Rhetorical Analysis Of The Defense Of The Igeneration

In Renee Wilson’s article, “The Defence of the iGeneration” (2013), she discusses her belief of the iGeneration being the smartest generation yet. Through many anecdotes, Wilson reflects on her experiences teaching the iGeneration and how they are able to ignore negative criticism and still show their full potential. This article was originally published in This Magazine, which is a Canadian magazine that explores politics and pop culture. This Magazine works towards publishing articles on topics that usually do not go mainstream and are targeted towards a middle-aged and young adult audience. Therefore, Wilson has a dual audience and thus a dual goal as well. On one hand, in order to persuade her middle-aged audience that the iGeneration is one of the most elite generations, Wilson appeals to pathos and uses the technique of rhetorical questions to change their thinking. On the other hand, perhaps Wilson’s younger audience is a part of the iGeneration so she appeals to both ethos and pathos to reassure them that they have potential and are more than the negative criticisms they receive.
She begins by referencing “Lament for the iGeneration” (2009), an article by Gregory Levey. Wilson explores Levey’s negative views against the iGeneration: “If we’re in the hands of the next generation, we’re really screwed” (Wilson, 2013, p. 273). Levey’s negative criticisms against the iGeneration are views that are held by many middle-aged adults and in this article it results in a sense of connection and belonging for the middle-aged audience to first engage them into the