Blog post 3

TED talk response

Adichie’s TED talk shows us a rare perspective of the world. More importantly, her perspective gives us insight as to how a stereotype develops from lack of communication. In this TED talk the speaker, Adichie, even admits to how she has stereotyped before, when living in the United States. Issues with immigration led to a negative stereotype for Mexican people crossing the border. After visiting Guadalajara Adichie’s stereotype is broken and she understands how seeing a story from one perspective isn't enough information.

This can be related to The Wire on HBO. The show operates like a multi-sided ethnographic documentary. It shows the many issues the characters from different cultures face, all in unique perspectives.

The Rat Park experiment really changed the way I think about addiction. The various experiments, done by Bruce Alexander and his team, give an interesting perspective on what really causes addiction. The results of the experiment show that isolation is the main cause of drug addiction in rats, which disputes the theory that the chemical in the drug is to blame. I can’t help but agree that the environment plays a crucial role in addiction. The experiment really spurs critical thinking, especially regarding addiction in humans. Are people hooked on potent chemicals within drugs or are they isolated to the point that they must self-medicate to escape isolation? Johann Hari’s article made great points about addiction in humans in relation to isolation or “disconnection.” One example she uses is the story of Vietnam War veterans, who were heavy heroin users during war, but simply stopped using the drug after coming home. The didactic notion behind this story is that a positive change in environment allows addicts to kick their destructive habits more easily. Her article also talks about the idea that bonding is crucial when dealing with, and more importantly, avoiding addiction. It seems a bit scary to think that social bonding is diminishing at a rate where people are turning to different types of addictions, whether it is drugs, gambling, or simply using a smartphone, to replace their void. I’m quickly reminded of the “smartphone fast” assignment where many students struggled to live without their phone. Hari is uncovering a different viewpoint, where society is becoming disconnected within itself, causing an increase in addiction. Yet, the government and big businesses continue to advise society that chemicals are the strong-handed grips that keep addicts wanting more.