REBUTTAL REWRITE- MellowTacos

Posted on April 12, 2023 by mellowtacos

The Truth about Pandemic Puppies

The unbearable loneliness caused by covid 19 drove many to adopt dogs they are incapable of attending to after their lives pick back up again. However, Matthew Solois, the director of veterinary economics, chooses to ignore that many dogs remain homeless after COVID-19. Solois argues that 2020, the year COVID-19 began, had the lowest pet adoptions from shelters in 5 years. This information is poorly backed up by statistics that show only a percentage of all the dogs brought home that year. The Bar Graph he presents his readers with shows a large incline in pets adopted from 2016 to 2017. Since 2017 the number of adoptions has slowly gone down to about the same number of adoptions in 2016. What Solois fails to tell his audience is that dogs don’t only come from shelters, they also come from stores, pregnant pets, backyard breeders, foreign countries, and kennels. Solois acknowledges that there are other means of adoption when he states “Although shelters aren’t the only source of new pet adoptions, they’re the primary source.” yet chooses to hide the amount of other options from his audience.  It is true that the biggest form of purchasing a pet is adoption, but that doesn’t mean all of the other options combined don’t make up for a large percent. Solois knows what he is talking about but uses the correct information and twists it to fit a false narrative. No Matter where you got your pet from, the only place you can return it to is a shelter. 

Solois shares that there were 32% fewer dogs adopted but fails to tell us what year this is in comparison to. This is because fewer people gave up their pets, in the beginning of the pandemic. All major adoptions happened after the effects of covid settled in.

Jobs that cater towards animals were affected during COVID-19 and that created a large chain reaction. Solois informs us that right before this time, programs were doing good with spaying and neutering to keep breeding down, however once they were no longer keeping up with that because of COVID-19, the dog population skyrocketed. Breeders also play a big role in this because they have been a huge reason for reproducing. They will never spay or neuter dogs because this inhumane job is to breed dogs as much as they can before the dog is unable to carry any more puppies. This cruel job was unfortunately not drastically affected by COVID-19. Fortunately these puppies were in very high demand and were being snatched up immediately. Solois completely ignored how big of a part breeders played in the pandemic by giving no statistical evidence about breeders. Dutch Pet says that according to ASPCA a whopping 34% of animals are adopted from breeders alone. 

 It’s not that there weren’t dogs to adopt, it’s that they weren’t being counted for. Rescue teams who rely on purely donations, were stuck dealing with an overwhelming amount of dogs because of Animal control not being able to work.  Solois claims that it was harder to adopt because the physical process of adopting dogs became limited to virtual meetings or fewer visitors in the shelter at a time.  This however limits how thorough home checks can be making the process of adopting that much easier. Fewer people will get denied from adoption when background checks are less intense. When it was this easy to get a dog, the population that is not fit to care for an animal is able to pass all the qualifications needed and these poor dogs ended up in the wrong hands and  would soon see the shelter again. Solois admits later in his lousy argument that “ some shelters may have observed individual adoption numbers increase and veterinary practices did see an uptick in visits from new pet owners in 2020.” He then completely discredits that information by saying “on a national level, there doesn’t appear to have been a dramatic increase in pet adoptions.” Solois again fails to recognize that in order to find a nationwide average you have to take into account all the low dog population areas, like major cities. New York City has a population of around 8 million people and according to Kaelee Nelson, a content manager at Pawlicy Advisor, there’s a ratio of 71.97 dogs per 1,000 residents but yet there’s a shocking 104 animal shelters. This will lower the statistics tremendously leading to false reports made by ignorant people. There is no reason to take nationwide data when the main focus should be the shelters and communities that are struggling.

References

Matthew Salois, PhD, and PhD Gail Golab DVM. “The Covid-19 Pet Adoption Boom: Did It Really Happen?” DVM 360, DVM 360, 23 Sept. 2021

Coston, D. (2022, May 23). “Pet adoptions statistics: Facts & Faqs.” Retrieved April 19, 2023.

https://www.pawlicy.com/blog/best-cities-for-dogs/

Nelson, K. (2021, December 28). “Best U.S. cities for dogs: Pet-friendliest places in 2023.” Retrieved April 19, 2023

Posted in MellowTacos, Portfolio MellowTacos, Rebuttal Rewrite | 10 Comments

REBUTTAL- MellowTacos

Posted on April 12, 2023 by mellowtacos

The Truth about Pandemic Puppies.

The unbearable loneliness caused by covid 19 drove many to selfishly adopt dogs they are incapable of attending to after their lives pick back up again, however some choose to ignore the truth. In 2020, the beginning of Covid-19, the pet food industry falsely reported that COVID-19 did not cause a spike in the numbers of pets adopted. News reports say that the population in shelters fell by 20,000 and the foster population grew by 5,000. However, in an article written by Matthew Solois, The director of veterinary economics, called “The COVID-19 pet adoption boom: Did it really happen?” He claims the pet food industry said these numbers have remained relatively the same the past couple of years and have continued to stay the same two years into the pandemic. This false information is poorly backed up by statistics that show a different outcome. These statistics show a steady decline and incline pattern of dog adoptions since 2016. He then states that  According to shelters across the nation 2020 had the lowest adoption rate in 5 years. But as seen in the statistics provided by Solois the pattern clearly tells us that there were not as many animals to adopt because of a large spike in adoption rates  the years before.

 Due to Solois’ faulty bar graph statistics he attempts to argue that there were 32% fewer adoptions and fosters in the beginning of covid, Which is true. This is because fewer people gave up their pets, in the beginning of the pandemicWhy would there be a change in the beginning of covid, when nothing has been extremely affected yet. All major adoptions happened after the effects of covid settled in.

As we all know all jobs were affected during covid and that creates a large chain reaction. Solois informs us that right before this time, programs were doing good with spaying and neutering to keep breeding down, however what once they were no longer keeping up with that because of Covid-19, the dog population skyrocketed. Breeders also play a big role in this because they have been the main reason for reproducing. They will never spay or neuter because that is their job and this was one of the few jobs that weren’t drastically affected by covid. Animal control teams were less active just like other jobs, meaning they were leaving all these animals on the streets where they would mate. It’s not that there weren’t dogs to adopt, it’s that they weren’t being counted for. Rescue teams who rely on purely donations, were stuck dealing with an overwhelming amount of dogs because of Animal control not being able to work.  The physical process of adopting dogs became limited to virtual meetings or fewer visitors in the shelter at a time.  This however limits how thorough home checks can be making the process of adopting that much easier. Fewer people will get denied from adoption when background checks are less intense. When it’s this easy to get a dog, not the population that is not fit to care for an animal is able to get one and these poor dogs ended up in the wrong hands and would soon see the shelter again. 

Solois admits later in his lousy argument that “ some shelters may have observed individual adoption numbers increase and veterinary practices did see an uptick in visits from new pet owners in 2020.” He then completely discredits that information by saying “on a national level, there doesn’t appear to have been a dramatic increase in pet adoptions.” What Solois is not realizing here is that in order to find a nationwide average you have to take into account all the low dog population areas, like major cities. This will lower the statistics tremendously leading to false reports made by ignorant people. There is no reason to take nationwide data when the main focus should be the shelters and communities that are struggling. 

Work Cited

Matthew Salois, PhD, and PhD Gail Golab DVM. “The Covid-19 Pet Adoption Boom: Did It Really Happen?” DVM 360, DVM 360, 23 Sept. 2021, https://www.dvm360.com/view/the-covid-19-pet-adoption-boom-did-it-really-happen-

Posted in MellowTacos, Portfolio MellowTacos, Rebuttal Argument | Leave a comment

Rebuttal Rewrite- Pinkmonkey32

Posted on April 12, 2023 by pinkmonkey32

Addicts are being helped

Controversial topics and opinions always come with skeptics. Giving Heroin addicts drugs is no different. These skeptics and their rebuttal are grounded in their beliefs. They believe that the effectiveness of rehab is high enough to help all addicts, that giving addicts drugs is only enabling them, and the we are blackmailing them into “peacefully dying”

Rehabs promote themselves as the best possible option for addicts when in reality they aren’t. Rehabs say that it is a unique journey for all addicts and that every addict is on their own path, but yet they expect the same program they offer to work on every addict. Unfortunately, as much as I would love for that to work it does not. 

Even further than that, the amount of addicts who don’t even get the option to go to rehab makes another cause for concern. According to “Rehab Rates and Statistics” by Wendy Manwarren, “a survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that as many as 90 percent of people who need drug rehab do not receive it.” How are we supposed to trust our rehabs to help our addicts when they are only helping 10%. Even if we counted that 10%, a percentage of those addicts relapse and dropout as well as go back several times to try different treatment options. Rehab centers believe that relapse isnt failure and that they just need to start rehab again, but after a certain amount of relapses something needs to be done. 

Rehab is not just a few months, it is the rest of an addict’s life if they want decent odds of staying in recovery. Also taken from “Rehab Rates and Statistics”, “There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to treatment, but it’s most successful when individuals complete the entire course of their treatment and continue with the aftercare programs.” It does not end with rehab; they have to continue in programs for years if not the rest of their lives to actually stay clean, but they don’t tell you that. Instead rehab centers hide behind their flashy claims and base their statistics off of completion rates and not success rates.

Some specialists also believe that this is just a way of killing our addicts in a kind way. Taken from “Vancouver Combats Heroin by Giving its Addicts the Best Smack in the World”, they say, “ put it in stark terms, saying the city is killing addicts with kindness. “We might as well put a bullet in their head,” O’Rourke told him. “We’re killing them. We are just doing it in a much nicer way.” This argument can be completely shut down because of the fact that if we are administering the drugs we decide how much they get. Not only do we make sure they are getting a dose their body can handle but we would also be injecting them with sterilized tools and by a medical professional. What made this article even better is that they completely contradicted themselves later on by interviewing addicts who said, “ that he needs free heroin or else he’ll break into a car. Take your pick.” The addicts are all for this new program, they are blatantly saying that they are going to resort to crime. 

Along with many other points made in the “Vancouver Combats Heroin by Giving its Addicts the Best Smack in the World”, they also mention, “It could lead some to believe the city is giving into an unspoken form of blackmail.” Blackmail is a completely wrong term to describe this program. Blackmail is something used to force unwilling people to do something they don’t want to do. These addicts have expressed their gratitude for this program and how it has helped them sustain themselves. One addict mentions in the article, “a long-term drug addict named Kevin Thompson, says he is able to hold down a job thanks to the program”.  That doesn’t seem to fit the definition of blackmail at all. In fact these addicts are continuously bettering themselves because of the program and are able to finally start cleaning themselves up because they aren’t so worried about where their next fix is going to come from. It’s not blackmail if the city and the addict win.

Furthermore this program is not offered to the masses of addicts. This program is offered to only the addicts who have tried continuously to better themselves through rehab and multi step programs only yor find themselves using again. This program is for only the addicts who have lost all ability or courage to get clean and just need to be safe.

Enabling addicts is a big discussion as well. What a lot of people don’t know though is that most addicts that are being enabled are functioning addicts who have homes and jobs. Enabling often comes from loved ones who are covering for them at their job or lying to other family about their situation, not often does it happen to addicts on the street which is who this program would solely be for. “The Truth About Enabling” by Family First Intervention says, “When a person with a substance use disorder is enabled it lessens the likelihood they will see the need for change.” But addicts on the street are using drugs because they need change. These street addicts want to get out of their situation, so they use drugs to do that. But while constantly worrying about affording and getting the drugs, they lose sight of the change they are craving. By creating security with the drug they will have more time to pick up their pieces and create some change for themself.

It is important to also realize that when talking about addicts we are not the number one thing enabling them, it’s the drug itself. Their addiction is enabling them to live the life they have. No matter if we give them the drugs or they find them on the street the addiction itself is what is enabling them. They will get their drugs with or without the help of this program. The benefit of it is that it will keep these addicts healthy, functionable, and above all, alive.

Often people try to help addicts with what they think is right for them, but not taking into consideration what is actually helpful. “The Truth About Enabling”, states, “trying to help often leads to more harm than good.” When loved ones try to force rehab, multi step programs, or even by cutting off the resources they have, more often than not just leads the addict down an even worse path because now you have turned on them. Why force addicts to live lives they don’t desire at all, let’s just make the life they live comfortable. It’s hard to watch a love one struggle or anyone at all but it’s important that we figure out what’s actually best for the addict, and not for the family.

Giving addicts drugs is the best option we have in front of us. Obviously the options we are giving them now are not helping them at all and something new needs to be tried. The benefits this program offers will lower crime, provide safe drugs and safe tools, while also making the lives of our homeless addicts more bearable. This program isn’t creating addicts, it’s saving them.

References

The truth about enabling(April 10, 2019) Family First Intervention

The Truth About Enabling

Vancouver combats heroin by giving its addicts the best smack in the world (February 4, 2015)Bradley Campbell

https://theworld.org/stories/2015-02-04/vancouver-combats-heroin-giving-its-addicts-best-smack-world

Drug Success Rates and Statistics(October 1,2022) Wendy Manwarren

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/success-rates-and-statistics

Posted in PinkMonkey, Portfolio PinkMonkey, Rebuttal Rewrite | 3 Comments

Rebuttal- Pinkmonkey32

Posted on April 12, 2023 by pinkmonkey32

Addicts are being helped


Controversial topics and opinions always come with skeptics. Giving Heroin addicts drugs is no different. These skeptics and their rebuttal are grounded in their beliefs. They believe that the effectiveness of rehab is high enough to help all addicts, that giving addicts drugs is only enabling them, and the we are blackmailing them into “peacefully dying”

Rehabs promote themselves as the best possible option for addicts when in reality they aren’t. Rehabs say that it is a unique journey for all addicts and that every addict is on their own path, but yet they expect the same program they offer to work on every addict. Unfortunately as much as I would love for that to work it does not. According to “Rehab Rates and Statistics” by Wendy Manwarren,  “a survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that as many as 90 percent of people who need drug rehab do not receive it.” How are we supposed to trust our rehabs to help our addicts when they are only helping 10%. Even if we counted that 10%, a percentage of those addicts relapse and dropout as well as go back several times to try different treatment options. Rehab centers believe that relapse isnt failure and that they just need to start rehab again, but after a certain amount of relapses something needs to be done. 

Rehab is not just a few months, it is the rest of an addict’s life if they want decent odds of staying in recovery. Also taken from “Rehab Rates and Statistics”, “There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to treatment, but it’s most successful when individuals complete the entire course of their treatment and continue with the aftercare programs.” It does not end with rehab; they have to continue in programs for years if not the rest of their lives to actually stay clean, but they don’t tell you that.

Some specialists also believe that this is just a way of killing our addicts in a kind way. Taken from “Vancouver Combats Heroin by Giving its Addicts the Best Smack in the World”, they say, “ put it in stark terms, saying the city is killing addicts with kindness. “We might as well put a bullet in their head,” O’Rourke told him. “We’re killing them. We are just doing it in a much nicer way.” This argument can be completely shut down because of the fact that if we are administering the drugs we decide how much they get. Not only do we make sure they are getting a dose their body can handle but we would also be injecting them with sterilized tools and by a medical professional. What made this article even better is that they completely contradicted themselves later on by interviewing addicts who said, “ that he needs free heroin or else he’ll break into a car. Take your pick.” The addicts are all for this new program, they are blatantly saying that they are going to resort to crime. 

Along with many other points made in the “Vancouver Combats Heroin by Giving its Addicts the Best Smack in the World”, they also mention, “It could lead some to believe the city is giving into an unspoken form of blackmail.” Blackmail is a completely wrong term to describe this program. Blackmail is something used to force unwilling people to do something they don’t want to do. These addicts have expressed their gratitude for this program and how it has helped them sustain themselves. One addict mentions in the article, “a long-term drug addict named Kevin Thompson, says he is able to hold down a job thanks to the program”.  That doesn’t seem to fit the definition of blackmail at all. In Fact these addicts are continuously bettering themselves because of the program and are able to finally start cleaning themselves up because they aren’t so worried about where their next fix is going to come from. It’s not blackmail if the city and the addict win.

Enabling addicts is a big discussion as well. What a lot of people don’t know though is that most addicts that are being enabled are functioning addicts who have homes and jobs. Enabling often comes from loved ones who are covering for them at their job or lying to other family about their situation, not often does it happen to addicts on the street which is who this program would solely be for. “The Truth About Enabling” by Family First Intervention says, “When a person with a substance use disorder is enabled it lessens the likelihood they will see the need for change.” But addicts on the street are using drugs because they need change. These street addicts want to get out of their situation, so they use drugs to do that. But while constantly worrying about affording and getting the drugs, they lose sight of the change they are craving. By creating security with the drug they will have more time to pick up their pieces and create some change for themself.

Often people try to help addicts with what they think is right for them, but not taking into consideration what is actually helpful. “The Truth About Enabling”, states, “trying to help often leads to more harm than good.” When loved ones try to force rehab, multi step programs, or even by cutting off the resources they have, more often than not just leads the addict down an even worse path because now you have turned on them. Why force addicts to live lives they don’t desire at all, let’s just make the life they live comfortable.

Giving addicts drugs is the best option we have in front of us. Obviously the options we are giving them now are not helping them at all and something new needs to be tried. The benefits this program offers will lower crime, provide safe drugs and safe tools, while also making the lives of our homeless addicts more bearable. This program isn’t creating addicts, it’s saving them.

References

The truth about enabling(April 10, 2019) Family First Intervention

The Truth About Enabling

Vancouver combats heroin by giving its addicts the best smack in the world (February 4, 2015)Bradley Campbell

https://theworld.org/stories/2015-02-04/vancouver-combats-heroin-giving-its-addicts-best-smack-world

Drug Success Rates and Statistics(October 1,2022) Wendy Manwarren

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/success-rates-and-statistics

Posted in PinkMonkey, Portfolio PinkMonkey | Leave a comment

rebuttal rewrite-pinkheart

Posted on April 12, 2023 by pinkheart84

Teenagers Are Addicted to Their Smartphones

Overtime, teens have progressed to their electronics becoming an addictive source. Teenagers are forgetting about what is going on and happening in the real world because their eyes are glued to their phones. They are continuously waiting for notifications on their smartphones. Teens use their phones as a distraction from what they really need to be focusing on and they see it as a source to not pay attention. They need to be encouraged to put down their phones and see for themselves what they are missing out on. 

Undoubtedly, teenagers have become dependent on their smartphones. Their main source of entertainment is social media and the apps that are built into these devices. It has been recommended from Pediatrics that teenagers should only be on their phones for an estimation of two hours a day. People argue about why teens being on their phones is such a big deal but there are multiple reasons for it. An article written by Amy Mortin talks about the value of putting down electronics states that teens are “replacing face-to-face communication with text messages and social media.” This quote can show how the constant phone use is becoming a serious problem because teens are barley getting the social interaction they need. An important part of being a teenager is meeting new people, hanging out with your friends, and just enjoying life. These teens are missing out on their life and opportunities because of these addictive devices. Would you rather sit on the phone texting someone about their day or go outside and talk to them face to face?  Teens are unable to see how much of an issue this is until we put it in this harsh way. 

Evidently, reporters have interviewed teens about their obsession with their smartphones, and as it turns out, some teens agree that they are spending way too much time on them. An article that shows evidence of teens agreeing states that, “According to the surveys behind the report, 95 percent of teens aged 13 to 17 say they have a smartphone or access to one, and 45 percent say they are online almost constantly.” The fact that teens are aware of this, makes it easier to help them put their phones down and live in the real world. Does this mean that teens should never use their phone or get time to post on their social media? No, but teens should not have their head buried in their phones at all times. Like stated above, a good two hours a day on the phone is sufficient, teens shouldn’t be constantly scrolling through different sites and platforms because this is how an obsession starts. 

Certainly, phones may be used as a distraction and a coping mechanism. Although the use of technology can be harmful, often times it can be convenient, especially in the world we live in today. People tend to use their phones as a way to deal with stress or other feelings. Some experts say that teens will go onto their phone during the day and scroll through their social media to release their anxiety or depression. These are all accurate reasons to use the phone but when it becomes overused, it becomes an issue. The screen times of high schoolers are skyrocketing as more students are signing up to various social media sites. Could this be because students need a distraction from their work or are they just becoming addicted to the social media platforms? These are bad habits that can come into place. Teens do not want to be obsessed with their phones, especially when trying to juggle school and other activities.

Surly, some teens may not even see that they have an addiction to their smartphones. In an article by Martin Preston, he suggests that people are unaware if they are addicted to their phones or not, it states that, “As well as putting a physical barrier between yourself and whoever you’re with, an obsession with wanting to compulsively check social media, sharing pictures of food, holidays and yourself, can mean you become more connected with your online world than the real one.” Teens may think they are using their phones so much, but they don’t see the problems are come to a concussion about it. Social media has become people sharing their everyday lives that it questions when they even have time to put their phone down.

Social media apps, like TikTok and Snapchat, intentionally implement features to keep users interested in their network. This often leads to an addiction, which is becoming increasingly common in young people. To help teens break the habit of checking their smartphones and using the platforms constantly, there are other ways to communicate and interact with people. The main reason teens use their phones is to interact and see what other people are doing. Activities and sports are a great way to stay busy and also keep in touch with friends and other peers. This can be so much more than a phone distraction but can also show that teens are able to interact with each other face to face rather than texting on devices. These days teenagers are so used to connecting online and posting pictures that they miss out on all of the reality. When they go, they take pictures to show off to other people, or they continue to hide in their phones. 

Ultimately, teens spending an inordinate amount of time on their phones is what leads to this addicting habit of never turning off their phones. Teens have becoming dependent on their devices and use it as a source to get away from their problems. They use interaction on social media to not talk to individuals face to face. They continuously ignore the problem when they know they are spending too much time on their smartphones. Soon enough, teens will realize that they’re wasting their time and not enjoying their life in the real world.  

References

Mortin, A. (2021, March). How Much Should You Limit Kids’ Screen Time and Electronics Use? Verywellfamily. https://www.verywellfamily.com/american-academy-pediatrics-screen-time-guidelines-1094883#:

Eng, J. (2019, November). Teens Agree — They Spend Too Much Time On Phones. ParentsTogether. https://parents-together.org/teens-agree-they-spend-too-much-time-on-phones/

Preston, M. (2021, December). Am I Addicted To My Phone? Delamere. https://delamere.com/blog/am-i-addicted-to-my-phone

Posted in PinkHeart, Portfolio PinkHeart, Portfolio SP23, Rebuttal Rewrite | 2 Comments

rebuttal-pinkheart

Posted on April 12, 2023 by pinkheart84

Teenagers Are Addicted To Their Smartphones

Overtime, teens have progressed to their electronics becoming an addictive source. Teenagers are forgetting about what is going on and happening in the real world because their eyes are glued to their phones. They are continuously waiting for notifications on their smartphones. Teens use their phones as a distraction from what they really need to be focusing on and they see it as a source to not pay attention. They need to be encourage to put down their phones and see for themselves what they are missing out on. 

Undoubtedly, teenagers have become dependent on their smartphones. Their main source of entertainment is social media and the apps that are built into these devices. It has been recommended from Pediatrics that teenagers should only be on their phones for an estimation of two hours a day. People argue about why teens being on their phones is such a big deal but there are multiple reasons for it. An article that talks about the value of putting down electronics states that teens are “replacing face-to-face communication with text messages and social media.” (Mortin, 2021). This quote can show how the constant phone use is becoming a serious problem because teens are barley getting the social interaction they need. An important part of being a teenager is meeting new people, hanging out with your friends, and just enjoying life. These teens are missing out on their life and opportunities because of these addictive devices. Would you rather sit on the phone texting someone about their day or go outside and talk to them face to face?  Teens are unable to see how much of an issue this is until we put it in this harsh way. 

Evidently, reporters have interviewed teens about their obsession with their smartphones, and as it turns out, some teens agree that they are spending way too much time on them. An article that shows evidence of teens agreeing states that, “According to the surveys behind the report, 95 percent of teens aged 13 to 17 say they have a smartphone or access to one, and 45 percent say they are online almost constantly.” (Eng, 2019). The fact that teens are aware of this, makes it easier to help them put their phones down and live in the real world. Does this mean that teens should never use their phone or get time to post on their social media? No, but teens should not have their head buried in their phones at all times. Like stated above, a good two hours a day on the phone is sufficient, teens shouldn’t be constantly scrolling through different sits and platforms because this is how an obsession starts. 

Certainly, phones may be used as a distraction and a coping mechanism. Although the use of technology can be harmful, often times it can be convenient, especially in the world we live in today. People tend to use their phones as a way to deal with stress or other feelings. Some experts say that teens will go onto their phone during the day and scroll through their social media to release their anxiety or depression. These are all accurate reasons to use the phone but when it becomes overused, it becomes an issue. The screen times of high schoolers are skyrocketing as more students are signing up to various social media sites. Could this be because students need a distraction from their work or are they just becoming addicted to the social media platforms? These are bad habits that can come into place. Teens do not want to be obsessed with their phones, especially when trying to juggle school and other activities.

Surly, some teens may not even see that they have an addiction to their smartphones. In an article suggesting that people are unaware if they are addicted to their phones or not, “As well as putting a physical barrier between yourself and whoever you’re with, an obsession with wanting to compulsively check social media, sharing pictures of food, holidays and yourself, can mean you become more connected with your online world than the real one.” (Preston, 2021). Teens may think they are using their phones so much but they don’t see the problems are come to a concussion about it. Social media has become people sharing their everyday lives that it questions when they even have time to put their phone down.

Social media apps, like TikTok and Snapchat, intentionally implement features to keep users interested in their network. This often leads to an addiction, which is becoming increasingly common in young people. To help teens break the habit of checking their smartphones and using the platforms constantly, there are other ways to communicate and interact with people. The main reason teens use their phones is to interact and see what other people are doing. Activities and sports are a great way to stay busy and also keep in touch with friends and other peers. This can be so much more than a phone distraction, but can also show that teens are able to interact with each other face to face rather than texting on devices. These days teenagers are so used to connecting online and posting pictures that they miss out on all of the reality. When they go, they take pictures to show off to other people, or they continue to hide in their phones. 

Ultimately, teens spending an inordinate amount of time on their phones is what leads to this addicting habit of never turning off their phones. Teens have becoming dependent on their devices and use it as a source to get away from their problems. They use interaction on social media to not talk to individuals face to face. They continuously ignore the problem when they know they are spending too much time on their smartphones. Soon enough, teens will realize that they’re wasting their time and not enjoying their life in the real world.  

Mortin, A. (2021, March). How Much Should You Limit Kids’ Screen Time and Electronics Use? Verywellfamily. https://www.verywellfamily.com/american-academy-pediatrics-screen-time-guidelines-1094883#:

Eng, J. (2019, November). Teens Agree — They Spend Too Much Time On Phones. ParentsTogether. https://parents-together.org/teens-agree-they-spend-too-much-time-on-phones/

Preston, M. (2021, December). Am I Addicted To My Phone? Delamere. https://delamere.com/blog/am-i-addicted-to-my-phone

Posted in PinkHeart, Portfolio PinkHeart, Portfolio SP23, Rebuttal Argument | Leave a comment

Rebuttal Rewrite- Giants

Posted on April 12, 2023 by giants19

Misleading Statistics

My claim is understandably a very hard pill to swallow. The average person would be totally against the notion that seatbelts can do any harm at all. I am asking people to look outside the box and seek the truth that the average person would not. People have been indoctrinated to believe that these things can do no harm. “How many people do seatbelts save a year?” One might ask. While, yes, I must admit, the number of lives saved every year by seatbelts does not help my case by any means, but to assume that this number dismantles my argument would be to misunderstand my claim. I do not deny that seatbelts save many lives per year. I’m sure that they do. My claim asserts that if people don’t wear seatbelts, they are significantly less likely to be in an accident at all. Obviously, if somebody gets in an accident, they would be better off wearing a seatbelt than being without one, but perhaps if they hadn’t worn a seatbelt at all, there would be no accident to worry about.

While the numbers and statistics against my claim are certainly a worthy opponent, I believe that if somebody were to look at my argument through a different lens, the statistics seem to become a moot point. In other words, it doesn’t matter to me how many lives seatbelts save; what matters is how many people would have been unscathed and uninterrupted from driving on the road had they not worn their seatbelts. I believe that a lot of these numbers are actually facetious, anyway. One source brought up something very interesting to. They claim that people that have been involved in accidents have been lying about wearing their seatbelts in order to avoid getting in trouble, thus creating inaccurate statistics involving seatbelts. “Some authors have expressed concern that estimates of seat belt effects may be biased.1–4 In particular, some car occupants who survived a crash may falsely claim to police that they were belted in order to avoid a fine. If police sometimes believe these false claims, this would lead to exaggerated estimates of seat belt benefits if data from police crash reports were used.” This definitely raises an interesting point. How realistic even are these numbers? These inaccurate statistics are ultimately giving people even more of a false sense of security than they already possess, making driving even more difficult.

In many cases, wearing a seatbelt while driving is simply not worth the risk of getting into an accident. Especially in the cases of children or young people who may not have any help from seatbelts in the case of an accident, there is no point in wearing a seatbelt. One source really hit home with an excerpt about how seatbelts can very quickly become significantly more dangerous than they are safe if they are not used or manufactured correctly. “Defective seat belts can case catastrophic, often fatal, injuries.  These life-changing injuries can change an occupant’s life forever.  The most common injuries from seat belt failure are injuries to the heat and neck, chest injuries, and injuries to the arms or legs; these injuries can lead to permanent disabilities. If a seat belt fails in a head on collision, an occupant can be thrown into the windshield.  If a belt fails during a rollover, an occupant can be ejected from the vehicle and sustain spinal cord or neck injuries which can result in quadriplegia, paraplegia, paralysis or death.” I think that everybody who chooses to wear a seatbelt while they drive should read this before they buckled up, because I think it can really open up a lot of eyes.

The sooner that people begin to challenge the widely accepted notion that seatbelts are protective and safe at all times, the safer the roads will become. The truth is, wearing a seatbelt is oftentimes the catalyst for many horrific accidents that otherwise would not have occurred. This is a society that is full of people who want to feel safe. The ironic thing is that it is this infatuation with safety that is ultimately leading to them being placed further into harms way. It is easily one of the most counterintuitive things that I can imagine. If people want to feel safe, what they should do is read and educate themselves and form their own opinions that may differ from everybody else. Ultimately, people are afraid to challenge concepts when the alternative seems so absurd and incomprehensible to them, even if the initial concept does not make a whole lot of sense. Why would somebody want to lower their god-given inhibition while driving on the road, which is something that requires full concentration and coordination.

We know that we can’t put it past the government to exaggerate some statistics in order to push an agenda. To blindly follow and not question those numbers that seemingly so easily dismantle my thesis is to neglect the most important thing that one must do in order to understand my claim. We must be able to think outside the box and understand how something can seem so obvious and yet be so untrue. That includes being able to look past misleading statistics.

What should people value more? Becoming less likely to end up in a collision at all by not wearing a seatbelt, or preparing for this hypothetical collision, thus making it more likely to occur, in order to mitigate to the hypothetical damage from said hypothetical collision. Any logical or sound person would prioritize preventing the accident from occurring at all. I believe that a fascination with numbers and safety has skewed the average persons mindset when it comes to personal freedoms. If somebody feels safer without a seatbelt, I don’t think this concept should be seen as so preposterous. I think that challenging the status quo is something that is important to flourish in the coming years, and the more people that are willing to challenge what everybody believes, the more likely that change will come.

References

Robertson LS. Estimates of motor vehicle seat belt effectiveness and use: implications for occupant crash protection. Am J Public Health1976;66:859–64. et al. https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/8/4/338

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Visual Rewrite—SayCheese

Posted on April 12, 2023 by saycheese03

0:00-0:01: The beginning scene of the video shows 4 people: 2 adults and 2 children. It is inferred that these people are a family since not only are they carrying the children, but they are holding strollers and baby toys. Also, it looks as if the family is waiting for something or looking for something since they are making puzzled faces. We can assume they are waiting for a ride or a car because they are facing the opposite of the house which is normally a street.

0:01-0:02: Family starts to walk towards something away from the house most likely a ride or car showing up. One of the little girls is smiling looking up at the man and he is looking at her clearly listening to a story she was telling him. More of the house is shown with more bushes and

0:02-0:03: Starts zooming in on the woman’s face she seems to be thinking about something. The video then zooms out to show the parents of the family clearly overwhelmed with all the items they are carrying plus their two children.

0:03-0:04: The video starts with the family still overwhelmed walking further away from the house. Then cuts to one of the little girls who was holding the father’s hand and starts to reach for one of the toys that she takes an interest in. The toy is a few rings connected that are hanging off on the father’s backpack.

0:04-0:06: The Girl looks like she mouths the word please as she proceeds to pull the rings. This causes the father to drop everything he was holding and everything that was in the bag. The child also finds it humorous because she has a devious smile.      

0:06-0:08: The mother now is very distressed from the look on her face she readjusts her baby as she starts to drop a lot of the items she’s holding.  

0:08-0:10: Zooms in on father’s face as he is visibly annoyed, and he catches the bag that was falling off his shoulder.

0:10-0:11: The child is still pulling on the rings that are hanging from the father’s bag. The father is also trying to eat something as it zooms out and shows both the mom and father stumbling with all the items they have on their person.

0:11-0:13: cuts to father bending down to pick up some of the things he dropped we are shown a little walkway that leads to a driveway with grass surrounding it.

0:13-0:15: we are finally shown what the family was walking towards which is a black minivan the children look very happy to see the car and start dropping their belongings on the sidewalk next to the car.

0:15-0:19: the mother and father put down most of their belongings and put their children in the car the father fastens the baby seat seatbelt of the child he was with from the beginning ensuring that they are safe. The little girl is also eating what looks to be Cheerios.

0:19-0:22: The little girl while laughing throws the Cheerios all over her dad while in the car which

0:22-0:23: the camera cuts to the other side of the car showing the mother buckling the younger child in. trying to show the importance of buckling in children before anything else to do with driving.

0:26-0:31: Cuts to the NHTSA that says the right seat.

Posted in Portfolio SayCheese, SayCheese, Visual Rewrite | 1 Comment

Rebuttal Rewrite-G00dSoup

Posted on April 11, 2023 by g00dsoup

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is Social Media

People might argue that video games are in no ways a substitute for real social interaction. Sure, video games do not have that real, true feeling of interacting with a person face-to-face. But in situations where we are in need of communicating with someone…anyone…doing so online is really our only solution. Not to mention that we now have the technology to do so (it’s in our lives inevitably at this point).

We have FaceTime, Google Meets, Zoom, and the other applications for video chatting with family and friends…but there’s no “fun” in that. If people can make a simple Zoom call amusing, then they must have planned for such an elaborate call.

Video games, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, enable players to not only play the game, but to also be able to communicate and play the game with their loved ones when they are physically unable to do so in real life.

Think about social media: Within the many applications available, they provide us some form of enjoyment and the ability to interact with people all over the world. Animal Crossing can be seen as social media. A different type of social media, yes, but the game does provide the same benefits as Instagram does plus more.

An article from Cornell University, “Animal Crossing – A New Social Media?”, dives deeper into the idea that Animal Crossing is, in fact, a “new social media.”

“You can also add a player as either a friend or best friend, and send messages or mail whenever you want. These relationships can be seen as building a social network, perhaps with strong ties between your friends or best friends, and weak ties between those whose island you just visit casually through codes or the cloud storage. These relationships are unique in the pandemic times, where you can now virtually interact with someone, visit their home, share gifts, and explore together, which can retain current relationships and foster new ones.”

There are so many mechanics to explore in the (digital) world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The best part about this is you do not have to do it alone. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has so many in-game features to explore.

The recent release of the franchise, New Horizons excited many seemingly lifelong fans. Each Animal Crossing game in the series had the same format: You move into a new town and you explore your newfound life the way you want to. However, each game advances in their special features.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons adds more abilities to communicate with those online to make new friendships and connections including the option to now allow seven other people online to be in one digital island (whereas previous games, the limit was three additional players), the addition of new events to celebrate with friends, new in-game furniture items to decorate islands however the player sees fit, and the players of Animal Crossing have created online mechanics of their own.

Nookazon is an online platform where Animal Crossing players can purchase in-game items with in-game currency. The only thing required to get the desired copy of Van Gogh’s Starry Night is to interact with people online…much like most online transactions. The joy with this method of getting in-game items is the ability to visit the seller’s island, or have the seller visit you. It is ultimately the player’s choice whether they want to become online friends with this stranger.

Furthermore, Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides more in-game mechanics that promote social interaction exceptionally. Though there are hardly any people who do this, New Horizons allows players to write letters to both, their anthropomorphic animal villagers and to the friends they make online. Players can mail them a heartfelt letter expressing their appreciation, send packages and emergency fruit to sell, or they can right an angry, hate-filled letter expressing how their newfound online friend is the bane of their existence. Quite like real life, except people express their opinions of each other on social platforms like Instagram and/or Twitter.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (and other video games can be seen as this, too) can be used as a “safe place” for most players. People have their methods for escaping the worries and stressors of real life, but investing that method into purchasing this game will make such a huge impact. The relaxing, atmospheric nature of the game and the ability to not only interact online with strangers, but also with your animal neighbors is very relaxing to most.

In regards to video games in general being “safe spaces”, writer Andrew Fishman, of the article, “Video Games Are Social Space: How Video Games Help People Connect”, explains: “Video games and other online spaces are “safe” for these individuals because they allow people to communicate when they want to, with little or no pressure to respond immediately and without requiring them to be in the same physical space with others.”

The joy of being in an awkward situation with a stranger online is the glorious ability to shut the WiFi connect off your Nintendo Switch, kicking everyone on your island off and immediately returning them back to where they came from (if only we had that luxury in real life). Communicating with people online can often put us in uncomfortable situation, much like communicating with people in real life. The only benefit of communicating with people online versus in person is the ability to remove yourself from the situation.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is safer than other social media platforms, like Twitter and Instagram. If a user is causing another distress, the “block” button is effective, however the user can simply make another account and keeping harassing others online. Animal Crossing keeps their players safe while using their online features. Animal Crossing: New Horizons also allows the player to select who they want on their islands to spend time with and who they’d rather not interact with again.

“Real social interaction” truly comes in many forms. Communicating verbally is just one way of social interaction, much like texting and using social media. Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides another outlet to communicate with those and to feel relaxed whilst doing so. New Horizons also enables players to do so much more than play online to effectively communicate with their friends and families, they also have the ability to sell their items online and to write letters to other players of the game. The game provides many resources to have real and meaningful social interactions. The special thing about this kind of social interaction is that it is through a video game and it is done safely.

References

Animal Crossing – A New Social Media? : Networks Course blog for INFO 2040/CS 2850/Econ 2040/SOC 2090. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://blogs.cornell.edu/info2040/2020/09/29/animal-crossing-a-new-social-media/

Fishman, A. (2012). Video Games Are Social Spaces: How Video Games Help People Connect | ResponseCenter. Jcfs.org. https://www.jcfs.org/response/blog/video-games-are-social-spaces-how-video-games-help-people-connect

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Rebuttal-G00dSoup

Posted on April 11, 2023 by g00dsoup

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is Social Media

“Video games are in no way a substitute for real social interaction!” Sure, video games do not have that real, true feeling of interacting with a person face-to-face. But in situations where we are in need of communicating with someone…anyone…doing so online is really our only solution. We have FaceTime, Google Meets, Zoom, and other applications for video chatting with family and friends…but there’s no “fun” in that. Video games, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, enable players to not only play the game, but to also be able to communicate and play the game with their loved ones when they are physically unable to do so in real life.


There are many different types of social media applications available to us today, and they provide us with enjoyment as well as the ability to interact with people all over the world as a result. Animal Crossing is social media. Obviously, it is a different type of social media, but the game does provide the same benefits as Instagram does when it comes to social media.


An article from Cornell University, “Animal Crossing – A New Social Media?”, dives deeper into the idea that Animal Crossing is, in fact, a “new social media.”


“You can also add a player as either a friend or best friend, and send messages or mail whenever you want. These relationships can be seen as building a social network, perhaps with strong ties between your friends or best friends, and weak ties between those whose island you just visit casually through codes or the cloud storage. These relationships are unique in the pandemic times, where you can now virtually interact with someone, visit their home, share gifts, and explore together, which can retain current relationships and foster new ones.”


A game like Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers such an expansive selection of mechanics for players to explore within its (digital) world. I think one of the most impressive aspects of this is that you don’t have to do this alone. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has so many in-game features to explore.

The recent release of the franchise, New Horizons, excited many seemingly lifelong fans. Each Animal Crossing game in the series had the same format: You move into a new town and you explore your newfound life the way you want to…but each game advances in their special features.


A new feature of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the ability to communicate with people online and form new friendships and connections. In addition, seven additional people can be on one digital island at the same time (whereas previously only three additional people could be on the island), there have been added new events to celebrate with friends, new furniture items in the game to decorate islands as the player sees fit, and there have been online mechanics created by Animal Crossing players.


Nookazon, similar to Amazon, is an online platform where Animal Crossing players can purchase in-game items with in-game currency. The only thing required to get the desired copy of Van Gogh’s Starry Night is to interact with people online…much like most online transactions. The joy with this method of getting in-game items is the ability to visit the seller’s island, or have the seller visit you. It is ultimately the player’s choice whether they want to become online friends with this stranger.


Furthermore, Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides more in-game mechanics that promote social interaction exceptionally. Though there are hardly any people who do this, New Horizons allows players to write letters to both, their anthropomorphic animal villagers and to the friends they make online. Players can mail them a heartfelt letter expressing their appreciation. As well as sending packages and emergency fruit, they can also write an angry, hate-filled letter expressing how their newfound online friend is the bane of their existence. Quite like real life, except people share their opinions of each other on social platforms like Instagram and/or Twitter. Or perhaps they simply tell the person face-to-face.


Animal Crossing: New Horizons (and other video games can be seen as this, too) can be used as a “safe place” for most players. People have their methods for escaping the worries and stressors of real life, but investing that method into purchasing this game will make such a huge impact. The relaxing, atmospheric nature of the game and the ability to not only interact online with strangers, but also with your animal neighbors is very relaxing to most.


In regards to video games in general being “safe spaces”, writer Andrew Fishman, of the article, “Video Games Are Social Space: How Video Games Help People Connect”, explains: “Video games and other online spaces are “safe” for these individuals because they allow people to communicate when they want to, with little or no pressure to respond immediately and without requiring them to be in the same physical space with others.”


The joy of being in an awkward situation with a stranger online is the glorious ability to shut the WiFi connection off your Nintendo Switch, kicking everyone on your island off and immediately returning them back to where they came from (if only we had that luxury in real life). Communicating with people online can often put us in uncomfortable situations, much like communicating with people in real life. The only benefit of communicating with people online versus in person is the ability to remove yourself from the situation.


Animal Crossing: New Horizons allows the player to select who they want on their islands to spend time with and who they’d rather not interact with again. Much like any other form of social interaction through social media platforms, New Horizons features the almighty “Block” button. Even our cell phones have block buttons for those we do not want to remain in contact with again.


“Real social interaction” truly comes in many forms. Communicating verbally is just one way of social interaction, much like texting and using social media. Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides another outlet to communicate with those and to feel relaxed whilst doing so. New Horizons also enables players to do so much more than play online to effectively communicate with their friends and families, they also have the ability to sell their items online and to write letters. The game provides many resources to have real and meaningful social interactions. The special thing about this kind of social interaction is that it is through a video game.

References

Animal Crossing – A New Social Media? : Networks Course blog for INFO 2040/CS 2850/Econ 2040/SOC 2090. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://blogs.cornell.edu/info2040/2020/09/29/animal-crossing-a-new-social-media/

Fishman, A. (2012). Video Games Are Social Spaces: How Video Games Help People Connect | ResponseCenter. Jcfs.org. https://www.jcfs.org/response/blog/video-games-are-social-spaces-how-video-games-help-people-connect

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