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What's it like to be the "in" thing?

Everyone knows about weird trends that occur in different cultures. These changes are called paradigm shifts. Paradigm shifts range from many different things: fashion, dance, even diets.


One paradigm shift I can think of is cell phones. More specifically the size of cell phones. What makes a cell too small? Too big? At one point I can remember cell phones getting bigger and bigger eventually people looked like they were carrying mini tablets for cell phones. iPhones for example, looking an iPhone 4 to an iPhone 6 or even the 6+, the size increases tremendously. Now Apple has come out with the iPhone SE, which is about the same size as the old 5 version. Here is a short video of the evolution of cell phones.



So what's the deal with all of the switching of phone size? The paradigm shift is an interesting one, because it is pretty recent in our history. With new technology there have been many more noticeable shifts seen through social media.

For example, another paradigm shift is the word bae. Bae is a word that has been very popular in recent years and is still used today. Bae, for those who might not know, seems to be a shorter way of saying babe or baby. It's short and sweet, but bae originally was used when talking about your girlfriend or boyfriend. Bae now can be used to talk about your best friend, not just a boyfriend or girlfriend.

These shifts keep occurring with more frequency as things become "in" and then become "out". Some might call them trends, or fads, but either way they all have something in common. All of these things become popular and then die out. Some are resurrected and brought back into  the social lime light, but some of these fads should stay "dead" and not come back.


Comments

  1. I think both topics are interesting. However, I find the cell phone size more interesting than Bae. I think it might also be easier to research. Bae is a somewhat recent trend and more of a cultural phenomenon than an overall shift. Remember you have to have enough substance to fill a 7-10 page paper. I think there are also more reasons behind the size of a smartphone than there are in the usage of Bae. Good luck picking your topic!

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  2. Morgan, I think both of your examples of paradigm shifts are quite relative for students of our age. However, I find your shift in the size of cellphones to be more original and interesting. Personally, I have noticed that changing phone size, but I never understood why. It would be interesting to learn why phones have changed in the ways that they have, and maybe even where they are headed. Cell phones are a major part in the lives of our generation, so as the technology changes and shifts, so do we. Good luck!

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  3. Morgan, I'm not sure if either topic has the substance that you'd be looking for. It's true: cell phones have changed in sizes, but size is a very limited scope to look at. And the popularization of the term "bae" might not yield 7-10 solid pages, either. I'm wondering if you can dig a little more deeply here. Thanks for considering!

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  4. I personally think your topic on cell phone size will have more information and supporting details than the "bae" idea. If you were to focus on a topic maybe a little more broad like popular slang words that are not really words incorporating a few more to describe, you might be able to have a stronger analysis; however, I am not sure how much research you would be able to find on this topic. Your topic of cell phone size would probably provide more data and information as you can research the first phones every designed all the way up to the most recent.

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