Why We Tuned Out by Karen Springen

805 Words2 Pages

Tuning Out

In Karen Springen’s essay, “Why We Tuned Out,” explaining the reason’s behind keeping the television out of her children’s lives, the author uses several rhetorical strategies to argue her position. Rhetorical strategies are decisions the writer makes, big or small, to better argue the purpose of their piece. Springen uses statistical data, her own personal experiences, and cultural examples to more effectively argue the reasons why her children do not need to be exposed to television.

The first rhetorical strategy Springen uses in her argument is citing statistical data about the number of hours children spend watching television, the effects of watching that amount of television, and what the most highly rated television shows are among children. She cites in her essay that “American children 2 through 11 watch three hours and 16 minutes of television every day.” This data shows the reader the staggering amount of time children spend watching television each day. Springen further cites data concluding that when children watch over 10 hours of TV every week “they are more likely to be overweight, aggressive and slow to learn in school.” This data exemplifies to the reader the negative effects television has on young impressionable minds and bodies. Finally, Springen cites that among the top 5 television shows “for children 2 through 11…Survivor Thailand” ranks among them. This data shows that children exposed to television are also being exposed to programming that is far too mature for their age. By citing “bad” data about the way television negatively affects children, Springen persuades the reader in her argument to agree with her position that there is no good reason for her children to watch television on a daily basis.

Another type of citing that Springen uses to argue her point, are her own personal experiences of not exposing her children to television programming. She first cites the fact that by not turning on the television for her daughters she believes they “spend more time than other kids doing cartwheels, listening to stories and asking such interesting questions as ‘How old is God?’” By citing her own personal account, she shows the reader that the effects of not exposing her own daughters to television are clearly positive. Springen also shares her own personal knowledge that by not exposing her daughters to television they “don’t seem to feel like misfits.” By citing this experience, she disproves the thought that children that are not exposed to television are considered to be weird by their fellow peers.

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