Response to Hodgkinson and Facebook

Hodgkinson writes about how much he despises Facebook. Whether one agrees or disagrees with his argument, it is undeniable that his piece is carefully crafted and intended to persuade. In fact, this article can be used to illustrate nearly all of the persuasive techniques used by media in our 21st century media culture, as recognized by ACME.


1. Symbols: In this piece Hodgkinson uses images to convey ideas about the United States, such as a picture of the American flag and Coca Cola cans.

2. Big Lie: Hodgkinson wrote dishonest/incorrect information in this article about the creation of In-Q-Tell.

3. Flattery: Hodgkinson flatters his readers by implying that they are smart enough not to sign up for Facebook, or discontinue their use of it. He thinks they will decide they “don’t want to be part of this takeover bid for the world.”

4. Hyperbole: See the previous quote about taking over the world.

5. Bandwagon: Everyone is joining Facebook because “people are essentially sheep-like and will copy one another without much reflection.” (Hodgkinson tries to persuade the reader by counteracting Facebook’s use of bandwagon as a persuasive technique.)

6. Scapegoating: It seems as if the problem of Facebook can really be blamed on Theil, as well as Zuckerberg and Breyer.

7. Simple Solution: Instead of using Facebook, Hodgkinson suggests a simple solution. He writes, “I will revert to an old piece of technology. It’s free, it’s easy and it delivers a uniquely individual experience in sharing information: it’s called talking.”

8. Rhetorical Questions: “Why on God’s earth would I need a computer to connect with the people around me? What was wrong with the pub?”

9. Straw Man: “Theil and the other new masters of the cyberverse find this social experiment tremendously exciting.” BUT…

10. Fear/Defensive Nationalism: Facebook users are “suckers, all of whom have volunteered their ID card information and consumer preferences to an American business they know nothing about.” If that wasn’t scary enough, “the US defense department and the CIA love technology because it makes spying easier.”

11. Humor: “I like Facebook,” said another friend. “I got a shag out of it.”

12. Testimonial: See the previous quote or the following one. “A friend of mine recently told me that he had spent a Saturday night at home alone on Facebook, drinking at his desk. What a gloomy image.”

13. Plain Folks: Hodgkinson is persuasive because he seems like he’s “just one of the guys” who enjoys hanging out with friends and catching up at the pub.

14. Repetition: Hodgkinson repeats throughout the piece how much he despises and hates Facebook.

15. Nostalgia: Hodgkinson writes about the “old-fashioned real-world concepts” that Theil/Facebook’s philosophy neglects. These include – art, beauty, love, pleasure, and truth.

16. Diversion: An alternate view is not seriously considered in this article. Isn’t there any possible scenario in which Facebook might connect people?

17. Warm Fuzzies: “Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.” – Thiel (Hodgkinson tries to persuade the reader by showing that Facebook creators are cold-hearted and competitive. There is nothing positive, let alone warm/fuzzy about them.)

18. Group Dynamics: Hodgkinson tries to persuade the reader by building a sense that “we” would all be better off without Facebook.

19. Either/Or: Facebook either connects or disconnects. Take a side.

20. Maybe: “You might reflect that you don’t want to be part of this heavily-funded program to create an arid global virtual republic, where your own self and your relationships with your friends are converted into commodities on sale to giant global brands.”

21. Strength: Hodgkinson tries to persuade the reader by appearing as if he is strong and aggressive. He writes, “I don’t want to retreat from nature, I want to reconnect with it. Damn air-conditioning!”

22. Scientific Evidence: Hodgkinson uses startling statistics to persuade the reader. For example, Facebook has 59 million active users and 2 million new people join each week.

23. Card Stacking: I have a gut feeling that Hodgkinson is not providing his readers with the whole story.

24. Name Calling: Here are a few insulting phrases Hodgkinson uses: “The PayPal Mafia,” “Facebook addicts,” and “marketing bullshit of the highest order.”

25. The Race Card: Hodgkinson points out that Thiel is against multiculturalism. By doing so, he continues to persuade the reader that Facebook creators are horrible people.

26. Timing: Hodgkinson crafts his piece to focus on attacking the creators of Facebook rather than proving that Facebook disconnects people.

The only three persuasive techniques I wasn’t able to identify in this article were bribery, denial, and beautiful people. Using these 29 terms as tools to analyze this piece was an interesting and challenging activity for me. It is something I know my students will enjoy, especially if I can hype it up by approaching the task as a form of detective work!

Of all the readings I have done in this course, Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves to Death” has been the most persuasive. This may be because I am inclined to agree with his argument. However, the next time I read it, I will definitely look for his use of these 29 persuasive techniques.