Vorschlag B2

Media alert

Der vorliegende Vorschlag enthält in Aufgabe 3 alternative Arbeitsanweisungen.

Outline what Cleo McDougal does in the morning and her reactions to what has happened. (Material 1)

(20 BE)

Analyze how the effect of the op-ed on Cleo McDougal is conveyed. Focus on narrative techniques and use of language. (Material 1)

(40 BE)

Choose one of the following tasks:

3.1

Taking Cleo McDougal’s case as a starting point, assess the effects that social media can have on politicians and their campaigns. (Material 1)

3.2

You participate in the Erasmus+ project “Smartphone – Liberation or Enslavement?”.

Based on the statistics (Material 2), write an article for the project website in which you comment on the implications of the findings.

(40 BE)

Allison Winn Scotch: Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing (novel, 2020)

Cleo McDougal has had a successful career as one of the youngest senators ever and is hoping tobecome US President.

Cleo McDougal is not a good person. She does good, yes, but doing good and being good aren’t the

same thing, now, are they?

Cleo McDougal did not see the op-ed or this opening line in said op-ed on the home page of

SeattleToday! until approximately seven fifteen a.m., after she had completed her morning at-home

boxing class, after she had showered and meticulously applied the day’s makeup (a routine she

admitted was getting lengthier and more discouraging at thirty-seven, but Cleo McDougal had never

been one to shy away from a challenge), and after she had roused her fourteen-year-old from his bed,

which was likely her day’s hardest ordeal.

Of course, she had not yet seen the op-ed. By the time she did, the political blogs had picked it up and

run with it, which was why it took off, blazing around the internet and Twittersphere. (SeattleToday!, a

hipster alternative online “paper,” would otherwise really never have landed on Cleo’s radar.)

She had made a rule, which was clearly a mistake – she could see that now – to give herself one hour

in the mornings before checking her phone. This was not a hard-and-fast rule, and obviously she

scrolled through the news and quickly glanced at her emails while still in bed, before the sun rose over

Washington. [...]

Surprisingly, Lucas was the one who saw the op-ed first. Perhaps not all that surprising, since he and

his phone were nearly telepathically connected, but surprising still because Cleo was, need it be said, a

senator, and theoretically her staff should have given her the heads-up on a hit piece published in her

childhood hometown, which then took off online like a match to gasoline.

“Who’s MaryAnne Newman?”

Lucas was hunched over the kitchen island in their three-bedroom condo, picking over an Eggo, one

of the few things he’d agreeably eat for breakfast, and Cleo wasn’t sure she had heard him correctly.

She had never mentioned MaryAnne to Lucas, rarely talked about that time in her life. It wasn’t that

she didn’t think of MaryAnne – she did. But she also spent a lot of time trying not to think about her.

How can you drive away from your past without even glancing in the rearview mirror? That kind of

focus took effort.

“What?” Cleo turned toward Lucas, her coffee perilously close to sloshing over the rim of her mug.

[...]

“MaryAnne Newman,” Lucas muttered, which was one step above a grunt, and thus Cleo was almost

delighted.

“Are you – are you on Facebook?”

Lucas rolled his eyes, which was much more like him. “No. Have you not seen this?”

He held out his phone, and Cleo stepped closer.

“She wrote about you. And ... I guess me? I got a news alert.”

“You have a Google alert on me?”

Lucas’s eyes could not have gone farther back into his head. “No. Jesus. It came up on my phone

alerts. They do that now, you know, like, send breaking news to your phone.” He shrugged. “I guess

everyone who has an iPhone probably got it.” He swallowed. “Also, I’m assuming what she wrote

wasn’t true? Or is it? Because then —”

Lucas stared at her, eyelids lowered, an indecipherable mix of teenage disdain and ire and, Cleo

detected, something more. Her heart rate accelerated. MaryAnne didn’t even know Lucas; their lives

had diverged well before he came long. What could she possibly be writing about?

Cleo patted her pockets, in a slightly more desperate search for her own phone now, then realized it

was still in her home office / boxing studio / guest room (though they never had guests), resting,

waiting, recharging, like it wasn’t an imminent time bomb.

Lucas pulled his screen closer, read the opening lines.

“Cleo McDougal is not a good person. She does good, yes, but doing good and being good aren’t the

same thing, now, are they? In fact, her whole life, Cleo McDougal has been a cheater. She cheated in

high school, on the debate team, on the school paper, for a summer internship, and from there it only

got worse.”

“That is not true,” Cleo said to Lucas. Though maybe it was, just a little? Leave it to MaryAnne to

thread the needle between rumor and fact. Cleo almost snorted, it was so familiar.

“Keep reading,” he said, passing his phone across the counter.

Cleo skimmed the next paragraph, detailing old grudges that felt irrelevant twenty years later, until she

saw it. The reason for the hint of whatever it was in Lucas’s eyes.

“I have recently learned that this pattern of cheating extends all the way to Cleo’s personal life. I

support women and their myriad choices, but when these choices reflect on their moral and ethical

compass – something we must all agree is critical for presidential material – it bears stating publicly.

A reliable source recently reached out to me, knowing we grew up together, to disclose that while at

law school, Cleo had a torrid affair with a married professor, and, I quote here, ‘many people have

since suspected that he could be the father of her son.’ I share this information not to shame her —”

Cleo slammed down the phone; she didn’t need to read further. Of course MaryAnne would play the

smug card! she thought. That. Conniving. Bitch, she also thought. [...]

Cleo blew out her breath. She tried to tell herself that she was more perplexed than alarmed, but that

wasn’t really true. She was alarmed. She was shocked out of her brains and also terrified too. How on

earth had MaryAnne Newman heard about Alexander Nobells? Gaby and her whole team of advisors

– Cleo had a staff of thirty-five in her DC office alone – had warned her: if you toy with a run for the

presidency, everyone will emerge, cockroaches and rats and all sorts of vermin from your past, to

share their own stories. [...]

(984 Wörter)

Allison Winn Scotch: Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing, Seattle 2020, S. 1–5.

Jenny Chang: Smartphone Addiction Statistics (2022)

1. Smartphone Users Worldwide

2. Smartphone User Behavior Worldwide

Jenny Chang: 90 Smartphone Addiction Statistics You Must See: 2022 Usage and Data, in: Finances Online, 06.11.2022 (abgerufen am 20.08.2024).

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Note:
Our solutions are listed in bullet points. In the examination, full marks can only be achieved by writing a continuous text. It must be noted that our conclusions contain only some of the possible aspects. Students can also find a different approach to argumentation.

completed an at-home boxing class
showered and applied makeup thoroughly
woke up her fourteen-year-old son, Lucas, which she found challenging
avoided checking her phone for the first hour of her morning
she briefly glanced at the news and emails before sunrise

Main body
Cleo's Morning Routine

unaware of the op-ed until around 7:15 a.m., after her morning routine
shocked and alarmed by the content, especially because it was published in her childhood hometown and quickly spread online
surprised that her son, Lucas, was the one who first saw the op-ed
disturbed by Lucas's reaction, especially when he reads the line accusing her of cheating throughout her life
insinuating that her son might be the result of an affair
she feels angry and anxious about the revelation
feeling betrayed and targeted by the author, MaryAnne Newman, who dredged up old grudges and personal secrets

Reactions to the Op-Ed

In Allison Winn Scotch's novel Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing, the protagonist Cleo McDougal is thrown into a personal and political crisis when an op-ed about her past appears on the internet. The narrative effectively conveys the profound impact of this op-ed on Cleo through a combination of narrative techniques and language use. These elements highlight her internal turmoil, the challenges of her public persona, and the vulnerabilities that arise when past mistakes are exposed.

Introduction

Internal Monologue
$\rightarrow$ narrative employs a stream of consciousness to delve into Cleo’s immediate reactions: "more perplexed than alarmed...shocked out of her brains and also terrified too." (l. 64-65)
$\rightarrow$ the reader is made aware of her unfiltered thoughts and her struggle with self-doubt: "Though maybe it was, just a little?" (l. 51)
$\rightarrow$ the technique creates a sense of intimacy as it allows the reader to experience Cleo's emotional turmoil as it unfolds

Dialogue and Interaction
$\rightarrow$ conversation between Cleo and her son, Lucas, is crucial in showing the personal stakes of the op-ed
$\rightarrow$ Lucas’s casual tone, "Are you—are you on Facebook?", contrasts sharply with Cleo’s rising panic (l. 31)
$\rightarrow$ the dialogue forces Cleo to confront the personal effects of the scandal when Lucas asks her directly, "Also, I’m assuming what she wrote wasn’t true? Or is it? Because then —" (l. 38-39)

Symbolism and Imagery
$\rightarrow$ Cleo’s coffee cup serves as a metaphor for her emotional state—on the brink of losing control: "perilously close to sloshing over the rim" (l. 27)
$\rightarrow$ mirrors her internal chaos as she struggles to process the op-ed's contents
$\rightarrow$ the phone is referred to as an "imminent time bomb", symbolising the threat posed by the statement and the inevitable chaos that will result from it (l. 45)
$\rightarrow$ captures Cleo’s anxiety as she realizes that her past is about to explode into her present

Main Body
Narrative Techniques

Broad accusations
$\rightarrow$ op-ed’s language is direct and accusatory, particularly the assertion that "Cleo McDougal is not a good person." (l.47)
$\rightarrow$ blunt language starkly contrasts with Cleo's self-perception and public image
$\rightarrow$ accusatory tone challenges Cleo's integrity, both personally and politically
$\rightarrow$ repetition of the word "cheater" in the op-ed serves to reinforce the negative characterization of Cleo (l. 48)

Offensive and emotional language
$\rightarrow$ Cleo calls MaryAnne Newman a "conniving bitch" showing her deep anger and sense of betrayal (l. 63)
$\rightarrow$ the op-ed mixes rumour with insinuation, like the claim that Cleo’s son might be from an affair, to provoke scandal and manipulate public perception.
$\rightarrow$ Cleo’s usual composed public language contrasts sharply with her raw, emotional response: "That. Conniving. Bitch." (l. 63)
$\rightarrow$ using simple and memorable phrases like "Cleo McDougal is not a good person" to create a lasting negative impression in the public’s mind (l. 47)

Use of Language

The op-ed's impact on Cleo McDougal is vividly portrayed through the use of narrative techniques and language. The narrative exposes Cleo’s vulnerabilities by blending internal monologue, dialogue, and symbolism, while the language of the op-ed itself is sharp and accusatory, designed to provoke scandal. Together, these elements highlight the tension between Cleo’s public image and private fears, effectively capturing the emotional and professional fallout she faces.

Conclusion

3.1

The influence of social media on modern political campaigns is undeniable. It shapes the public perception of politicians and has a significant impact on their careers. In Allison Winn Scotch's novel Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing, protagonist Cleo McDougal, a successful senator with ambitions to be US president, faces a PR nightmare when a devastating op-ed piece from her past goes viral. This fictional case provides a compelling lens through which to examine the real-life impact of social media on politicians. By exploring the reach, speed, and permanence of social media, this essay examines how these platforms can make or break political careers, amplify scandals, and influence the opinions of voters.

Introduction

Direct Communication with the Public
$\rightarrow$ enables direct communication with constituents, bypassing traditional media
$\rightarrow$ helps politicians build and control their brand, fostering relatability
$\rightarrow$ allows real-time sharing of messages, policies, and responses to controversies
$\rightarrow$ provides a platform for engaging with followers on a personal level, building loyalty

Engagement of Supporters
$\rightarrow$ facilitates the rapid organisation and mobilisation of local supporters
$\rightarrow$ improves voter turnout and volunteer engagement through targeted outreach
$\rightarrow$ revolutionises fundraising by enabling small donor commitments and viral campaigns

Rapid Response to Issues
$\rightarrow$ provides an immediate platform for crisis management and damage limitation
$\rightarrow$ enables politicians to quickly shape and direct the public narrative
$\rightarrow$ helps counter misinformation by directly addressing false claims

Main Body
Positive Effects

Reinforcement of scandals
$\rightarrow$ enables the rapid spread of negative news and scandals, often before politicians are aware of them
$\rightarrow$ brings old controversies back to life and makes past issues relevant and damaging again
$\rightarrow$ can escalate minor issues into major crises and derail campaigns

Increased public control and misinformation
$\rightarrow$ politicians are exposed to constant public monitoring, with every action being judged
$\rightarrow$ facilitates the spread of misinformation and unconfirmed rumours that damage reputations
$\rightarrow$ making it increasingly difficult to maintain privacy and control over personal stories

Manipulation and polarisation of public opinion
$\rightarrow$ creates resonance space that reinforces existing beliefs and deepens more polarised views
$\rightarrow$ makes it difficult to change public perception once a negative narrative has become fixed
$\rightarrow$ creates greater extremism and polarisation of voters, making it harder to reach and persuade a diverse electorate

Negative Effects

The case of Cleo McDougal in Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing highlights the double-edged nature of social media in political campaigns. While on the one hand, social media provides politicians with powerful tools for direct communication, mobilising support, and responding quickly to crises. On the other hand, it can also amplify scandals, spread misinformation, and polarise public opinion. For modern politicians, mastering the complexities of social media is critical to their success, as it has the potential to both boost and destroy their careers.

Conclusion

3.2

Smartphone Use: A Double-Edged Sword?

Heading

In today's digital age, smartphones have become an indispensable part of daily life. The Erasmus+ project "Smartphone – Liberation or Enslavement?" seeks to explore the effects of this pervasive technology on our lives. The statistics provided paint a picture of increasing smartphone dependence, raising important questions about whether these devices serve as tools for liberation or instruments of enslavement.

Introduction

global smartphone use increased from 4.70 billion in 2016 to 5.22 billion in 2020, indicating widespread adoption and reliance
rise suggests smartphones are integral to daily life
blurring line between convenience and dependence
87.8% of users feel anxious when they leave their phone at home, which indicates a strong psychological attachment
69% of users check their phone within 5 minutes of going to bed, which can affect sleep quality
users interact with their phones 2,617 times a day, which can reduce attention span and productivity

Main Body
Smartphone Dependence

73.4% of users take their phone to the toilet and 66% sleep with their phone close at hand.
statistics reveal the extent to which smartphones have invaded the most private and intimate moments of our lives
the constant presence of smartphones can prevent people from truly disconnecting and enjoying moments of solitude or rest
43.5% of users unlock their phone between 51 and 100 times a day demonstrating an almost obsessive need to stay connected
neglect of interactions with the real world or concentration on important tasks
behaviour can lead to a fragmented and distracted lifestyle, where individuals constantly shift their attention between the digital and physical worlds
users spending an average of 4 hours and 10 minutes a day on their smartphone, it's clear that a significant proportion of waking hours are spent in front of a screen
statistic raises concerns about how this time is used and which activities, such as face-to-face interaction, leisure, or exercise, are sacrificed in its place

Impact on Daily Life

32.7% spend more time on their phone than with their partner, which risks losing personal bonds
excessive smartphone use can replace face-to-face interaction, contributing to feelings of loneliness
phone use in bed by 66% of users can disrupt sleep and affect relationships

Relationship Dynamics

Statistics show that society's growing smartphone addiction is raising concerns about mental health, daily habits, and personal relationships. While smartphones offer benefits such as instant communication and access to information, excessive use can lead to a kind of modern slavery that makes it difficult to break free from the digital world. The Erasmus+ project "Smartphone - Liberation or Enslavement?" advocates a balanced use of smartphones and emphasises the need to maximise the benefits while reducing potential harm. As smartphones become more and more integrated into our lives, it is important to ensure that they empower us and do not drive us into dependency.

Conclusion

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