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Nicholas Carr's How Smartphones Hijack Our Minds

Decent Essays

Today, smartphones are everywhere. Just about everybody uses them from the time they get up, to the time they go to bed. With this personal tool, a lot of people have seen positive effects from using the device. However, some believe that people are going to far with a smartphone and that now it’s becoming more than a personal companion. This is what Nicholas Carr believes in “How Smartphones Hijack Our Minds.” In the essay Carr argues that smartphones are having a negative effect on people’s minds. He strengthens his argument by use of fact, word choice, and emotional appeal. I’m the first sentence of the article, Nicholas Carr opens up with: If you are like the typical owner, you’ll be pulling out your phone and using it some 80 times a day, according to the data that Apple collects. That means you’ll be consulting that glossy little rectangle nearly 30,000 times over the coming year.” Typically, people don’t realize how much they pull out their phones to use it. This is an extremely high number that could make a person wonder: “Do I really use my phone like that?” Next, the author uses word choice to strengthen his argument. …show more content…

This can be seen in the title of the article. The title is “How Smartphones Hijack Our Minds.” The word “hijack” is a strong word. It doesn’t just mean to simply take something over but to illegally seize (a vehicle) in transit and force it to a different destination or use it for one’s own purposes. By using this word, the author is saying that these objects we use everyday are taking control and determining the way we think and our actions. To a reader, this may seem shocking that these small objects we use everyday are having this much power in our lives. The final way the author strengthens his argument is by emotional

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