Argument paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Argument paper - Essay Example Department of Transportation in educating the youth about the risks of this practice. The government may not know that a centralized-decentralized approach is effective in changing how people use their cell phones while driving. Furthermore, I think my youth audience almost certainly knows that texting is distracting and even deadly, but they think they can still do it without harming themselves and others. They need to fully be aware of the effects of texting to driving and to know their responsibility in spreading awareness in their communities. Audience-writer relationship I am part of the youth, so I know that texting is an addictive task because social networking and â€Å"being on† 24/7 is an addictive social norm, but I am different from texting drivers because I can turn off my cell phones while driving and not feel anxious about it. My primary audience does not know me, so I need to establish a credible persona by projecting myself as a responsible student who wants t o stop more deaths because texting while driving, and I can do this by describing the authority of my sources and establishing the connection between my claims and these reputable sources. For my secondary audiences, I also need to project a persona that I know the topic because of research and that they should trust because I am one of them and I want to promote their interests. The Weapon of Social Media against Texting-while-Driving Behaviors It is a social addiction that has become the number one teenage killer in the United States. No, it is not drinking and driving but the act of texting while driving. The Cohen research estimated that more than 3,000 teenage drivers died because of texting, while 300,000 were injured, compared to 2,700 teenagers who died from â€Å"drunk driving† (Ricks, 2013). Legislators have responded to this problem by banning texting for drivers in 39 states, but this is not enough. Aside from banning texting while driving, another important actio n that can effectively curb this harmful practice is through conducting a nationwide awareness-raising campaign that educates the youth about the effects of texting on drivers and creates a social network where stakeholders can share tips on how to stop the addictive practice of texting. The youth should know more about the negative effects of texting on their driving abilities and share their opinions with others on how to stop it because these actions can truly change their driving attitudes and behaviors in the long run. The government should stimulate and support a nationwide social media campaign that informs the youth about the negative effects of texting while driving and encourages their participation in changing mindsets and behaviors about this pernicious activity. The government must collaborate with the media, schools, and communities in educating students about the effects of texting on driving through a nationwide marketing campaign. Banning texting for drivers is not enough because it cannot, on its own, effectively change driving behavior. Delthia Ricks (2003), a correspondent for Newsday, reported that according to one study, texting bans are ineffective in directly decreasing vehicular accidents because many people continued to text and drive despite these bans. Dr. Andrew Adesman