Patt Morrison How Your Cell Phone Pray You

LA Times contributor Patt Morrison, in her opinion article titled “How Your Cell Phone Betrays You,” effectively claims that stores are morally wrong for using customer’s cell phone information without their consent. Firstly, she supports her claims by asserting that many stores, including the popular Nordstrom, are already using tracking customers throughout the store and obtaining their cell phone information. She uses examples to appeal to the reader’s logical thinking when stating, “Nordstrom, the high-end department store, began using a technology that can use the Wi-Fi signals in shoppers’ smartphones to follow them virtually throughout the store, from display to display, item to item, and check how long they spent looking at what, just as websites can do now” (Morrison). By the author using examples to back up
Especially with contributing the last sentence of her quote, the author uses the sarcasm to emphasize her dramatic point and help the reader relate to the statement. The use of saying that it’s a ridiculous task to complete when going to the store, which may be many times a week for some readers, allows the reader to relate to a time that they felt the same way about another topic, which helps them understand where the author is coming from. Lastly, Morrison’s final assertion to support her claim is that many people do not mine the stores invading their privacy, but that is because they don’t fully understand the implications of it. She uses rhetorical questions to appeal to the reader’s emotions again by stating, “Is this some deal your cellphone carrier has made or is already making with retailers? Is someone making a lot of money off you, but it isn’t you? It may already be happening” (Morrison). Finally, the author is using these two rhetorical questions to help the reader think about what has been going on behind their backs, but not specifically asking for any