Helen Ahmad

10/7/22

ENG

We Argue

Why do we as people seek out comfort and safety instead when presented with so many

opportunities and different cultures? This world is collapsing from within due to the continued practice of

self-segregation and resistance to change driven by this narrow way of thinking. As protests and marches
for the need of equality among race, social status, and class occur almost daily, there is a cry against

division. The drive for self-segregation and the generational concept of racism are hindering people from

learning about and comprehending how the world has changed significantly from the world they once

knew.

Michelle, Alexander. “The New Jim Crow.” They Say I Say. W.W. Norton & Company, 2021.

Michelle Alexander is educating our society on the racial difficulties which're still prevalent till

this day. Through the narration of the protagonist, Jarvius, and the use of pathos, Alexander exposes the

discrimination urged by the criminal "justice" system, which is meant to be a kind of protection and safety

but is really promoting segregation amongst the people. Through each generation, there's a new form of

resistance created for the people of color to be prevented from voicing their opinions and voting.  From

the "Ku Klux Klan" to "poll taxes" and "literacy tests," and now the justice system being used as an

excuse to justify the wrong. African Americans have been struggling and revolting for their voice for

decades, but despite this, they continue to be rebuffed and forced to remain silent while their voices are

being taken away. Although Jim Crow has "ended," its goals and principles continue to have an impact on

our society in various ways. The way Alexander builds credibility and trust amongst her readers is

through ethos. She makes it known that she's a "director of the Racial Justice Project for the American

Civil Liberties Union of Northern California." By making it clear that she has a high position and

extensive knowledge on what she's talking about, the readers can put their trust into what she says. By

creating a level of trust with the audience, she integrates pathos through personal experiences to help the

audience comprehend the emotions and suffering that people of color had while fighting for their rights.

How is it possible that racism still exists today although slavery has previously been abolished? This is a

frequent topic that is commonly discussed. Racism is maintained by those who are unaware that it still

exists, as it's something that continues in different forms. In alexanders book, "The New Jim Crow," she

helps us realize the everlasting effects of racism as it's a battle that'll always continue till, we as a nation

change.
Boyd, Danah. “Why America is Self-Segregating?” They Say I Say. W.W. Norton & Company, 2021.

Danah Boyd stresses the misuse of the internet as it’s meant to be a welcoming environment for

the acceptance of diversity and connections but has instead, turned to a tool used to “magnify divisions

and undermine social solidarity” (Boyd, 3). By pointing out the effects the internet has on private

companies aside with the military, higher education, and technology, Boyd exemplifies the dire need for

change as the impact on the environment and the people within it is causing segregation and breaking

bridges amongst groups. Just like the article “The Other Side is Not Dumb” by Blanda Sean, Danah Boyd

publishes her article on the website, “Medium,” which is a platform for diverse stories and ideas. This

article is targeting a wide range of groups that’re at risk of self-segregating and sabotaging themselves

from new experiences and opportunities. Due to the large number of users of this website, Boyd has the

opportunity to address students, military personnel, and business owners and emphasize the significance

of embracing change and diversity as they are the path to future benefits. Through this article, Danah

Boyd points out that by choosing to ignore diversity, individuals and companies alike are limiting

themselves and losing the chance to grow and learn.  Major structures that were once the foundations of

diversity are shown to be crumbling as a result of workplace segregation. Even those who have a

tendency to isolate themselves and prevent the development of connections simply serve to restrict their

own potential and prospects. Through reading this article, the audience has come to understand how

crucial it is to build networks with people from all backgrounds in order to connect and grow.

Rivero, Daniel. (2016, August 15). “Racial segregation is alive and well on social media.”
Splinter. Retrieved October 31, 2022, ( https://splinternews.com/racial-segregation-is-
alive-and-well-on-social-media-1793861168 )

These days, social media is dominated by a complex but powerful algorithm that is present on all

social media platforms. Through this steering factor, we are instead confronted with viewpoints that are
consistent with our own, rather than those that will dominate conversations and lead to new points of

view. The well-known problem of racism is being exacerbated by the well-documented "Echo chamber"

that social media has created. This is due to the fact that we often connect with others who share our

interests, demeanor, and philosophical beliefs, and the algorithm connects us with just those that make us

feel "Safe" rather than encouraging change and novel ideas. Attempting to affect change on social media

through posts and idea expression will only succeed in preaching to the already persuaded. By

communicating with individuals in person rather than online, various races can come together in a

definitive way. This article, which was posted on the "splinter" website, is somewhat hypocritical in

certain ways. While promoting the idea that individuals should interact with others in person rather than

online, they are putting this article online, which is in direct opposition to their main objective. By putting

this article through the reliable fact checker known as "mediabiasfactcheck.com," it helped support the

theory of their biasness since this post tends to tilt left with the majority of its content originating from

blogs and the beliefs of others. This lends credence to the idea that the algorithm we're given directs us to

websites and/or content that we already agree with instead of those which oppose our beliefs.

Blanda, Sean. “The Other Side is not Dumb.” They Say I Say. W.W. Norton & Cocmpany, 2021.

Sean Blanda dispels the toxic notion that people view their beliefs and opinions as the "correct

answer," ignoring those of others. They become blinded and closed off to new ideas and points that could

help develop their perspective because of this constant need to be correct mindset. According to Blanda,

people are denying the chance to engage with and appreciate those who have different opinions, which

could lead to new relationships and perspectives. By putting oneself in a small bubble, it may lead to

illusory consensus bias, which will only temporarily persuade others close to you but will ultimately leave

you stranded alone and clueless. This post was first published on the "Medium" website, widely known as

a website that gives a voice to a variety of people from all backgrounds and viewpoints. his website is

known to be used by those who convey their own opinions and ideas, so this article is meant for the
individuals who aren’t accepting of other opinions and consider them “incorrect.”  Blanda also

incorporates the use of pathos to appeal to the audience by saying "we cannot consider ourselves

"empathetic" only to turn around and belittle those who don't agree with us" (Blanda 215). There’s this

sort of passion and sadness in the statement which’ll stick with the audience. Since no one wants to

discuss issues with someone who is blind sighted by their own ego and values, accepting others' beliefs

can help forge connections. Sean Blanda emphasizes the value of keeping an open mind to other people's

perspectives and refraining from shutting yourself off. Just because you may have a certain belief which

you hold dear doesn’t mean that your opinion is the “right” one. Although disagreements are regular and

acceptable, how you handle them will have an impact on your relationships with others.

Justin, Vinh. “Social Media: The Screen, the Brain, and Human Nature.” They Say I Say. W.W. Norton &

Company, 2021.

Vinh wrote this post with the intention of raising awareness among the younger generations about

the harm the internet can do to confidence and oneself. Vinh's article emphasizes the detrimental

dependence that our culture has grown on the internet and devices. He clarifies the problem of how

developing such an obsession with the internet world could have a demeaning effect on one's self-worth,

which could end up making them feel insecure and worthless. People tend to feel disconnected from

reality as more and more of our society moves to the digital world, which might cause them to feel lonely

and hopeless when back into reality. People tend to stay on the internet since it's a "safe space" or a type

of getaway.  Vinh is concerned that this addiction might make it more difficult to form relationships or

bonds with people in the real world. It’s also damaging someone’s of self-worth and identity, as the

comparing, self-pity, and the feeling of inferiority will lead to oneself destruction. Being open to new

individuals and diversity is crucial for one's growth, thus Vinh exhorts everyone to leave the online world

and re-establish contact with the actual one. Vinh's approach of establishing his claim (that the internet is

detrimental for the mind and/or health) is supported by experimental analysis and data. One instance he
uses in his piece is an experiment conducted by a psychology student that revealed how the internet

causes people to feel lonely and depressed because they frequently compare their lives to those depicted

on screens.