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As a high school counselor for 10 years, I have worked closely with over one hundred students struggling with undiagnosed mental health issues.
Ethos
Justification: This person was a counselor for a very long time, so they are credible to talk about mental health in schools
Teens who use their phones more than five hours a day are twice as likely to report anxiety symptoms.
Logos
This is a statistic
As a teacher, it's very difficult to watch students' fail my class due to their phones, especially because they begin to believe that they are just "bad at school"
Ethos
this speaker is speaking from their experience as a teacher, which establishes their credibility
Schools that banned phones saw a 20% increase in student focus, according to research studies.
When phones are removed from classrooms, teachers report fewer interruptions and more completed assignments.
As parents of a teenager, I never imagined something meant to keep my child connected with their friends would become their source of depression and disconnection with us.
Ethos b/c they are credible to talk about their experiences as parents
Pathos b/c it evokes sadness/anxiety for audience members
Pathos
Paints a strong image for the reader for the purpose of evoking strong inner emotional reaction
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, teens should limit recreational screen time to two hours per day.
Ethos
Justification: American Academy of Pediatrics is a trusted research organization & has credibility to talk about research regarding teens
Sitting in class while your phone vibrates in your assigned phone pouch can make it feel impossible to focus, especially when you're worried you're missing something important.
Pathos
makes reader feel the anxiety the speaker is painting for us
Teens say they laugh at posts online during the day, then lie awake at night replaying comments that made them feel small, embarrassed, and exposed.
Pathos
evokes strong sense of pain/shame for audience
Studies by Pew Research shows that teens who sleep fewer than six hours a night are more likely to experience mood disorders, but numbers alone don't capture what that looks like in real life: students nodding off in class, missing assignment deadlines, and self-hatred for falling behind.
Logos + Pathos
Logos b/c this is a study by trusted organization
Pathos b/c this paints a picture of struggling student/ audience is meant to feel worried/anxious and/or relate
Psychologists across the U.S warn parents about the long term effects of excessive phone use on adolescent development.
Ethos
Psychologists have credibility to share their research about teens
A teen opens Instagram and sees classmates with perfect bodies, vacations, and lives- then looks in the mirror and wonders why they never feel good enough
Pathos
Evokes strong emotional reaction- maybe some relatability or guilt
I didn't always believe phones were harming me, but after taking a course on childhood development and becoming a certified pediatrician, my view has changed.
Ethos
They have credibility because they've studied childhood development & work in the field
Schools that prohibit phones in classrooms often report higher academic success, which allows teachers to spend more time teaching instead of redirecting behavior.
Logos
Cause & effect relationship & it's a logical scenario
If x happens, y will happen...
When schools limited phone use during the day, reports showed improved focus and higher grades- but for many students, the real difference was feeling present again, no longer split between the classroom and a glowing screen.
Logos b/c there are reports & cause and effect relationship
Pathos b/c evokes emotional response from audience
Emotion could be: relief, curiosity
Parents fall asleep believing their children are safe in the next room, unaware that their teen is crying quietly while scrolling through messages that make them feel alone & unwanted.
Pathos
Invokes guilt within the reader (esp if they're parents themselves) or relatability for children
One 14 year old shared that her phone was the last thing she looked at before bed and the first thing she reached for after waking up- because it was the only place she felt noticed.
Pathos
evokes strong sense of sadness/loneliness in reader
Many students say the hardest part about school isn't the work, but feeling unseen when no one notices how hard they're trying to do well.
Pathos
audience feels guilt/sympathy/bad for students who are struggling despite them trying to achieve
Researches at John Hopkins University published findings linking phone use to decreased sleep quality.
Ethos
a prestigious institution has public trust
Students who stay up late on their phones often come to school tired and unprepared, which explains why they struggle to achieve in class even when they want to do well
Pathos or Logos
Pathos b/c it paints a vivid picture & makes readers feel the guilt/shame students might feel.. maybe it makes readers sympathetic
Logos b/c it explains another cause & effect situation; if x is happening, then y is the result
If students spend less time on screens, they have more time for homework, sleep, and genuine face-to-face connection.
Logos
Cause & effect= if x happens, y will happen
Teachers are increasingly asked to compete with devices created to demand attention. Therefore, students and teachers face issues never experienced by students prior to the late 2000's.
Logos
It cannot be ethos b/c the speaker is not asserting themselves as the teacher, they're making an observation about teachers. This doesn't establish credibility. Instead, this is another logical response. Because devices are made to demand attention, teachers are asked to compete for their students' attention
Research shows that limiting phone use improves sleep, which leads to better higher academic performance.
Logos
Cause & effect: if x happens, then y happens
If students are expected to learn complex material, it makes sense that constant phone notifications would interfere with their ability to concentrate.
Logos
this is a cause-and-effect relationship.. if x happens, then y will happen
Many health experts report a 60% increase in teen anxiety linked to excessive phone use, and the data backs it up- but behind every statistic is a child lying awake at night, refreshing their feed that never satisfies what they are truly searching for.
Ethos b/c research shown by experts builds credibility
Logos b/c this is backed by a statistic/ percentage
Pathos b/c invokes a strong emotional response of anxiety and maybe even depression