Matt Richtel wrote 'Hooked on Technology and Paying a Price' to argue how
technology can have a drastic effect on someone's life and how bad most people are at
multitasking. His audience would be the people who think they are good multitaskers and are
convinced that technology has no effect on their personal lives; people who think they are in
control and do not suffer from technology addiction. Currently in 2014 technology is the best it
has ever been yet inventors are still working on making them better, faster, and more durable.
This topic is timely because technology is so popular and powerful in our world today, and this
topic will continue to always be timely as long as technology keeps getting improved; especially
considering that commercials are all over the television advertising these products twenty-four
seven, and we as humans are constantly using these devices. Stating examples from Campbell's
life of exactly how technology has affected both his professional and personal life makes his
writing more effective.

Campbell, the man Richtel has based this piece of writing on, is suffering from
technology and multitasking addiction that only those around him can see. His addiction is so
bad that he almost missed out a million dollar deal because he could not focus on one task alone.
He has missed out on spending time with his wife and children because he could not put his
devices down during their vacation. Technology controls every aspect of Campbell's life and
while he is convinced that it is helping him and making things easier, his wife is the first to
disagree.

Richtel is arguing with inductive reasoning by going from specific to general. He starts
out with telling readers about how technology is affecting Campbell's life and then goes into
telling of how most people are not as good as they think they are at multitasking. Richtel uses
rhetorical and scientific reasoning in his writing. Rhetorical reasoning is used when he tells
readers of Campbell's day to day activates, how technology is a part of it all, and how Campbell
does not believe he has a problem even though it is apparent that he really does. Scientific
reasoning is used when detailed information on the multitasking experiment is provided to
readers (Richtel 90-92). Richtel brings in the example of Campbell almost missing out on $1.3
million because he knows how important money is to readers, how we think this is something
that could never happen to us because of how much money that is, but then provides examples
that readers soon realize could happen to almost any person letting technology take over their
life.

Being an American writer and journalist for The New York Times are factors that helped
Matt Richtel create an effective ethos. To help establish a strong invented ethos through
goodwill, good sense of the subject, and good virtue. Goodwill by keeping the audience in mind
with stating the results of the multitasking experiment to prove to us that we should only focus
on one thing at a time and stop trying to accomplish so many things at once. Richtel has good
sense of the subject and good virtue because he is sure to get every detail of Campbell's life that
is useful to the reader in seeing why and how technology can be addictive and its negative
effects. With Richtel being a writer for The New York Times he can be trusted because this is the
largest newspaper in the United States, which also helps him invent a stronger ethos and prove
himself and his writing trustworthy. This amount of credibility forces the audience to take him
seriously.

The topic is urgent because while reading this article most of us just thought that Kord
Campbell was just an extreme case and that this could never happen to us and then, by force of
habit, we reached over and checked our phones. We forgot that this story in front of us could
easily be us one day. The urgency of this topic is emphasized through the presence of his wife
and children and how his addiction was impacting and spreading to his children. The urgency is
also demonstrated when Campbell missed the million dollar email. We miss what is going on in
the world around us when we make these technological devices our world. We read past this
example and brush it off saying that we would never miss something this important because of
technology but we walk with our head down and our eyes glued to our phones missing the world
around us and walking into other people.

I do not think Campbell is aware of his situation because he is the one going through it.
He thinks that he does not have as big as a problem as he really does. I think his wife notices it
more because it affects her marriage and her children. The Campbell family has allowed
technology to invade their dinner time, and this is the case with most of today's modern families.
Texting, and social media all have a place at our dinner tables and they distract families from
each other and instead of talking of how the day was spent we are strolling through pictures or
tweets of our friends. He shows an awareness of his audience by knowing that he is not the only
one suffering from technology addiction. He is also speaking to those that are on the pathway to
becoming just like him.

The venue in which the argument is being made is inside their home and on their
vacation. Campbell is limited by the venues because they help the case against him. He could not
enjoy his vacation that he paid for because he could not put his electronics away long enough to
spend time with his family. Technology invading his home life is also supported by the venues.
Although he uses video games to bond with his son this is the only good purpose they serve.
Technology is often used in the Campbell house and they tear the family further apart from each
other because they go into their own bubbles while using them and then refrain from interacting
with each other.

The author does show an awareness of disagreements with his arguments because he
defends all the mistakes that come from him being addicted to technology. Each time it is proven
why technology is making his life more difficult and how he is addicted to it he states a reason
why it is helping his life. Campbell is on the defense every time he is accused of this act, and
these are his points of dispute.

The argument of how technology can have negative affects is made by Richtel putting
Campbell's family into the story. Readers can see how his devices pull him away from his family
and after a while of reading we can see that once his family starts using their devices they get
pulled away as well. Readers are also able to see how their family could have similarities to the
Campbell family, which could help them see there is a problem and work towards fixing it
before it gets worse.

