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How Facebook Makes Us Dumber Rhetorical Analysis

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Cass Sunstein explains in his article, “How Facebook Makes Us Dumber”, the tendency of facebook users to seek out information that confirms what they already believe. He explains the “vicious spiral” that occurs when a homogenous community of facebook users share articles that don’t necessarily have any factual truth. The article confirms whatever bias the community holds, and thus strengthening the belief. Readers of these articles don’t feel the need to fact check or seek out any contradictions of the article because they agree with the article’s content, and because every article that is shared within the community features the same opinion, it becomes as if opposition doesn’t even exist. In Leonard Pitt’s “When ears don’t hear, truth is …show more content…

Accept only those “facts” that support what you already believe” This quote may explain why a facebook user never reads or shares article that goes against their preconceived notions because, according to Pitt, in today’s world people want to ignore inconvenient truths. Sunstein points out, “ The consequence is the “proliferation of biased narratives fomented by unsubstantiated rumors, mistrust, and paranoia.” Pitts concludes “And when people are determined to believe a lie, there is nothing more futile than the truth.” arguing further that the rumors and mistrust can create an alternative history based not on facts but stereotypes passed from generation to generation. Both columnists explore the result of people who do not seek out information that contrasts their opinion. Sunstein explains the spread of fake news through the studies of facebook users while Pitts uses personal experience to demonstrate the lack of critical thinking he sees through the eyes of responders to his

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