Ethos is the least used rhetorical device on Facebook. Very few experts or authorities try to persuade people through social networking. Sites like Facebook and Linked In aren’t designed to persuade a group of people. They are designed for things like socializing with friends and finding jobs. When I log on to Facebook, I don’t post status updates to try and convince people what I think. Yes, I will post what I am thinking or what I think of a situation but the purpose is not to try and persuade someone to think the way I do.
Many Facebook users portray bad ethos. Usually, the person will not be an expert on the topic they are discussing, therefore, they will not have all the facts. Looking at my newsfeed on Facebook, I have noticed many bad examples of ethos. A lot of teenagers seem to think that they know a lot about a topic, even if they don’t. I have read many statuses of people complaining about things and how it is so simple to fix whatever it is they are complaining about.
The problem with Facebook and other social media is that there is no accountability. For example, anyone can make a fake account for a celebrity and make up rumors. Nothing bad will happen to the person for doing this because like I said earlier, there is no accountability. People are free to say whatever is on their mind. In the real world, you might get punched in the face for saying some of the things that you would on the Internet. If you were to go to several political parties’ Facebook pages, I am sure there would be examples of ethos.
People will continue to use bad examples of ethos through social media. I think that finding a good example of ethos on a social networking site is like finding a needle in a haystack.
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