Rhetorical Analysis: Social Media

For those who write frequently, it is well known that the sharpest dagger (Don't worry! Metaphorical dagger!) that a writer owns is rhetoric. How something is written has a major impact on the reader and their interpretation of what was written. For example, in the blog post titled "Social Media: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," the author, called sternerr, talks about the dangers of social media. Their argument appeals to ethos at the beginning when they explains both sides of the argument. The author explains that social media websites can be beneficial in keeping up easily with loved ones, but there are some negative implications as well. The author then goes on to incite logos. They give specific examples of how teens much like the intended audience of their blog need to be careful with what they put of Facebook and Twitter. For example, she recall a story about a college student at UCLA who was forced to withdraw from school after a particular rant on a social media website. Her use of such a grave example makes readers believe that they can get in much more trouble or their posts than they thought. By scaring the reader with examples such as these, the author forms an impression in the mind of the reader and conveys their opinion successfully.

Another blog post, titled "Why Sharing Photos on Facebook is Bad for You," warns readers about the legal implications that their social media can have on their lives and their privacy. This article appeals mainly to logos as the author takes the reader through the process of reading the privacy policy on Facebook's website regarding pictures. The author includes screenshots of the policy itself to show the reader the truth behind his argument.  He then explains the policy to the reader and shows them what Facebook has the legal right to do with their pictures and videos that they had previously shared freely. Offering cold, and a little bit scary, evidence to support his claim allows the author to fully make his point to the reader.

These uses of rhetoric and are important tools that authors implement to make their points while writing. In highly opinionated pieces, the rhetoric is almost flagrant. Any other interesting examples of rhetoric out there? Please share!