English 101

Jocelyn Rivas

As a writer, I am a paper not a screen type of person. I have a preference towards physical copies of articles. I writes everything down and don’t initially jump at a computer when it comes to an assignment. The same concept applies for me when it comes to reading, I prefer a physical copy, rather than reading on a screen. A hard copy allows me to easily annotate and underline things that will be useful in a piece of writing. This is one of the main reasons as to why I found this English course interesting, it relies on a blog and constant usage of the site, it made me connect to the internet in ways that I did not before. My expectation for this class was to grow as a writer by developing new strategies to tackle introductions and conclusions, an aspect of writing that I struggled with the most.

The ethnography essay I wrote portrays my ability to vividly describe scenes. I went to Chuck E. Cheese to represent young children. At the arcade, I had the “notes” app open on my phone and was typing things down as they occurred. As I saw and heard parents interact with their kids, I would write down anything that caught my attention, such as the mom playing with her daughter or the other mother that was on her phone the whole time. I was also taking pictures, mostly of picture frames they have on the walls, the toys kids can choose from, and names of the games. Writing things down at the scene helped me remain accurate when writing my essay, it kept things fresh in my mind.

My research skills were evident in the text wrestling essay. I read three sources and incorporated them into the essay in order to depict how phones have impacted family relationships. I used two sources to give examples of studies that had been done. My last source served the purpose of providing statistics on how much time teenagers really spend on their phone. This essay is the one that required the most organization because I had to decide where information fit best and where I could incorporate certain sources. The text wrestling essay was a very logical and focused essay, there was a goal that had to be met, displaying the negative effects of technology. When revising my essay, I found myself moving certain quotes and thinking “that flows better here.”

The memoir essay is the one I struggled with the most. I ended up writing a completely different draft because on the first one I wrote, I focused on visiting my mom and sister at the hospital. In my second draft I shifted the perspective into the transition of becoming an older sister. Feedback from a peer and the teacher were helpful when I revised this essay. In the feedback it was suggested to change the topic and focus on the same concept but from a different angle. Even in my second draft I was struggling on the details because I was relying on memory. This is also why I enjoyed the ethnography essay much more, I was writing about things that occurred in present time rather than a while back.

Looking forward, I expect to still grow as a writer. My goal is to have the ability to write in a manner that is more appealing to readers so that the text is engaging. I want to have the capability of having a reader interested in the material while getting my message across.

 

Jocelyn Rivas

Professor Pappas

English 101

28 November 2018

The Change I’ve Always Wanted

There I was with my mom, sitting on the living room carpet, each of us holding a Barbie doll in our hands. We were pretending that they were going to a party together, but first they had to change. I looked at the options and ended up shouting “The pink dress!” That’s what I wanted my doll to wear. The party would be held in the dining room, although in my head it was at a much fancier place. Perhaps in one similar to those in Disney movies, in a massive castle with long stairwells and a chandelier that protrudes in the middle of the ceiling. I was an only child for seven years and whenever I played as a little kid it was almost always with my mom. I didn’t have a sibling to play with me so I constantly found that the one person entertaining me was my mom, someone four times my age. At least she made an effort to make me happy by going along with my scenarios. She appeared to have fun every time, but it sometimes crossed my mind that maybe she wasn’t. Isn’t she tired, with that big round belly filling up that shirt? She was due anytime now.

In about a week I had a little sister that seemed to always be cradled in my mom’s arms. All of the attention was on her, maybe if I tried to help around my parents would pay attention to me. I constantly asked if I could carry her, but what I hear without a fail was, “not like that, hold her like this.” I tried to put her body closer to me but apparently I wasn’t supporting her head. Could I do anything right?

It wasn’t uncommon to hear a knock on the door and watch family members walk past the door and sit on our beige couch. They were here for two people, my mother and my sister. In one instance, my aunt barged through the door and visited. She wouldn’t stop saying how beautiful my sister was and wouldn’t stop offering to cook for my mom. I, on the other hand, was just sitting in the corner of the couch.

Nights were the worst. My parents’ bedroom was although not directly next to mine, near it. Even though I was not the one who looked after my sister, I would hear her cry at about two in the morning. Sometimes, she would wake me up with her screams. My mom seemed to be able to calm her down quickly almost every time. At times, she even disrupts the birds. It’s the mixture between the birds chirping and my sister crying that won’t allow me to fall back asleep easily.

It seemed odd to me at that point that I wanted a sister to play with. I couldn’t play with her, she couldn’t  do anything! She was too small and didn’t understand. As a matter of fact, I felt as if I was backstage while my mom was the performer. I had to run around and get her things for her to play the “mom” role. If she needed anything, even a diaper, I would walk over to her room and reach into the drawer under the crib.

As time passed, so did my jealousy. When my sister was about one and had what to me seemed like long hair, I had her sit on the small, red plastic chair. Although she never appears to have the ability to sit still, I enjoy hovering over her head pretending to be a hairstylist. I place my hands around her hair and make an attempt to grasp it all and place it in a ponytail. As I grab the hair tie and manage to place all her hair in it, I step back and take a quick glance at her. It was enough time to immediately notice that she looked ridiculous. Her thin hair looked strange wrapped in such a thick hair tie. At least I had fun.

The older she got, the more I found myself spending time with her. The winter time was my favorite. My dad brings us sledding in New Bedford. I hear the crunch of my winter boots after each step and head towards the back of Fort Taber while dragging the lime green sled after me. I place a red blanket on the surface of the sled and sit on it. My dad keeps telling me, “The blanket doesn’t help with the cold,” but in my mind, it makes the greatest difference. As I shout “Sit in front of me” to my sister, she is frantically running towards me, excited to go down the hill. Siblings are your built in best friends.

Of course arguments erupt at times between my sister and I. It’s always over silly things such as what channel we want on the television. At age ten I loved “Lilo and Stitch,” but at three she wanted to watch shows like “Dora the Explorer” and “Elmo”. At an older age it was constantly fighting over who got to sit in the passenger’s seat and not in the back. After all, I’m older so that seat belongs to me. No matter how many times we argue over the most unnecessary things, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my sister.

 

Jocelyn Rivas

Professor Pappas

English 101

10 December 2018

The Worst Crime Most Parents are Guilty of

Sitting across from me at Panera is my friend Cindy. We had just gone up to get our food after the pager buzzed and flashed red lights around the device. After picking up the spoon to drink my chicken soup, she stops me, “Let me take a snap.” I put the silver spoon down, watch it submerge in the soup, and smile for the picture. Teenagers can’t seem to go out without uploading a picture on Snapchat stating where they are, who they’re with, and what they’re doing. According to a survey conducted in 2015, “teens aged 13-18 engage with screen media for more than 6.5 hours each day” (Odgers, 1). Cell phones are what we cling to, can’t stay away from, and can’t seem to get enough of. A frightening reality is that parents are also affected by technology, phone usage has been shown to interfere with bonding time. The hypocrisy of adults seeps through when they criticize teenagers for cell phone use.

Erika Christakis argues that cell phones have posed a major barrier in the family setting. In some cases, cell phones result in parents pushing their children aside and being unaware of their surroundings. In “The Dangers of Distracted Parenting,” Christakis makes it evident how critical it is for a parent to be there for their child, not only physically but emotionally as well. Christakis begins by throwing a ridiculous and somewhat comical statement at readers. She exaggerates how distracted we become when glued to a screen by stating that it could result in “failure to notice a clown on a unicycle” (Christakis, 1). This exposes how unaware of our surroundings we become when controlled by our phone.

Christakis utilizes the results of many experiments to move her argument along. One of the experiments tested how easily parents avert their attention from teaching their kids a word and resort to answering the phone. It was found that when the phone was answered, the word wasn’t learned. It disrupted the child and didn’t allow him/her to be fully attentive. Vocabulary development was prevented by something as simple as a phone call.

One of the most important lines in the article is that time wasted on “devices is time not spent exploring the world” (Christakis, 1). Rather than giving children more screen time, parents could bond with their kids and do something productive together. Free time is a perfect opportunity to bond with your child. Something as fun and easy as baking something together or playing a board game is a way to enjoy each other’s company while talking. Family time is important and what ultimately determines the strength of the relationship.

Cell phones aren’t only a barrier in households but also when it comes to safety. It is well understood by most people that numerous car accidents have occurred at the cost of a device. Glancing over to the cup holder to get a quick look at who sent that text message can be fatal, but what many are unaware of is the fact that “as smartphone adoption rose, childhood ER visits increased” (Christakis, 2). This doesn’t mean that all kids have gone to the emergency room because of a parent on the phone while driving. Christakis is coming from a broad perspective, parents might be unaware of what dangerous situation their child is in because they’re on the phone. Perhaps the parent is, in fact, right in front of the child and on a walk. If the distance between the stroller and the parent is separated by a phone, chances are the parent will run the child right into something. The point is, any level of distraction poses children at risk.

Cognitive abilities are also delayed by phones. This is a critical point in the argument Christakis makes because it places the child in a situation where he or she may have a difficult time in school. The experiment Christakis mentioned to develop her point was one conducted on infants and toddlers. The infants who grew up with an “emotionally responsive speech style knew twice as many words” (Christakis, 2). The constant interaction of talking to your children and being there for them when needed will make them want to talk to you. They will seek a conversation and make attempts to mimic your speech, which is key in their development and speech.

A child will be less likely to seek communication with the parent if they’re unresponsive to the child’s needs. Erika Christakis refers to Linda Stone, who is very knowledgeable in technology, to provide a viewpoint that touches base on the emotional effects of phones. Stone states that staring at a screen “can interrupt an emotional cueing system” (Christakis, 1). This emotional system Stone mentions directly involves communication. Dialogue between parent and child is critical and is what can allow or prevent vocabulary development. The truth is that it’s all in the hands of the parent. We don’t have the right to put a kid aside in order to satisfy our phone addiction.

Although Christakis places emphasis on how necessary it is to pay attention to your child, she makes it clear that it is impossible to watch their every move. Most adults have to juggle parenting with work while spending quite some time running errands and thinking about paying bills. The schedule many parents follow can be very busy.

Parents can’t expect to be with their child every second they’re with them because it’s impossible. Short moments of separation are advantageous, “especially as children get older and require more independence” (Christakis, 3). Not only does it allow children learn to do things for themselves but also permits the parent to get things done. Besides, always being with your children will only make them extremely dependent on you. It’s better to get things done in peace while checking in on the child to ensure their safety.

I agree with the statement Christakis makes, that parents should have brief periods of separation from their child. My family is very large in number and I just can’t picture my father having to haul five kids with him to go pay a bill or my mom cooking with all of us at the kitchen. Often times, while I help my mom clean the house, my siblings are jumping on the trampoline or coloring. It seems silly to me to be in the mindset that every second you’re awake is governed by the face of your child

A second point I agree with is how important communication is. In high school, I had a variety of friends but only hung out with certain ones. I remember going out to eat with a friend in high school but at the table, she was on her phone the whole time. To me, that’s just rude and a waste of my time. On the other hand, when I decide to go somewhere with close friends we just laugh and talk for the duration that we are together. Now that, talking and enjoying each other’s presence, is something valuable.

Not only Erika Christakis has devoted her time to explain the negative impacts of devices in homes. Another study, by Jenny S. Radesky and seven others, depicts the interaction between parents and children at a public restaurant in Boston. The observation was conducted on “55 caregivers, 40 used a mobile device” (Radesky, et.al, e845). This indicates that about 73 percent of adults were on their phones and not talking to their school-aged kids. Parents should be making conversation with their children. Something as simple as asking about how their day has been so far can erupt a discussion.

The authors state that parents enveloped by their phone tend to “ignore the child’s behavior… and then react with a scolding tone” (Radesky, et.al e847). If you’re concentrated on something you will be upset when interrupted. That is the case for parents when their kids try to get their attention and they’re too busy on their phone. I wasn’t stunned by the fact that “smartphones and tablets were provided to some toddlers” (Radesky, et.al, e847) because that’s something I see quite often when I go out to eat or even at church. Parents give their kids phones to calm them down because devices are a distraction. I find that my five year old brother constantly asks me for my phone to either watch a movie or play games. He sits very quietly on his bed whenever I let him use it, which is exactly what parents intend to do by giving their phone to their kids in public areas, ensure that their child is calm. I disagree with this commonly used method of quieting children down because it conditions them to think that screaming means technology but doesn’t correct or discipline them on why their actions aren’t acceptable.

Families are playing a really dangerous game and we are losing the battle to a device. Loss of communication in person could explain how teenagers in present time appear to never be able to stay away from words such as “um” and can’t seem to get a sentence without saying “like.” We truly sound as if we haven’t spent a great portion of our life in school. Sounding like an educated citizen is what has the potential to get us the job at an interview and it gives us that good grade in a public speaking class. Expanding your vocabulary goes beyond the walls of “spend time with your family.” It’s extremely beneficial to the individual.

Most importantly, “we do much more by simply doing less” (Christakis, 4). Less time on your phone means less time away from your kid. After all, was that Facebook status more important than your child?

Works Cited

Christakis, Erika. “The Dangers of Distracted Parenting.” The Atlantic, 16 June 2018,   https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/the-dangers-of-distracted-parenting/561752/.

Jenny S. Radesky, Caroline J. Kistin, Barry Zuckerman, et.al. “Patterns of Mobile Device Use by Caregivers and Children During Meals in Fast Food Restaurants.” AAP News & Journals, 01 April 2014, http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/133/4/e843.

Odgers, Candace. “Smartphones are Bad for Some Adolescents, Not All.” Nature, 22 February 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6121807/pdf/nihms-985356.pdf.

 

Jocelyn Rivas

Professor Pappas

English 101

10 December 2018

A Child’s World

Children enjoy spending time at parks and arcades, where they can play games and run around as much as they’d like. An arcade is visually appealing by being full of a different array of colors and games that light up. Chuck E. Cheese is full of little kids, which I imagine are between the ages of about two and ten. In a place roaming with children, I expect chaos. Even at grocery stores, I see kids throwing fits over things like a candy bar. Children tend to get upset when they don’t get what they want.

In the plaza that is home to Chuck E. Cheese, the buildings hug each other and are all relatively short in stature. As I push the door open and step onto the carpet composed of red, dark green and a mixture of tan and brown, a young lady smears a stamp across my hand which is only visible when hit by light.  It’s very bright inside, the only dim area is the stage, all the way in the back, where Chuck E. Cheese and other of his “friends” are singing. None of the kids seem to be over there watching, in fact, they walk by without looking at the stage. They’re more focused on the games. The walls are different colors, one is purple, some are yellow, and the rest are beige. The purple wall has three pictures hanging from it. Under the images of smiling children, the words are “family,” “celebration,” and “winning.

To the left stands the menu to order food and all the prizes kids can get based on how many tickets they won. The larger prizes are on the wall and mostly consist of huge stuffed animals. Some of the stuffed animals are replicas of Chuck E. Cheese. The smaller prizes are behind a glass screen and include candy, mostly Airheads, a miniature deck of cards, and bracelets that only come in two colors, pink and purple. All of the games are to the right of the registers and from where I stand, I see bowling, basketball and soccer among many others. It’s rather empty compared to the crowds of people I thought would be here. To my surprise, there isn’t much noise. I notice that the group of little kids walking past me are wearing Converse, Nike, and Vans. To my left, there’s a blond lady in a burgundy flannel that is recording her grandson. The little boy is on the white horse, watching the screen in front of him. She keeps saying, “Look at me! Look over here!” but he is extremely intrigued by the screen that is an animation of someone riding a horse.

A very young mother is leaning on a flat surface behind her son, on her phone, as he made a desperate attempt at shooting the aliens in the “Alien Extermination” game. She would look up once in a while but went right back to her phone every time. Her son didn’t really know how to play the game at first but he seemed to have figured it out at some point.

Some kids are wandering around the arcade alone, with no adult paying attention to them. There is a boy in a striped red and black long sleeve that just maneuvers his way from game to game as he pleases. He seems a bit bored and at times doesn’t appear to know where he wants to go.

Some parents were very interested in what their children were doing and even encouraged them. There were two woman accompanying a little boy at the game called “Simpsons Soccer.” When the game begins, Homer Simpson circles around in front of the white net as a child tries to score a goal by making the ball past him and into the net. Both women cheered him on when he made a goal. They kept saying “good job, that’s it!” The boy would slightly turn back to look at the women with a face composed of nothing but excitement.

The mother that was the most involved in the activities her child was doing had a tan cardigan and high black boots on. I watched her play with her daughter and in one instance she was sitting on the green surface of the carousel ride, watching and laughing with her daughter as she was on “Jet Rider.” In this game, there really isn’t any goal but rather to enjoy the chair moving and vibrating to give the child in the seat the effect of being in the sky on a jet. It reminds of the feature in the horse ride where the screen is in front of the child so that they can feel as if they’re actually taking part in the activity they’re doing. Another time, I saw this mother help her daughter shoot baskets in the kiddie basketball area. They were playing together.

A characteristic I can attribute to all children is how easy it is for them to make friends. There was a little boy that was following my brother around and they ended up playing games together. Whenever I went with my brother to another game, the boy would follow but a few seconds later, his mother would say, “Sorry about that, Michael come over here.” I made it very clear that there was absolutely no need to apologize. I was glad my brother made a new friend to play with, he might even enjoy his company more than mine since I’m much older. Kids enjoy playing with others and just want to have fun.

Chuck E. Cheese has seating areas for families to eat. The table is grey, the side of the seats is turquoise, the top half of the seat is red with two yellow dots that resemble buttons, while the bottom half is the exact same color as the table, grey. There is a man with his daughter at one table. He is on his phone while his daughter is aimlessly looking around, seeming unamused. At another table, there’s a lady with her two grandkids. The grandkids are talking to each other while the grandmother pays no attention to them because she is on her phone.

My preconception of categorizing kids as causing unnecessary scenes and being obnoxious was clearly not displayed at Chuck E. Cheese. The children were truly enjoying themselves in the arcade. Whether they were with their parents or with anyone else did play a role with how much they enjoyed their stay. Those surrounded and cheered on by family had a much better experience as they looked forward to the parent saying things to encourage them to continue playing.