Technology Distraction 101

Richtel, Matt. (2010). Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction

Writing in the Works, Third Edition, p. 349-357

            Contemporary technology has overtime been adapted into our day to day lives; more so as the generation goes on. The concern from both parents and educations is that "'we're raising a generation of kids in front of screens whose brains are going to be wired differently.'" (Richtel, 2010, p. 350) In Richtel's article, Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction, he goes into detail about how contemporary technology has affected younger generation and causing them to be more distracted. This includes students who previously listened in class and got high marks change into students who are glued to their devices for a long duration of time and doing poorer in their education. 

            In his article, Richtel provides subheadings for each section to divide up his thoughts and to make it easier to navigate through the passage. Subheadings such as 'Growing up with Gadgets" (p. 351), allow the reader to stop and think back on what was discussed in the previous section. By doing so, the reader can make connection in the reading between distraction, students, and possibly how it may also be affecting their own children. Some sections are longer than other, which shows that particular section most likely had more thought put into it than other shorter ones. This sections could individually be directed to a variety of age groups since some articles have to do with personal experiences that students could relate to, studies which could be useful for researchers or parents, and detailed information for parents in search of an answer. 

            Richtel's articles is 8-9 pages long not only because of his interviews with the students, but also because he brings in studies from neuroscientists to provide examples for possible educated readers to get an in-depth understanding on why this may be happening to students (p. 353-354). These studies take up a section of the article possibly because Richtel may not have been directing his writing to higher educated people, but perhaps to parents and students who would like a simple answer on whether or not technology is harming the way that their child's education.

            He provides offline examples of students influenced by technology to gives his viewers an understanding that he has gathered knowledge about his topic. Such as "Vishal, a bright 17-year-old" (p. 349) and their transformation into being dedicated to film making and not on his studies. He also draws on a lot of research he has conducted himself first hand and to understand the younger generation today and why is causing them to be so sucked into the digital world. Through these two kinds of research and gathering of studies, Richtel is able to create an article that could be read by a variety of age group that it is targeting at and the reader would be able to receive the message that the article is trying to tell them.

Sources: Matt Richtel, "Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction" from

Writing in the Works, Third Edition, p. 349-357

Balance of Culture and Social Life

Matthai, Thanos. (n.d). A Fine Balance: The Life of a Muslim Teenager

Writing in the Works, Third Edition, p. 197 - 200

            We all have our different cultures and as students, we maybe have to make tough decisions in order to find a common ground that allows both culture and social interaction to not interfere with one another. In Thanos Matthai's (n.d) reading, he writes a profile to analysis the daily life of Mohamed Ahmed. (Matthai, n.d, p. 197) a student who tries to balance his faith and school life. Matthai provides scenarios in which Mohamed has encountered to draw his readers in and to relate them to their own lives. He also emphasizes certain parts of his writing such as "Mohammed has had to make tough choices, sometimes forcing him to almost lead two separate lives" (p. 197). Matthai allows these lines to be the ones that are places in the center of his reading. By doing so, it has a bigger impact on the reader size since it emphasizes that Mohammed had a hard time trying to balance his faith and social live.

           Since Matthai is writing a profile, he gives his reader a background information on Mohamed so that the reader has an idea of where Mohamed is coming from as well as a life story of what he has been through. This embedded life story could only be possible if Matthai was interviewing Mohamed. There are hints in his writing that suggest that he was talking to Mohamed while writing such as, "'When I look back at things now ... ' says Mohamed as he looks around his dorm room" (p. 200). This description of this action can be observed if Mohamed was sitting in front of Matthai. Aside from interviewing Mohamed for his past, Matthai also interviewed people that Matthai knew, such as his cousin Kareem Ahmed (p. 198). By interviewing other people, another point of view is integrated into the reading and allows the reader to understand the kind of person Mohamed is from another perspective. 

            Majority of the reading is used to talk about Mohamed past: the kinds of friends he has made, the way he was brought up as opposed to other American Muslims, the situations that he has been through that affected him personally and how it has changed him into being a social person who is able to balance both his social. Matthai ends off his reading by asking Mohamed about any regrets he may have and if he would have done anything differently that could change the outcome of his current self. (p. 200)


Sources: Thanos Matthai, " A Fine Balance: The Life of a Muslim Teenager" from

Writing in the Works, Third Edition, p. 197- 200