Analyzing the Article "Unfriending Facebook" by Veronica Majerol

Veronica Majerol shows how many young people are starting to not use Facebook in her article, “Unfriending Facebook.” Using examples, quotes from many people and statistics. In the first four paragraphs she uses third person describing why people are starting to not like Facebook, for example in lines 1-11, she tells about a graduate student from the University of Virginia, Ashliegh Elser. Elser said “She walked away from Facebook and got drawn back twice before calling it quits for good, there had been good times she said, but in the end she decided her life was better off without Facebook. I wasn’t calling my friends anymore, I was just seeing their pictures and updates.” The author of the article shows in lines 29-36, how in a recent Associated Press-CNBC poll more than 50 percent of Americans said that Facebook is just a passing fad. Also that Facebook in the U.S is slowing: annual growth is at 6 percent this year, versus the 39 percent two years ago. The writers tone is trying to bring a point across, not so much a persuasion but the facts. Veronica shows why people stopped using Facebook in her next five paragraphs. Still using third person she says some people just didn’t want the whole world to know their business, for example, in lines 63-67, Zach Peterson explains how he got a new car and posted a picture on Facebook, he said everyone on campus knew about it. He said “It’s just kind of strange knowing that everyone knew about it,” he said “A friend of a friend can see your stuff, even if it was intended for you and your friends.”Again the writer is trying to draw her point across with real people and why they don’t like Facebook. As the article continues she begins with future events like where Facebook will be headed, in lines 116-118, she wrote “Facebook executives say they aren’t worried-that they don’t expect everyone to sign up.” Veronica gave many examples and facts in her article to make the reader understand all about why people aren’t