The essay by technology reporter for the New York Times, Jenna Wortham, titled, “It’s Not about You, Facebook. It’s about Us” discusses the idea that Facebook has helped shape emotions and now leaves its users emotionless. Although Wortham brings in several sources she does not support these sources with statistics and her personal feelings stand in the way of getting her main points across. In addition, she has a weak conclusion that leaves readers trying to grasp the actual message that Wortham is attempting to convey. Wortham fails to effectively support her thesis that society feels that it can not live without facebook. In her essay, Wortham considers how important Facebook has become to society and how it warps our emotions. She claims, …show more content…
She recalls a disagreement that took place on Facebook between her and a close friend over a few comments placed on her timeline. Wortham describes how she felt embarrassed over the pointless argument. She discloses “I’m the first one to confess my undying love of the Web’s rich culture and community, which is deeply embedded in my life. But that feud with a friend forced me to consider that the lens of the Web might be warping my perspective and damaging some important relationships” (171). Introducing her personal feelings and perspective of how she feels Facebook is taking over her own emotional response online weakens her argument. Wortham reasons that others feel the same as she does. She says, “This has alarmed some people, convincing them that it’s time to pull the plug and forgo the service altogether” (171). Wortham does not bring in other testimonies of those who feel the same as she does, therefore the readers are only introduced to her personal …show more content…
These sources include Sherry Turkle, a professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and analyst Andrew Frank from Gartner Research (171,173). While both of these sources are from respectable technology backgrounds, Wortham does not disclose why their work is relevant to her essay. She gives no research results from studies that her sources have completed that supports the idea that Facebook corrupts the emotions of the public. The scarcity of support from her sources fails to reinforce her main points in her
The audience can empathize easily with Sue and the death of her youngest and this allows the audience to understand the usefulness of Facebook “friends”; however, Dailey’s shift to present the other side of the argument with Bugeja’s forward truth of the flaws in online social networks. Bugeja convinces the reader that reality provides a more intimate level of support that the virtual world can never offer. Dailey could have ended the article on a stronger note that Facebook “friends” only serves as an additive to friendships to reality. In reference to Henry Adams infamous quote, Facebook “friends” cannot be made but built from existing
In “Friends with Benefits: Do Facebook Fiends Provide The Same Support As Those in Real Life?”, Kate Dailey argues about whether the Facebook social scene could replace that of real life or it just mimics the likely course of friendship if people would still be close. The narrative begins with Dailey sharing an anecdote about a personal situation concerning a friend who just went through a hard time, the nonchalant friendship which the essay gravitates towards. While realizing the tragic news, her argument comes into place: is Facebook a great place to spread negative news or is it unable to beat the warmth in people’s physical reaction?.
Marche first draws in readers using pathos, but his examples of logos throughout the article are the real selling point. After the gruesome story about Yvette, Marche begins to talk about how “we live an accelerating contradiction: the more connected we become, the lonelier we are.” He then introduces the statistics of Facebook, how there are 845 million users and how in 2011, they generated about 2.7 billion likes and comments every day. This supports his claim that we are all “transfixed by the glare of a screen, hungering for a response” and that we are now what is known as the digital era. To create a timeline image he makes “Facebook arrived in the middle” capitalized to emphasize that human loneliness was on a rise. From then on he uses statistics and expert quotes to provide evidence about how slowly people are becoming distant due to isolation. Then Marche introduces how researchers have found that people who spend more time on Facebook are more likely to develop neurotic disorders, depression, or health conditions, such as narcissistic disorder. Overall the development and support of logos provides support to the thesis that overtime the digital era is causing more and more symptoms of
The attraction of users to Facebook, or social media in general, isn’t that difficult to comprehend. Over the course of the past 60 years, the percentage of people live alone has increased by 17 percent. In the 50’s it was 10 percent, in 2010, it was estimated at 27 percent. The promise of a greater connection seems extremely attractive to those living in solitary. Here is the irony, what Facebook and Social media provides, differs a great deal from what is needed to create and sustain deeper emotional AND Lasting
However, as far as I am concerned, the above authors fail to mention the positive effects Facebook has on our lives. Facebook is also very useful. It enables us to keep in touch with friends and family all around the world. A modern journalist, Adam Piore in his article, “What Technology Can’t Change About Happiness,” also argues that “The overall effect of technology is to overcome the constraints of time and location that would have proven insurmountable before” (Piore 9). Piore’s purpose here is to tell people that technology can be a good thing as well. I also believe the same: with the video call function, we are able to see each other’s face and talk with ease. If some people are not familiar with video call, they can even voice message others, making communication easier while reducing the hassle of typing. No doubt, Facebook has greatly changed our lives with both positive and negative effects. And I also believe that it is when we find the balance between technology and relationships can we enhance our happiness level and relationship with people. That is, we need to go out and have face-to-face conversations with people while using technology to help us keep connection with
“The Facebook Sonnet” by Sherman Alexie brings up ideas and controversy over social media because it decreases face-to-face communication. Though Facebook allows people to contact old and new friends, it renders away from the traditional social interaction. Online, people are easily connected by one simple click. From liking one’s status to posting multiple pictures, Facebook demands so much attention that it’s easy for users to get attach. They get caught up in all the online aspect of their lives that they fail to appreciate real life relationships and experiences.
...probably thinks that Facebook is being used more frequently by people to occupy themselves, give false impressions of their lives, and even to attempt to create a relationship with God. Alexie’s main reason for writing this poem was to show people that social media in general – not just Facebook – can really bring out the ignorance in people. Specifically, people need to spend more time being physically together rather than virtually connecting via Facebook. Social media has diminished the importance of face-to-face conversation and the pleasure of having someone physically at-side. Sherman Alexie’s “The Facebook Sonnet” reiterates that there needs to be a balance between social networking and reality. People should relish their own time and existence, making memories with those they love and who can support them in such a way that social media will never be capable.
It is a commonly known fact that once someone is on Facebook, they are usually hooked for a good amount of time before they have realized how much time they have been on it! The reason for that occurring is due to the interactiveness of these social media platforms and the doors that they open to new information with every like, share, and post. Facebook is a great example because of the never-ending bank of ideas that it provides from other users for other users, and this trend does not stop as every link opened leads to five more links with potential for new encounters and new experiences. This line of thought is echoed by critic of Sunstein, Henry Jenkins in saying, “New ideas and alternative perspectives are more likely to emerge in the digital environment…” (26). Social media is the epicenter of new ideas in our world today because it does not have any filter, and people are allowed to speak their minds as if everyone is listening, because in fact, everyone could listen. In addition, it is important to note that these new encounters are happening more rapidly than ever thought imaginable. The appeal of interactiveness combined with the accessibility of these outlets at the
In the article “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely”, Stephen Marche calls to question the impact that Facebook, other social networks, and technology as a whole, has on society. The article begins with a startling anecdote about the once beloved actor and Playboy playmate Yvette Vickers. Despite her major contributions to the film and entertainment industry, Yvette Vickers’ life still came to an isolated and lonely end; her rotting body was found by a neighbor in her home nearly a year after she died. In her final years of life, Yvette Vickers became withdrawn from her close friends and family, and turned to “distant fans who found her through fan conventions and Internet sites (Marche 2).” This story accurately exemplifies the main idea Marche is trying to convey which is that technology is making human connections more plentiful whilst also making them more shallow and superficial. Vickers may have had a mass of online communication each day, however, none of these connections were close or meaningful. No one cared enough to check up on her when she stopped responding. Marche implies that more close and meaningful connections could have potentially resulted in a more timely discovery of Vickers’ body.
Through the use of his own experience, Rodriguez proves how harmful facebook is when he is reminded of people that he wanted to forget about. Lowry uses the words of a student, who is directly affected by the situation, to explain how facebook is more bad than good. The student outlines the fact that people have to create lies to fit in with their friends. Consequently by doing this, people are creating fake identities to hide their real self. ICMPA disapproves the critics of facebook being harmful when they bring up the dependability factor which comes from using the social media outlet. ICMPA showed how addicting facebook really was when they proved that people weren’t able to function the same without it. By using facebook, people are lying to themselves and others and feeling nostalgic, not to mention getting addicted to it. No matter what way one looks at facebook, it can only be seen to be harmful. At the rate that social media is controlling people, it’s only a matter of time before people stop interacting with each other in person and do it through social media outlets like
Hu, Elise. "Facebook Makes Us Sadder And Less Satisfied, Study Finds." NPR. NPR, 20 Aug. 2013. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
Facebook and other internet applications and technologies affect many young kids and young adults every day. From seeing pictures of famous people looking flawless, to mean comments shared between “friends” on social networking sites, a person’s psyche can be messed with. The last decade has been turning over milestones in the field of technology. New 3D TV’s for ones entertainment have been introduced to the public recently, along with multiple new handheld devices, such as new editions of the Apple iPhone, iPad, and Mac computer. Other milestones have been hit as well through new ways in which people can get in touch with each other, educate themselves on the internet, and create new creative outlets through music and blogs. Schools are even investing in greater technological advances for their students, to give them ...
and family, and also “meet like-minded people” ( Metz, par. 1). In some cases, business people such as Ron West, claim that he uses Facebook “to become acquainted with new customers”( par. 8). Yes, these types of websites are great tools to stay in touch with old classmatesand faraway family members. It is a great source of communication, but there is always a con to every pro. Even though users are connecting with others, users of social networks never know exact...
As a social species, which depends on human interaction and body language, Facebook is no substitute for what we need. This new social media, that was designed to connect people, ironically has the effect of making us feel more socially isolated, depressed, envious and dissatisfied with our lives, writes Shristhi Ranjith.
Marche, Stephen. “Is Facebook Making us Lonely? (Cover story)”: 8 (10727825) 309.4 (2012): 68. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.