1. What is happening socially in the context of your RIP project?

My RIP project is taking place in modern time — with high internet usage— where “the youngest adults, 18-29 year-olds, go online at a rate equal to that of teens (both 93%). Over the past decade, young adult have remained the age group that is most likely to go online even as the internet population has grown” (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr).

2. What is happening historically in the context of your RIP project?

Internet use is on the rise in modern day. However, although the internet connects us with others, thus lowering one’s loneliness, the internet can also be used “as a way to escape from the problems of everyday life, and exhibit signs of withdrawal such as depression and irritation when they try to reduce or discontinue their use” (Cacioppo, Necka, & Nowland).

3. What does your audience need to know about the environment that you're writing about?

My audience needs to know that this is taking place in modern day. Since this is on going to be published on the internet, they just need to know the time frame of when this is taking place.

4. How does the context affect your message and purpose?

The context allows my message and purpose to reach a wider audience and comfort those that may be feeling lonely in modern society because of the increased use of the internet.

5. How does the context affect your genre?

Since this is taking in modern day, an internet-based medium would be best to reach my audience.

6. How does context affect your methods of persuasion?

I can use more informal language to relate to my audience and bring comfort.

Works Cited

 Nowland, Rebecca, et al. “Loneliness and Social Internet Use: Pathways to Reconnection in a Digital World?” Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 13, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 70–87, doi:10.1177/1745691617713052.

Shows the relationship between internet use and loneliness in modern society.

Lenhart, Amanda, et al. “Social Media & Mobile Internet Use among Teens and Young Adults. Millennials.” Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2010, pp. 1-51, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED525056. Accessed 21 Nov. 2018.

Shows the growth of internet use

REFLECTION

I never thought the social and historical context for the RIP would be significant for our project, but this assignment changed my mind. I realized how much the content of a piece of work is affected by the social and historical context. At first, I decided to do a WikiHow article just for the fun with it, but when it came time for research for the context, the audience, the genre, I discovered how cohesive this project actually is. Everything fit together because they are all dependent on one another. The genre is influenced by the context, the audience is influenced by the genre, and the message is influenced by the audience. Once I figured that out, I realized I could apply this to reality as well. I guess it was at this point in the quarter where I grew as a person. I learned how to communicate effectively by taking these key points from this class: context, audience, and genre, to figure out how I could appeal to my audience of a certain message.