Examination of “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”

For Essay 1 you will choose an article or essay from class to work with, and you will write an essay. You will examine one either Adam Gopnik’s “The Caging of America” or Jean Twenge’s “Has the Smartphone Destroyed a Generation” (just one or the other; not both–however, you will read both as assignments before choosing which you would like to work with) in terms of its rhetorical style and appeals. You will also decide and explain whether you believe the argument presented to be valid or invalid. You should provide reasoning and examples to support your stance. It is okay to claim that parts of the argument are valid while other parts are not, so don’t feel like you have to take an “all-or-nothing” stance.This essay is meant to be a deep analysis of the article you choose; you should not use any outside sources. The only exception to this is if you feel the need to include a definition of a term.Your thesis statement should explain whether the author’s rhetorical style and choices are, overall, effective.Your body paragraphs should explain the different ways that the author tries to appeal to the reader, or explain the various ways in which the author supports his argument. You will need to point to examples from the reading, using at least one cited passage in each body paragraph.Your conclusion should explain whom you believe to be the intended audience for the essay or article. You should identify the possible intended audience(s) and explain whether the author does an adequate job of reaching out to his audience(s). You may also identify who might be offended by the ideas presented in the argument.