Thesis statement about the importance of friendship

EAD II 356:156:25

Paper 4: Friendship: Virtual and Face-to-Face

Readings:. Maria Konnikova, "The Limits of Friendship," 255-261. We will put it Sherry Turkle, "The Empathy Diaries," 378-389 for Paper #4. Rough Draft DUE: Tuesday, November 26, 2019. Peer Review. Bring 2 copies to class (one hard copy for me and one for review by a classmate). The rough draft must contain an introduction with a thesis statement and at least three body paragraphs that follow the format for body paragraphs. At least 4 pages long.

Final Draft DUE: Thursday December 5, 2019. Location: WP Computer Lab, LSHB 103A. The final draft should be at least 5.5 pages long, and contain an introduction with a thesis, 4 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Bring the latest version of your paper to the lab saved on a USB drive AND emailed to yourself. You will have the entire class to work on your paper. It is due at the end of class. DO NOT COME TO CLASS AND SAY YOU ARE FINISHED WITH YOUR PAPER. EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU ARE DONE, I CAN ASSURE YOU I WILL FIND AREAS THAT NEED IMPROVEMENT. Use the opportunity in the lab to revise and improve.

Essay Prompt: Sherry Turkle uses a sociological/psychological lens through which to analyze the importance of face-to-face conversation, She claims that technology has pushed conversation to the margins of human interactions. The eclipsing of meaningful face-to-face interactions, she argues, has produced a "flight from conversation" (379). She asserts that this has gravely damaged the "virtuous circle" and therefore diminished empathy (382). Maria Konnikova uses a biological/psychological frame through which to view friendship in the physical world dominated by digital technology. She illustrates the ways that social interactions in the physical world build regions of the brain that stimulate and promote deep and lasting friendships. She emphasizes the importance of shared experience in the physical world as a way to create lasting bonds. Both authors agree that digital technology is here to stay, but the challenge then becomes finding a way to balance virtual friendships and those built overtime in the physical world. Using both essays answer the following question. Question: Why is it important to maintain a balance between face-to-face interactions and online friendships?