Luke Layden

Professor Toy

ENC 1102

14th October 2020

Primary Data for my Research Paper

Research Question:
What is the Rhetorical Conversation Around the Use of Technology and Social Media and How

Does it Affect the Way We Read, Write, Learn and Process?

The Primary Data Sources:

Primary data #1:

For my first primary data source I will be conducting a survey about social media’s and

technology’s impacts on teenagers, young adults, and adults. The survey is ten questions and I

hope to get ten responses from each of the age groups. I also want to get people from different

backgrounds that way the survey answers will be more diverse. I have had around 15 responses

to the survey so far and they show that most people use technology and social media for more

than 3-4 hours during the day in most cases. It will be interesting to see the results of the survey

in the end and see how social media and technology affect more people.

One example of a survey:

1. How old are you?

“17 years old”

2. How many hours do you use social media on a daily basis?

“3-4 hours”
3. How many hours do you use your phone or computer per day?

“4-5 hours”

4. Do you think that social media affects your attention span?

“Yes”

5. What social media app do you use most often?

“Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok”

6. Why do you find yourself using this app more than others?

“Because they are better than other apps out there and my other friends use them”

7. Do you think that the use of technology has positively or negatively affected your learning?

“Both”

8. Do you think spellcheck makes you rely less on spelling words by yourself?

“Yes”

9. How often do you read a physical book or go to the library?

“Not often”

10. How much time do you spend outdoors per day?

“1-2 hours”

Primary data #2:

My second piece of primary data is a textual analysis on an article called “How the U.S.

Changed Over the Past Decade” by Bonilla Gaby. In this article, the author talks about how

technological advancements have changed in the past decade. The author appeals to the readers

logic by showing graphs on the increase in the number of people that use technology and by

showing how different apps have grown in the past decade. The author also establishes

credibility by backing up the research with other statistics, which help explain the increase in the
use of technology and social media. This source will allow me to back up my claims and show

the ways that social media and technology have changed.

Primary Data #3:

My third piece of primary data will also be a textual analysis of an article called “Social

Media's Growing Impact on Our Lives” by Summer Allen. In the article, the psychologist talked

about how time spent on social media impacts our mood and attention spans. She shares how

some people are and are not affected by social media. She appeals to the readers credibility by

referencing studies and other professionals to show the impact that social media may or may not

have on people’s lives. Dr. Allen also appeals to people’s logic by showing surveys that

demonstrate the impact that social media has on teens being cyberbullied. By talking about

people getting bullied, she appeals to the audience’s emotions making them empathize with the

victim. These rhetorical appeals will allow me to add to the rhetorical conversation around social

media and technology.