Stephen Marche's article 'Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?'
Stephen Marche's article 'Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?' focuses on the increasing levels of isolation and the connection of social networking sites, especially Facebook, with the same. In the beginning, the author used realistic scenarios such as the suicide of a former Playboy playmate, Yvette Vickers, to attract the reader's attention to the dangers of isolation (Lenhart). Following that, the author highlights the significant advancements in the sphere of networking and the growth of Facebook with a succinct illustration of Facebook's current sales and market share. Comparison of Facebook’s annual revenues to that of the coffee industry and depiction of the same as an event of one addiction surpassing another is indicative of the negative nature of Facebook and its influence on people.
Citing scenes from the movie ‘the social network’, the author creates a visual perception of the endless wait for response from others on social media. The association of Facebook’s rise and the increasing number of households with single individual as well as the breakdown of traditional family structures are also used by the author to depict the relation between Facebook and increasing negative effects of loneliness. References to theoretical paradigms and research studies have been presented by the author for depicting the primary factors responsible for loneliness and the varying effects of loneliness according to circumstances. Furthermore, the references to affinity towards religion and marriage can be analyzed rhetorically to find the outcome of decrease in loneliness.
The significance of American culture in the predominance of loneliness is also observed as a profound factor for validating the author’s claim. One of the formidable points which could be observed from the article in rhetorical analysis is the history of United States which has depicted congregation in good times and separation during pain (Lenhart). The concluding statement of the article comments on the impact of loneliness on segregation owing to the observed trends such as self-absorption of Baby Boomers, expanse of suburban areas and the increasing influence of television on culture.
Social Media and Romantic Relationships
The proliferation of social media has provided majority of teenagers, especially male, the opportunity to connect with other people in the distinct contours of their daily life and share emotional communication. The article focuses on the use of social media by teenagers for depicting affection for their significant others (Marche). The analysis of the article depicts the use of four primary factors for establishing the impact of social media on relationships of teenagers. The factors were identifies as the feeling of connectedness with the life of the significant other, emotional attachment with the partner in relationship, facility of a platform to depict care for their partners and feeling of jealousness in relationships.
Use of focus group interviews can also be considered as potential elements for improving precision of the arguments placed in the article. Use of survey data representation through graphs is also considered as a significant element for validating the arguments for social media’s influence on the relationships of teenagers. Illustration of references to the observation among teens that their other significant was depicting a different image other than their actual characteristics is also presented by the authors for substantiating their view on the impact of social media on teenager relationship (Marche). Vulnerability of teenagers is a formidable underlying factor which affects their perception of relationships and the use of social media as a platform or a benchmark for depicting care and affection is responsible for insecurity, jealousness and doubt which are profound outcomes of social media use.
The prominence of the use of social media for depicting affection has been demonstrated by the authors through statement of statistics and the critical reflection suggests the involvement of publicness paradox is responsible for the public demonstration of affection on social media as well as an opportunity for teen daters to support the relationships of their friends as well as observing the happenings in their relationships. Therefore these privileges facilitated by social media can be estimated as explicit factors responsible for influencing the relationships of teenagers which has been proved by the rhetorical analysis of the article.
Works Cited
Lenhart, Amanda et al. "Chapter 4: Social Media and Romantic Relationships". Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, 2017, http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/01/social-media-and-romantic-relationships/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017.
Marche, Stephen. "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?”. The Atlantic, 2017, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/308930/. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017.
