Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Why Do We Laugh?

Why do we laugh? It is obvious that we like to laugh, it's a fact and we seem like we can't get enough of it. Every day we find ways to make ourselves and others laugh. We joke around with friends, watch funny videos and we even laugh at the sound of laughter itself, but why? Have you watched a Try Not to Laugh challenge with a friend? Usually, when someone laughs, the other immediately laugh as well. It's that contagious. But if we laugh so much, why can't we seem to fake it? Why can we fake a smile but we can't fake a laugh? It turns out that our brains are hardwired to recognize real laughs from fakes, just like how we can easily recognize human faces.

And it turns out, most of the time we laugh, there isn't really any humor involved. Laughing it's just a way for us to communicate and socialize. That's why it feels so good to laugh. Laughing is a way for us to show that we are having fun. And if we're having fun, we must be fun, right? That's why we don't really laugh alone. If we do it's usually involves a person. Have you heard of the phrase, "Laughter is the best medicine"? It's actually true. It boosts your immunity and it's good for the heart. You can even lose up to 50 calories a day from laughing. So next time you find something really funny, just let it all out, not only it feels good, it's good for you.

Monday, May 1, 2017

We Eat Social Media for Breakfast

In the essay "We Eat Social Media for Breakfast" by Dr. Preston, the main argument is about the use of pictures and how it had changed throughout the years. It went from recreating moments to creating impressions of people. The author showed that, as social media became dominant, the use of pictures had slowly strayed from its original purpose, with the use of informal diction and syntax, capturing its readers through using two compatible combination.

In the beginning of the essay, right away, the author uses an informal tone, using words like "wannabe," words in which teenagers might use. This use of diction fits the topic because the topic is related to those whom are in there teens and it is trying to appeal to them by using the same language. Since the targeted readers are teenagers, using this type of diction is very effective, as the argument actually reaches the readers.

The author also uses first-person pronouns. This gives a sense of  life to the essay. That behind all the writing, there is a person. This builds an intimate relationship with the reader, making them more regarding of the topic.