Breaking Down the Prompt

Please reread information from the first page of the Social Media synthesis packet, which I have included below. Notice that the information provides context, and it also includes the prompt and basic expectations for the response. When you are finished reading this information, please post a comment to this post that answers the following questions:

1. Paraphrase the instructions listed under "Directions."
2. What information from the "Introduction" part of the prompt do you believe is most helpful in presenting the issue/topic of the packet? Why do you think this information is most helpful?
3. The "Assignment" part of the prompt asks you to create an argument that argues one of two options. What are the two options the prompt asks you to select from?
4. What are a few other important instructions or details you should pay attention to in this information?

Social Media Synthesis Packet

Directions: The following prompt is based on the accompanying sources.

This question requires you to synthesize a variety of sources into a coherent, well-written essay. When you synthesize sources, you refer to them to develop your position and cite them accurately. Your argument should be central; the sources should support the argument. Avoid merely summarizing sources.

Remember to attribute both direct and indirect references.

Introduction

With increased access to technology, various media have become a part of everyday life for citizens of technologically advanced countries. Here in the United States, the average person checks his or her cell phone nearly 150 times per day (Meeker and Wu). Because the average teenager in the United States is so exposed to media, researchers have begun to examine the impacts this exposure is having on the cognitive development of children of all ages. According to a 2012 Pew Research study, 81% of teens use social media at least three times a week. Furthermore, a 2007 poll found that nearly 97% of teens reported owning at least one video game console (Irvine).

Assignment

Read the following sources (including the introductory information) carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources, develop a position on the impact that social media has on teens. Your position should be that the cons of social media outweigh the pros, or vice-versa.

You may refer to the sources by their titles (Source A, Source B, etc.) or by the descriptions in parentheses.

Source A (“What is Cyber Bullying?”)

Source B (Dunn, Jeff)

Source C (Hall, Alena)

Source D ("Are Social Networking Sites Good?")

Source E (Wallace, Kelly)

Source F (Prisantoso, Yanuar)

Works Cited in Introduction

Irvine, Martha. "Survey: Nearly Every American Kid Plays Video Games." ABC News. ABC News Network, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014.

Meeker, Mary and Liang Wu. "2013 Internet Trends." — Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers. KPCB People, 23 May 2013. Web. 29 Sept. 2014.

"Teens Fact Sheet." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. Pew Research Center, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

Identifying Initial Reactions and Opinions

I would like you to reread the prompt information for your synthesis packet one more time, so I have included it below. After you reread this prompt information, please respond to the following in a comment to this post:

• If you were to write an essay in response to this prompt right now, without doing any further research and without reading any of the included sources, which side would you argue, and why? 
• Then, using your answer to the previous question, write out a rough main claim that states your position and a few reasons.

Social Media Synthesis Packet

Directions: The following prompt is based on the accompanying sources.

This question requires you to synthesize a variety of sources into a coherent, well-written essay. When you synthesize sources, you refer to them to develop your position and cite them accurately. Your argument should be central; the sources should support the argument. Avoid merely summarizing sources.

Remember to attribute both direct and indirect references.

Introduction

With increased access to technology, various media have become a part of everyday life for citizens of technologically advanced countries. Here in the United States, the average person checks his or her cell phone nearly 150 times per day (Meeker and Wu). Because the average teenager in the United States is so exposed to media, researchers have begun to examine the impacts this exposure is having on the cognitive development of children of all ages. According to a 2012 Pew Research study, 81% of teens use social media at least three times a week. Furthermore, a 2007 poll found that nearly 97% of teens reported owning at least one video game console (Irvine).

Assignment

Read the following sources (including the introductory information) carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources, develop a position on the impact that social media has on teens. Your position should be that the cons of social media outweigh the pros, or vice-versa.

You may refer to the sources by their titles (Source A, Source B, etc.) or by the descriptions in parentheses.

Source A (“What is Cyber Bullying?”)

Source B (Dunn, Jeff)

Source C (Hall, Alena)

Source D ("Are Social Networking Sites Good?")

Source E (Wallace, Kelly)

Source F (Prisantoso, Yanuar)

Works Cited in Introduction

Irvine, Martha. "Survey: Nearly Every American Kid Plays Video Games." ABC News. ABC News Network, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2014.

Meeker, Mary and Liang Wu. "2013 Internet Trends." — Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers. KPCB People, 23 May 2013. Web. 29 Sept. 2014.

"Teens Fact Sheet." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. Pew Research Center, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

Practice Source A

The following source is NOT a source you will find in your actual synthesis packet; however, it is a source that is related to the packet's topic of Social Media in some way. Please read the source and then answer the following questions in a comment to this post:

1. What is the source's SOAPSTone?
2. What type of source is this?
3. How does the information from this source relate to the prompt?
4. How could the information from this source be used in your synthesis (if you were to go with the main claim you drafted in a previous post)?

Myth: Social Learning Is the Same as Social Media

(Excerpt from a website created by the creator of BlackBoard)

Social media and social learning are as much the same as French fries and French toast. In other words, they’re different (but both wonderful).

Social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest make it easy and motivate people to connect, share information, and develop relationships. Yet they can also provide the means to wander aimlessly, discovering people and information that may serve no value when it comes to learning.

When using these sites in the classroom, specific goals, directions, and guidelines on how to reach them (such as input from an instructor or lesson plan) can be used to facilitate formal social learning. However, social learning can also occur informally, without a pre-defined leader or curriculum, when topics originate organically from the learners themselves—for example, a group of students who get together to study for an upcoming test.

Social learning strategist and designer Tom Spiglanin explains social learning and social media exist separately, but social media can be used in support of social learning.

Dan Pontefract, head of learning and collaboration at Canadian firm Telus, posed a further distinction in Chief Learning Officer: Social media is a tool; social learning is an action. And online social technologies have enabled frictionless social learning opportunities.

Researchers Baiyun Chen and Thomas Bryer found that online social tools provide learners with “connections across boundaries and over time” and facilitate informal discussion and collaboration (key elements of social learning).

Practice Source B

The following source is NOT a source you will find in your actual synthesis packet; however, it is a source that is related to the packet's topic of Social Media in some way. Please read the source and then answer the following questions in a comment to this post:

1. What is the source's SOAPSTone?
2. What type of source is this?
3. How does the information from this source relate to the prompt?
4. How could the information from this source be used in your synthesis (if you were to go with the main claim you drafted in a previous post)?

(The following chart shows data from a survey that was conducted in San Diego, CA in 2011. The survey polled 1,000 high school students over the age of 16)

Practice Source C

The following source is NOT a source you will find in your actual synthesis packet; however, it is a source that is related to the packet's topic of Hip Hop in some way. Please read the source and then answer the following questions in a comment to this post:

1. What is the source's SOAPSTone?
2. What type of source is this?
3. How does the information from this source relate to the prompt?
4. How could the information from this source be used in your synthesis (if you were to go with the main claim you drafted in a previous post)?

Excerpt from "Social Media Should Be Used Responsibly" by Katie Atkinson--published in The Huffington Post)

Rebecca Ann Sedwick. That is the name of a 12-year-old girl who jumped to her death in September after being repeatedly bullied by a group of girls. That bullying, as you may have guessed, took place mostly online. A cluster of individuals, mostly girls her age and older, harassed Rebecca through hateful messages on social media outlets. Reportedly, one of the final messages Rebecca received said, "You aren't dead yet" and prodded her to "Go jump off of a building." That is precisely what she ended up doing. After Rebecca took her own life, one of her bullies posted a Facebook status admitting that she had in fact bullied Rebecca and that she did not care about the young girl's suicide. What happened to Rebecca is awful, but it's even worse to consider that she isn't the only one who has been attacked this way.

Cyberbullying is an issue that unfortunately society has seemed to turn its cheek on. On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media outlet, it requires little effort to harass someone. While many of these sites were created for harmless networking and fun, they have instead turned into some of the greatest tools to harm others with. Oftentimes, those responsible for misusing social media are not even aware of what they are doing wrong. The popular "subtweet" on Twitter allows for users to make references to people without directly tagging them. Subtweeting allows a user to be hurtful and seemingly blameless all at the same time -- a deadly combination if you ask me. Similar programs such as Tumblr and Ask.fm allow users to send anonymous messages to anyone else with an account. I have seen these messages include snide remarks and hateful comments aimed towards innocent people. The animosity of these comments makes it very easy for users to be ridiculed, harassed and shamed. Still, the attacks occur on a regular basis to multitudes of teens, and no confrontation ever takes place between victim and bully.