The Miller’s Tale Essay Paper Example For Students

The Miller’s Tale Essay Paper Chaucer implores the reader to appreciate Nicholass role and to join him in laughing at his fooling of John, as well as wanting us to delight in the irony that Nicholas provokes, most notably when he tells John Thy wyf shal I wel saven, out of doute. Although Nicholas is worthy of admiration, the reader feels no sympathy for Nicholass painful encounter at the end of the Tale. His experience of having an iren hoot We will write a custom essay on The Miller’s Tale Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now amidde the ers can be seen as a just punishment for tricking John and sleeping with Alison, especially as he feels no remorse. It is arguable that the reader may feel Nicholass outcome is just, owing to his behaviour; however, though this is debatable, it is unlikely that the reader will ever feel compassion for Nicholass situation. Alison is the definitive object of femininity for the reader since Chaucer introduces her as the yonge wyf of the carpenter, through her physical attributes and clothing, deliberately withholding her name. Her supple and sinuous figure is likened to that of a weasels, emphasising her sexual attractiveness whilst also hinting at her sly nature, which Nicholas later exploits, and the turn that the Tale will take later on. It is through her clothing that Alison is presented to the reader; her skirt broiden al bifoore, embroidery on her collar withinne and eek withoute and hir filet brood of silk, implying her to be of an affluent background. The more attentive reader will be aware that her rich clothing is a product of her marriage to the carpenter, whom she arguably married for his wealth. In Nicholas and Alisons first encounter, it is unclear to the reader why Alison initially plays so hard to get, claiming that her housbonde is so ful of jalousie, however, they are aware that after calling her lemman and crass advances, she is won round with unseemly haste. Revelling in the attention of Nicholas, it becomes clear that Alison is a better match for Nicholas. Chaucer accentuates her qualities that can be comparable with young animals, such as a kid, a calf and a foal. It is through these associations with animals that Chaucer hints at her animalistic instincts, where she would want to mate with another young animal, namely Nicholas, rather than her elderly husband. Alisons visit to church in recognised as part of the medieval texture of life; however, before she leaves home she crosses herself with holy water and it is implied that she made Hir forheed shoon as bright as any day in order to appear seductive. A more modest woman would have covered her forehead out of respect. This in itself is mildly blasphemous and so signals to the reader not only of what Alisons character is like, but also the direction the Tale is going in. The reader can recognise that although her characterisation by Chaucer is mainly decorative, its important to the plot of the Tale. Firstly, Alisons characterisation emphasises the position of her foolish old husband trying to keep her under control. Secondly, her appearance as a natural conquest for Nicholas assists the plot of deception, and thirdly, she is a perfect target for the ridiculous courtly love of Absolon. Taking these things into account, Alisons role in the Tale makes her character difficult to either sympathise with or admire, since she has neither commendable qualities for the reader to appreciate, nor does she end up as the butt of the Tale. It is difficult for the reader to feel sympathy towards either Alisons character or her situation, owing mostly to her willingness to cuckold her husband, her curt treatment of Absolon and the delight she takes in her infidelity. .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d , .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d .postImageUrl , .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d , .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d:hover , .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d:visited , .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d:active { border:0!important; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d:active , .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uaa0079bb06a1adc79148609b1614cc5d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Compare the poems 'Out, Out' by Robert Frost and 'Mid Term Break' by Seamus Heaney EssayHer character is also difficult to admire in that it is obvious to the reader that she married John for his wealth, that she enjoys the attention from Nicholas, assists the cuckolding of her husband and also ridicules Absolon. Beautiful Alison may be, but the reader experiences glimpses of a young madam in her love affair with hende Nicholas, in the play-acting with her sely husband and in her treatment of joly Absolon. Absolon is associated with Absalom in the Old Testament of the Bible who was hanged by his hair from a tree and though peripheral to the main theme, Absolons part in the Tale is extensive and crucial. It is in portrait painting that his description as the effeminate young buck, fastidious in both appearance and habits whilst also being over-dressed to the point of ridicule, with poules window corven on his shoes, that Absolon first comes across as a joke to the reader. Apart from self-adoration, the reader can appreciate that Absolon spends his energies on self-advertisement, in both socializing and flirting, and in making himself useful in such activities where company and gossip are the essential ingredients. The reader is aware that these traits of his personality, although making him likeable to some extent, cause him to firstly, appear superficial in his love for Alison, and secondly, come across as almost deserving of his later humiliation. It is from this point of view that the reader can understand Alisons impatience with Absolons failed attempts at courtly love as he can be seen as annoying, unappealing and no match for Nicholas. The reader realises that Alison may be aware of Absolons delight in playing at being in love with the parish wives and barmaids of the town and so, in effect, would not be immediately be charmed by him. His effeminacy is unattractive to Alison, most notably when compared to Nicholas, however its Absolons squeamishness, fastidiousness, refined manner of speaking and high sensitivity that are combined to create a figure thats ridiculously inappropriate in the necessary and vulgar setting of the tale. It is these qualities of Absolon that make him so ridiculous, apt as the butt of Alisons joke later on in the Tale and therefore the reader has little sympathy for him. Similarly to John, humour rather than compassion is felt by the reader concerning Absolons downfall. Absolon resembles Nicholas in that hes an attractive, youthful man with many talents, however, unlike Nicholas hes portrayed as ridiculous to the Millers audience. Though Absolon is accomplished, he is only connected to small-town activity and his achievements do not measure up to Nicholass scholarly education. The pains that he goes through to win Alison are described to the reader in detail, yet we are aware that his efforts are in vain since Nicholas has already won her over with his close proximity and crude advances. It is arguable that Chaucer sets Absolon up to be ridiculed, however it is through Absolons wooing techniques that Chaucer invites the reader to ridicule his position. . An example of this is apparent in Absolons reading of the part of Herod from the mystery plays in order to impress Alison; however judging from both his appearance and pitch of his voice, the reader is aware he would be more suited to female roles. Since the reader regards Absolon as somewhat ridiculous, it is only in his action of revenge that the reader ever feels any form of admiration for him. In his attempts to woo Alison it is apparent that Absolon is a complete parody of courtly love since the true courtly lover woos discreetly and when he sings to her, it is his ladys husband he awakes, not her, with his love song. John recognises the high pitch of the voice to be Absolons and awakes Alison to hear it. The fact that Absolons song reaches the wrong set of ears initially implies his failure and as there is a companionable recognition of who it is singing between John and Alison it is indicated further that neither of them take him very seriously. .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 , .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 .postImageUrl , .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 , .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63:hover , .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63:visited , .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63:active { border:0!important; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63:active , .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63 .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u22d0d7e751e230256108127c410e2d63:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Tony Kytes the arch-deceiver by Thomas Hardy EssayUnfortunately for Absolon, Chaucer uses him to provoke humour for the reader and though he is worthy of sympathy in certain circumstances, the reader never regards with true compassion. Playing the part as victim of ridicule throughout the Tale makes it hard for the reader to ever respect him. It is notable that Absolon is only ever the subject of admiration from the reader when he seeks revenge of Alison after humiliating him, however, revenge is in reality not a quality to be admired in someone. Owing to his position in the love-triangle of the Tale, his vanity, his immaturity and vengeful personality, Absolon is never truly empathised with, but his determination and wilfulness make him a creditable, if a times laughable, character. John foolish, marriage, jealousy Ignorance religious knowledge about flood Story telling nature Miller states he needs, and is deserving of punishment Possessive, line 124 Gullible Speaks like an old man garrulous Miller tries to get back at Reeve Nicholas vain Blasphemous No remorse No guilt of consequences Just desserts Alison eager to deceive Chose to deceive a man who genuinely loved her Sly, line 126 as any wezele Understandable that she deceives her husband Lines 114, 126, 136 Things to consider:Â   No one gets off Scott free!

Five Ages of Man in Greek Mythology According to Hesiod

Five Ages of Man in Greek Mythology According to Hesiod The classic Greek Five Ages of Man came from an 8th century BCE poem written by a shepherd named Hesiod, who along with Homer became one of the earliest of Greek epic poets. He likely based his work on an unidentified older legend, possibly from Mesopotamia or Egypt. An Epic Inspiration Hesiod was a farmer from the Boeotian region of Greece who was out tending his sheep one day when he met the Nine Muses. The Nine Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory), divine beings who inspired creators of all kinds, including poets, speakers, and artists. By convention, the Muses were always invoked at the beginning of an epic poem. On this day, the Muses inspired Hesiod to write the 800-line epic poem called Works and Days. In it, Hesiod tells a Greek creation story that traces the lineage of mankind through five successive ages or races including the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age, the Heroic Age, and the present (to Hesiod) Iron Age. The Golden Age The Golden Age was the mythical first period of man. The people of the Golden Age were formed by or for the Titan Cronus, whom the Romans called Saturn. Mortals lived like gods, never knowing sorrow or toil; when they died, it as if they were falling asleep. No one worked or grew unhappy. Spring never ended. It is even described as a period in which people aged backward. When they died, they became daimones  (a Greek word only later converted to demons) who roamed the earth. When Zeus overcame the Titans, the Golden Age ended. According to the poet Pindar (517–438 BCE), to the Greek mind gold has an allegorical significance, meaning the radiance of light, good fortune, blessedness, and all the fairest and the best. In Babylonia, gold was the metal of the sun. Silver and Bronze Ages During Hesiods Silver Age, the Olympian god Zeus was in charge. Zeus caused this generation of man to be created as vastly inferior to the gods in appearance and wisdom. He divided the year into four seasons. Man had to work- plant grain and seek shelter- but a child could play for 100 years before growing up. The people wouldnt honor the gods, so Zeus caused them to be destroyed. When they died, they became blessed spirits of the underworld. In Mesopotamia, silver was the metal of the moon. Silver is softer with a dimmer luster than gold. Hesiods Third Age was of bronze. Zeus created men from ash trees- a hard wood used in spears. The men of the Bronze Age were terrible and strong and warlike. Their armor and houses were made of bronze; and they did not eat bread, living mainly on meat. In Greek and older myths, bronze was connected to weapons, war, and warfare, and their armor and houses were made of bronze. It was this generation of men that was destroyed by the flood in the days of Prometheus son Deucalion and Pyrrha. When the bronze men died, they went to the Underworld.  Copper (chalkos) and a component of bronze is the metal of Ishtar in Babylon. The Age of Heroes and the Iron Age For the fourth age, Hesiod dropped the metallurgical metaphor and instead called it the Age of Heroes. The Age of Heroes was a historical period to Hesiod, referring to the Mycenaean age and the stories told by Hesiods fellow poet Homer. The Age of Heroes was a better and more just time when the men called Henitheoi were demigods, strong, brave, and heroic. many were destroyed by the great wars of Greek legend. After death, some went to the Underworld; others to the Islands of the Blessed ones. The fifth age was the Iron Age, Hesiods name for his own time, and in it, all modern men were created by Zeus as evil and selfish, burdened with weariness and sorrow. All manner of evils came into being during this age. Piety and other virtues disappeared and most of the gods who were left on Earth abandoned it. Hesiod predicted that Zeus would destroy this race some day. Iron is the hardest metal and the most troublesome to work. Hesiods Message The Five Ages of Man is a long passage of continuous degeneration, tracing the lives of men as descending from a state of primitive innocence to evil, with a single exception for the Age of Heroes. Some scholars have noted that Hesiod wove the mythic and the realistic together, creating a blended story based on an ancient tale that could be referenced and learned from. Sources: Ganz T. 1996. Early Greek Myth. Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore.Griffiths JG. 1956. Archaeology and Hesiods Five Ages. Journal of the History of Ideas 17(1):109–119.

Human and Animal Interrelationships from Domestication to Present Term Paper

Human and Animal Interrelationships from Domestication to Present - Term Paper Example Additionally, the roman farmers used various tools for farming. They used the ard to plough the land because it could break the soil into fine particles. According to Gedacht (9) they ploughed the land in right-angled directions to create an even surface. At times, the soil was heavy because it contained roots and vines. This forced the farmers to use heavy oxen to plough the land. During harvesting, they used sickles and scythes. However, they improved the sickle by moving the lever at a slant to the hilt to ensure minimal strain on the arm. Additionally, they developed an animal driven machine that could remove the crop’s head and insert into a container. During the hot climate, irrigation was vital for favorable crop growth. The farmers constructed dams and reservoirs lined with water-resistant cement to provide the requisite water to enhance production (Gedacht, 12). Irrigation was vital in dealing with the growing population because it assisted in sustaining the food grai ns output. These farmers exercised hoeing and weeding in a similar way as the present non-mechanized communities. They had adequate knowledge of growing diverse crops concurrently to minimize weed growth. Additionally, they were also conversant with the benefits of manure. This prompted them to graze their livestock on fallow land because this approach would replenish the land with manure (Frank 10). Additionally, the farmers incorporated the rotary practice in milling grain, a development that resulted to setting up of a water mill. However, the outcome of the diverse milling methods was varied flour grades. Hand milling was also an important practice among the Roman farmers. One hand controlled the mill while the remaining hand fed the machine with grains. Animal husbandry was prevalent among the Romans. They used donkeys and oxen during work and reared sheep for milk and wool. Apart from provision of food, the farmers reared goats because they provided hair for

Anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon (1964) writes of the Yanomamo of Coursework

Anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon (1964) writes of the Yanomamo of Venezuela as fierce people - Coursework Example The Yanomamo tribe of Venezuela lives in relatively small villages of around 40 to 250 people. For Chagnon, the Yanomamos are a â€Å"fierce people† because of their cultural practices. This particular group of people would usually express ferocity in several ways. First of all, the ferocious and violent tendencies of the Yanomamos are reflected in their decisions to initiate intervillage warfare in order to prevent another tribe to attack them in the future or perhaps simply in order to demonstrate their ferocity. Secondly, the Yanomamos would usually beat their wives when they want to vent their anger. Nevertheless, the unreasonableness of this act is no match for the fact that men would sometimes engage in a chest-pounding duel and take part in free-for-all club fights in order to settle disputes of insults and excessive demands. Lastly and certainly not the least, the Yanomamos prove themselves as truly a â€Å"fierce people† when they force their sons to fight each other in public duels while they parents rejoice in their fights. Thus, there is no way to diffuse the warlike image for this is inculcated in the Yanomamo even at a young age. All these violent and ferocious acts indeed somehow define the Yanomamos as a â€Å"fierce people.† The Yanomamos themselves have both a practical and a traditional or mythological origin for such ferocity that they demonstrate. The practical side to it is the idea that their ferocity is a â€Å"way of protecting valuable resources† and also a way of considering women and children as â€Å"valuable resources† (Robins, 2009). This means that the intervillage wars and the warlike predisposition of the Yanomamos serve either as a way to demonstrate superiority as well as to protect the tribe from attacks waged by other tribes. If the Yanomamos were not a â€Å"fierce people,† they would stand no chance against other tribes who would attack them at any time. Another justification of the Yanomamos for their being a â€Å"fierce† is mythological in origin. These people believe that people were â€Å"created from the blood of the moon† (Robins, 200 9). According to this origin myth, the moon was believed by the ancients to have devoured the souls of their children. Because of this, the human beings shot the moon with an arrow and from the blood that flowed out of this wound, the Yanomamos were born. The fact that the birth of the Yanomamos was one of blood and revenge in a way paved the way for them to believe that they are indeed a â€Å"fierce people† and in many ways they demonstrated and perpetuated this image. Question 3: In your own words, review the characteristics of peaceful societies and link these characteristics to two of the following five societies: the Ju/Wasi, the Semain of West Malaysia, the Inuit, the Xinguano of the Amazon region in South America, and the Buid of the Philippines. Peaceful societies maintain their peace by constantly aiming for a number of things. Firstly, these societies place a high value on developing the values of sharing and cooperation. This is to alleviate and avoid conflicts ov er material resources. Somehow, peaceful societies believe that if there is one thing that would disturb the peace among the members of the community, it would be the selfishness, greed and the refusal to share possessions. Thus, these characteristics are absent in a peaceful society. The Ju/wasi and the Buid of the Philippines are two examples of societies that exemplify peace. These two societies share similar qualities, all of which are focused upon the good of the community as a whole, and not over material things or the benefit of the individual. Another characteristic of a peaceful society is the condemnation of those who boast about their accomplishments, especially if this would most likely trigger hatred, envy or

Quintessential Leader Description Essay Example for Free

Quintessential Leader Description Essay The main focus of this research paper is leadership qualifications in the workplace. Please structure a research paper to address the following issues: (A) Develop the academic foundations of leadership by providing a brief literature review of three (3) current articles (that is, within the last 4 years) that relate to any of Daniel Golemans theories. Research other articles not use used in the course. Make sure that the articles you choose are appropriate and related to you topic. The articles do not require Goleman as an author. (B ) Describe what you consider to be the quintessential good leader using additional research literature (in addition to those of the previous Goleman literature review) to support your defense. (C) Using the research from the Goleman literature reviews (category A), and the literature used to describe the quintessential leader (category B ), develop a theoretical leadership model with a focus on middle manager leadership qualifications for an existing or fictitious organization. Use one of the teamwork development models from threaded discussion 2.2 as one of the expectation of the leader. In other words, I want you to build an organization with a middle manager (leader) which instills all of the characteristics that you choose to describe, defend, and analyze. This is your chance to put your preferred leadership resource in place. It is recommended that you include at least three characteristics for your leadership qualification model. Note: you have full autonomy to provide the list of characteristics as long as it is defended using proper research methods. Make sure you analyze each characteristic and defend your assertions.

The Son of God in Milton’s Paradise Lost: Taking One for the Team Essay

The Son of God in Milton’s Paradise Lost: Taking One for the Team Among those familiar with the Judeo-Christian belief system, Jesus is normally accepted as a selfless figure, one who became human, suffered, and was put to death out of divine love for humanity. In his portrayal of the Son of God in Paradise Lost, John Milton does not necessarily disagree with the devotion or love present in the Son. His characterization of the Son does not oppose this tradition; rather, it is simply different. By Milton’s portrayal, the Son has an acute craving for attention, a desire for gory revenge over Death, and an appetite for glory. Furthermore, while the Son, after accepting the task of becoming mortal and dying to save Adam’s descendants, receives plenty of specific praise from his father (â€Å" ‘thou... hast been found by merit more than birthright Son of God’†(3.308-9)) and from the narrator (â€Å"[he] breathed immortal love to mortal men† (3.267-8)), he builds up the ramifications of his sacrifice even more in his own language. Such language from the Son comes across as not only grandiose, but even narcissistic at times. The Son of God’s speech betrays narcissism not only in its visual language (that is, the images depicted in the speech), but also in its emphasis on drawing the attention of the angels and future humans to himself. The Father precipitates his Son’s not-quite-selfless speech by musing before all the angels who might actually undertake the doubtlessly miserable task of becoming human, suffering, and dying for the sake of Adam and his descendants. â€Å" ‘Where shall we find such love,’† he wonders,â€Å" ‘[where] in all heaven charity so dear?’† (3.213-6) The implication of such language is that becoming mortal is such a chore, ... ...th the redeemed would complete the Father’s vision. Perhaps this is true in the context of Paradise Lost, but for the Son himself to say so (rather than, say, the narrator) serves no purpose but to boast of his own importance and high place in his Father’s heart. Lastly, we can look at the angels’ reaction to the Son’s acceptance speech. The narrator tells us that â€Å"admiration seized all heaven†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (3.271-2). The Son has, in that case, prompted the reaction for which he had aimed. He wanted the admiration and the attention. It is important to notice that, at this point, such admiration is not for the Father’s grace or mercy but rather for the Son, the bringer of said grace and mercy. The Son has succeeded, then, in diverting the attention from the message to the messenger. In true narcissistic fashion, he has made it perfectly clear who the star of this production is.

The Effects of Social Media on Communication Skills

AbstractThis paper summarizes the effects of social media on hindering communication skills and reducing social activity in the world. Each reason is supported by evidence by referring to four published books and some articles online. It focuses mainly on social media via the Web, such as, Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, to which many of the youth are exposed to nowadays, and this exposure has led to addiction. This paper informs people about the issue of social media affecting communication skills and calls for means to solve this problem.The Effects of Social Media on Communication SkillsRebecca Javeleau, a 15 year-old Facebook user, meant to invite her 15 closest friends to her birthday party, but ended up inviting over 20,000 people, 8000 of which RSVP’d for the event. The birthday girl went into hiding when more than 1500 guests showed up and around 100 police officers were needed to keep the crowd under control. Did these 21000 people really know the girl? Are they reall y considered as â€Å"friends† of hers'? Modern society seems convinced that social media like Twitter and Facebook keep people connected and grow their social skills with friends and peers.But what actually these social networking sites are doing to people is that they're mutually isolating networks that part people from meaningful interactions with one another and make them less human. Many scholars see new communication technology as a threat to the discipline of interpersonal communication (Konijn et al. , 2008). Social media like Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, and other applications are hampering our social skills. Social networking sites deteriorate communication skills because people forget proper manners as they constantly use these sites.The more time these people spend on social sites, the less time they will have to spend socializing in person. Socializing via social sites lacks body signals and other nonverbal cues such as voice quality, tone, facial expressions, an d many others, therefore it isn't an adequate replacement for face-to-face communication since these people won't be able to communicate and socialize effectively in person with one another. In the real world, the effective communication skills are key to success.A month ago, I received a friend request from a Facebook user whom I didn't know. After some days of chatting and better knowing each other, we decided to meet in person and have a real conversation. When we met in a cafe at around noon, we greeted one another and sat in our places. It was very embarrassing when we spent half an hour staring at each other and not knowing what to talk about. That is when I realized that these social networking sites are truly hindering our social interactions and the development of strong communication skills.According to Konijn et al.(2008),â€Å"Researchers speculated that CMC would lead to the sharing of impersonal messages due to the lack of facial and tonal cues† (p. 15). Therefo re we can say that social media causes effects on a person’s ability to communicate in a proper manner, which includes body signals, voice, and other cues. As Dimbleby R. & Burton G. state it (1992), â€Å"Body language tells us a lot about people's feelings, attitudes, and intentions† (p. 37). Moreover, NVC such as body signals relates to our perception of others, and relates to the idea of feedback (Dimbleby R. & Burton G. , 1992, p. 40).Another reason why these social networking sites are reducing communication skills is because they lack practice of active listening which is needed during conversations in the real world. Great communication skills take practice and that can't be done by sitting on a sofa and typing on your computer or cellphone, it can be done by appearing in person and actively communication with one another. When the news spread all around that an application was available in the market, a free application through which anyone who shares contacts can chat with each other all day long without any payment.This application was called â€Å"Whatsapp†. My friends encouraged me to download and use this application. We spent hours and days sitting at home chatting with one another. It was time to go back to school. When the teacher actually asked us to have a dialogue in the class, I realized that it was easier for me to chat on my phone instead of speaking out loud in front of everyone, which was pretty difficult to handle.It wasn't only my case, as the whole class was addicted to these kinds of applications or  messengers or sites, that cause people to be like robots, typing all day long, while a phone call could make it easier for them to save time and save energy. I believe these applications or whatsoever destroyed our ability to communicate in face-to-face interactions. In a European study of 635 participants ages 16-55 years old who visited a website and completed an online questionnaire, 48. 9% reported preferring to use their cell phones for texting over voice calls and 26. 1% reported texting too much. This study also measured levels of loneliness, expressive control, interaction anxiousness, and conversational involvement.Two significant findings were that 61% of the participants stated they say things in text that they would not feel comfortable saying face-to-face and 64% stated they feel they are able to express their true feelings best in text messages rather than in face-to-face interactions or voice calls (Reid & Reid, 2007). Social media hinders communication skills because it leads to isolation. Social media from Facebook to Twitter have made us more densely connected than ever, yet for all this connectivity, we have never been lonelier and this loneliness is making us physically and mentally ill.Some people choose to sit at home all day pretending to be someone they're not instead of going outside and having real conversations and interactions. Then, we can say that on social net works, everybody tries to come across at their very best often embellishing their profiles, making Facebook a reference group against which one starts to compare one's own popularity and success, which may lead to cases of depression and isolation if one finds the other more successful than himself/herself.A recent observation done by myself on the issue of social media leading to isolation showed that people want to constantly be visible amongst their peers and be the best among all. Those who weren't able to have more â€Å"friends† than their peers were actually depressed and felt left out of the group. A tragic story alarms people of the issue of social media leading to isolation and depression, when a 15 year-old girl hanged herself because her friends at school were bullying her and she felt lonely and her depression let her to commit suicide.Konijn et al (2008) study found the following : Being ignored or ostracized has negative psychological consequences. For example, ostracism has been associated with depressed mood, anxiety, loneliness, helplessness, invisibility, and frustration. Being ostracized threatens the basic human needs for belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence. This can be anything like unanswered emails, or being consistently ignored in a chat room. (p. 203) There are critics that say social networking sites lead to larger non-diverse social networks, hence increasing communication skills.It is true that these networking sites make it easier for people to connect all around the world, but is that a cause to increase communication skills? Why, then, two people sitting in the same room chat on their IPhones together while they could have a real face-to-face communication? Why do these people feel dead on one's feet to actually walk 10 second to the hallway to talk with their friends and have a real conversation? Even if these social networking sites lead to larger non-diverse social networks, are these relationship s real?How can you prove if the one you are communicating with is a person you can trust? According to Mintz et al. , (2012), â€Å"driven by younger, technologically savvy students, Myspace and Facebook have grown exponentially into sites where people can and do pretend to be who they aren't†. Another party criticizes the fact that these social networking sites are ruining communication skills by saying people use this technology to get in touch with one another and plan for a meeting.In addition to that, they criticize by saying that internet users are more likely to visit a cafe or coffee shop than people who don't use the internet. Well, don't these people who visit coffee shops hold their laptops in their hands and sit browsing on the Internet while drinking a coffee or having a bite? If they really meant to plan a meeting and to interact with one another then why do these people leave their cellphones and laptops away from sight? How did technology make it easier for pe ople to get in touch with one another?Did it make it easier by allowing anyone to see one’s privacy and know every single detail about that person? Doesn’t this eventually lead to spam and identity theft? How can we protect ourselves from harmful remarks and actions when the identity of the perpetrator is unknown? As Konijn et al (2008) states, â€Å"by focusing on symbolic shifts, time/space relationships, interactivity, sensory bias, and conditons of attendance, media ecology provides a framework for understanding how interpersonal communication is shifted from face-to-face to mediated contexts† (p.20).Social networking sites not only decrease the number of face-to-face interactions, but they greatly deplete the social skills that are important in any society. Facebook is a great tool to connect with one another but it is tech-deep and we need skin-deep, we need real actively involved connections and conversations. This trend causes human beings to become cons umed by a virtual world while they're simultaneously pulled further away from reality.