Danny Reyes
Professor Crane
RWS100
28 September 2015
Rhetorical Analysis of “Public Thinking”
Journalist, Clive Thompson in his book, “Smarter Than You Think”, specifically in the chapter titled, “Public Thinking”, published on September 12, 2013, addresses the topic of technology and argues that because of the internet, we are doing more writing now than ever. Therefore technology is helping us think publicly in new and improved ways. He supports this claim by asserting that there is an improvement in our writing, which is happening because of the “audience effect”, he then goes on to say that anything we write changes the way we think, and finally he talks about how the internet builds connections, which is essential to the spread of new ideas. Thompson’s purpose is to inform readers about how the internet is a tool being used to advance our society in order to encourage more people to partake in online, public thinking. He adopts a contemplative tone for his audience, the readers of The New York Times, and others interested in the topic of technology. It is my intention in this paper to analyze the author’s subclaims and use of rhetorical strategies.
In his article, Thompson claims that there is an “audience effect” which is causing an improvement in writing. While talking about the important aspects of the increase in online writing, Thompson states that, “When you write something online—whether it’s a one-sentence status update, a comment on someone’s photo, or a
The contrast between technology and humans is talked about in Richard Louv’s article from Last Child in the Woods. He uses great strategies to get his point across to the readers. Louv wants everyone to realize how the times have changed and how important technology has become in our lives. He wants to give us a better understanding of how technology has changed our lives. In this article Louv uses rhetorical strategies to prove to his readers that his points are valid. These strategies are telling stories, using important names, and making jokes.
Lyndon Johnson was persuaded that liberal patriotism and the force of the government could change society. His confidence developed out of his energetic encounters with destitution levels in Texas, his political apprenticeship amid the New Deal, and his longing to go even further than Roosevelt’s legacy. When he became president in November 1963, after John F. Kennedy’s demise, Johnson acquired the early initiatives to deal with destitution that the Kennedy organization had been considering for some time now. With high energy and extensiveness, Johnson announced a war on poverty in 64 and pressed enactment through Congress to build up the Office of Economic Opportunity. In his speech, LBJ traces his vision and objectives for “The Great Society”,
The purpose of the excerpt form Common Sense was to discuss all of the unfair things Britain did to America while under their rule. Paine's main argument was to convince others to start their own government. He states facts/reasons why Britain's rule is no longer needed and uses rhetoric in a way where he is constantly repeating how horrible Britain had been.He said a few things to give more emphasis on why they needed to separate from Britain for example;"We boasted the protection of Great Britain, without considering, that her motive was INTEREST not ATTACHMENT; that she did not protect us from OUR ENEMIES on OUR ACCOUNT, but from HER ENEMIES on HER OWN ACCOUNT...".He said this to give an emphasis on how Britain took advantage of the colonies
In this article, “Why Even the Worst Bloggers Are Making Us Smarter” by Clive Thompson, talks about how much words we write together as a world per day. The amount of words we use now and back in the days without internet is fascinating. Before the internet, most people only wrote during school days and after that no one took writing seriously. “Altogether, we compose some 3.6 trillion words every day on email and social media — the equivalent of 36 million books.” Internet is something we all use in this world. Most of us use it for communication purpose and others to share their stories and educate others. Digital communications has helped us to become better writers because parents were focusing if their kids were reading every day more
Since the rise of technology and smart devices, the public has seen controversy over the benefits and drawbacks of internet usage. Nicholas Carr shared his opinions in the article “From The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.” In the text, he claims that it seems to be “chipping away” his “capacity for concentration and contemplation” (Carr 5). In addition to that, he does not hesitate to state how “some worry they’re becoming chronic scatterbrains” from using the web (Carr 6). His views are painted purple in this piece of writing, as any reader could infer that Carr possesses a slightly bitter tone when it comes to the interwebs. He displays his dislike for the way it is reshaping our brains and mental function, even going
Presidential appeals for public support had become a commonplace in 1992. Some examples of going public are a special prime-time address to the nation, televised press conference, traveling outside Washington. to deliver a speech to a business or professional convention, and a visit to a day care center with network cameras trailing behind.
I, Roger Smith, am bringing this petition to light to portray how America treats its minorities. The irony of how America is lauded to be this liberal and free country meanwhile they forced and dragged African Americans into a life of slavery and inhumane treatment. Husbands, wives, even children are being taken away from their families by force to obey white supremacy. This is the kind of power that creates this sort of hierarchy and damages the meaning of what a liberal tradition should resemble.
The use of technology has catalyzed society into an era that is increasingly interconnected yet impersonal at the same time. Despite technology’s endless list of assets, many fail to acknowledge its shortcomings when mentioning what is lost as a result of using it. Although in “Great to Watch” by Maggie Nelson, she is not afraid to share her skepticism of technology, as well as the role it plays in desensitizing individuals on a day-to-day basis. The internet is an invaluable resource to many because it is a public domain for sharing ideas, opinions, and knowledge that any and everyone can have access to. In a sense, it does not restrict what someone may see or do, and this can either be a good thing or a bad thing. The booming use of new media
“The more they use the Web, the more they have to fight to stay focused on long pieces of writing” (Carr 773). Carr’s point is because people are using the web, it is making it harder for them to concentrate and process information. Carr and Turkle both suggest in their articles that people now have lost the ability to be able to concentrate and to be
The internet, in short, is our everyday savior when in distress. Technology is our main source of communication in the 21st century. However, according to Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, published in the July/August 2008 issue of the Atlantic, the internet is reprogramming his memory, and remapping his neural circuitry. Carr accuses the internet of taking away his focus and concentration.Even though Carr uses logos intensely and multiple rhetorical approaches in convincing the reader of his point of view, he fails to make a logical, persuading argument for multiple reasons.
“We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us.” This quote was stated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, author of Coming to our Senses. Coming to our Senses was published in 2005. The main idea of Coming to our Sense is that our senses are limited and that we need technology to enhance it to better our world. Tyson is effective in delivering the main idea by using rhetorical devices found throughout his essay.
In The Shallows by Nicholas Carr, he asserts that the evolution of information and communication technology (ICTs) is having a detrimental impact on our brains despite the many benefits and advances we have made with it. His main focus is on the internet which he commonly refers to as the “universal medium” (92). Carr presents a very detailed but biased argument in which he views the internet and other technologies as the adversary of critical thinking and progress. To Carr, we are sacrificing our ability to think logically because we are choosing a simpler way to gain knowledge.
In the article “The Coddling of the American Mind,” writers Greg Lukianoff and Jonathon Haidt address today’s college campus culture of oversensitivity and how targeting microaggressions by shielding sensitive topics from students may be modeling cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortion is a way our mind twists words to convince us of something that isn’t true to reinforce negative thinking. Since college administrators changed ways to try and block out microaggressions on campus it is actually teaching students to think in distorted ways. As a result, students are learning lessons that are bad for themselves and their mental health. However, Lukianoff and Haidt believe that cognitive behavioral therapy is the next big thing to teach good
In the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, the main argument the author, Nicholas Carr is trying to make is to explain how the Internet becomes our only source of information. Carr is also trying to warn oncoming generations in how the Internet has affected our ability to read long pieces or to be able to retain information for a long period of time. Carr provides personal experience, imagery, and a professional analysis that is backed by research to hook the audience in and persuade them that in today’s society, the Internet is only causing problems rather than any solutions.Throughout the article Carr provides an abundant amount of rhetorical modes by giving examples and studies from different organizations . Carr gives an insight on the positive ways the Internet had influenced his life.
A real audience forces most students to reconsider how they word their ideas. To avoid looking illiterate, most students will consult their teacher or a grammar and usage book to make sure they are adhering to good grammar guidelines. By writing online students feel motivated to do their best. For example, George Mayo, a Maryland middle school 8th grade teacher, found this to be the case. According to Morgan,“Mayo remarked that the level of motivation in his class soared when his students found out that pupils as far away as China were participating.” Therefore, social media can writing by motivating students to do their best.