The Economic Case for Letting Teenagers Sleep a Little Later

The US has invested heavily in education. However, despite this investment, the nation lags behind other developed nations with regard to academic performance. An analysis of the country’s education system reveals a number of limitations and failures that are responsible for its disappointing performance. Among the main problems that afflict the system is how school hours are scheduled. As Aaron Carroll (2017) observed in his text, American high school students wake up too early. According to Carroll, the poorly designed schedules are to blame for poor performance and such other issues as limited productivity. Carroll presents a compelling argument by relying heavily on logos, ethos and pathos. In this paper, an analysis of how he harnesses these techniques to present his message is offered.

Organization and Persuasive Techniques 

In order to be compelling, writers should incorporate a range of organizational and persuasive techniques into their work. As noted above, Carroll (2017) recognizes the importance of these techniques. In presenting the argument that schools should rework their schedules to allow teenagers to begin classes later, Carroll adopts a number of highly effective techniques. The logos, pathos and ethos rhetorical appeals capture these techniques.

Logos 

Logos is among the appeals that amplifies the persuasive impact of Carroll’s article. Essentially, this appeal is concerned with using logic, facts and reason to persuade an audience. When integrated into writing or speech, logos is intended to establish arguments on verifiable facts. There is no question that Carroll understood that to convince schools to consider his argument, he needed to supply facts. Providing research evidence is among the measures that he undertook. For example, to raise awareness regarding the need to redesign school schedules, Carroll cites research evidence which has established that teenagers are not equipped to sleep early. In addition to being scientific, the evidence that Carroll provides is of high quality. For example, among the studies that he mentions is a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Generally, systematic reviews are regarded as highly credible and accurate (Pai, Rajesh & Shenoy, 2012). Therefore, as they engage with Carroll’s article, readers are assured that the insights it contains are obtained from credible sources. More importantly, by consulting literature, one is able to verify the accuracy of the evidence that Carroll cites. For instance, such other scholars as Roenneberg et al. (2004) determined that teenagers have different clocks which make sleeping early potentially harmful. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also confirmed that early bed times pose a threat to the wellbeing of teenagers. This agency has cautioned that schools in the US begin too early (CDC, 2018). It is evident that Carroll’s argument is established on scientific facts that have been confirmed by numerous scholars.

While logos is primarily concerned with facts and evidence, these are not its only elements. In addition, this appeal also involves how a speaker organizes their argument. In general, if they are to be successful in persuading their audiences, speakers must ensure that their ideas and arguments are organized logically. Carroll achieves this. He begins by presenting his arguments before proceeding to offer support. For example, he challenges the commonly held belief that when they sleep early, teenagers will wake up early. Finding fault in this belief, Carroll then proceeds to cite research evidence to substantiate his concerns. He repeats this approach across the entire essay. It is fair to suppose that in organizing his work logically, Carroll aimed to ensure proper flow and to engage his readers. This strategy is definitely effective as it enables Carroll to keep his audience captivated and ensure that his message is not distorted by such issues as flawed organization.

Acknowledging opposing views and alternative perspectives is another way through which Carroll incorporates logos into the essay. There are numerous instances where Carroll indicates his understanding of how controversial and divisive the issue of adolescent sleeping time is. For example, he notes that “some argue that delaying school start times would just cause teenagers to stay up later” (par. 7). Carroll then proceeds to counter this argument. By recognizing the views held by others, Carroll clearly set out to ensure that his essay was balanced, fair and objective. This strategy enhances the persuasive power of the article and leaves readers satisfied that adjusting school calendars holds the key to promoting the performance and wellbeing of adolescents.

Pathos 

Pathos is another rhetorical appeal that Carroll harnesses to engage his readers. Basically, pathos makes it possible for speakers to appeal to the emotions of their audiences. This tool is particularly effective when the subject in question is elicits strong emotions. Carroll’s choice of words and his description of the hardships that adolescents endure are the main issues that capture his appeal to the emotions of his audience. For example, in a clear bid to help audiences understand what adolescents go through, Carroll describes how the adolescents “set their alarms, and their parents force them out of bed in the morning” (p. 1). Through this description, Carroll manages to help the audience to relate to the subject. This approach is effective because it develops an emotional connection between the audience and the need to revise school schedules. It can be argued that by including the description in the essay, Carroll aimed to achieve this outcome.

Eliciting an emotional reaction from the audience is not the only manifestation of pathos. Appealing to the values and the ideas that the audience cherishes is another technique through which authors demonstrate pathos. Handsome rewards for investment are the main value that Carroll evokes as he discusses the high costs that the US incurs as a result of its inefficient and poorly designed school schedules. For example, Carroll mentions that every year, the US incurs $150 per student as a direct result of the schedules. In citing this figure, Carroll must have aimed to inspire his audience to care about his message. He does this by challenging the audience to understand that the schedules present real and costly implications. It is also fair to argue that Carroll set out to enjoin his audience in pushing for reforms in when students report for school. Overall, his use of pathos is innovative and clearly effective. After reading the essay, one is left with the impression that Carroll is a concerned parent who desperately wishes to see changes in how American schools operate.

Ethos 

The third rhetorical appeal that Carroll depends on to drive his message is ethos. When incorporated into writing, ethos aims to help the speaker or writer to establish credibility. One of the ways through which Carroll incorporates ethos into the essay is presenting himself as highly qualified to discuss the subject. His main qualification is that he is a parent. In an apparent effort to show that he understands the struggles that adolescents endure, Carroll mentions is own son. As a parent, Carroll must have witnessed the damage caused by school schedules and is therefore properly positioned to call for change. In addition to being a parent, Carroll is also an education practitioner. He is part of the faculty at Indiana University School of Medicine. Specifically, he serves as a professor of pediatrics. His professional experience and expertise must have exposed him to how the adolescent mind functions. Therefore, Carroll possesses the qualifications needed to address his audience on the subject of his essay.

The tone and presentation of a writer’s piece are other issues that constitute ethos. To be effective, the tone and presentation should be appropriate to the genre of writing and the audience at which the message is targeted. While Carroll adopts a formal tone and presentation, he avoids using complex language or terms. This is clearly an effort to ensure that his message appeals to as wide an audience as possible. Had he employed jargon, he would have alienated audience members who lack technical knowledge and expertise. The fact that Carroll’s article appears on the digital edition of the New York Times further enhance its appeal. This publication is widely respected in the US and across the globe. In order to feature the article on its website, the New York Times must have verified its accuracy and credibility. In summary, Carroll represents the writers who understand that to have an impact on the minds and hearts of audiences, they need to develop credibility and seem authoritative.

In closing, Carroll’s article is powerful and highly effective. It derives its impact from its incorporation of pathos, logos and ethos. Before penning the essay, Carroll must have given tremendous thought to ensuring that the facts on which he based his arguments were credible and accurate. Moreover, it is clear that Carroll took the time to fetch data that would help to present his essay as grounded in high quality research. The vivid descriptions, the appeal to values that Americans uphold and the simple and formal presentation are other elements that amplify the persuasive effect of the essay. The main take-away from the essay is that urgent reforms should be introduced to the US education system. Concerned stakeholders should allow adolescent students to begin classes earlier.

References

Carroll, A. E. (2017). The economic case for letting teenagers sleep a little later. The New York Times. Retrieved October 4, 2019 from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/upshot/the-economic-case-for-letting-teenagers-sleep-a-little-later.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2018). School starts too early. CDC. Retrieved October 4, 2019 from https://www.cdc.gov/features/school-start-times/index.html

Pai, B. M., Rajesh, G., & Shenoy, R. (2012). Research design hierarchy: strength of evidence in evidence-based dentistry. Journal of Interdisciplinary Dentistry, 2 (3), 158-63.

Roenneberg, T., Kuehnle, T., Pramstaller, P. P., Ricken, J., Havel, M., Guth, A., & Merrow, M. (2004). A marker for the end of adolescence. Current Biology, 14 (24), R1038-9.