For instance, an essay titled “Negative Impacts of Social Media,” published by an anonymous Teen Ink user, argues that the adverse effects of social media outweigh the favorable aspects. Though the author is unknown, we can still gather some information about their trustworthiness from looking at their creative outlet of choice, Teen ink. The website allows teenagers to express themselves through poetry, art, essays, etc. about any topic. Teen Ink invites other members to share, comment, up vote, etc. on submissions that they like, or dislike. In a way, it is another social media site geared specifically towards teenagers. The essay opens with a plea to parents written from a second person perspective. This was intended to make the essay feel more personal and provoke it’s intended audience, the parents of teenagers, to not just “sit around and wait for change,” but to “be the change” (Rppreston18). When viewed more closely, however; the passionate call to action is actually revealed to be empty, insincere, and therefore ineffective. As mentioned earlier, the essay was posted on a site meant for teenagers. This means that there are primarily teenagers viewing the material. With that being said, the impact of the call to …show more content…
In “Negative Impacts of Social Media,” the author uses a study organized by USA Today College to support their claim that because social media influences every aspect of our life, the ability to communicate with others in person will weaken until face-to-face communication disappears all together. The results of the study found that “Even when there is an opportunity to see people face-to-face, on weekends for example, up to 11% of adults still prefer to stay at home and communicate on their devices instead” (Rppreston18). At first glance, the information might seem to coincide with what the anonymous user is saying, but once again, the anonymous user falls short rhetorically. The author doesn’t provide any additional information about the study, such as when it was conducted, where it was conducted, how many people were involved in the study, and so on. Without the context of the study, the reader is unable to make a clear decision on whether the information that the research study provides is reliable or not, which in turn, makes the article as a whole seem unreliable. In “Is Too Much Social Media Use Bad for Teen Health?”, Talal Al-Khatib includes the important information that the anonymous author unwisely omitted.