Harrowing screams, angry songs and heartfelt tears: this is the climate of change. Compare it to the placid clicking of keyboards, to the random transmission of emoticons; it is clear which situation will go down in history. This is Malcolm Gladwell's central argument in his essay “Small Change: Why the Revolution Won't Be Tweeted.” To convince readers that progress cannot be achieved through social media, Gladwell uses logos and ethics, an intellectual personality, and his unique writing style. He attracts his audience and convinces his readers that “social media cannot provide what social change has always required” (315). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Gladwell's abundant use of real-world examples and facts allows him to validate his argument. The best example of this tactic is the anecdote at the beginning of his piece: the two-page summary of the notorious Greensboro sit-in during the 1960s. At the end of the speech, Gladwell captured his reader's attention and put his audience directly into the situation, making his statement, “…it all happened without email, text, Facebook, or Twitter” (314) powerful and sufficient without any kind of explanation. Likewise, he doesn't express any opinion without providing a good real-world example of why he thinks a certain way. Talking about the demise of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Al-Qaeda supports his perspective on how insufficient networks actually are in changing any kind of social order. These well-known examples give him credibility and a crucial means of attracting his audience. Yet Gladwell's use of logos was not the only rhetorical device that helped convey his argument. The essay itself begins by throwing the reader directly into the tense situation of the 1960 Greensboro sit-in. By presenting the visual details of how the rebellion occurred, the reader can almost hear the sounds and feel the intensity during that time. This is Gladwell's tactic to convince the reader of the wisdom of his point of view. After the long introduction that undoubtedly captured the reader's full attention, Gladwell explains his opinion on the inadequate role that social media has played in today's activism. His explanation includes specific examples of the use of Facebook and Twitter, indirectly juxtaposing the social activism of the 1960s with that of today. He then proposes a different idea of the “so-called Twitter Revolution” of Moldova and Iran, giving the reader a different perspective on the irrelevance of social media in revolutions around the world. After wrapping up the topic, he picks up where he left off regarding the sit-in; he continues to do so throughout his essay, demonstrating time and again that the use of social media is inferior to direct confrontation with unjust hierarchies when it comes to social change. This type of writing strategy keeps the reader engaged, a task that is the most important aspect of conveying an idea. However, this wasn't his only writing strategy that kept Gladwell's readers coming back for more. Throughout his essay, Gladwell maintained an intellectual, yet humble tone. The choice of words and syntax gave it a cultured character. This identity is vital to establishing credibility, which allows the reader to trust that Gladwell knows what he is talking about, aiding him in his goal of convincing the reader of his perspective. Consider his statement about how social media has given people a means to speak.
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