The feature article, “the Overprotected kid” written by Hannah Rosin published in the
Atlantic uses the techniques of Descriptive language, anecdote and factual evidence to persuade the reader to adopt a particular way of thinking. The feature article poses the theory that children of the 21st century are missing out on childhood development and experiences due to the increasing overprotection of the present generation. The author uses her own experiences and comparison of generations to further construct the text.
In the opening of the article, the author criticizes that children of the 21st century have lost many of the childhood experiences such as playing in mud and rolling tires. The author uses the technique of descriptive language to create imagery. The use of imagery not only create a realistic picture of the situation but further engages the audience. “The ground is muddy in spots and at one end slope down steeply to a creek”. Rosin uses a small amount of Anecdote to put forth the reaction of the children when exposed to a playground such as
“The Land”. In the beginning of the article the author outlines how the children socialise and the positive promotion of the Land. The techniques used by Hannah Rosin, convince the reader that children need to experience and make mistake in order to develop and learn. As the article develops the author continues to emphasise how the overprotection of children is depriving children more than playing in a Land with unlimited boundaries would.
Hannah Rosin uses the techniques of descriptive language and the juxtapositioning of generations to force her opinion on the reader. The author compares the ‘safe’ playgrounds of today with the adventures one of the Land. To some extent the author mocks the safety guards of playground such as “rubber swings for babies” and “a seesaw with a central ballast to make