Response 7 (The Sequel)

1) Thomas Frank ponders on “why Johnny can’t dissent”, and Johnny being us , the us that says no to social normjis and refuse to coonform can’t dissent because “dissent” has been absorbed by American business. To rebel to go against is in the sense what’s “in” now and business’ intend to capitalize on it. American corporations encourage us to change to embrace our intdividuality, they say yes you should rebel you should go against gthe norm. Change has become a marketing scheme, Thomas Frank lists several slogans from TV commercials where “change” is shown to be the money making message. So Johnny can’t dissent because the idea of dissent, to quote Frank, ” has proven so hopelessly susceptible to such assaults for the same reason it has become so harmless in the first place.” To rebel is to be different and corporate aInds and slogans make sure everyone is “different.”

The picture above is a ridiculous ad for miracle whip from last year. It would have us believe that rather than choosing plain old mayonnaise, choosing miracle whip would make us different from the rest of society. That somehow purchasing this soft white sandwich spread will give me the representation of being a rebel. This here is a clear example of big business saying yeah  go ahead be an individual, say no to conformity! WE WILL NOT BE SILENT…..as long as you do it by buying our sand which spread. Thomas Frank is definitely right on the nose with this as advertisements such as this one are seen everywhere. Corporations definitely know they are on to something with this as this practice of “have it your way” in sales is seen until this day. Just walk into any hot topic and you’ll see discent muters from wall to wall.

2) Carr tells the story of  the story of Michael Bernstein, a man who suffered a severe stroke which damaged an area in the right side of his brain that regulated movement in the left side of his body. Bernstein enrolled in an experimental therapy where he would use only his left hand and left leg to perform routine tasks over and over again. Eventually his neurons and synapses formed new circuits in the damaged area of his brain and eventually he regained nearly all of the movement in his left leg and arm.

One can take this example of repetitive behaviors reorganizing the brain and link it to our inability to detach from our smart phones. When receiving a smart phone for the very first time you play with it a little, you mess around with the different functions, surf the web a little but you are not attached yet. Eventually, aided by social media, our brains become rewired and these devices are now a part of us. No longer are we dabaling with what this or that app does or attempting to figure out how to navigate Facebook. We have now become masters of these devices and the window to the social world it opens, and they have become an extension of ourselves.