Meanwhile, Back in the Real World

Meanwhile, Back in the Real World

Practice Task 2

Language Analysis

The author of this article response to, “Meanwhile, Back in the Real World” strongly advocates for further education and social connection of teenagers through contemporary technology such as, mobile phones, computers, the internet and devices alike. The author establishes an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality, siding with teenagers using technology whilst undermining anyone who opposes these activities. This division in the audience will most certainly rally any reader who is a general user of technology to join their side, whilst leaving the opposite group baffled.

The author begins his response with a drastic order to, “Dump your iPods, get off the net, throw your mobiles away and start living in the real world, kids.”, this suggestion is then revealed to be the thinking pattern of ‘doomsayers’ and pollsters such as Trueblue. The author’s combined choice to give an exaggerated quote and to attack the oppositional group by labelling them as “doomsayers” really demonizes any characters that are against over-usage of technology. The reader’s mind is now being shown a completely different side of the story as the author accuses the idea of technology correlating with social isolation to be ‘ridiculous’ and opposes that idea by stating technology “depends and broadens the minds of all those who use it.

Furthermore the author reinforces the sociability in technology by stating that teenagers are more interested in music and talking to friends on mobiles rather than staying contact with news services. Accompanying this justification that teens are not isolated due to technology is a photo of four students, all smiling in front of a computer screen. This bright and cheery scenario definitely supports the authors point. Upon the reader looking at this picture would make it very difficult to label teenagers as socially isolated, when they seem to be interacting very well.

The author then...