Research Journal Assignment # 2

RJA # 2a

Possible Research Topics

· The Social History of the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s

· Women’s role in the workforce

· The affect technology has on the youth of today’s learning and social skills

· The Efficiency of the U.S. prison system

· Medications: Helpful or Harmful?

RJRJA # 2b

It is clear that the youth of today live in a world unlike the legions of youths that came before them. With today’s technological advances a person can bump their cell phone with another’s cell phone and they are able to share contact information. The idea of a cell phone twenty years ago was obscure, let alone the ability to trade information in this manner. I chose this particular subject because it fascinates me how much technology we have at our fingertips and how oblivious we may be to how much they rely on it on daily basis. I believe with the emergence of cell phones (texting to be more precise), social networks (i.e. facebook, twitter, and myspace), and ipods our abilities to interact with others face to face have began to suffer and also possibly our learning skills.

My intrigue into this subject stems from what I already know about it. I myself am one of those who cannot leave my house without my cellphone, spends too much time texting, gets irritated when I forget my ipod for the lightrail ride in the morning, and does not go a day without checking my facebook. I have dedicated myself to a dependent relationship with technology like many others in our society have done. I know that at times I find it easier to just leave a message on someone's wall than I do talking to them face to face. I find myself easily distracted by incoming texts when trying to study or focus on a lecture. Therefore is it easy for me to see how the youth can be in the same position.

Today's youth like most of society has access to an immense amount of technology, even more than what I had as an adolescent. I know how technology can be a double edge sword for myself as an adult student, but what I would like figure out what impact it has on a child who is still trying to perfect their skills. I want to understand what kind of affect it has on a child’s blossoming social capabilities. Does it help or harm them?

RJA #2c

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