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Erika Reiner Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102 23 January 2014 opic !roposal: "#oCommunication!robs Intro$uction%&'er'ie( I (ill be stu$ying an$ making conclusions throughout the semester on ho( the technologies o) social me$ia as a))ecte$ our communication skills in society base$ on the generations o) our time* I ha'e al(ays been tol$ by my parents that +I $i$ not ha'e a cell phone (hen I (as your age, I ha$ to (alk to go hangout (ith my )rien$s*- I am tire$ o) hearing the phrase an$ I (ant to get the el$er generations. point o) 'ie(/ see (hat they are really talking about* I can start to see it (hile I am in college (ith e'eryone being glue$ to their phones (hether it is (alking to class0 in the $ining hall0 e'en in the library/ e'eryone is on their phone* hen going home an$ seeing my 10 year ol$ sister (ith an Instagram/ like0 (hat1 Is that e'en legal1 !eople rely on their phones 24%20 i) it.s either a te3t message or t(eet they are relying on ne(s that (ay* I (ant to see (hy it is so a$$icting an$ i) it is ruining speci)ically my generation.s communication skills* 4hile listening to a segment on #!R: +5ocial Me$ia.s 6ro(ing In)luence- 5cott 5imon an$ Clay 5hirky talk about 5imon.s one million )ollo(ers on (itter0 but something that 5imon state$ really stoo$ out to me* 5imon sai$0 +***I really $o think o) each an$ e'eryone o) those million as )rien$s*- 4hile 5hirky states0 + here is absolutely something special to the relationship* 7ll I mean is you can.t ha'e a t(o/(ay con'ersation (ith a million people*- 4hile 5imon agree$0 5hirky coul$ not ha'e been more correct by his statement0 (ho is to say you

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kno( each an$ e'ery single one o) our )ollo(ers on (itter or )rien$s on 8acebook* his is our problem that I (ant to see un)ol$/ (hy $o (e ha'e real +)ake- )rien$s* 9o( can you call someone that you ha'e only e'er met on social me$ia your )rien$1 his brings up the issue o) our pri'ate li'es an$ ho( they are not e'en pri'ate anymore* In another #!R segment 7llison :eyes states that +***(hile social net(orking sites are great )or (inning )rien$s an$ in)luencing people0 they can ;ust as easily lea$ to you losing )rien$s0 or (orse0 ;obs an$ alienating people*his is true )act0 but I (ant to pro'e this statement by the en$ o) my research* his ;ust sho(s that (e can lose )rien$s o'er social net(orking0 an$ this can result )rom miscommunication )rom it* In a$$ition0 (hile researching I ha$ )oun$ a 5ocial Me$ia <p$ate 20130 in this it states that +some 23= o) online a$ults no( use a social net(orking site o) some kin$***an$ some 42= o) online a$ults no( use multiple social net(orking sites*- 5o ho( come they $i$ not use it back then0 but no( they are using it more than young a$ults* Is there really a big $i))erence bet(een the percentages o) usage bet(een the generations1 I think not* he preliminary research that I $i$ to learn more about my topic (as ;ust rea$ing in)ormation online on scholarly (ebsites* I also spoke to many o) my )rien$s about my topic an$ they all seem ;ust as intereste$ in my topic as I am* his makes me )eel con)i$ent in my topic that my closest )rien$s are agreeing (ith my topic0 some e'en ga'e me the i$ea to look more into the technologies an$ ho( that as a))ecte$ the situation at han$* 7lthough0 I ha'e not aske$ anyone that is actually in'ol'e$ in this )iel$0 I am planning on it* I am a communications ma;or an$ (ork )or the <#C Charlotte Communications >epartment so getting in)ormation )rom a personal resource (ill not be har$ )or me* 7lso the group con'ersations that (e ha$ in class about our

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topics really helpe$ me get a )ocus on my topic0 so I am gla$ (e $i$ those not ;ust once0 but t(ice* he comple3ity o) my topic is $i))icult because there are so many pros an$ cons o) social net(orking* hough there are many )or both0 I (ant to )ocus more on the cons than I $o on the pros* I am scare$ that this (ill sho( a bias0 (hich I am not hoping )or* 8or instance0 (hile on one han$ it is goo$ )or businesses to promote their pro$uct or ser'ice it is ba$ because a business can critici?e$ )or a pro$uct or ser'ice harshly on a social me$ia site ;ust as easy* I am going to bring in ho( social net(orking sites ha'e $eteriorate$ the societies communication skills through technology* In or$er to $o so0 I kno( i) I )in$ stu$ies about it0 this (ill really sho( the comple3ity o) it* he ma;or group that I am )ocusing on is my generation an$ younger0 but then comparing it back to the ol$er generations* @y $oing so0 I am able to create a min$ blo(ing presentation on my topic*

Initial InAuiry BuestionCsD 7s the technologies o) social net(orking ruine$ the society.s communication skills1 &r0 e'en (hat Mr* Campbell state$ in the e3ample topic proposal0 +ho( has $igital communication change$ the (ay my generation $ates compare$ to ho( my parents. generation $ate$1- @oth o) these Auestions sho( ho( elaborate my topic is an$ these Auestions (ill be ans(ere$ by the en$ o) my research*

My Interest in this opic I am intereste$ in the social net(orking in)luences because I lo'e social net(orking* 7t one point0 last semester0 I (as a$$icte$ to (itter* I (oul$ begin my $ay looking at my ne(s )ee$ to en$ing my $ay looking at it* I reali?e$ I (as a$$icte$ to it an$ I (oul$ be so in'ol'e$ in

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e'eryone.s li'es an$ ho( it (oul$ sometimes piss me o)) to see someone.s annoying post* (itter (as making me upset an$ I $i$ not (ant to ha'e this negati'ity in my li)e anymore/that is (hy I $elete$ the application on my phone0 this helpe$ me stay o)) this social net(orking site* I ha'e been o)) (itter )or about a month no(0 an$ I coul$ not be happier* My li)e is $rama )ree0 an$ I $o not get ma$ at the little things anymore* 5o I $i$ it0 (hy can.t the rest o) the (orl$ $o it1 4hat is so special about social me$ia1 4hile I hang out (ith my )rien$s0 they are al(ays on their phones* 4e are sitting in Cro(n Commons an$ all o) us are sitting on our phone* 4hy can (e not ha'e a con'ersation at $inner instea$ o) being on our phones1 >inner time is (here you are suppose$ to sit $o(n0 en;oy your )oo$ at 7E: to your )rien$s0 not sit on your phone an$ not say a single (or$ to each other* his is (hat makes it interesting, ho( it really has ruine$ our generation* 4e coul$ go all $ay +subt(eeting- someone0 but (hen it comes )ace to )ace no one says anything* I ha'e alrea$y (itnesse$ )irsthan$ that people ha'e lost their sense o) communication by li'ing in a generation )ull o) people glue$ to their smart phones0 so I kno( this0 it the reason behin$ it (hat I really (ant to kno(* I hope to learn (hy the technologies ha'e such a big in)luence on us an$ (hy* It is the (ay that (e ha'e been brought up or the (ay other ha'e been brought up an$ e'eryone is a )ollo(er an$ not a lea$er* #e3t 5teps In or$er to e3ecute my research I (ill be looking at more resources online* 8or instance0 I (ant to )in$ an up to $ate 5ocial Me$ia <p$ate* 7lso )in$ing case stu$ies (here this is actually been teste$ an$ more statistics (ill really help me pro'e my topic that social me$ia is more o) a ba$ in)luence than a goo$ one* In a$$ition0 I (ant to )orm a sur'ey o) some sort to see (hat my generation thinks about social me$ia 'erse the others* I think that it (ill really bring the 2014 into my research0 seeing as (e ;ust starte$ this #e( Fear*

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I am also going to be asking the people behin$ the scenes o) social me$ia0 or )in$ an article or inter'ie( that has taken place0 seeing as I $o not kno( anyone behin$ the scenes* 7lthough0 I am still going to be talking to one o) the pro)essors in the Communications >epartment to see i) they ha'e $one any research relating to my topic*