Communicating Online

            I think the internet has completely changed the way we form opinions and talk to each other. It used to be that we heard about major issues from the news or maybe a teacher or parent. Now it feels like opinions come at us nonstop through TikToks, tweets, and Instagram stories. To me, this makes everything feel faster and more intense. Public opinion can shift in a matter of hours, depending on what’s trending or who posts what.      Social media doesn’t just share ideas, it sells them. The way something is said matters just as much as what’s being said. I think that’s why people care so much about aesthetics and tone. Pearson et al. (2021) say that persuasive messages work best when they connect emotionally with the audience, and I definitely see that all the time. Posts that go viral usually tap into feelings like anger, pride, or hope. To me, that kind of emotional pull is powerful, but it can also be manipulative if we’re ...

 Article I choose: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/25/us/politics/trump-race-civil-right-white-men.html  For Trump, Civil Rights Protections Should Help White Men Administration officials pick and choose which civil rights protections they want to enforce, and for whom. I choose this article as it was the first one that came up on my NYT subscription. In the article, a straw man fallacy appears when critics claim the Trump administration is conveying that “white men are the most discriminated against people in American society.” This misrepresents the administration’s actual stance, which focuses on shifting civil rights enforcement toward claims of anti-white or anti-male bias—an action that, while controversial, is not the same as asserting that white men are the most oppressed. By exaggerating the administration’s position, critics attack a distorted version of the argument, which makes it easier to discredit. This is characteristic of the straw man fallacy, whe...

I choose this argument as it was the first one that came up on my For you page on my tik tok. I feel its very telling that it only takes one or so video to find an argument in a comment section. The video was controversial but I thought the Grammer attack was telling. Three Negative aspects of this Argument  Oversimplification and Generalization: This comment generalizes an entire group’s behavior and beliefs, which shuts down constructive discussion and reinforces stereotypes. It assumes all reactions will be the same without room for nuance or individual perspective. Dramatic and Emotionally Charged Language: While emotional responses are valid, phrasing like “fell low” with broken-heart emojis dramatizes disagreement and implies betrayal or degradation, which can escalate tensions rather than foster understanding. Mockery and Dismissiveness   The single-word reply with a crying emoji mocks the prior speaker’s tone or word choice. Sarcasm and ridicule can ...

 I’ve been really interested in how brands communicate online not just what they say, but how they say it and what that tells us about who they are. I decided to take a closer look at Free People, one of my favorite fashion brands. I love their aesthetic, but I want to know: What makes them so popular on their website and social media? Using some of the ideas from The Rhetorical Act by Campbell, Huxman, and Burkholder (2014), I dug into how Free People uses language, visuals, and storytelling to connect with their audience. Spoiler: they’re really good at it. When I land on Free People’s website, I am immediately hit with beautiful visuals, soft colors, flowing fabrics, and campaigns that make me want to pack up and go on a road trip. At the very top, there’s usually a banner for new arrivals or sales. In the middle, you’ll find curated looks and lifestyle imagery, and the bottom has all the practical links, customer service, sustainability, social media, etc. I feel this layout ...

  I think one of the things that makes Emma Chamberlain's Anything Goes podcast so popular is her ability to tell a story and be relatable. Though she is rich and famous now she comes from the same background as most of her listeners and understands the things that need to be talked about. While she talks about herself it's never annoying as she applies it to universal concepts. Her tone is exceptionally calm and honest and she's not afraid to sound a bit silly or make mistakes and I find that's what makes it genuine. In my own recording of a podcast I would also want to come off as a chill individual that people could bear listing too. As much as that's important I think content is equally a necessity and I would want to talk of things people would want to hear.

  For my podcast this week I watched Emma Chamberlain's Anything Goes episode Never Say Never. I feel that her audience for most of her episodes are young adult or teen women. She herself is quite young and she seems to understand quite well the things her audience cares about and wants to hear. Her podcasts offer a level of reflection that I think she knows her audience would highly benefit from. In this episode she looked at her progression into fame and how she never expected to be where she is now. Typically this would come off as a ploy to seem humble and grateful but she instead focuses on how keeping an open mind, saying yes, having values, and going after the things you wan =t in life could truly make a difference. I think a lot of Emma Chamberlins listeners buy into her content and as the audience is composed of younger girls I think the message of self investment and confidence is really important. Women often feel they must always be calm, docile, roll with the punches,...