Melissa+C's+Final+AmEx+2015+Speech

=**Common Sense in America is Becoming More Uncommon**= === In Yosemite national park one of the most popular hikes is the vernal falls hike, for those of you that have not been there you can hike to the top of the waterfall. At the top of vernal falls is what they call the Emerald Pool because it has a greenish tint. It's the body of water that directly funnels into the waterfall so the water there is moving extremely fast and there are signs posted everywhere that say "do not swim current is strong". Despite this very comprehensible warning signs that are posted at increments there are still hikers who decide to take a swim in the pool only to find themselves being hurtled over the edge of a 317 foot waterfall to their untimely death. What could have stopped these hikers from plummeting to their death; common sense. According to Merriam Webster the definition of Common sense is the sound and prudent judgement based on a simple perception or fact. Like the fact that the current is strong since the water is about to be thrown off a cliff or the clearly printed warning signs telling you to stay away from the water, so using their common sense thinking skills a person would realize swimming next to a waterfall isn't a good idea and move elsewhere. ===

=== Common sense in America is becoming more uncommon and I want to grow old in this country without having serious eye problems because I have rolled my eyes too much at the lack of common sense of some people. ===

=== Common sense as of today is knowing which button means home on an iPhone. Our society has been making technological advances to make the average persons life more accommodating or entertaining. We spend countless hours staring at screens allowing our brains to become victim to the "dumbing down" effects technology has on us. We rely to much on modern devices to solve our problems. B.F Skinner, Psychologist and social philosopher said "the real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do." We have calculators to solve our math problems, Google to answer our questions and the Internet to entertain us but none of them make us think for ourselves. Thinking for ourselves and making judgements is the epitome of common sense, Google cannot give you common sense, you cannot rely on Instagram to help you make smart decisions, putting down your devices and going outside, experiencing life helps grow your common sense. ===

=== We are not naturally born with common sense it is developed with experience and making mistakes. Kids don't have experience nor have they made many mistakes, therefore childhood is the time when common sense is mostly developed. Kids now are tethered inside by anything with a screen. To get the experience, they need to go outside. Growing up I was always outside playing with my neighbors and I learned a lot. I learned I should not make a sudden sharp turn while sitting in a wagon going downhill which seemed like a really good idea at the time and now it's common sense to me. I didn't learn what was a good judgement call from a bad one or gain most of my common sense by sitting inside staring at the television. I also was not constantly followed or babied by my parents when playing outside, they weren't there to tell me not to make a sharp turn or catch me when I fell, if they were what would that teach me? You cannot have mommy or daddy hold your hand through life, you will gain absolutely nothing from it. Parents need to let their kids go outside and get their knees scraped to learn or else they will never develop any common sense skills whatsoever. ===

=== Our society has to tell people "don't stick your finger in the toaster" or hang up signs that say "no diving" when the pool is only 2 feet deep, but do we really need to spell it out for teens and adults? Apparently we do and this can have a negative effect as well. Society is still holding our hand, we are not encouraged to think through situations ourselves because it has already been done for us and put in big bolded letters for us to read. It really shows how highly advanced of a race we are when we have to be told to not dive into the 2 foot deep kiddie pool. I have a portable speaker at home that comes with the label that reads warning choking hazard for children under 3 years old just like most of the products we buy. Does the manufacturer think I am going to let my 3 year child use my speaker as toy? Do we really need to be told to not let infants around small electronic devices or anything small for that matter? I really hope not. I don't need to be told and I don't think families fifty years ago had to be told to not let their children use small plastic or metal parts as chew toys. Years ago people had more common sense and less factual knowledge whereas now it is flipped for our generation. ===

=== Now why am I talking about common sense? I don't want manufacturers fearing I will put a plastic bag on my head or pedestrians not looking both ways before crossing the street because they just assume drivers will see them. I don't think America will prosper if we keep being dependent on technology to solve our problems, or stay hypnotized by our screens or do not let kids go outside to gain common sense and experiencing what life has to offer. Common sense is a valuable skill that seems to be depleting over the years. It's a form of intelligence we should all strive to develop, improve and use in our everyday lives. So when you leave the classroom today please spare me the eye-roll and use your common sense. ===