Description

For this essay, find at least four sources regarding your topic of study. These sources should include two academic journal articles, one newspaper article, and one web article (blog, magazine, social media post, youtube). With the exception of the web article, you must locate your sources within CCNY’s academic databases (Academic One or JSTOR). 

Requirements:

• An introduction that tells the reader about your topic
• For each source: 1) write a brief summary and 2) perform a rhetorical analysis of that source (identify the uses of each of the seven rhetorical principles)
• Synthesize the rhetorical analyses of all of the sources. (Address what is similar and dissimilar between them, and, in your opinion, what worked well and what could be improved)
• Include a MLA-style works cited page with proper MLA citations for each source.
• 1500-1750 words

 

Assignment

Over the years, social media has steadily increased in popularity as a means of sharing one’s life or making new connections. However, what effects does social media have on people, more specifically teens? Is it a useful tool that allows youth to share their interests or is it toxic, especially since they are still developing? This essay will analyze four sources that discuss the effects social media has on teens and how they are impacted.

The first article is For teens, navigating the mental health pitfalls of Instagram is part of everyday life. Here, Tatum Hunter – an author for the Washington Post – illustrates the mental burden teens undergo whenever they go on social media. They endure “idealized images and dubious “self-help” recommendations”, things that they should not have to experience (Hunter). With this article, the author includes ways to manage what comes up on the explore page to lessen this burden. Some context surrounding the article is how social media grows every day. Because of the pandemic, more teens have joined social media to combat isolation. The purpose is to bring awareness and help prevent teens from having to constantly view harmful content online. Unfortunately, Instagram “is a wild West of images” you may like based on ones you have interacted with. “Social media apps Snapchat and TikTok have… been criticized for promoting content that could warp self-image or encourage harmful behaviors” and the author hopes to bring awareness to this issue. The audience are teens who use social media apps. Within the article, Hunter asks one of the teens he interviewed what she does to combat the Instagram algorithm. She replies she is “careful not to tap on images of influencers, fashion tips or weight-loss content … instead, she carefully scrolls past them.” Furthermore, Hunter also recommends “clicking on the offending image … tapping the three dots in the corner and selecting ‘Not Interested’ or ‘ask to see less sensitive content’ within the settings of the app. The tone of this article is cautionary to illuminate the situation. The author hopes to bring insight to this sensitive subject and prevent Instagram from further hurting “the mental health of young women and girls.”  Additionally, “some pockets of the Internet promote violent or bigoted ideologies and teen boys are especially vulnerable.” The genre of this is a news article that includes interviews and images of what the explore page may look like on Instagram. The medium used to communicate is a news site. The author’s stance is teens should not have to encounter this mental burden every time they go on social media. As stated before, boys may see “violent or bigoted ideologies” and girls “beautification tips.” The author made it clear this is wrong and something needs to be done before things get out of hand.

The next article is Teens and social media use: What’s the impact? by Mayo Clinic Staff. This article found on the news site Mayo Clinic discusses the negative impact social media has on teens, such as “distracting them, disrupting their sleep, and exposing them to bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic views of other people’s lives and peer pressure.” However, “how teens use social media also… [determines] its impact.” For instance, those who used social media just to view others’ photos “reported declines in life satisfaction” compared to those who only interact with others and post their own content (Mayo Clinic). The purpose of this article is teens ought to limit their social media use and be cautious of what they do online. “A 2019 study of more than 6,500 12- to 15-year-olds in the U.S. found that those who spent more than three hours a day using social media might be at heightened risk for mental health problems.” Especially if they mainly view other’s photos, they may have the belief “others were happier than they were.” This leads into the audience of this piece, which are parents themselves. At the end of the article, Mayo Clinic gives tips on how to protect teens such as setting limits, monitoring their accounts, explain what’s not okay to do, encourage meeting with friends in person and talking about social media in general. The tone of this article is straightforward to give information. As stated, this piece discusses what social media does to a teens’ mental health depending on how they use it. Similarly, the stance the author has is something must be done to combat this issue. One way they suggest is involve parents to help teens promote healthy online habits. The author of this article wants to emphasize that misuse of social media is damaging and needs to be solved. The author of this article is credible because they use numerous studies in their explanations. This also relates to the features, which include studies from 2019 and 2013. Finally, was released recently where teens are using social media more than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic since they are spending more time online. Finally, some cultural expectations include how this is mainly for teens overusing social media or practice harmful behaviors. By doing these things, they are more vulnerable to mental health problems.

Continuing, the journal article Middle School Students’ Social Media Use written by Florence Martin, Chuang Wang, Teresa Petty, Weichao Wang and Patti Wilkins is a study regarding social media usage by middle school students and how it may affect them. By the end, the study concludes how essential it is to educate students, teachers and their parents on “cyberbullying, digital identity, impact of digital footprints, and use of inappropriate social media” (Martin). The purpose of this study was to “gather middle school students’ perceptions on the use of social media and their opinion towards cyber safety.” Not only is it crucial to help protect teens, but also to know what they think of the content they are viewing. The author’s stance is middle school students need to protect themselves from the dangers of the internet. Due to their findings (such as girls being more vulnerable online), the author wants to provide evidence on how these teens need to be kept safe. Next, the tone is straightforward and meant to give information on the study done. There is a “heightened concern for [teens] safety” and the author wants to get to the bottom of it. This piece is a journal article that includes a other sources at the beginning as evidence. Due to these features, the author is credible for their ability to provide research. The audience of this study are students, teachers and parents. It is crucial these groups understand social media due to its increase in usage. From here, they can learn how to better protect themselves and their children. Once again, this was released in 2018, a period where more students are joining social media to do whatever they please. This author wanted to do their study now and inform future students to be careful of what they do. Finally, the cultural expectations for this article are middle school students and their parents or teachers, for this study was done based on this group.

The final source analyzed is Web Sites for Young Children: Gateway to Online Social Networking? by Sheri Bauman and Tanisha Tatum which demonstrates how “professional school counselors should be alert… of children’s use of these sites and the potential for problems” (Bauman and Tatum). They discuss different scenarios that may occur at sites like Club Penguin and interactions may interfere with development. Both authors are credible because of the evidence and other studies used to back up their claim. The genre is a journal article within a book that features numerous studies. The audience is school counselors, for it is essential they “understand the benefits and hazards of such sites” to then relay information for they “are in a central position to provide information and guidance”. Furthermore, the purpose is to discuss these dangers and how they affect children’s development. For instance, the authors include how the game Club Penguin promotes materialism. While there is a free option to the site, members have more privileges illustrates the “belief that one’s success and statues are based on ‘wealth’ or the accumulation of possessions.” The authors want to highlight these dangers and how they affect developing children. This also ties in with tone, which is cautionary to illustrate how innocent children’s games can teach harmful ideologies. The stance the author has is how children must be protected and not allow these websites to hurt them. Besides teaching hurtful lessons, children encounter messages about “being a couple” that they are not ready for at their age. Finally, this piece was written in 2008, which where social media was beginning to gain popularity. This article is meant to figure out some effects this phenomenon has on children and how to keep them safe. The cultural expectations are school counselors, since they work with children and can relay their findings to a larger audience.

While each source is unique in how they discuss how social media affects teens, the have similarities in how each author structured their writing. For instance, the stance all author’s have is something must be done to combat the issues social media brings and how to protect the younger generation. Next, the audiences are a mixture of teens, parents, and school officials to allow everyone to gain more knowledge on the topic. This way, everyone can help one another combat the dangers of the internet. As for tone, Hunter and Bauman and Tatum compare in the sense they are cautionary to shed light on this issue and highlight the dangers of social media. As for Mayo Clinic and Martin, they are straightforward to give info. They do not sugarcoat anything and provide as much information as possible. At last, Hunter, Mayo Clinic, Bauman and Tatum’s purpose of their articles are essentially to bring awareness of such issues to better protect teens and to be cautious of what they do. However, Martin wanted to know how students themselves perceived social media and later decided how they should protect themselves.

In conclusion, these sources are written to allow anyone to understand the dangers of social media regarding the younger generation. While social media allows teens to make connections, there are too many negatives impacting their development and mental health. These articles strengthen something must be done to protect them and end these harmful behaviors. Social media is only growing, and something must be done before it is too late.

 

Works Cited

Bauman, Sheri, and Tanisha Tatum. “Web Sites for Young Children: Gateway to Online Social Networking?” Professional School Counseling, vol. 13, no. 1, American School Counselor Association, 2009, pp. 1–10, http://www.jstor.org/stable/42732914.

Hunter, Tatum. “For Teens, Navigating the Mental Health Pitfalls of Instagram Is Part of Everyday Life.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 21 Oct. 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/21/teens-instagram-feed-mental-health/.

Martin, Florence, et al. “Middle School Students’ Social Media Use.” Journal of Educational Technology & Society, vol. 21, no. 1, International Forum of Educational Technology & Society, 2018, pp. 213–24, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26273881.

“How to Help Your Teen Navigate Social Media.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 26 Feb. 2022, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437#:~:text=However%2C%20social%20media%20use%20can,much%20social%20media%20teens%20use.