Analysis Of Plugging In, Tuning Out By Don Campbell

‘Plugging in, tuning out’, written by Don Campbell, talks about the teenage usage of electronics, the Internet, and other types of technology. He becomes appalled when one of his students says she reads ‘nothing’. It shows Campbell how teens have progressively started to lack scholastic interest. Campbell talks about an author, Mark Bauerlein, who states that, “technology and the digital culture it has created are not broadening the horizon of younger generation; they are narrowing it to a self-absorbed social universe that blocks out virtually everything else”. Bauerlein is a director of research and analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts. Campbell spends time talking about Baurelein’s theories and ideas when it comes to the teenage usage of technology. Campbell also states his personal interpretation. He thinks “the Internet has moved technology from the brain to the fingertips”, which means its easy to access information quickly without having to store it in your head. Campbell expands on the writing style of teens. He says since text and instant messaging has become popular, many teens’ shoddy writing is prevalent in their work. However, teens strive to work on their writing because they realize “good writing is the ticket to success in life”. Overall, Campbell believes that teenagers should

It made his argument strong because Bauerlein is an intellect that examines teen’s skills and knowledge. Also, I believe that Campbell proved a solid argument because he talks about his first hand experiences as being a teacher. Since he stated these points, it made his argument more believable. He even talked about how he notices that his two teenage daughters do not read as often as they should. Because Campbell brought his argument to a more personal level, I believe it was easier for the audience to relate with him and reinforce it at home with his audiences’ own