Reading Response #1

Chapter 2

1. It is a commonly accepted notion that parents know what is best for their children. Possessing the wisdom and experience that comes with age, parents naturally have a better understanding of the world and how to exist in it. There are also cultural and social rules by which life in a certain area must adhere to, and children should seek the guidance of their elders who will have a better understanding of these customs due to their experience. Parents just want what is best for their kids, and they do not want them to have to learn the hard way like may have had to. Finally, adults already know the ways of the world, and by advising their children from their own familiarity, they can help their children get the most out of life.

Parents may want what is best for their children, but it is hardly fair to say that they know what is best for them. Considering they are two completely different individuals, how can parents possibly know what will make kids happy in life, especially if it is something other than what the parents strived for to attain happiness. As for parents being more in tune with the workings of the world, oftentimes it is the child teaching the parent about the newest technology and cultural trends of the day. With all the rapid and recent advances in today’s world, the world is no longer the same place the last generation knew, and it would be folly for them to think that they have a greater understanding of what it takes to live and be happy than the generation of today.


2. In David Zinczenko’s “Don’t Blame the Eater” he observes that it is difficult for people to find healthy sources of nutrition in today’s world, but the irrefutable fact remains that it is not impossible. For a resourceful individual, the reality that even though there are a plethora of fast-food restaurants in every town in America as Zinczenko claims does not negate the fact that it is still possible to eat healthy. Any town of considerable size has to have a grocery store where fruits and vegetables are sold. Now, it may not be as easy to find or access as the local McDonald’s, but it is still there. Even gas stations sometimes have that little basket hidden in the corner behind all the cappuccinos and nachos that has apples, oranges, or bananas. If worst comes to worst a fast-food establishment is really the only choice, you can always order water, a salad, and choose not to top it with all the extra’s like croutons, cheese, and three times the suggested serving of dressing. Truthfully, it is easier to be unhealthy in today’s world, but that does not make the opposite impossible, just potentially more time-consuming.

It is a sad commentary on our times that the cultural stereotype of being overweight includes anyone who does not look like a stick figure. Many people who think or feel that they are overweight may be completely off, simply because they are comparing themselves to an unnatural, imperfect stereotype. However, just because most people would probably be considered overweight comparatively does not mean that obesity is not a legitimate concern. With unhealthy fast-food chains at every corner it is more difficult than ever to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and people are indeed reaping the consequences. True obesity is a genuine concern, especially for children who are the main market for such unhealthy establishments, and who are spending more and more time stationary in front of the television or computer. If the current trends continue, this generation will have major health problems due to their current lifestyle.

There is something oddly frustrating about seeing one of my own compositions as a picture, and in a format I can no longer alter. While the image on the left is presented in a digital space, as a JPG file it lacks the freedom and flexibility that usually adheres to digital composition.

Today, technology has made it easier than ever to rearrange, edit, and write down thoughts in order to make one cohesive composition. The age of writing with pen and paper is coming to an end, and quickly being replaced by digital spaces with programs like Microsoft Word. Personally, as a member of the younger generation, I find this liberating. So often it was the case that I would come up with excellent ideas and creative sentences, but my slow hand could not move fast enough to get my thoughts down on paper before I lost them. However, I can type a great deal faster than I can write, and losing my ideas are no longer a problem. It is also easier and less sloppy to cut and past or rearrange the elements of a paper in the editing process in digital spaces.

There are many other advantages to composing in digital spaces, many of which are unknown to most people. An excellent way to understand how best to take advantage of digital composition would be to take a computer class about Microsoft Word or some other composition program to learn everything it has to offer. This is how I learned all that I know about digital composition and I would pick it over pen and paper composition any day!