Pictured below is an image that defines the topic of a research paper I am currently writing. The purpose of my research is to determine whether social networking sites such as Facebook do more harm than good for children. Cyber bullying is a growing problem in American schools today as more and more children are given free access to the Internet and social networking sites. As more and more children become more familiar, and more comfortable with these online tools, malicious and careless use of these tools becomes more and more commonplace.
The picture depicts a status update, presumably of a high school student, from the popular site "Facebook", that appears to target another student in an attempt to make them feel bad. Rhetorically, the image is a powerful one. Anyone who is familiar with Facebook understands that when this post is published, it is available for all too see. It is, therefore, implied that the purpose of the post was not simply to inform everyone that there would be a party, but to publicly humiliate and exclude a certain individual. It is in this way that the image invokes pathos in the viewer. Appalled at the insidious attempt to humiliate another student creates strong negative feeling towards the author of the post. The image also displays a sense of ethos, because this post is one that is very likely to be written frequently by many children across the country. The credibility, and likelihood of this post's existence, is compounded by the fact that the image appears to be a snapshot of an actual post on an actual computer screen. This implies a level of reality that viewers may have been previously unaware of.
This image is an excellent example of static visual rhetoric pertaining to cyber-bullying using social networking sites because it invokes a strong aversion, and because it is banal enough to seem very real.
Insightful points. I agree that the purpose of the post is most likely to publicly exclude and humiliate an individual and that the "real" look of the image boosts its credibility. It's interesting (and also scary) to watch some interactions on Facebook. Even adults often don't seem to know how to communicate well and, perhaps, what is appropriate to post in a fairly public location.
ReplyDeleteVery accurate evaluation. I do agree that social networking sites such as "Facebook" have been used in negative ways more often that positive. Unfortunately, many people have mean intentions and use these sites as a method of degrading others. You're rhetorical image is very powerful and will be extremely functional when proving your point in your project.
ReplyDeleteI agree in the fact that a lot of people do use facebook and other social networking sites for more bad than good. The image you used in fact does portray your message extremely well. The second part of the post was not necessary but it was included to publicly humiliate someone.
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