In this article, the author discusses the effects of the Juul epidemic on the young people in the generation. Throughout the article, the author describes how the trend came to be, reasons that it has interested young people, and how the Juul culture spread among young people. I personally think that the this article does a great job of taking this controversial wave of teenage experimentation without sounding judgmental or inserting their own personal views on the topic. It presents the straight facts with relevant information that allows this to be an interesting yet insightful read for college students. The author, Amos Barshad, writes in a first narrative point of view in which he reminisces on his generation’s form of “hitting a Juul”, conducts interviews with actual young people, and includes side commentary to continue the flow of the information. Another way the article becomes more applicable to college students is by the use of language and cultural references. For example, the use of viral tweets helped the author aid the idea of the vast extent that Juuls have appeared in our generation; also, the use of references of meme culture and fidget spinners allows the author to appear more relatable rather than an “out of touch” scientist or professor. This article also appears to be trustworthy due to the fact it is from New York Times, and it links to other information that is used as well. However, I would argue that although the article is informative and trustworthy, it is not scientific for multiple reasons. For example, although it is an article on New York Times, it is located on the style section of the website. In my opinion, I think Juul culture is unnecessary because it is exposing young people to a nicotine addiction in a new form. Granted it is a cigarette without the toxins and just the addiction, I think the creation of the Juul has definitely distracted from it’s original useful purpose. However, unlike most people, I don’t really care because it is not my body, so it is not my business. Overall, I think the author did an excellent job transforming this information into information that is easily understandable and interesting to its readers especially the generation it affects.
NBB 190
This is an excellent description of the article, and I love your in-depth analysis of how the author’s rhetorical choices influence how effective the article is to its readers. While relatability may not be something authors of scientific journals think of, you recognize the importance of young people engaging with the material. I believe your thesis is in your post somewhere, but due to the organization of your post it’s not a strong as it could be. In the future, don’t be afraid to pull from multiple sources to back up your thesis, as it would become more reliable than just your opinion. You can also separate your post into paragraphs with your thesis and personal opinion, and then your evaluation of the source to make it easier to follow. With that being said your evaluation of the source demonstrates your understanding of what a reliable source truly is and is very thorough.
In general, your blog post is well written and I like how you analyzed the article for its credibility and its effects. I really like how you described a lot of aspects about the article and your diction and tone are appropriate at a college freshman level for this post. There are a few things I would like to see more of, one being your personal experience or thoughts. I love that you share your opinion about juuling and question the trustworthiness of the article, but I would like to see your thoughts on whether this kind of culture is well appropriated or not. I would also like to see your thesis be a little bit more prominent and embellished with evidence from the article, but your view on juuling is still carried in your post. Another possible thing I think can improve your post would be an outside source on the same subject. In your post, you focus on the article, but I feel that other articles could give you a little bit more to talk about.
Nicholas,
I particularly liked your comments on Regina’s post -focusing on the appropriateness of the post for the audience and the need for more prominent support of the blog’s thesis.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/15/health/juul-e-cigarette-partner/index.html
With the advantage of having social media right in the palm of our hands, social media has allowed us to actively see the changes that Juuls have had in society, more specifically in teenagers. Everyday more and more students, especially in high school, can be seen using Juuls during school and outside of school. The article from CNN, “Juul e-cigarettes and teens: ‘Health problem of the decade’?”, supports the original blog article. It presents the audience with first hand accounts of students and administrators in which they describe how Juuls have become a “cool” thing among teenagers along with how it posses a problem not only to schools and parents, but also to the students health. Not only does the CNN article back up the original blog article, but it also provides new evidence to the audience that indicates that the Juuls have also been discussed by the FDA. As can be seen, multiple articles are able to provide strong evidence that not only is Juuling is not cool, but it could also cause unforeseen health issues in the teenagers that do think they are “cool”.
Kayla – I liked the supplemental article you chose to embellish the original blog – particularly with the perspectives of students and administrators. I thought that added nicely to the original article.