Essay #4: The Researched Argument “Empathy is about standing in someone else's shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Not only is empathy hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world a better place.” ~ Daniel H. Pink “Most of our communication technologies began as substitutes for an impossible activity…. But then a funny thing happened: we began to prefer the diminished substitutes. It’s easier to make a phone call than to make the effort to see someone in person. Leaving a message on someone’s machine is easier than having a phone conversation – you can say what you need to say without a response; it’s easier to check in without becoming entangled. So we began calling when we knew no one would pick up. Shooting off an email is easier still, because one can further hide behind the absence of vocal inflection, and of course there’s no chance of accidentally catching someone. With texting, the expectation for articulateness is further reduced, and another shell is offered to hide in. Each step ‘forward’ has made it easier – just a little – to avoid the emotional work of being present, to convey information rather than humanity.” ~ Jonathan Safran Foer “It is becoming increasingly clear that the work of making big changes in the world is not limited to massive nonprofits or peacekeeping missions. It can come from anywhere, from an individual with a YouTube account all the way to a big- budget business. We live in a world increasingly connected through social networks that make it possible for all of us to make those big changes the world really needs.” ~ Jennifer Aaker What does it mean to act humanely? What happens to empathy when you no longer need to experience humanity face to face? How might the “birth” or “creation” of a “virtual self” bolster or hinder our relationships with our fellow humans? Can we use technology to broaden our experiences and perspectives, increasing our humanity and empathy or does it only take us further from seeing our fellow humans as…humans? These are “big” questions that will take some serious thought, reflection, and research in order to form a determined and educated opinion. And they are our starting point for the final essay in this critical thinking through writing course. For this essay, you will be reading, researching, and reviewing essays and articles that deal with our humanity, our morals and our ethics, and more particularly how our attitudes, ideologies, and even our emotional responses are being shaped in a world that is increasingly dominated by technological advancements. Your final essay task is to: 1. Research the relationship between the internet/social media/technology and empathy. 2. Determine whether or not you think our rapidly developing relationship to technology is affecting our empathy, individually, societally, even globally. 3. Stake out your position on the topic AFTER you have conducted ...

1. Essay #4: The Researched Argument
“Empathy is about standing in someone else's shoes, feeling
with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Not only is
empathy hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world
a better place.”
~ Daniel H. Pink
“Most of our communication technologies began as substitutes
for an impossible activity…. But then a funny thing
happened: we began to prefer the diminished substitutes. It’s
easier to make a phone call than to make the effort to see
someone in person. Leaving a message on someone’s machine is
easier than having a phone conversation – you can say
what you need to say without a response; it’s easier to check in
without becoming entangled. So we began calling when
we knew no one would pick up. Shooting off an email is easier
still, because one can further hide behind the absence of
vocal inflection, and of course there’s no chance of accidentally
catching someone. With texting, the expectation for
articulateness is further reduced, and another shell is offered to
hide in. Each step ‘forward’ has made it easier – just a
little – to avoid the emotional work of being present, to convey
information rather than humanity.”
~ Jonathan Safran Foer
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the work of making big
changes in the world is not limited to massive nonprofits or
peacekeeping missions. It can come from anywhere, from an
individual with a YouTube account all the way to a big-
budget business. We live in a world increasingly connected
through social networks that make it possible for all of us to

2. make those big changes the world really needs.”
~ Jennifer Aaker
What does it mean to act humanely? What happens to empathy
when you no longer need to
experience humanity face to face? How might the “birth” or
“creation” of a “virtual self” bolster
or hinder our relationships with our fellow humans? Can we use
technology to broaden our
experiences and perspectives, increasing our humanity and
empathy or does it only take us
further from seeing our fellow humans as…humans?
These are “big” questions that will take some serious thought,
reflection, and research in order to
form a determined and educated opinion. And they are our
starting point for the final essay in
this critical thinking through writing course.
For this essay, you will be reading, researching, and reviewing
essays and articles that deal with
our humanity, our morals and our ethics, and more particularly
how our attitudes, ideologies,
and even our emotional responses are being shaped in a world
that is increasingly dominated by
technological advancements.
Your final essay task is to:
1. Research the relationship between the internet/social
media/technology and
empathy.

3. 2. Determine whether or not you think our rapidly developing
relationship to
technology is affecting our empathy, individually, societally,
even globally.
3. Stake out your position on the topic AFTER you have
conducted research
(reading positions on both sides of the issue).
4. Defend your position by including synthesis between various
credible
sources.
5. Strengthen your essay by including a refutation of relevant
counterarguments.
Minimum Requirements:
• 6-8 full pages (that means 5 and ½ is not acceptable, nor is 8
and ½ - use an
appropriate scope
• MLA citing and format. (Again, look this up if you do not
know it).
• You must find 4 credible sources of your own at minimum.
(You may use
my sources in addition to your own, but they are not required).
• Works Cited Page formatted as required for MLA eighth
edition.
• You paper must take a clear position on the relationship
between
technology/internet/social media and empathy.
A failure to meet the minimum requirements on your final essay

4. in the
course can result in a zero on the essay, as determined by the
professor, dependent upon the severity of the issue(s).
Essay #4: The Researched Argument
“Empathy is about standing in someone else's shoes, feeling
with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Not only is
empathy hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world
a better place.”
~ Daniel H. Pink
“Most of our communication technologies began as substitutes
for an impossible activity…. But then a funny thing
happened: we began to prefer the diminished substitutes. It’s
easier to make a phone call than to make the effort to see
someone in person. Leaving a message on someone’s machine is
easier than having a phone conversation – you can say
what you need to say without a response; it’s easier to check in
without becoming entangled. So we began calling when
we knew no one would pick up. Shooting off an email is easier
still, because one can further hide behind the absence of
vocal inflection, and of course there’s no chance of accidentally
catching someone. With texting, the expectation for
articulateness is further reduced, and another shell is offered to
hide in. Each step ‘forward’ has made it easier – just a
little – to avoid the emotional work of being present, to convey
information rather than humanity.”
~ Jonathan Safran Foer
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the work of making big
changes in the world is not limited to massive nonprofits or

5. peacekeeping missions. It can come from anywhere, from an
individual with a YouTube account all the way to a big-
budget business. We live in a world increasingly connected
through social networks that make it possible for all of us to
make those big changes the world really needs.”
~ Jennifer Aaker
What does it mean to act humanely? What happens to empathy
when you no longer need to
experience humanity face to face? How might the “birth” or
“creation” of a “virtual self” bolster
or hinder our relationships with our fellow humans? Can we use
technology to broaden our
experiences and perspectives, increasing our humanity and
empathy or does it only take us
further from seeing our fellow humans as…humans?
These are “big” questions that will take some serious thought,
reflection, and research in order to
form a determined and educated opinion. And they are our
starting point for the final essay in
this critical thinking through writing course.
For this essay, you will be reading, researching, and reviewing
essays and articles that deal with
our humanity, our morals and our ethics, and more particularly
how our attitudes, ideologies,
and even our emotional responses are being shaped in a world
that is increasingly dominated by
technological advancements.
Your final essay task is to:
1. Research the relationship between the internet/social
media/technology and

6. empathy.
2. Determine whether or not you think our rapidly developing
relationship to
technology is affecting our empathy, individually, societally,
even globally.
3. Stake out your position on the topic AFTER you have
conducted research
(reading positions on both sides of the issue).
4. Defend your position by including synthesis between various
credible
sources.
5. Strengthen your essay by including a refutation of relevant
counterarguments.
Minimum Requirements:
• 6-8 full pages (that means 5 and ½ is not acceptable, nor is 8
and ½ - use an
appropriate scope
• MLA citing and format. (Again, look this up if you do not
know it).
• You must find 4 credible sources of your own at minimum.
(You may use
my sources in addition to your own, but they are not required).
• Works Cited Page formatted as required for MLA eighth
edition.
• You paper must take a clear position on the relationship
between

7. technology/internet/social media and empathy.
A failure to meet the minimum requirements on your final essay
in the
course can result in a zero on the essay, as determined by the
professor, dependent upon the severity of the issue(s).