For my intro paper, I will be focusing on educating people about the increasing people using the internet. I want to drop numbers on them to show them that my topic is indeed valid. I’ll also use in-text citations to support my paper as well. I’m really not too sure how this will turn out because I’ve never written a research paper before, let alone one that boasts a two to three page introduction in itself. Hopefully with the research I’ve done, Ill have enough information to flesh out the full three pages. My goal is to hook the readers with the information, then lead them into the paper by keeping the facts coming. We’ll see how this turns out.
Cyberphobia – The fear of computers. Is that possible with today’s technological advances? As technology grows day by day, so has the interest about them. Because computers have “evolved from bulky, expensive, and mysterious equipment” to “functional tools for work and fun at the office or home” (Kayany & Yelsma 215) they have been popping up in more and more frequently in homes as time progresses. My research paper asks the very basic question: “Do computers bring families together, or pull them apart?” Many studies have already been conducted on this subject, but to a more refined question. An article such as Gustavo S. Mesch’s “Family Characteristics and Intergenerational Conflicts over the Internet” studies the changes in family interaction patterns with “conflicts arising over adolescents’ autonomy” as well as “parental authority and control of the computer” (Mesch 473). Many researchers have stated that the internet can be a good thing in the sense that “the Internet has the potential to exert positive effects on the family” and “provides access to online information on family issues such as parenting, children’s school needs, and divorce” (Mesch 477). The internet, however, isn’t all sunshine and smiles though. Computer dependence, information overload, and online sexual predators are all very real and very dangerous (Oravec 310). Online pornography has also crept into the scene causing additional trouble but has been passed onto the role of the parent, questioning the parent-in-question’s “ability to control the dissemination of information inside the confines of the home” (Oravec 312). Additional problems spring up when adolescents, or “e-teens”, have access to the internet. Cybersex, overexposure to information, and compulsive internet use provide whole new issues for families and therapists to deal with (Delmonico & Griffin 431). Clearly with all these risks, one would think that the internet is a dangerous place for adolescences. As each day passes, more young people explore what the internet has in store for them. Services such as AOL Instant Messenger, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), and E-mail have increased communication between family members near and far. Cellular phones have also contributed to communication between family members as well. Services such as Verizon Wireless, Sprint Mobile, and AT&T Cingular offer packages that incorporate families with multiple children. For example: My family has Verizon wireless. We each have our own phone and text each other regularly with short messages as well as the occasional pictures. Each member in our family uses their phone differently. My mom uses hers to keep in touch with old friends, my brother for business, myself for “hanging out” and my father just uses his to make calls. Each with our own differences and we all communicate with each other than we have, say, five years ago. This forms the basis for my research question. If we did not have phones today, how would we communicate? How does today’s communication differ from my parents when they were in college? I intend to set out figure out the differences from a series of interviews and questionnaires as well as video documentary.
Works Cited
Mesch, Gustavo S. “Family characteristics and intergenerational conflicts over the Internet.” Information, Communication & Society 9, no. 4 (August 2006): 473-495. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 18, 2010).
Kayany, Joseph M., and Paul Yelsma. “Displacement Effects of Online Media in the Socio-Technical Contexts of Households.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 44, no. 2 (Spring2000 2000): 215. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 18, 2010).
Oravec, Jo Ann. “Internet and computer technology hazards: perspectives for family counselling.” British Journal of Guidance & Counselling 28, no. 3 (August 2000): 309-324. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 18, 2010).
Delmonico, David L., and Elizabeth J. Griffin. “Cybersex and the E-teen: What Marriage and Family Therapists Should Know.” Journal of Marital & Family Therapy 34, no. 4 (October 2008): 431-444. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 18, 2010).
Schneider, Mary F., and Seymour Schneider. “The Computer Age and Family Life.” Individual Psychology: The Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research & Practice 40, no. 1 (March 1984): 61. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed February 18, 2010).
So as you can see it’s very messy and terrible. I absolutely have no clue as to how to format this introduction. I’d like to think I reached my intended audience by writing in a style that they would understand. My writing is pretty weak though, so my approach may be questionable. I don’t really think I’m using my sources as they were intended. A couple quotes here and there really don’t do it justice. I’m a very critical person when it comes to my writing and I really really don’t think I’ve got this “on lock”. I’ll probably have to meet with you (marlen) later on in the week to discuss my writing techniques and different approaches.
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