Cliv Clive Thompson's Public Thinking

Journalist and internet enthusiast, Clive Thompson, in his chapter “Public Thinking” in his book Smarter Than You Think publicized by Penguin Press, addresses the topic of internet usage, arguing that it has enhanced our way of writing and thinking. He supports these claims by stating that the internet has given us a more logical and abstract understanding of certain topics. Clive also states that due to the internet we have managed to create a plethora of writing, whether it be a status on Facebook or a tweet on twitter. Thompson’s purpose is to inform the readers of how the computer network has influenced our overall ways of life in order to overcome the commonplace belief that the internet has had a negative impact on our writing and overall knowledge. Thompson generates a didactic tone of voice in order to sway the views of his audience, the readers of “Public Thinking- an audience of educated professionals and those who value the use of technology. …show more content…
As a growing child, Thompson was always intrigued in the subject of computers. His instant fascination continued to grow as he wrote video games, music, and forms of artificial intelligence. Then, as an adult, Thompson’s passion for the internet flourished as he became a magazine writer in the 1990s. At first, Thompson had a negative response to the use of computers; fearing, like many critics, that the internet would corrupt our minds and we would lose our sense of civility and society. Nevertheless, over the next twenty years he began to appreciate the evolution of the internet and how we have reaped from its benefits. Today, he is one of the most prominent technology writers, which leads us to the creation of his excerpt “Public