Summary Of The Digital Parent Trap

Everywhere you go today, people are using technology. Never before are so many people seen talking on the phone, playing video games, or texting throughout their day. This screen-filled life not only dominates adults but has also come to be a major part of kids. What may have once been kids running around playing tag or acting out Davy Crockett at the battle of the Alamo may now be kids sitting inside playing clash of clans. After recent studies on educational games and their effects, an article, “The Digital Parent Trap”, presents how technology is affecting kids and how parent should react to this. In the article, the worries of parents are discussed and the opposing opinions for using technology in school. The author, Eliana Dockterman successfully

Throughout the article, the author states many expert opinions such as school administrators and principals. For example, she iterates the opposing opinion when stating Lucy Wurtz: “You should say some computer games develop creativity, but I don’t see any benefit. Waldorf kids knit and build thing and paint- a lot of really practical and creative endeavors.” Referencing an opposing opinion, the author builds her papers strength by not only adding credibility to her views but to others as well. She also uses expert opinions when she quotes, “If we’re not exposing our students to this stuff early, they’re going to be left behind.” By adding expert opinions to her article, the author is able to create credibility for her opinion by quoting professionals who know about the subject. Doing so adds weight to her argument and will attract a reader's attention and thought by quoting someone who they know is a credible source. Stating expert opinions, Eliana Dockterman adds weight to her argument by using others credibility to stress the importance of early exposure to

To begin her argument, she introduces the topic of kids using technology and the different views on whether they should use it at such an early age when she asks, “So who’s right- the mom trying to protect her kids from the perils of new technology or the dad who’s coaching his kids to embrace it?” By starting her article like this, Dockterman is able to attract her readers attention by discussing the subject and then asking them to think about it. From there, she forms her argument connecting to parents worries and why they might not want to expose their kids to technology at such a young age. However, in the second half of her paper, she forms her opinion by dispersing parents worries and explaining how early exposure to technology can be beneficial to kids. When the author uses this format for her piece, she assesses the opposing opinion and explains it but then reverts to her opinion and explains why it is better. This not only explains her point of view to the audience, but successfully explains why it is better than the opposing opinion. For example, unlike many articles, her opinions will not be taken by the audience as a rant with no acknowledgement to the opposing side, but an educated article that explains why her side is better than the other. Through her use of structure, the author shows her opinion effectively in a