It Might Actually Be Good For Them By Clive Thompson Summary

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In the article," Teenagers and Social Networking- It Might Actually Be Good for Them," writer Clive Thompson discusses the benefits of teens using social media networks to their advantage. Thompson argues that teens making use of social media carries many advantages, which include social and networking skills. Clive Thompson is able to successfully argue his claim on why social media might actually be fitting for teens with the use of analytical devices such as the emotions fear and guilt, general facts and expert testimonies, reliable sources, and his qualifications. All of which display his knowledge on the subject at hand. Clive Thompson's argument was successful due to his use of the emotions fear and guilt. For instance, throughout the …show more content…

He uses research by Amanda Lenhart of Pew Research Centre, which explained that kids who are considered avid texters also end up spending more time with their friends face to face stating that one form of socializing can not replace the other (Thompson 2). This research adds emphasis towards Clive Thompson's argument because it proves that first social media can help teens with their socializing skills and secondly it also proves that avid texting does not correlate with bad social skills or reclusiveness. Thompson also utilizes research from Joseph Kane, a professor at Mills College in California, who discovered that teenagers that take an interest in hobby or fan based websites are more likely to participate in real-world volunteering (Thompson 4). This study helps prove Thompson's stance on why social media can be good for teens. It explains that teens who are involved with social networking sites are not desensitized to the world around them. They are able to view the world through a different …show more content…

Thompson does so by citing information from credible sources such as using research from Amanda Lenhart who as stated before, is a researcher from Pew Research Centre and Susan Greenfield, a scientist and writer who discusses raising a" hedonistic generation" glued to their phones and technology (1) (2). By using these resources Thompson is allowing his readers to trust his judgement on the subject he is discussing. He is also giving them a reason to actually take his words seriously on this particular topic. Thompson not only uses reliable outside resources but also himself. Clive Thompson is considered a reliable resource because his qualification on the topic that he is discussing. He is a father of two primary school children and because he is a father he has experience with children and the way they interact as a whole and with technology. Thompson is able to use this information to his advantage and allow his audience to view him as a knowledgeable person on the topic discussing the positives of social media use and

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