essay review

Li 1

Kunrong Li

Blaine Malcolm

RWS 280

13 April 2020

Generation Like & Persuasive Arguments

Is technology a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Douglas Rushkoff of “Generation Like” thinks so. Frontline’s fourth episode, “Generation Like” looks into the ways in which the teenage desire for identity and connection evolve through the digital world, and the games of exploitation and self-empowerment that follow as confusing consequences. The film provides a close look into the digital lives of teenagers and how social interactions are being shaped to match the new ways of the modern digital world. Similarly, a now ex-advisor of Facebook, Roger McNamee, bashes big tech and its games of profile stalking as its key way of turning profit. McNamee’s association with the company shines light on the significance of the issues and illustrates the depth of the problem. Using the rhetorical appeals of pathos, ethos, and logos, both Rushkoff and McNamee illustrate how impressionability shows itself across genres. This paper argues that despite being of different genres, similarities between written and watched rhetoric is abundant; the strategic applications are also equally effective.

Beginning with the appeal of pathos, both Rushkoff and McNamee rely on the emotion of fear to persuade the audience in believing that technology is out to exploit today’s teens. From McNamee’s article, the quote, “Like gambling, nicotine, alcohol or heroin, Facebook and Google — most importantly through its YouTube subsidiary — produce short-term happiness with serious negative consequences in the long term”. (McNamee) is strikingly similar in application and effect to Rushkoff’s statement. Rushkoff’s remark, that ,“Kids are spending more and more of their time in digital spaces that they don’t have a basic understanding of what they are” (Frontline) is similar in its appeal to pathos. In both quotes, the speaker is appealing to fear. McNamee’s quote worries that technology will take over peoples’ lives more and more and will be more consuming and invasive, whereas, Rushkoff’s quote, instills the fear that people do not know what they are getting into and this thing that seem positive and inviting on the surface will eventually end up proving to be damaging. This is effective persuasion in that these kids are not adequately processing their actions and their consequences, which plays on the idea and that they are easily swayed or become impressionable and might not understand how this could lead them to being ploys in the marketing, or exploited by marketing tactics. Moving on to ethos, both Rushkoff and McNamee rely on their own credibility to persuade the audience in believing that technology is a hazard to today’s vulnerable users. McNamee’s quote, “A 2013 study found that average consumers check their smartphones 150 times a day. And that number has probably grown” (McNamee) is very similar in meaning and effect as Rushkoff’s quote which states, “I’ve written books and given classes about this stuff, so people turn to me for answers” (Frontline). In both cases, the speaker is using the appeal of ethos to assert credibility. One outlines credibility through the use of a factual study and the other is voiced expertise on the subject. They both rely on authority to persuade their audience that they have the necessary knowledge to be correcting their depiction of technology and how it is potentially harming teenagers today through brand consumerism and the need for “likes.”

The statistical quote is effective persuasion in that it further supports the addictive qualities that could further instill fear in those already skeptical about the positives of modern technology. Additionally, this could be not very impactful to investors in terms of changing the problem. This might only serve as good news as to the growth of the industry and specific areas that may be tempting to invest for quick returns. Rushkoff’s quote is effective because it shows he is authorized to state his factual information on the topic, and has experience in the industry to speak on such matters effectively. Tech companies might think he is just another person trying to make money and view him as an opportunist who is taking advantage of lay people by claiming that big tech is to blame. This is a concept that can easily be considered in order to brush off any validity that might be given to Rushkoff based on his industry expertise and relation to the involved companies. The effectiveness here is clearly split.

The use of pathos continues by both speakers in their statements that suggest technology is created and marketed to specifically exploit teenagers in various ways such as by turning them into marketers themselves. McNamee’s quote, “I’m terrified by the damage being done by internet monopolies” (McNamee) and Rushkoff’s quote, “The problem is what companies are going to do to our kids through technology” (Frontline) both appeal to pathos by demonizing big tech and labeling them as being driven by unethical agendas that go against the health of teenagers today. Furthermore, McNamee’s quote, “Facebook, Google, and others exploit human nature, creating addictive behaviors …. Technologies [only] goal is to generate profits” (McNamee) also criminalizes the objectives of the big tech companies, also appealing to pathos by making it feel like the big tech companies are the bad guys out to get impressionable youth. The noting of addiction is also a cause for alarm, particularly for worried parents who are concerned about the health and wellbeing of their children. Rushkoff’s quote is effective persuasion because he is appealing to like minded investors who are thinking he is legitimately founded because of his job status. Investors will hear him as being legitimate and they might be invested in what he has to say and believe him, because of investor interest. As for people concerned with privacy, these people would believe him because its confirming their fears that companies are too powerful, too invasive, too damaging, and are slowly wearing away at the privacy of all, at people’s personal freedoms, and wield too much power against people because of the companies’ databases of personal information and search history of their customers. McNamee’s quote is effective persuasion because it makes people jump to conclusions, professing this as a problem, implying there is something going on that they need to figure out and address without bringing up the concern to begin with as a possible thing that should be investigated. Skipping the step of questioning and consideration puts the focus of the audience on there being an already existing problem that has been slowly making its way into the lives of the public and eroding some sense of health or privacy. It is just a bold claim that is made for the sole purpose of scaring people through fear mongering and trying to get people to be ‘up in arms’ over a perceived issue without even taking the time to investigate the matter further for themselves.

The debate over whether or not technology is an effective form of teenage exploitation is still inconclusive based on the analyzed evidence. Never knowing how much to rely on one’s voiced expertise versus statistical information is a common issue, thus, the opinions on technology’s role in human health and on individuals’ privacy remain debated extensively. It is important to recognize the strategies that people use to persuade their audience in order to avoid becoming impressionable to ideas that one may not truly believe. “Generation Like” was effective in persuading its audience precisely because it took real experiences of teenagers and allowed the audience to decide for themselves how the teens behaviors influenced their health and whether or not their relationships with brands were healthy. McNamee’s article, however, from beginning to end demanded that the big tech companies were villains to teenage health and exploiters of privacy without giving the audience a change to decide for themselves how they felt. Persuasion is about getting the person to believe you without them knowing that you convinced them. This is what “Generation Like” accomplished, as the speaker never told the audience what to believe. The footage let them decide for themselves.

Works Cited

Frontline. “Generation Like.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/generation-like/.

McNamee, Roger. “I Invested Early in Google & Facebook. Now I Regret It.” RealClearPolitics, www.realclearpolitics.com/2017/08/08/i_invested_early_in_google_amp_facebook_now_i_regret_it_417723.html.