It’s a Ridiculous Life Honing in on the Absurd Aspects of American Culture

Health The average person eats almost 1500 pounds of food a year. The average U.S. citizen drinks the equivalent of more than 600 sodas each year. More than 10 people a year are killed by a vending machine. 66 percent of all Americans are considered to be overweight. In the UK, an average of about $3,500 is spent on healthcare per person each year. In the United States, an average of about $8,500 is spent on healthcare per person each year. The United States has a teen pregnancy rate of 22 percent - the highest in the world. More people have been diagnosed with mental disorders in the United States than in any other nation on earth.

Social Media The fastest growing demographic on Twitter is the year age bracket. 189 million of Facebook's users are 'mobile only' YouTube reaches more U.S. adults aged than any cable network 93% of marketers use social media for business 25% of smartphone owners ages say they can't recall the last time their smartphone wasn't next to them 25% of Facebook users don't bother with privacy settings

Legal System Maryland In Baltimore, It is illegal to take a lion to the movies. New York It is against the law to throw a ball at someone's head for fun. North Carolina It is illegal to hold more than two sessions of bingo per week, and those sessions may not exceed 5 hours each session. Ohio It is unlawful for a woman to appear in public while unshaven. This includes legs and face. Oklahoma It is illegal to have a sleeping donkey in your bathtub after 7pm. South Carolina It is unlawful for a minor under the age of eighteen to play a pinball machine. Tennessee It is unlawful for any person to import any live skunk.

Economy The average supermarket in the United States wastes about 3,000 pounds of food each year. Approximately 48 percent of all Americans are currently living in poverty. Today, approximately 25 million American adults are living with their parents. One out of every seven Americans has at least 10 credit cards. There are more unemployed workers in the United States than there are people living in the entire nation of Greece. 52 percent of all children that live in Cleveland, Ohio are living in poverty. The median price of a home in the city of Detroit is now about $6000. The U.S. national debt is now more than 15 TRILLION DOLLARS. About 20 percent of all U.S. adults are currently working jobs that pay poverty-level wages. Approximately 167,000 Americans have more than $200,000 of student loan debt. There are 313 million people living in the United States. 46 million of them are on food stamps. In the United States, one out of every four children is on food stamps.

Education Every year, only 69% of American high school seniors earn their diploma. 30 years ago, America was 1st in education. Today, we are ranked 18th out of 23 industrialized countries. 1.3 million high school students don't graduate on time yearly. 70% of 8th graders read at an elementary school level. 50% of teachers leave by their 5th year 90% of jobs require college or post-secondary education Roughly half of the students who enter a 4-year school will receive a bachelor’s degree within 6 years.

“Ridiculous” Persuasive Writing Assignment Pick one aspect of American culture: education, health, economy, social media or the legal system. Describe why this cultural genre is ridiculous. Give specific details. You can use the stats from the PP or use some of your own. State your source. (6-sentences) Finally, explain which measures need to be taken to improve this part of our culture. Explain why these actions will be successful. (6-sentences) Grammar(includes spelling and handwriting), 2-defined paragraphs, details Lastly, make SURE that any statistics you use that are not listed on this Power Point have been CITED. YOU MUST TELL ME WHERE YOU LEARNED THIS INFORMATION.

Citing Statistics If you use statistics from this presentation: EXAMPLE: According to the information shown in Ms. Franke’s class presentation, at least 10 people die annually from vending machine accidents. OR If you use statistics from another source: EXAMPLE: As stated on TrueFacts.com, 87% of all quotations are made up for classroom writing assignments.