Once you have settled on a focal point, you need to think about how and where you can observe it, who you can talk to about and what it means for us today. How does this behavior compare to the past?

For this paper and presentation you must begin by completing all assigned readings and observing the impact of technology on topics relevant to our course as you go about your life and recording these observations in your journal. For example, we have readings about dating and relationships in the 21st Century, sexting, online dating, impact of media, impact of social media, use of online communities to explore sexuality, pornography and more. You should choose a focal point and spend several weeks making observations about it. For example, suppose you were interested in assessing the role mobile technology plays in relationships. You might make observations about how many couples you see publicly occupying the same space, yet each transfixed with their phone simultaneously. You might consider how many times you overhear someone complain about technology being burdensome in their relationship, or how many people you know who have made such claims. Yet another way to approach this could include asking friends some questions about whether or not they have had issues related to technology and dating or relationships or sex. Obviously, you might also choose to look for positive impacts of technology. There are a variety of possibilities of themes of inquiry and our readings offer many different ideas that you can use as starting points for your project. Once you have settled on a focal point, you need to think about how and where you can observe it, who you can talk to about and what it means for us today. How does this behavior compare to the past? What implications does it have for the future? Be careful to not jump to conclusions! Your analysis must be based on your observations.