In today's society, technology plays a major role in everyday activities. Most
people rely on a device, or numerous devices, to accomplish not only work, but also daily
tasks such as checking email, sending texts, and even just entertaining one's self. In
'Hooked on Technology, and Paying a Price', author Matt Richtel describes the modern
world in which we live through our addiction to technology. Ritchel uses these articles
to highlight a few different people that provide examples of extremely relatable
lifestyles in today's society.

The article was originally written and released in the June 6, 2010 issue of the
New York Times. This medium was specifically chosen to distribute his article because
Richtel realized whom his target audience was and the New York Times matched with
exactly whom he wished to address. Richtel knew that, similar to most newspapers, it is
especially popular with middle-aged businessmen and their families. He knew that his
audience would be the people that could most relate to Mr. Campbell in the article, which
creates a stronger argument. With the correct audience, any argument can become
instantly stronger and more convincing. Knowing this, Richtel guaranteed himself
success by putting the article in one of the most widely read newspapers in the country,
which in turn created a more convincing argument.

The article as a whole is increasingly convincing when it is thought about more
and more. Richtel's use of kairos to create a timely argument plays a huge role in creating
a convincing argument. By using the Campbell family, Richtel provides a current day
example of the issue at hand. By doing this, he creates a sense of urgency to readers
about the issue of technology addiction. Campbell is described as a busy family man with
a successful business. Just his life can relate to hundreds of thousands of people that are
in similar scenarios. With the example of Mr. Campbell, it allows readers to consider
their own lives in terms of their personal use of technology and how that use may be
consistent with Campbell's. Although not necessarily shown in a negative light,
Campbell's daily lifestyle is portrayed as a definite hurdle to overcome for not only
Campbell himself, but also for the other members of his family. By relating Campbell to
readers, Richtel strengthens his argument and will persuade readers to at least consider
his argument, if he has not already convinced them. Along with relating Campbell to
readers, Richtel also uses a bit of wit regarding the mediums of distribution in society
today to create a more convincing argument.

Ironically, everything is now accessible online, including newspaper articles.
Although this is true, Richtel most likely not only chose a newspaper to display his article
because of the audience, but also because it helps to show his stance on the subject. With
the article being placed on a physical, paper medium, Richtel's stance on the negatives of
technology is even more obvious. He attempts to completely avoid any sort of
technological medium to maybe help readers realize how addicted they may be to their
technology. Even though newspaper articles are available online, Richtel may have also
purposely wanted the article to run online as well. With it being distributed online,

Richtel's article may become even more convincing. If a reader views his article
online, but also realizes that it is a newspaper article, they may be even more enlightened
as they are reading it on a device. Reading it online would make readers think, 'This
article is about our addiction to technology as a society, and I am a part of it because this
is a newspaper article that I chose to read online instead of going and picking up the
physical item.' The fact that newspaper articles are available online is not only ironic, but
also possibly helpful to Richtel in getting his point across and helping readers relate to
Campbell.

When examining Campbell in the article, Richtel allows him to have his own
input on his technology dependence. He believes that he uses too much technology, but
also makes it clear that he does not think it is a pressing issue. His business is run online
and he made his money by selling his previous business, another online company.
Although Campbell is often on his devices, he believes he needs them to be successful.
By allowing this input, Richtel uses stasis theory to show that he understands the counter
argument to his point of view on the topic. He realizes that there will be many readers
whom do not agree with his article at all and think that society is at a good place with its
current technological usage level. With this clear line of dispute that Richtel recognizes,
he structures his article in a way that his argument will counter each point of dispute.
Each time Campbell explained how his use of technology was not really a bad thing,
Richtel would counter with a following sentence or paragraph that would once again
support his beliefs. This strategy makes it very difficult for readers to continue on in the
article without once being persuaded by Richtel's style of writing.

Along with this persuasive style of writing, Richtel indirectly asks the question
throughout the article 'How much is really too much?' The article often mentions the
vast array of different tasks being accomplished on multiple devices all at once. This
prompts the reader to consider 'What is really too much?' Campbell struggled with
focusing on one task at a time, including being involved with his family because of his
tendency to multitask as much as possible on all of his devices. Richtel also utilizes the
information found in a study by Stanford University, which shows that people who are
considered 'multitaskers' are less likely to accept a reward for solving a problem with
just one 'old-fashioned' or 'conventional' method. This makes readers consider how
many tasks they juggle at any given moment and whether or not their answer to 'How
much is really too much?' is contributing to their level of technological use. Through this
strategy Richtel indirectly coerces readers into considering his argument without
specifically mentioning it.

In order to strengthen the argument, Richtel describes the issue with clarity and
makes sure that readers clearly understand exactly what he is arguing throughout the
article. Richtel describes the issue with clarity and makes sure that readers understand
exactly what he is arguing. Making sure that the audience clearly understands the issue is
extremely important to successfully creating a competent, convincing, and effective
argument. Richtel makes sure to define exactly what he means by 'overuse of
technology' and relates that to the real life scenarios the issue may play a role in. This is
essential for the reader to understand in order to connect with the argument Richtel wants
them to consider.

Richtel creates a very strong and convincing argument that forces readers to
reevaluate what they may already believe about how technology fits into modern society.
They must reconsider the notions that many have that an addiction to technology is not a
pressing issue, but rather a helpful facet of everyday life. Through 'Hooked on
Technology, and Paying a Price', technology can be seen in a different light, but this
would not be possible without Richtel's strategies to convince his audience. Technology
has now been forced to become the forefront of conversation because of Richtel's article,
and readers must now consider his argument while also creating a strong opinion of their
own.

