Definition Essay

Erick Jung
October 3, 2012

Cover Letter In this Definition Essay, I was trying to prove how the word normal is being changed while technology is changing. As the world of technology is being to enhance and proceed, meanings of words are also being used differently than how they used to. During the process of writing this essay, I had some difficulty incorporating technology and what we have gone over in class, but draft after draft, I was finally able to come to a conclusion. I am very pleased with how my conclusion came out. Overall, I am pleased with the pleasure of writing this type of essay as has challenged me as a writer.

Jung 1

Erick Jung

Kuznetsoff

English 145

30 September 2012
Are You Normal? “You DON’T eat rice everyday? You’re not normal!” “You don’t have a computer?! You are different!” “Do you live a normal life?” What does it mean to be normal? When you are waiting for the teacher to arrive in the classroom or for the food you ordered to arrive at your table, there are many of us that have technology and would whip our smartphones or other electronics onto the dinner table or in the classroom. Would bringing out the technology be considered normal or abnormal at a dinner table or classroom? What is the true meaning of normality? A dictionary definition of normal is “Conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural”. The definition states that there is a standard way in executing something and it is the same throughout. In Oxford English Dictionary, in 1843, R.J. Graves used the word normal to describe someone’s typical temperature. As this word is commonly used to describe the typical, do the definitions apply to everyone? Every person has his or her own definition of what normality is. While one group of individuals see digesting rice daily as normal, others might see this as abnormal. Cultural groups who are not familiar with what other groups are accustomed to, they will judge other groups as odd. Society is changing as technology is expanding from all corners of the earth, but not every household is able to afford it. Normality and culture are correlated; each culture has a discrete view. But is it appropriate to judge someone by these circumstances Jung 2 Normality does not just apply to culture perspectives; it can be applied to buildings, a person’s appearance, and maybe even person’s disability. Chinese culture is known to eat rice daily, a Jewish holiday Yom Kippur and Muslim holiday Ramadan for fasting can be abnormal to those whom do not celebrate these cultures. Indeed, the younger generation is expanding; technology is becoming part of their culture. The younger generation has begun and will continue to proceed to incorporate the use of the iPads, iPods, computers, and other technology into their lives and replace the action figures or toys you and I played with when we were younger. In fact, the younger generation will not always continue to play with toys from the past, but the production of toys will not stop even if the society is turning to technology as entertainment. At such a young age, teens and toddlers that have grown up with technology will be defined as odd or abnormal to the older generations. For example, take Jenny Huang, a freshman at San Francisco State, her grandmother always nags her about using the computer too often and should read. The older generation will see technology in an abnormal perspective as the ones using the technology consider it to be normal. In today’s society, being normal is just doing what is usually done, such as: going to class, reading a book, or even going onto the social network, Facebook. Cultures have evolved since technology first made its appearance. While people would normally watch television in their living rooms, they are now watching their shows using the computer. With the televisions being old school, computers have now taken over, along with the normality of

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