When I began writing my Op-Ed essay, I didn’t know what I wanted to write about for my Op-Ed essay. I was scrolling on Instagram when I stumbled on a video talking about some companies in Europe experimenting with 4-day work weeks. This topic caught my attention very much and I thought it would make a very good concept for an opinion piece. I know that a lot of people in the US, especially those in influential positions, are against paid parental leave and cutting the work week. A lot of members of the older generations think younger people are “lazy” and don’t want to work. So after seeing the video, I did some more research and found out a lot of interesting things that I knew would fit very well into my Op-Ed essay, and that is how I went about finding sources for my essay.
I started by reading more about the topic. The results of my paper were almost completely different from what I thought they would look like when I first began brainstorming. As I wrote and did more research, my opinions and ideas about the topic changed and evolved. I learned more about the topic, which convinced me even more of why reducing working hours is important. It also introduced the importance of wages and their proportionality to the cost of living.
I wrote the essay in parts. I began my essay by stating my opinion, then wrote some supporting evidence. I got stuck for a little while, then I researched a little more. I found that taking breaks and reading about my topic got my creative juices flowing and allowed me to get more ideas. So, in general, I wrote in parts and not in one go. I didn’t outline for this paper. But I did categorize the paper into parts and subtopics.
What I like most about my Op-Ed is that it was effective at highlighting a call to action. I also think my topic was very relatable and relevant. My call to action was also (in my opinion) realistic and something I think is doable. It included a call to action for businesses as well as individuals. I think overall, my paper could appeal to a lot of people. I also believe the evidence I used was convincing. I made good use of pathos, ethos, and logos using statistics, the effects on mental and physical health, and the questionable ethics of capitalism as my main arguments.
My classmates who gave me feedback on my paper told me that I should focus on the “why?” So, I made sure to edit my paper to incorporate more evidence and argument for why working less is beneficial for not only health but also productivity. I ended up concluding in my essay that working less is beneficial to both the employee and the employer.
If I had more time, I’d improve my writing style and word choice.
