Abby Persicketti

Dr. Wielgos

College Writing II

Purpose Statement and Design Plan

My purpose for this essay is to open the eyes of my generation and generations to come and show them that while Technology (mostly phones), while they may have benefits to society, are also hurting the social part of society when people are focusing on their technology rather than the people around them. A majority of mankind is becoming less social because they connect through a screen rather than sitting with one another in conversation. This can be harmful because when it comes to a time that they need to interact with others in person they may not be able to do it effectively. I have heard many times that people miss the “old days” of no cell phones where people got work done and were out and about with their friends and family instead of staring at meaningless things on their phone. I would have to agree that I miss my younger days of not having a phone. That is why this purpose is important to me, because I miss the sense of closeness I used to have with people when scrolling on one’s phone instead of talking was not an option. The people I will be targeting in particular with this photo essay is anyone who uses their phone regularly, specifically teens and young adults. I want my audience to see the things they are missing and to become aware of how they are when they are on the phone. Some people are so used to having a phone with them that they may not realize how much they are on it. I think the statement will come across strong because the audience will be able to relate since I am sure they have a phone. As a whole, I believe if we all become more self- aware of our phone usage we may become more productive and look at the world differently. This time with our head up instead of looking down at a screen.

The approach I am taking to this design plan is that I am using the Mesh slides PowerPoint provides as a nice background that looks techy, but will not distract too much from the pictures shown on the slide. The font I will use is SimSun because it looks very stiff and structured, and it reminds me of technology. The typeface is not warm or inviting and, therefore, this will cause a cold feeling while looking at the slides because the feeling I am trying to convey, is a sense of coldness that comes with using technology rather than having human interaction. The photos will show different scenarios where technology can distract the users such as playing a game of cards, eating breakfast, studying for a test or simply having a friend try to talk to you. The photos will be in color so they can stand out against the gray background. The captions of the photos will help the viewers to understand a little more exactly what is happening in the photo. I believe they will be able to tell the scenario without the captions, but the captions help the audience to see what the people in the photos are thinking or saying.

Ethos: I want my audience to see that I am someone who has experienced the distractive qualities of a phone. I took photos of real situations I have been in before and I think that makes me a credible source. My font is very professional looking and looks like an authoritative font, which will help the audience to take it more seriously.

Pathos: The photos look like they could be anyone’s friends who might not be paying attention to them. The audience will be able to feel what they have felt before when they have been in that situation.

Logos: The photos will show the ways that people can be distracted by their phones in a very logical way. I believe the audience will look at the photos and be able to make sense of what is happening in the specific example.