In his riveting essay “The New Literacy”, Clive Thompson divulges into the popular topic of technology; and how it affects the minds of our youngest generation. Although some claim technology to be the downfall of student’s writing abilities, Thompson declares otherwise by exhibiting the emotion, logic, and credibility of his argument. He addresses his main point of argument as the work of Andrea Lunsford, a professor of writing and rhetoric at Stanford University who created a monumental study on student’s prose. Referencing her ideas, and using the rhetorical strategies pathos, ethos, and logos, Thompson explains why technology has increased students abilities to write and push our literacy in bold new directions.
Thompson starts off by appealing to the emotion of the reader using pathos. Pathos requires the use of emotionally driven words and descriptions. He sets the tone by choosing a rather passionate dictation, nearly mocking those who blame technology and the narcissistic facebook blabbering for the apparent illiteracy of today's kids. He even references an english professor as saying that language has become “bleak bald [and]…show more content… Ethos is the technique that persuades the reader by appealing to the credibility of the author. Thompson acknowledges the expertise of Andrea Lunsford, an esteemed professor at the esteemed Stanford University. He tells the reader that they can identify Lunsford as a credible source; she is the founder of the Stanford Study of Writing after all. For five years straight she collected a total of 14,672 student writing samples, including anything from formal essays to informal chat sessions. Since she has dedicated herself to her studies, Thompson implies that she has a better understanding on how technology has affected student’s writing
