Digital Parent Trap

In her essay, The Digital Parent Trap, Eliana Dockterman carefully builds her argument by using ethos, pathos, and by using purposeful word choice to strengthen her argument that there are benefits to early exposure to technology for children. She supports her claims with evidence by using quotes, and by citing data from research studies and interviews. She leaves out any fluff and unnecessary words which makes the words remaining even stronger.

As far back as I can remember I have had a happy childhood. I didn’t grow up depending on technology to teach me the alphabet or learning to draw pictures on an iPad. Instead I played outside for hours in my tree house inventing new ways to climb the tree in my backyard, and learning to color inside the lines of my coloring book that I bought with the quarters I earned with my lemonade stand at the end of my drive way. Families that make up our society and individuals are affected by different aspects of technology everyday. The digital age that we have rapidly approached since the 2000’s has effected minds of young children teaching them to play a digital game in a computer

Can you name a friend or family member that does not have a smart phone or computer? If so, they are likely much older and have not partaken in the mass technology boom of the twenty-first century. In recent years, technology has been engraved in America’s culture where the younger generation has been born and bred around media devices. Due to the advancement of technology, computer literacy is important now, more than ever. “Sixty percent of American homes with children ages eight to seventeen have computers and most of these computers connected to the Internet” (Wartella 32). Computer technology has ushered in a new digital era bringing with it the ability to reach everyone’s hand’s young or elder. This will bring change to the future, including job stability and child development. Early exposure to digital media devices will give children competitive advantages in the educational system and the future job market.

In this document Eliana Dockterman writes about how traditional views of childhood consumption of technology with emphasis on “screen use” is outdated and technology usage should in fact be embraced by children. Dockterman is able to effectively portray this argument through the use of a variety of persuasive techniques.

Although scholarly and popular sources are different regarding the manner in which they are written, the information provided in either can be beneficial to the reader. Hitting news stands as well as researcher’s desks, the issue of the effects of technology on children is becoming an issue around the world. Scholarly sources tend to be longer, with more insight, typically meant for researchers, faculty, and scholars. Popular sources offer insight into the topic as well but are geared towards a general broad audience. Both popular and scholarly sources offer a specific interpretation of the issue at hand in interrelated ways.

In this brief editorial adapted by Eliana Dockterman, "The Digital Parent Trap" portrays the current battle between a child's world with and without technology. As many schools and parents are split between the two decisions, Dockterman finds a way to be the tie breaker through her persuasion and smooth rhetorical devices. Docktermon tries her best to convince the readers that technology is okay in moderation, and builds her argument through word choice. With the formality of her diction and her many reliable sources to persuade the reader, she seems to have everything she needs to get the job done.

Upon analyzing "The Digital Parent Trap" by Eliana Dockterman, it is very apparent that she uses multiple types of rhetorical devices to support her claim of how early exposure to technology benefits children and children's test scores. Dockterman claims studies show that student test scores improve after playing certain games. In a test done by SRI, studies showed that "kids who played games like Samorost (solving puzzles) did 12% better on logic tests than those who did not [play the games]"(Dockterman 8). This quote from the study done by SRI is one of many factual evidence pieces that Dockterman uses throughout her article to help support her point.

Many Authors vary their usage of multiple rhetorical devices to persuade their readers into looking at an argument from a different perspective. Dockterman uses these devices to persuade her readers that early exposure to technology has its benefits. The Digital Parent Trap is an article written by Eliana Dockterman published in 2013. In this article, Dockterman talks about how technology plays a valuable part in American schools and how it affects these families. Dockterman shares multiple points that support her argument, but she also talks about how parents feel about the technology that is used in schools.Through the use of Logos and Pathos, Dockterman persuades her audience that there are benefits to early exposure to technology

In today’s society we are overwhelmed with technology. Technology is changing everyday, and will forever be a staple in our lives. The effect that technology has on our children has brought on some concerns and some praises. Children these days have no choice but to some how be influenced by the ever growing technology in our societies. Our common concern has been that although digital technology has boosted children’s talent for multitasking, their ability to process information deeply may be deteriorating (Carpenter, 2010). Many people have a wide range of opinions on if technology is having a positive influence on our children or a negative, there is a vast amount of evidence to support both of these arguments. Technology can refer to

XYZ has the potential to reach at risk youth as early as early childhood by introducing them to the world of virtual learning to target student achievement. With this technology grant XYZ Charter Academy would be able to invest in a one to one computer program for every student. The computers will be used for research projects and instead of writing papers they could create PowerPoints or videos. It gives students a new way of learning. Edudemi(2017) discusses how Technology gives children the ability to learn in ways their parents and grandparents never had. Technology in the classroom also impacts the teachers with data analysis.

There are many different outlooks on the way technology affects children today. Eliana Dockterman addresses those viewpoints and encourages the benefits of technology by using statistics and facts, while also providing negative and positive connotations of words specifically and repeating specific words to emphasize his message.

The current generation of children is completely different than the preceding ones. They are living in the digital age. “Technology has blended in with daily activity to become a way of life and children today take for granted all of which is automated. It is hard for kids nowadays to imagine a world that existed without all of the gadgets, electronics and seamless operations that computer technology provides.” (3) “Children in the United States devote some 40 hours a week to television, video games and the Internet.” (12) Many psychologists and researchers are concerned about the impact that technology has on children. Children, tomorrow’s future parents and leaders, are being consumed by the negative effects that technology had on their

the positive aspects of the tech industries influence on children's childhood. Dockterman's purpose is to try to compare and contrast the positive and negative aspects of tech influence in early life, as well as to in part persuade the reader that the influence is not as diabolical as some would believe. She adopts a analytical tone in order to imply a more logistical outlook on her topic, perhaps to influence the reader that she has more facts then whomever would oppose her.

We all know technology is a good thing, right? Or is it? We can all come up with reasons why technology is helpful or appropriate like we can for a particular medicine. And while some drugs are really great to cure or prevent a disease, sometimes the side effects outweigh any possible benefit. The same is true with technology. Some common negative side effects of technology are kids playing on their phones instead of going outside to play or young people not interacting face-to-face as much as they used to. Parenting is an area that has suffered since the rise in technology, specifically with phone use.

Throughout the article “The Digital Parent Trap,” violates the STAR criteria, as shown in “Writing Arguments,” of sufficiency. Dockterman does not provide sufficient data as to why technology should or should not be used by children at school or at home. Though she does give several examples, quotes, and percentages, it is not enough data to solidify her argument. In addition, Eliana Dockterman does not elaborate in her argument against technology and shows more examples and development to support the use of technology. From the beginning, she has chosen a position yet tries to support both sides of the argument. Because she does not display as much information on her counterarguments as she has with the arguments, she does not meet the criteria