digital rhetoric
What is digital rhetoric? If you ask Hodgson and Barnett in their article, “Introduction: What Is Rhetorical about Digital Rhetoric?” you probably won’t get a direct answer. They believe there is no single definition of digital rhetoric. Instead, it combines many different forms of communication and multimedia. Digital rhetoric is meant to be persuasive. It expresses a thought, opinion, or idea in digital form, with supporting details that expand people’s thinking or offer a new perspective. There’s often humor in rhetoric. It requires some critical thinking. Readers should be able to piece together different forms of speech by an author (or authors) whose goal is effective persuasive communication.
Sometimes it takes a bit of context and background knowledge about the writer to fully comprehend their purpose or wit. If the audience isn’t capable of considering multiple perspectives, or is unfamiliar with the author’s tone, sarcasm, humor, etc., then it will be challenging to understand the rhetoric within a text. Their purpose becomes unclear and uncertain. Therefore, with a bit of existing schema, it’s easier to decipher the writer’s rhetoric and decode their intention beyond the text.
Reflect
Technology changes as fast as children grow. Similar to how people communicate and learn in different ways, digital rhetoric uses a multitude of multimedia to convey messages. Typing up papers, emails, texts, blogs, vlogs, etc. It’s easy to be misunderstood digitally. It’s also easy to hit send with an angry message, especially in the heat of the moment. However, that can be perceived in different ways or taken as offensive. Then it is forever attached to your digital footprint. My generation has created the blueprint for how NOT to act online. I have high hopes that we will teach our future generations a better way to navigate digital spaces more safely and to make better digital decisions. Thus, it will help shape a more productive, effective way to use technology and digital rhetoric.
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