Today, the average American teenager spends up to 10 hours a day in front of screens, whether TVs, computers or increasingly, their smartphones. The increase in screen time correlates almost exactly with advances in smartphone technology, as today’s cell phones allow their users to instantly check their social media feeds, surf the internet and sometimes do both at once. Given the inescapable presence of technology in our society, the effects of our favorite electronic devices on the way we interact with one another has become a relevant topic of public debate. On one side, some state that excessive technology use causes people to lose their human connections, becoming sheltered from the real world. However, the opposition sees technology more as a means of breaking down boundaries between people than as its own barrier. During Penn State’s 2017 convocation, anthropology professor Nina Jablonski requested that students limit use of their cell phones throughout their four years at Penn State. She claimed that while technology serves as our primary means of socialization, it can also isolate us from new people and experiences. In contrast to Jablonski, Verizon appeals to the potential for technology to connect complete strangers, in an advertisement marketing its services to millennials. Both pieces of rhetoric attempt to reach young adults using current cultural references, creating an emotional connection by example and appealing to their hopes and expectations, while promoting opposite claims about the benefits of technology.
I like how you incorporated both artifacts that you are going to use in your paper. I also found your thesis statement very strong and interesting. I am excited to continue reading after the introduction paragraph