- Published: September 17, 2022
- Updated: September 17, 2022
- University / College: University of California, Irvine
- Level: Masters
- Language: English
- Downloads: 40
Analysis of Nicholas Christakis Argument In his TED talk, Nicholas Christakis employs the use of rhetoric to persuade, appeal and inform his audience on the hidden influence of social networks. He uses the rhetorical proof of ethos to influence his audience in believing him. By introducing himself as a hospice doctor at the University of Chicago fifteen years ago, Christakis cements his credibility among his audience (TED). His current title as a professor of medicine and sociology at Harvard University further cements his credibility. The audience is more likely to believe in his talk since they view Christakis as intelligent from his academic background and profession. By talking about how he conducted his study by taking care of the sick and terminally ill patients, Christakis uses the rhetoric proof of Pathos to persuade and inform his audience (TED). His storytelling of how he begun to conduct his study evokes emotion among his audience. Christakis employs the rhetoric proof of logos in showing how people become embedded in dense social networks. He uses slides to present a logical appeal of how clusters develop to form dense social networks. He also employs mathematical reasoning to present data to his audience and thus making a further logical appeal to them.
Christakis makes a valid argument on the hidden influence of social networks. He argues that social networks help to define individuals’ health, happiness, and overall life goals. He presents his argument on the basis of a scientific research, which he conducted and this makes his argument to tick. He shows how social networks develop and how they get to influence different individuals dependent on their location in the network. His exploration of large-scale and face-face social networks, is able to show the impacts of social networks on a wide variety of traits such as obesity and happiness on people’s lives (TED). Simply put, he affirms the thought ‘ show me you friends, and I will tell you your character’.
Works Cited
TED. Nicholas Christakis: The hidden influence of social networks . 6 May 2010. 20 January 2014 .
