“Depression Symptom Checklist”

Depression seems to be overlooked in our society and over-dramatized in the wrong ways by social media and entertainment. It isn’t always considered a serious mental condition and people may perceive depression as unimportant since they think it can be easily cured. The author of this article highlights how wrong the general public may be about the disease. He appeals to the audience by using pathos and targeting an audience ignorant enough to buy into the idea of a “depression checklist”. This term is ironically presented in the title because there may not always be a specific criteria to define the symptoms of depression. Thus, it would be difficult to come up with a universal list of solutions, since every individual requires a different personalized approach to recovery. The author highlights this misjudged assumption by utilizing satirical language in the quotes embedded within the text. Zenner claims, “I just connect with it on some deep existential level”, which is extremely sarcastic considering a checklist appears unsympathetic and ineffective. Although the author successfully utilizes quotes to appeal to the readers and to give himself more credibility, his purposeful use of sarcasm reveals the article’s intention to make fun of society. Throughout the article, the author utilizes ethos, pathos and logos to effectively create a seemingly legitimate argument about mental health. However, the article’s publication source, The Onion, and the obvious sarcasm reveal the author’s true criticism of a misunderstood mental health issue.