11 Topics Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

11 Topics Journal - Essay Example The article raises grave concerns and some of these I have been forced to acknowledge before I even read this article. I believe that Voice Box and Flute do not really complicate McKibben’s argument but rather it allows the readers and viewers to put the argument in perspective. McKibben argues that technology has taken away the charm of the old life. It has made everything too automated and engineered that real objects lose their original identity (McKibben). The Voice Box and Flute further proof this point. Sarah Green, by using the technology, lost her identity as she became part machine. The concerns of McKibben are very convincing. I believe this so because I am a strong believer in fate and God’s will. If God programmed a person to be blind, it was meant to be so. It was because God had intentioned this person to discover the Braille language. Similarly, Sarah Green developed the voice box because her voice was failing and she was desperate not to lose it. If such conditions do not occur, humans would not be tested to discover their true potential and human race may be robbed off important discoveries. If our parents began doing the function of God, we may lose out on important discoveries and insights. It would ultimately lead to children with similar intellects and similar physical beauty. The diversity, we so look forward to, would be lost somewhere in between. Journal Topic 2: They Say, I Say The social networking site Facebook tends to be synonymous with materialism and narcissism in some people’s mind. They see such websites as a community of users promoting their own selves by publically posting photos, emotions, thoughts and major life decisions. However, certain users of the website have also brought forward more productive use of the website such as promoting small businesses, opening forums of discussion and asking people to raise their voice against certain issues. On the contrary, there are only a small percentage of peop le involved in such activities. For the truth is that Facebook does promote a culture of self- obsession. In this paragraph, then, after considering both sides of the argument it is held true that Facebook promotes a culture of materialism and narcissism. (Graff and Birkenstein, 14) Topic 3: Response to a Valedictorian’s Speech In the speech of high school valedictorian, one controversial issue has been the fact that high school does not provide adequate ground for the future challenges posed by higher education. On the other hand, some of my colleagues argue that high school is for having fun and once we enter college life, we would be bound to take life seriously. On the other hand, Harrigan and Davies contend that seventeen years of education is a must for every student. They even maintain that students have to relearn everything at college that they learnt at high school (Harrigan and Davies). My own view is high school does prepare us for challenges of college life but w e as students are not serious and capable enough to grasp the implications of what is being taught to us (Graff and Birkenstein, 26-27). When it comes to the topic of education, most of us readily agree that practical knowledge and theoretical knowledge have different uses and often schools focus too much on theoretical knowledge that they fail to equip their students with the confidence in approaching higher education. Where this argument usually ends, however, is the question of whether practical knowledge at the level of high school is right for the students. Whereas some are convinced that practical knowledge is a must others maintain that giving practical knowledge should be held off till the students have a strong theoretical base (Graff and Birken