Rhetorical Analysis: Let's Talk

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Pages: 2

The use of technology in the modern world has provided the world with countless societal benefits. Health care, accessibility of information, organization, and user accountability have undoubtedly improved in the wake of technological developments. However, as many older generations argue, it has unfortunately had a negative impact on face-to-face interactions. Sherry Turkle successfully highlights these problems in the passage “Stop Googling. Let’s Talk,” conveying several main ideas. However, her most prominent point is that the advancement of technology has crippled socialization skills. Within the passage, Turkle provides multiple insights on technology’s effect on social interactions. For one, she discusses a fifteen-year-old boy’s distraught at his father’s constant phone usage. Such a statement is an example of the use of pathos; Turkle tugs at her …show more content…
I have personally encountered social events riddled with awkward silences due to excessive phone usage. I know for a fact that I am guilty of pulling my phone out during a meal or gettogether. Technology usage during such gatherings most definitely hurts conversation. In this way, socialization has regressed. However, I believe that technology usage has also improved my social skills to an extent. I strongly disagree with her point that “Our phones are not accessories, but psychologically potent devices that change not just what we do but who we are” when read with her intended negative connotation. I feel much more comfortable with a person if I have been speaking to him/her over the phone, thus leading to more meaningful and empathetic face-to-face interactions. This counters Turkle’s claim that society lacks “Conversation that is open-ended and spontaneous, in which we play with ideas and allow ourselves to be fully present and vulnerable.” In all, I find that phone usage has changed me for the better overall, despite some of its negative