Pepper Lee JY Page 1

VJC MYE 2011: APPLICATION QUESTION(Paragraph Development)

In this article, James Surowiecki examines the impact of technology on people’s well-being. How far do

you agree with his views? Support your answer with examples drawn from your society.

SAMPLE BODY PARAGRAPH

IDENTIFY Claim (LIFTED) “Hedonic Adaptation” (para 4) “You can see this principle at work in the world of technology every day, as things that once seemed miraculous soon become mundane and, worse, frustrating when they do not work perfectly.”

IDENTIFY Claim (Paraphrased when possible) and EXPLAIN Claim “Hedonic Adaptation” (para 4) This refers how quickly people become accustomed to good news, and start to take new innovations for granted. The novelty factor of new innovations fades, and what was once novel could even be a source of annoyance when they do not meet our expectations.

ANSWER the question; Make your STAND I largely agree with the author and think that “hedonic adaptation” is also a phenomenon witnessed in my society.

EVALUATE the claim With the constant evolvement of technology, we do take things for granted in Singapore, and Sorowiecki’s claim appears to ring true in my society. Singaporeans expect efficiency, real-time updates of news. When things do not go as planned due to inefficiency, we get frustrated and start complaining about the authorities in charge.

EVIDENCE from Singapore One example would be the transport system in Singapore. MRT trains were looked upon as highly-efficient in the past, but now people complain of over-crowdedness, longer waiting time and frequent breakdowns. Clearly, it has become a cause of annoyance.

REITERATE POINT that answers question.

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IDENTIFY Claim (LIFTED) “Relentless generation of newness” (para 9) “One way in which technology, as a rule, does make people less happy is in its relentless generation of newness.” “Today, technological change is so rapid that when you buy something, you do so knowing that in a few months there is going to be a better faster version of the product, and that you are going to be stuck with the old one.” “It is as if disappointment were built into acquisition from the beginning.” “There is no way to circumvent this drooping of the spirit.”

IDENTIFY Claim (Paraphrased when possible) and EXPLAIN Claim The author claims that as new devices are continuously invented to replace old ones, people will constantly be disappointed and dissatisfied with their current products (para 4).

ANSWER the question; Make your STAND (Do you agree that ‘disappointment *is+ built into acquisition from beginning’?)

EVALUATE the claim (Is the claim valid/ invalid? Are there sweeping statements? How far is his claim applicable to Singapore?)

EVIDENCE from Singapore

REITERATE POINT that answers question.

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IDENTIFY Claim (LIFTED) “*E+vidence that the Internet or even television fundamentally erodes relationships as opposed to changing them is not especially convincing” (para 7) “The deleterious effects of the Internet, which supposedly further isolates people from what critics call the real world, were pointed to early on in a famous study of 169 Pittsburgh residents “ “[O]ne of the few things we can say for certain is that the more friends and close relationships people have, the happier they tend to be.’ “But the evidence that the Internet or even television fundamentally erodes relationships as opposed to changing them is not especially convincing…*Recent findings show that+ the Net had a slightly beneficial impact on people’s sociability, connections with others, and sense of well-being.”

IDENTIFY Claim (Paraphrased when possible) and EXPLAIN Claim Surowiecki believes that technology has essentially changed human relationships. He makes no assertion, however, as to whether this is a change for the better or worse because studies on the impact of technology on relationships is “not especially convincing”.

ANSWER the question; Make your STAND (How far do you agree? Why does author say that the effect of technology on relationships correlates to happiness levels?)

EVALUATE the claim

EVIDENCE from Singapore

REITERATE POINT that answers question.