Brain Candy Essay - 614 Words

Have you ever heard that too much television can ruin a child’s mind? Malcolm Gladwell proposes in his article, â€Å"Brain Candy,† that playing video games or watching television is just as important as reading a book. Gladwell is using rhetorical appeals to prove that in fact, video games are not dumbing down society. Pop culture is helping to improve test scores and knowledge. In â€Å"Brain Candy,† Malcolm Gladwell does affectively use rhetorical appeals to convince his audience that pop culture is making our society smarter. First, Gladwell effectively appeals to logos. Gladwell appeals to logic through statistics. In the opening paragraph, Gladwell cites statistics by James Flynn: â€Å"But if you took out the recalibration, Flynn found, I.Q.†¦show more content†¦Conclusively, Gladwell uses pathos. Gladwell appeals to emotions through vivid images. Gladwell states that â€Å"Unlike the longstanding tradition of gameplaying-- which engages the chi ld in a vivid, three-dimensional world filled with moving images and musical soundscapes, navigated and controlled with complex muscular movements-- books are simply a barren string of words on the page.† Gladwell is giving an extremely vivid image of someone playing a game, rather than simply reading words written on a page. This proves emotion by being able to see an idea of gameplaying and not just seeing words written on a blank page. Gladwell also appeals to emotions through properties of a book. Gladwell states that â€Å"But perhaps the most dangerous property of these books is the fact that they follow a fixed linear path† (â€Å"Brain Candy†). This is an example of emotions because books are isolating and not open-minded because they follow a set of distinct rules. In conclusion, pop culture is not dumbing down society; it is, in fact, making society smarter. Malcolm Gladwell uses three different rhetorical appeals to prove this point. Gladwell proposes that playing a game can help a child’s mind more so than it would reading a book. Pop culture is given in many different forms, and can help a child use different parts of the brain.Show MoreRelated Caring Moments Essay1110 Words   |  5 PagesWe felt test day was an unusually stressful event for everyone. We wanted to come up with a caring way that would help to alleviate some stress on our fellow students, the faculty, and ourselves. We decided to hand out peppermint candy on test day to help stimulate brain function. we felt this might help us all do well. We also talked to everyone and wished them well on the test which was a good way to help relieve stress. It also gave us an opportunity to meet some of our fellow students that weRead MoreTypes Of Drugs And Alcohol1218 Words   |  5 Pages(CASAColumbia). Alcohol is made using ethanol or ethyl alcohol from the fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches. It is a depressant of the central nervous system and affects ev ery organ in the body (Alcohol). Alcohol intoxication affects motor skills, brain function, and causes liver disease, various types of cancer, heart complications - stroke, Cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system making them susceptible to diseases such as pneumonia (NIDA). Prescription Drugs PrescriptionRead MoreThe Incredible, Edible Orange Essay919 Words   |  4 Pagescontain folic acid. â€Å"Folic acid helps in the proper development of the brain (Hezy).† However, this is not the only way oranges are affecting someone’s brain. A student going to Midway collage said this on the psychology of the color orange, â€Å"Orange is a color that combines the energy of red and the joy and happiness of yellow. The color of carrots, cantaloupe, and oranges has been found to increase oxygen flow to the brain and increase mental activity. It is a very hot color that gives a sensationRead MoreEating Disorders And The Binge Eating Disorder1578 Words   |  7 PagesBinge Eating â€Å"My heart beat faster, and I began taking bigger and bigger bites. In a matter of minutes, I had eaten two more pieces of pecan pie, two pieces of cherry pie, six Christmas cookies, ten chocolate candies, then a bowlful of cereal. While I was eating, I felt as though an intruder had taken over my body. But when I finished the last bowl, my senses returned a little and I felt the first agonizing twinge of guilt for what I had done. I felt like I was in a dream. I still couldn’t quiteRead MoreI. Introduction. The Mind Body Problem Is A Problem That1590 Words   |  7 Pagesyour body to do something without using matter to do it? The problem works the other way around also. When it comes to beliefs and desires, it cannot be paired with certain physiological brain states. The belief that the sea is blue could be found in a region of the brain but not at a specific site in the brain. Also, the desire to want a chocolate cannot be found in a specific site, let’s say h e also wanted white chocolate. Would it be in the same spot or a different location. It is not known. ButRead MoreEssay On How We Are Blinded By Sugar And Its Sweetness916 Words   |  4 Pagesdiet. An â€Å"added sugar† can be defined as the sugars found in food and drinks. These would most likely appear on a label as glucose, corn syrup, brown sugar, dextrose, maltose, and sucrose. Some treats that come to mind include the following cookies, candy, ice cream, energy drinks, soda, and sports drinks. In addition to heart disease, one should take into consideration that too much consumption of added sugars can cause weight gain and cavities. Dr. Teresa Fung of the Harvard School of Public HealthRead MoreThe Effects Of Caffeine On Human Brain And Body1825 Words   |  8 PagesCaffeine is a drug that has been studied for many years to learn more about how it effects the human brain and body. There have been many answers and yet there are still more answers to be found as scie ntists today continue to understand the effects of caffeine. We will look what parts of the brain involve sleep, how caffeine effects the brain and the body and try to determine if caffeine is a serious health threat or not. Adenosine also known as ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate which accordingRead MoreThe Stages Of Psychological Development1151 Words   |  5 Pageswill also be completely different at the age of two compared to the age of twenty because of the maturity of certain brain structures. The brain structure called the amygdala is responsible for sexual behavior and the pituitary gland is responsible for hormonal releases. (Deborah M. Licht). At the age of two, a human would not have a sexual drive, but as the human ages and the brain structures mature, the person changes as well. The human will develop a sexual drive that they lack at two years oldRead MoreSocial Media Dependency Essay1087 Words   |  5 Pagesbecoming too dependent on it. Dopamine the same chemical released in the brain during sex, consuming drugs, and consuming food, is also released when receiving and answering a notification from social media. As Franceshi-Bicchierai shares with us, As it turns out, receiving and answering a notification results in a hit of dopamine, a chemical neurotransmitter associated with the motivation and reward response in the human brain. (How Is Facebook Addiction Affecting Our Minds?). While consuming drugsRead MoreOne Flew Over The Cuckoo s Nest1226 Words   |  5 Pagesauthority, racial sensitivity, and more. I intend to dissect and deconstruct this novel and peer at its inner meaning through the spectacles of Sigmund Freud, esteemed Austrian psychologist. Freud’s highly regarded contribution to the study of the human brain and mind opens the curtains of the books reality. Things like mental illness and depression were not well known or understood traits for a person to have in Freud’s lifetime, those o f which have heavy representation in Kesey’s story. One of Freud’s