instead she brings her message back to the thesis*).

Work Cited

Brummelman, E., & Sedikides, C. (2020). Raising children with high self-esteem (but not narcissism). Child Development Perspectives, 14(2), 83-89. doi:10.1111/cdep.12362

Nesterack, M., Benderev, C., Vendantam, S., Schmidt, J., & Penman, M. (2016). Me, Me, Me: The Rise Of Narcissism In The Age Of The Selfie [Audio blog post]. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2016/07/12/485087469/me-me-me-the-rise-of-narcissism-in-the-age-of-the-selfie

Sofia, M. (2019). When A Listener Calls... [Audio blog post]. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.npr.org/transcripts/775173107

Vendantam, S., Lu, T., Boyle, T., & Cohen, R. (2019a). Finding Your Voice: How The Way We Sound Shapes Our Identities [Audio blog post]. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2019/07/15/741827437/finding-your-voice-how-the-way-we-sound-shapes-our-identities

Vendantam, S., Penman, M., & Boyle, T. (2019b). Me, Myself, and IKEA: What Our Love For Swedish Furniture Says About Narcissism [Audio blog post]. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.npr.org/2019/06/10/731240001/me-myself-and-ikea-what-our-love-for-swedish-furniture-says-about-narcissism

**The writer has a complete reference page that has been put into APA style. She likely used the Purdue OWL cite to create her references for the podcasts. In this site ( https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html ), you can just enter in the website and the site will automatically generate an APA style citation.