Rhetorical Analysis of Article Why I Just Asked My Students to Put Their Laptops Away

In the article “Why I Just Asked My Students to Put Their Laptops Away,” by Clay Shirky, one is proposed with the thought of a classroom, with students, who are not allowed to have access to electronic devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. The article was published on September 8, 2014, and the source is none other than Clay Shirky himself. He begins by introducing himself, stating that he is a professor of "theory and practice of social media"(pg. 209) at NYU. The reader is immediately perplexed as to why he chose to restrict technology while his entire course is constructed on a foundation where technology is the driving force. He explains that he came at the decision to establish this mandate grudgingly and thoughtfully, giving his decision weight because it is so out of character for a class like his. Shirky outlines three epiphanies that caused him to make this decision. 

Shirky's first discovery was that when he asked students to put their devices away, they seemed relieved. He claims that this is due to the cognitive stress that multitasking places on their brains causing the quality of their work and depth of thought to diminish. The author states,  “I’ve noticed that when I do have a specific reason to ask everyone to set aside their devices it’s as if someone has let fresh air into the room” (pg. 210). In this portion of the article, Shirky applies the rhetorical device, pathos, as a means to give his students some time to relax and erase the brain fog within their minds, which will allow them to focus on one thing at a time. This act by Shirky also shows that he is striving to give his students the best scholastic environment possible, without unnecessary stress. However, it seems that he manipulates the students in a way of getting what he wants. Shirky wants the class to pay attention to him during lectures, so he persuades them to put their devices away, which will allow them to focus. Although the students think of this method as a helping hand, Shirky knows that this is a tactic to make the students focus on their schoolwork. 

His second realization was that students cannot afford to ignore the immediacy and emotional attraction of social media and other distractions. He says that businesses have designed signals that are biologically difficult to ignore. The author states, “...social information is immediately and emotionally engaging. Both the form and the content of a Facebook update are almost irresistibly distracting…” (pg. 211). This means that, regardless of how hard they try, students will be distracted in class by these notifications. Shirky claims that the gravitation of social media and devices establishes a student’s performance of multitasking. He states, “People often start multi-tasking because they believe it will help them get more done… instead, efficiency is degraded” (pg. 210). This evidence supports Shirky's claim that the notifications that appear on our devices during class are impossible to ignore. This paragraph also claims that because the content appeals to our emotions, we respond more quickly and freely to these messages and are distracted for longer periods.