Name 1

Name Withheld

Instructor: Malcolm Campbell

English 1103

9/7/12

Topic Proposal: Has technology created a generation that cannot communicate with their

own voice?

I will be researching the The effects of technology on the ability of Gen-Z being able to

communicate face to face with other people will be my topic this semester. Up until 5-7 years

ago, if you wanted to get a hold of someone, you had to call them. They may not be there so you

would have to leave a message. That is unheard of these days. Now we can gain instant contact

with anyone in the world as long as their cell phone is on. We can shoot them a text, face book

message, tweet, and a number of other communication means. As a younger generation in

America gets smart phones and computers, they are less and likely to be able to communicate in

person. As it is nowadays some people text while sitting two feet away from each other.

According to Lillin Li of the fastertimes.com, she says that she has no clue how to talk on the

phone with a stranger. She says, “People who grow up using their dial-pads for the letters rather

than the numbers on them do not know how to talk on the phone not because they are socially

awkward, but because they are ill-bred.” This is happening right now in front of our faces and it

will only get worse as time goes on and 8 year olds begin to get cell phones. Soon enough we

may never use our voices again, we may adapt and lose them for good. You may ask why this is

happening, two reasons; technology is increasing so fast and is so easy to use that everyone and

their kids want to use it and can. Second, the parents are letting them. Certain parents don’t make

Comment [MC1]: Double check facts

Comment [MC2]: Is this capped?

Comment [MC3]: Think of a professor – not me – but a professor reading this word in a topic proposal. Would this be a good word choice?

Comment [MC4]: State what fastertimes.com is. So, “of Fastertimes.com, a website for………,”

Comment [MC5]: She’s saying she has no clue, of is she talking about younger people. What makes her qualified as a good person to talk about this?

Comment [MC6]: Explain what on earth she means by “ill-bred?”

Comment [MC7]: Wow – you just jumped from one side of the Grand Canyon to the other. This is a huge leap, which sounds so improbable that you’ve got to build up to it. Do you really think this is so? And I’m curious what the connection to losing our voice is – I gather it’s the use of written language via text? But you’d want that there. Pretty big claim.

Name 2

their kid get off the computer or phone. They only communicate with their friends through

written words, never their voices. Problem is, generally, no one is there to stop them. The

increased use of technology and lack of parenting is causing teens across the nation to become

lackluster voice communicators.

My preliminary research involved talking to others, mostly my family. My close family

recognizes how inadequate most teenagers are t talking to people. Most of my friends are well

spoken people, but we talk about the lack of people our age being able to talk t people in person,

especially strangers. During my life I have been put into situations when you have to talk to

complete strangers. It will happen to everyone no matter how you try to avoid it. I’ve been

working before and I’ll just strike up a conversation with a customer, just because. Sometimes

that conversation will be about how people my age have no clue how to talk to strangers. I have

experienced firsthand that teenagers lack the ability to talk to people. When we hire new

employees, some of them have literally no clue how to associate with another human. It’s truly

pathetic. Along with talking to people about this subject, I have done online research from sites

such as teenink.com, fastertimes.com, and huliq.com. I have looked on the UNCC database and

come up with nothing. I have yet to seek a librarians help, but I have gathered a lot of

information on the topic just from the few sources I have spoken to.

My topic has varying opinions, none of which are kept quiet. Some people say that

technology is killing the art of voice communication for teens. Some people argue that teens can

still talk in person, but now can have instant contact. Some people want both worlds; instant

contact, but verbal communication. There are many sides to my topic and people with some very

different opinions.

Comment [MC8]: When you introduce face-to-face communication skills, that makes sense. When you go into people losing their voice, you go very, very broad.

Comment [MC9]: Any reason why we’d want to avoid it? One issue that’s being overlooked is that we’re not going to stop face-to-face communications.

Comment [MC10]: Note how strong your opinion here is and you can make an argument in your EIP but name calling or such strong opinions generally do not turn your audiences onto your side when called pathetic. More discussion in class.

Comment [MC11]: Lordy, child. No reading?

Name 3

Initial Inquiry Question

Has technology and social networking killed the ability of the American teen to be able to

talk to people using his/her voice?

My Interest in this Topic

I am very interested in this topic because it directly affects me and is directly criticizing

my generation and younger. I also have dealt with it on a daily basis throughout the summer

when I am working. I hear it when people my age still ask their parents to call companies for

them. I am interested because I am directly influenced by their. I don’t want to see out generation

going down this path, even though I think the damage may be done. I know that technology and

social networking has killed verbal communication in our society, but the question is how much.

Certain adults are even become addicting to technology and social networking. I would hope to

learn many more opinions and many more facts on my topics. For the most part, my knowledge

is opinion based. I want some hard facts that tell me what is really happening. I want to hear both

sides because I am mostly on the side that it is killing verbal communication. I want to

understand why my generation is going down this path. I want to gain a vast knowledge on this

subject.

Next Steps

I will be further researching my topic by using the schools database, if possible. I would

like to look at face book’s PR page to see what they think. I would like to look at Twitter’s PR

page. I would like to contact the major cell phone companies and see what they think. I would

like to study research done by professionals. I will definitely be asking the librarian to see if they

have any very information filled sources.

Comment [MC12]: Hindered or is it killing are better verbs for argument because you allow the other side to feel their side will be addressed. If something’s killed, it’s done, over with, kaput.

Comment [MC13]: Who is?

Comment [MC14]: Did I miss where you are working? I was wondering earlier when you mentioned work.

Comment [MC15]: ? huh

Comment [MC16]: This is where inquiry comes in – you will learn if damage is done, if so how much, etc.

Comment [MC17]: Excellent!

Name 4

Howdy Jon – yes, you’re on the right track. My comments are straight forward, not

meant to sound critical. I realize you’re just drafting and you have time. I highlighted a few

typos/missing words but not all. You’d know to read through carefully and aloud when

finalizing.

So the topic is excellent. What you want to do is make more clear the question

you’re investigating. For example, “voice” and “face-to-face communication skills” are

different, and the use of “voice” is confusing me. There is a great deal of conversation

about this topic. Some folks believe it’s an enhancement to be able to communicate the way

we do, that it only adds to our ability to “talk” if we can get certain minutiae out of the way

and save important things to discuss for when we meet. Others, of course, are more in line

with your thinking: that harm has been done, and the question is how much and what can

we do to slow, stop, reverse the harm? Am I more-or-less correct in what you’re going to

look into?

I’ll place a link or two below for some solid research since you need to show you’ve

been doing some good reading – the one source above is good but you’ll want to go further.

Plus her qualifications aren’t clear. You’ll see what I mean when I dig up an article or two

on the topic.

Don’t get discouraged by this. You’ve got the intent of the sections down but not

some of the specifics. Go back through the assignment and read exactly what’s to appear in

each section. If it asks you to name specific sources, do so. You’ll see what I mean.

Good start! mc