Dawn of Digital Natives

Breanna Vegas
Steve Sweek
English 122. 603: Rhetorical Analysis
February 14, 2013
Summary and Analysis of Steve Johnson’s “Dawn of the Digital Natives” In Steve Johnson’s “Dawn of the Digital Natives” reprinted in Writing Arguments, 9th edition, the author brings to light how the digital era has affected us in regards to our reading habits. Johnson displays how well versed he is in NEA report and how he feels their choice of focus narrows the accuracy of the reading statistics. He explains how their findings are skewed by only representing printed text. Johnson is a very throw writer and shows his expedience when reviewing the report regarding the decline of reading. Though his article is written very well, it has some room for improvement. Johnson begins his article by relating to the reader on how there has been a decline in reading, especially in adults. He uses humors pathos stating, “It’s amazing a contemporary teenager can ever recognize a book, much less read one.” (Johnson 2) He says this in exaggeration, illustrating how the exhausted statistics that the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) uses don’t quite correlate to the reading level of teenagers today utilizing ethos. He is familiar with this tactic that he calls, “our kids in peril,” that is eye catching for concerned parents and uses logos. Johnson goes on to share some NEA’s statistics such as this one which state that non required reading amongst adults has gone down 7% sense 1992. After reviewing the “alarming” data found by the NEA chair, Dana Gioia, though he phrases the situation in dramatic terms, “The data turns out to be complex, inconsistent and not really that alarming at all.” (Johnson 2) Johnson sarcastically relays the found data pointing out that there is a reason for the sudden influx ability to read yet sharp decline for those in high school. Timing takes an important role in both the NEA article and Johnson’s. Johnson seems to shoe the NEA’s pure logos while he used ethos and logos to support his points and objections to this narrow study conducted ignoring those of the digital age. He reveals how even their statistics are made flashier to be seen as more threatening by using exams worth 500 points vs. out 100 point scoring system in which we are more accustom to. Johnson explains that reading is similar to our writing gap. “Of course we are writing more, and writing in public for strangers: novel readers may have declined by 10%, but the number of bloggers has gone from zero to 25 million.” (Johnson 2) Johnson challenges the NEA to see how much more profitable it is to be a computer programmer vs. an obsessive novel reader. He tells how a political campaign 2004 study found that by using the internet, younger people are having an easier time being informed and are able to take more of an interest in politics by it being convenient. Concluding his article, Johnson tell how much those of the digital age have as an advantage, he explains “The twentysomethings in the US - the ones who spent their childhood years engaged with computers and not zoning out in front of the TV - are the least violent, the most politically engaged and the most entrepreneurial since the dawn of the television era.” (Johnson 2)
Johnson takes a relaxed and almost playfully provocative approach to his writing, making him more relatable, but did not paint a scene that we, the readers, can visualize. He uses primarily a logos and ethos approach leaving me, the reader, wishing he had used a bit more pathos to connect and relate more on less a snarky level. He missed multiple opportunities to, such as in paragraph 9 when he recognizes that this article is more likely to be being read online rather than in print form. He could have painted a scene showing more reliability by explaining how we may be reading it between sips of coffee and poking friends on Facebook. Johnson is very straight to the point which has its advantages in certain situations, but in this article it just can of as a bit conceited. I felt his writing style as a whole was well done however.
By the tone he set for the article, he was able to keep his reader’s attention throughout. He did this while still explaining the statistic in a refutable manner but was able to get his point across. I feel he could have been a bit more mature about the refute as a whole and showed a bit of his immaturity in such sections like paragraph 15 when he challenges the NEA to see who would make more money with book reading vs. computer programming.
Johnson has good intentions of not letting concerned parents fall victim to in complete and brash statistics but makes his comfort seem less comforting. If he had taken the time to be a bit less bias and immature, then he could have a really well developed and throw essay.

Work site page
Johnson, Steve. “Dawn of the Digital Naives.” Writing Arguments, 9th edition. 2.