Virginia Heffernan Against Head Phones Summary

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Author Virginia Heffernan, is making the case, “Against Headphones,” an article published in 2011 by The New York Times, which argues that headphones are not only creating a deaf generation but also an antisocial one. The article kicks off with citing shocking statistics about the growing percentage of hearing loss that seems to be plaguing the younger generation, this is followed by a brief overview on the history and original purpose of headphones. Heffernan explains the use of headphones and their place as an escapism, first used by men returning home after WWII who were no longer accustomed to the noise and commotion of daily life. The author then defines music as a social activity that has been impeded by the solitary act of using headphones and concludes that sound should be shared as this not only protects against hearing loss but creates social bonding. The essay is engaging and uses effective diction but falls short of an argument that is wholly convincing by lacking the opposing side and satisfying support.
Heffernan begins her article with strong credibility and use of logos to support her …show more content…

Heffernan is especially critical of “the intensely engineered frankensounds that hit our eardrums when we listen to iPhones,” and is sincerely surprised that it is, “still called music.” One such word the author uses to drive home her argument is “antisocial” and that the invention of headphones has caused a generation of Americans to reclusively cling to their music as opposed to playing it out of a boom-box. The appeal to pathos is not only strengthened but also heavily relied upon towards the end of the article as no more methods of logos appear. “[S]ounds [should] exist in their audio habitat more often,” Heffernan argues, “even if that means contending with interruptions and background

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