Jasmine Crafts
9/15/11
English 104
Amy Goldwasser writes “What’s the matter with kids today?” This story is mainly targeted towards the adults and teachers of teenagers this generation. Many who would agree are teens, especially ones that read magazines and are very involved with social networking, the internet, and technology. Goldwasser is a person who is very familiar with teens today, as she is an editor for Vogue, the New Yorker and Seventeen. She places a few facts in this story but she is so on the teen’s side that she gives them a lot of credit for the way that they learn today. Although, Goldwasser is an adult herself, she understands what this generation is surrounded by and is willing to support them to the fullest because it will someday make them great writers and storytellers.
Goldwasser states a few facts and statistics, “the average teen chooses to spend an average of 16.7 hours a week reading and writing online” (239). This is a statistic that she uses to show that with the internet more in teens lives, they tend to read more than they would when a chapter book is forced I their face. In the second paragraph, Goldwasser mentions an opinion on the topic. “The internet, according to 88-year old Lessing, has “seduced” a whole generation into inanities” (237). She then states in the next paragraph that maybe it’s not the generation being “seduced” by the internet, but that it has maybe effected the older generation instead.
Goldwasser primarily uses logos to convince the older generation that internet is the best way for this generation to learn and comprehend. She stresses that of adults look at the internet as something bad or negative in a childs life that they will go against them. She talks about how when adults start looking at it more on the positive side they will realize that teenagers could be the next voices of America. When people worked strictly on hard copy, pen and ink, there was not an issue; but now that this generation is raised up on technology, they tend to know a little more than the adults which can be a bit intimidating to the adults. “We’re afraid. Our kids know more things we don’t” (238). They say parents know everything, but with this type of controversy they stand corrected, “Plus, they’re blogging about us” (238). With this statement, that could be a bit intimidating and makes the old generation a bit jealous and insecure.
Teenagers choose to social network on a daily basis. Goldwasser explains how adults should be glad the internet is available, ad start looking at it as an educational source instead of being so negative about it. The internet is something that they can ventilate on and express how they feel. With this being a place where they can say anything they want and feel however they want, it can sometimes be ad eye opener to the kid. On the internet they can sell ads on their personal pages and expressing themselves as the person they are such as posting blogs. Teens use the internet for