Online Reading Increases Book Reading

Online reading opens the doors for more readers than ever before. The benefits of digital reading weigh the same as those of reading a more in depth source, like a novel. While reading a book may require the reader to think more deeply about the subject matter and give the reader things that online reading cannot, the benefits of online reading far exceed the cons. While an online reader may not have to think as much about the words on the screen, they are able to access the needed information at a much faster pace and without having to read unnecessary things. Some may argue that people favor online reading for convenience sake and are getting the information that they need without ever gaining knowledge. Just like Lee Siegel said in Against The Machine,"You can possess a lot of information about something without understanding it"(150). But in recent years online reading has sparked a greater interest in reading books. As the graph produced by the National Endowment for the Arts below shows, the percentage of adults reading online is very high. Their study also found that, “For adults who read online articles, essays, or blogs, the book-reading rate is 77 percent” (NEA 8). As the number of adults who read online increases, so does the number of people who are reading books. Therefore online reading not only is beneficial for quick access to information, but it is developing a greater desire for more in depth reading and in turn, more knowledge.

Macfarquhar reading

I posted a comment on CEC's blog post about the article "Who Cares If Johnny Can't Read?"

Comment about Bauerlein

I posted a comment on CEC's blog post"Is Bibliophobia a Social Disease?"

Thyrston's blog

I posted a comment on Thyrston's blog post about academic advisors on college campuses.

Argument Comment

I posted a comment on Meghan's argument about Spring Break. It was a well written argument about why SMU students should not go to Mexico for Spring Break.

Texting Taking Over?

One argument that I hear a lot about and catch a lot of grief for taking part in is the debate of the importance of text messaging to our generation.

I know that if you are like me, sometimes when I’m texting my parents will say something like “Why don’t you just call them?” or “You are going to get carpal tunnel in your thumbs you text so much!” Most of the time I think they are kidding but at one particular family dinner last year my dad actually took my phone from me after I was caught texting under the table.

It’s kind of funny to think about how reliable we are on our cell phones for texting. I send at least a few texts when I wake up, all day during and between classes, plenty throughout work and dinner and I even sleep with my phone in the bed with me. We text while walking, talking to other people, and even when we drive. It's a major way that our generation stays connected.

Older generations claim that texting is impersonal, but is it really? I think that you can still put your personality into a text. Of course it isn’t the same as actually talking face to face or even on the phone, but it most situations I think texting is a valuable resource. Sometimes a situation can be handled much easier with a simple text and sending a text from Mexico is definitely much cheaper than calling. I personally don’t see this age of texting as a problem. Through text messaging we are able to stay better connected with people from everywhere at almost any time. So what if a little personality is lost along the way. For convenience sake, I think text messaging is a wonderful tool in our society.

Greek Life @ SMU

I posted a comment on an interesting post by Meghan on Greek Life

Arrested for Texting?

I posted a comment on Shuichon's blog about a girl who faced the consequences of texting in class.

Yogurt Connoisseurs

I posted a comment on KEE's blog post about the frozen yogurt craze!

On or off campus? Which is better?

Something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately is where I’m going to live next year. Yeah, I have someone I’m planning on living with… but we have no idea where that is going to be.

At first the choice to move off campus seemed obvious. Of course I wanted to move, dorm life is terrible, right? But then I started talking about it with my friends and we decided that there are definitely benefits to living on campus that will be missed.

For starters, it’s nice to be able to roll out of bed and go to class. I don’t think I’d make it to my 8 a.m. if I had wake up before 7:40. Besides that, parking for people that live off campus sucks. Plus, when else will I ever be able to live within walking distance of all of my best friends.. I have to admit, living on campus has actually been a pretty cool experience.

Are having your privacy and more space worth moving off campus? Ultimately I think so. I'm so tired of eating in Umph every day and getting sick all of the time. I guess moving into an apartment is just the next step in growing up though and as scary as that is, I think it's time.

Performing Pregnant

I posted a comment in response to Dyvrsity's post "Did she deliver her baby on stage?"