RAB Source Entry 1 -Angel

Part 1 MLA Citation

Price, Catherine. “Putting down Your Phone May Help You Live Longer.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Apr. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/24/well/mPrice, Catherine. “Putting down Your Phone May Help You Live Longer.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Apr. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/24/well/mind/putting-down-your-phone-may-help-you-live-longer.html.

Part 2 Summary

In the article, “Putting Down Your Phone May Help You Live Longer”, by Catherine Price is about the negative affects of being on your phone. According to the writer, Americans average 4 hours a day on their phone, can cause smartphone stress, and also makes a point called, “breaking the point”. The writer mentions that the more phone usage the more affect it has on the brain. The writer emphasizes how being on the phone manipulates our dopamine system. The writer users the example of how being on the phone can make us feel better just for the moment but leads us to “doing stupid things”. The writer concludes by saying, “ when coupled with a powerful desire to allay pur anxiety, this can lead us to do things that may be stress relieving in the moment but are potentially fatal, such as texting while driving.”

Part 3 Reflection

In “Putting Down Your Phone May Help You Live Longer”, Prize argues that excessive amount of phone usage is a negative effect to the human brain. I agree with this because I often find myself on my smartphone for hours and see I am not productive. It gives me a temporary good feeling but it’s only manipulating my dopamine system and keeping me from doing what I have to do throughout my day. After reading into this article I realized that smartphones are a bad habit. I always had an idea but I have never made any research to see how it affects us humans negatively. As a whole I think we should be limited daily on how much we use our phones.

Part 4 Rhetorical Analysis

The article, “Putting Down Your Phone May Help You Live Longer”, by Catherine Prize is a feature piece. The audience is the general reading public (preferably people who have smartphones). The author uses facts throughout the article to inform the reader on the negatives smartphones have on us. This source is credible because it is news from the, New York Times. However, the author Catherine Price is a speaker, consultant and award-winning science journalist. New York Times is separated by different categories from opinions, to news, and feature pieces like this one. A feature piece is supported by factual evidence and unbiased.

Part 5 Notable Quotable

“This manipulation of our dopamine systems is why many experts believe that we are developing behavioral addictions to our phones. But our phones’ effects on cortisol are potentially even more alarming.” (Price)

“But while doing so might soothe you for a second, it probably will make things worse in the long run. Any time you check your phone, you’re likely to find something else stressful waiting for you, leading to another spike in cortisol and another craving to check your phone to make your anxiety go away. This cycle, when continuously reinforced, leads to chronically elevated cortisol levels.” (Price)

“Impairment of the prefrontal cortex decreases self-control. When coupled with a powerful desire to allay our anxiety, this can lead us to do things that may be stress-relieving in the moment but are potentially fatal, such as texting while driving.” (Price)

“Next, pay attention to how individual apps make you feel when you use them. Which do you check out of anxiety? Which leave you feeling stressed? Hide these apps in a folder off your home screen. Or, better yet, delete them for a few days and see how it feels.” (Price)