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argumentative essay about 21st century

52 Argumentative Essay Ideas that are Actually Interesting

What’s covered:, how to pick a good argumentative essay topic, elements of a strong argumentative essay, argumentative essay idea example topics.

Are you having writer’s block? Coming up with an essay topic can be the hardest part of the process. You have very likely encountered argumentative essay writing in high school and have been asked to write your own. If you’re having trouble finding a topic, we’ve created a list of 52 essay ideas to help jumpstart your brainstorming process! In addition, this post will cover strategies for picking a topic and how to make your argument a strong one. Ultimately, the goal is to convince your reader. 

An argumentative essay tasks the writer with presenting an assertion and bolstering that assertion with proper research. You’ll present the claim’s authenticity. This means that whatever argument you’re making must be empirically true! Writing an argumentative essay without any evidence will leave you stranded without any facts to back up your claim. When choosing your essay topic, begin by thinking about themes that have been researched before. Readers will be more engaged with an argument that is supported by data.

This isn’t to say that your argumentative essay topic has to be as well-known, like “Gravity: Does it Exist?” but it shouldn’t be so obscure that there isn’t ample evidence. Finding a topic with multiple sources confirming its validity will help you support your thesis throughout your essay. If upon review of these articles you begin to doubt their worth due to small sample sizes, biased funding sources, or scientific disintegrity, don’t be afraid to move on to a different topic. Your ultimate goal should be proving to your audience that your argument is true because the data supports it.

The hardest essays to write are the ones that you don’t care about. If you don’t care about your topic, why should someone else? Topics that are more personal to the reader are immediately more thoughtful and meaningful because the author’s passion shines through. If you are free to choose an argumentative essay topic, find a topic where the papers you read and cite are fun to read. It’s much easier to write when the passion is already inside of you!

However, you won’t always have the choice to pick your topic. You may receive an assignment to write an argumentative essay that you feel is boring. There is still value in writing an argumentative essay on a topic that may not be of interest to you. It will push you to study a new topic, and broaden your ability to write on a variety of topics. Getting good at proving a point thoroughly and effectively will help you to both understand different fields more completely and increase your comfort with scientific writing.

Convincing Thesis Statement

It’s important to remember the general essay structure: an introduction paragraph with a thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. A strong thesis statement will set your essay up for success. What is it? A succinct, concise, and pithy sentence found in your first paragraph that summarizes your main point. Pour over this statement to ensure that you can set up your reader to understand your essay. You should also restate your thesis throughout your essay to keep your reader focused on your point.

Ample Research

A typical argumentative essay prompt may look like this: “What has been the most important invention of the 21st century? Support your claim with evidence.” This question is open-ended and gives you flexibility. But that also means it requires research to prove your point convincingly. The strongest essays weave scientific quotes and results into your writing. You can use recent articles, primary sources, or news sources. Maybe you even cite your own research. Remember, this process takes time, so be sure you set aside enough time to dive deep into your topic.

Clear Structure

If the reader can’t follow your argument, all your research could be for nothing! Structure is key to persuading your audience. Below are two common argumentative essay structures that you can use to organize your essays.

The Toulmin argument and the Rogerian argument each contain the four sections mentioned above but executes them in different ways. Be sure to familiarize yourself with both essay structures so that your essay is the most effective it can be.

The Toulmin argument has a straightforward presentation. You begin with your assertion, your thesis statement. You then list the evidence that supports your point and why these are valid sources. The bulk of your essay should be explaining how your sources support your claim. You then end your essay by acknowledging and discussing the problems or flaws that readers may find in your presentation. Then, you should list the solutions to these and alternative perspectives and prove your argument is stronger.

The Rogerian argument has a more complex structure. You begin with a discussion of what opposing sides do right and the validity of their arguments. This is effective because it allows you to piece apart your opponent’s argument. The next section contains your position on the questions. In this section, it is important to list problems with your opponent’s argument that your argument fixes. This way, your position feels much stronger. Your essay ends with suggesting a possible compromise between the two sides. A combination of the two sides could be the most effective solution.

  • Is the death penalty effective?
  • Is our election process fair?
  • Is the electoral college outdated?
  • Should we have lower taxes?
  • How many Supreme Court Justices should there be?
  • Should there be different term limits for elected officials?
  • Should the drinking age be lowered?
  • Does religion cause war?
  • Should the country legalize marijuana?
  • Should the country have tighter gun control laws?
  • Should men get paternity leave?
  • Should maternity leave be longer?
  • Should smoking be banned?
  • Should the government have a say in our diet?
  • Should birth control be free?
  • Should we increase access to condoms for teens?
  • Should abortion be legal?
  • Do school uniforms help educational attainment?
  • Are kids better or worse students than they were ten years ago?
  • Should students be allowed to cheat?
  • Is school too long?
  • Does school start too early?
  • Are there benefits to attending a single-sex school?
  • Is summer break still relevant?
  • Is college too expensive?

Art / Culture

  • How can you reform copyright law?
  • What was the best decade for music?
  • Do video games cause students to be more violent?
  • Should content online be more harshly regulated?
  • Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism?
  • Should schools ban books?
  • How important is art education?
  • Should music be taught in school?
  • Are music-sharing services helpful to artists?
  • What is the best way to teach science in a religious school?
  • Should fracking be legal?
  • Should parents be allowed to modify their unborn children?
  • Should vaccinations be required for attending school?
  • Are GMOs helpful or harmful?
  • Are we too dependent on our phones?
  • Should everyone have internet access?
  • Should internet access be free?
  • Should the police force be required to wear body cams?
  • Should social media companies be allowed to collect data from their users?
  • How has the internet impacted human society?
  • Should self-driving cars be allowed on the streets?
  • Should athletes be held to high moral standards?
  • Are professional athletes paid too much?
  • Should the U.S. have more professional sports teams?
  • Should sports be separated by gender?
  • Should college athletes be paid?
  • What are the best ways to increase safety in sports?

Where to Get More Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original argumentative essay ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

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argumentative essay about 21st century

The 10 Best Essay Collections of the Decade

Ever tried. ever failed. no matter..

Friends, it’s true: the end of the decade approaches. It’s been a difficult, anxiety-provoking, morally compromised decade, but at least it’s been populated by some damn fine literature. We’ll take our silver linings where we can.

So, as is our hallowed duty as a literary and culture website—though with full awareness of the potentially fruitless and endlessly contestable nature of the task—in the coming weeks, we’ll be taking a look at the best and most important (these being not always the same) books of the decade that was. We will do this, of course, by means of a variety of lists. We began with the best debut novels , the best short story collections , the best poetry collections , and the best memoirs of the decade , and we have now reached the fifth list in our series: the best essay collections published in English between 2010 and 2019.

The following books were chosen after much debate (and several rounds of voting) by the Literary Hub staff. Tears were spilled, feelings were hurt, books were re-read. And as you’ll shortly see, we had a hard time choosing just ten—so we’ve also included a list of dissenting opinions, and an even longer list of also-rans. As ever, free to add any of your own favorites that we’ve missed in the comments below.

The Top Ten

Oliver sacks, the mind’s eye (2010).

Toward the end of his life, maybe suspecting or sensing that it was coming to a close, Dr. Oliver Sacks tended to focus his efforts on sweeping intellectual projects like On the Move (a memoir), The River of Consciousness (a hybrid intellectual history), and Hallucinations (a book-length meditation on, what else, hallucinations). But in 2010, he gave us one more classic in the style that first made him famous, a form he revolutionized and brought into the contemporary literary canon: the medical case study as essay. In The Mind’s Eye , Sacks focuses on vision, expanding the notion to embrace not only how we see the world, but also how we map that world onto our brains when our eyes are closed and we’re communing with the deeper recesses of consciousness. Relaying histories of patients and public figures, as well as his own history of ocular cancer (the condition that would eventually spread and contribute to his death), Sacks uses vision as a lens through which to see all of what makes us human, what binds us together, and what keeps us painfully apart. The essays that make up this collection are quintessential Sacks: sensitive, searching, with an expertise that conveys scientific information and experimentation in terms we can not only comprehend, but which also expand how we see life carrying on around us. The case studies of “Stereo Sue,” of the concert pianist Lillian Kalir, and of Howard, the mystery novelist who can no longer read, are highlights of the collection, but each essay is a kind of gem, mined and polished by one of the great storytellers of our era.  –Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads Managing Editor

John Jeremiah Sullivan, Pulphead (2011)

The American essay was having a moment at the beginning of the decade, and Pulphead was smack in the middle. Without any hard data, I can tell you that this collection of John Jeremiah Sullivan’s magazine features—published primarily in GQ , but also in The Paris Review , and Harper’s —was the only full book of essays most of my literary friends had read since Slouching Towards Bethlehem , and probably one of the only full books of essays they had even heard of.

Well, we all picked a good one. Every essay in Pulphead is brilliant and entertaining, and illuminates some small corner of the American experience—even if it’s just one house, with Sullivan and an aging writer inside (“Mr. Lytle” is in fact a standout in a collection with no filler; fittingly, it won a National Magazine Award and a Pushcart Prize). But what are they about? Oh, Axl Rose, Christian Rock festivals, living around the filming of One Tree Hill , the Tea Party movement, Michael Jackson, Bunny Wailer, the influence of animals, and by god, the Miz (of Real World/Road Rules Challenge fame).

But as Dan Kois has pointed out , what connects these essays, apart from their general tone and excellence, is “their author’s essential curiosity about the world, his eye for the perfect detail, and his great good humor in revealing both his subjects’ and his own foibles.” They are also extremely well written, drawing much from fictional techniques and sentence craft, their literary pleasures so acute and remarkable that James Wood began his review of the collection in The New Yorker with a quiz: “Are the following sentences the beginnings of essays or of short stories?” (It was not a hard quiz, considering the context.)

It’s hard not to feel, reading this collection, like someone reached into your brain, took out the half-baked stuff you talk about with your friends, researched it, lived it, and represented it to you smarter and better and more thoroughly than you ever could. So read it in awe if you must, but read it.  –Emily Temple, Senior Editor

Aleksandar Hemon, The Book of My Lives (2013)

Such is the sentence-level virtuosity of Aleksandar Hemon—the Bosnian-American writer, essayist, and critic—that throughout his career he has frequently been compared to the granddaddy of borrowed language prose stylists: Vladimir Nabokov. While it is, of course, objectively remarkable that anyone could write so beautifully in a language they learned in their twenties, what I admire most about Hemon’s work is the way in which he infuses every essay and story and novel with both a deep humanity and a controlled (but never subdued) fury. He can also be damn funny. Hemon grew up in Sarajevo and left in 1992 to study in Chicago, where he almost immediately found himself stranded, forced to watch from afar as his beloved home city was subjected to a relentless four-year bombardment, the longest siege of a capital in the history of modern warfare. This extraordinary memoir-in-essays is many things: it’s a love letter to both the family that raised him and the family he built in exile; it’s a rich, joyous, and complex portrait of a place the 90s made synonymous with war and devastation; and it’s an elegy for the wrenching loss of precious things. There’s an essay about coming of age in Sarajevo and another about why he can’t bring himself to leave Chicago. There are stories about relationships forged and maintained on the soccer pitch or over the chessboard, and stories about neighbors and mentors turned monstrous by ethnic prejudice. As a chorus they sing with insight, wry humor, and unimaginable sorrow. I am not exaggerating when I say that the collection’s devastating final piece, “The Aquarium”—which details his infant daughter’s brain tumor and the agonizing months which led up to her death—remains the most painful essay I have ever read.  –Dan Sheehan, Book Marks Editor

Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass (2013)

Of every essay in my relentlessly earmarked copy of Braiding Sweetgrass , Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s gorgeously rendered argument for why and how we should keep going, there’s one that especially hits home: her account of professor-turned-forester Franz Dolp. When Dolp, several decades ago, revisited the farm that he had once shared with his ex-wife, he found a scene of destruction: The farm’s new owners had razed the land where he had tried to build a life. “I sat among the stumps and the swirling red dust and I cried,” he wrote in his journal.

So many in my generation (and younger) feel this kind of helplessness–and considerable rage–at finding ourselves newly adult in a world where those in power seem determined to abandon or destroy everything that human bodies have always needed to survive: air, water, land. Asking any single book to speak to this helplessness feels unfair, somehow; yet, Braiding Sweetgrass does, by weaving descriptions of indigenous tradition with the environmental sciences in order to show what survival has looked like over the course of many millennia. Kimmerer’s essays describe her personal experience as a Potawotami woman, plant ecologist, and teacher alongside stories of the many ways that humans have lived in relationship to other species. Whether describing Dolp’s work–he left the stumps for a life of forest restoration on the Oregon coast–or the work of others in maple sugar harvesting, creating black ash baskets, or planting a Three Sisters garden of corn, beans, and squash, she brings hope. “In ripe ears and swelling fruit, they counsel us that all gifts are multiplied in relationship,” she writes of the Three Sisters, which all sustain one another as they grow. “This is how the world keeps going.”  –Corinne Segal, Senior Editor

Hilton Als, White Girls (2013)

In a world where we are so often reduced to one essential self, Hilton Als’ breathtaking book of critical essays, White Girls , which meditates on the ways he and other subjects read, project and absorb parts of white femininity, is a radically liberating book. It’s one of the only works of critical thinking that doesn’t ask the reader, its author or anyone he writes about to stoop before the doorframe of complete legibility before entering. Something he also permitted the subjects and readers of his first book, the glorious book-length essay, The Women , a series of riffs and psychological portraits of Dorothy Dean, Owen Dodson, and the author’s own mother, among others. One of the shifts of that book, uncommon at the time, was how it acknowledges the way we inhabit bodies made up of variously gendered influences. To read White Girls now is to experience the utter freedom of this gift and to marvel at Als’ tremendous versatility and intelligence.

He is easily the most diversely talented American critic alive. He can write into genres like pop music and film where being part of an audience is a fantasy happening in the dark. He’s also wired enough to know how the art world builds reputations on the nod of rich white patrons, a significant collision in a time when Jean-Michel Basquiat is America’s most expensive modern artist. Als’ swerving and always moving grip on performance means he’s especially good on describing the effect of art which is volatile and unstable and built on the mingling of made-up concepts and the hard fact of their effect on behavior, such as race. Writing on Flannery O’Connor for instance he alone puts a finger on her “uneasy and unavoidable union between black and white, the sacred and the profane, the shit and the stars.” From Eminem to Richard Pryor, André Leon Talley to Michael Jackson, Als enters the life and work of numerous artists here who turn the fascinations of race and with whiteness into fury and song and describes the complexity of their beauty like his life depended upon it. There are also brief memoirs here that will stop your heart. This is an essential work to understanding American culture.  –John Freeman, Executive Editor

Eula Biss, On Immunity (2014)

We move through the world as if we can protect ourselves from its myriad dangers, exercising what little agency we have in an effort to keep at bay those fears that gather at the edges of any given life: of loss, illness, disaster, death. It is these fears—amplified by the birth of her first child—that Eula Biss confronts in her essential 2014 essay collection, On Immunity . As any great essayist does, Biss moves outward in concentric circles from her own very private view of the world to reveal wider truths, discovering as she does a culture consumed by anxiety at the pervasive toxicity of contemporary life. As Biss interrogates this culture—of privilege, of whiteness—she interrogates herself, questioning the flimsy ways in which we arm ourselves with science or superstition against the impurities of daily existence.

Five years on from its publication, it is dismaying that On Immunity feels as urgent (and necessary) a defense of basic science as ever. Vaccination, we learn, is derived from vacca —for cow—after the 17th-century discovery that a small application of cowpox was often enough to inoculate against the scourge of smallpox, an etymological digression that belies modern conspiratorial fears of Big Pharma and its vaccination agenda. But Biss never scolds or belittles the fears of others, and in her generosity and openness pulls off a neat (and important) trick: insofar as we are of the very world we fear, she seems to be suggesting, we ourselves are impure, have always been so, permeable, vulnerable, yet so much stronger than we think.  –Jonny Diamond, Editor-in-Chief 

Rebecca Solnit, The Mother of All Questions (2016)

When Rebecca Solnit’s essay, “Men Explain Things to Me,” was published in 2008, it quickly became a cultural phenomenon unlike almost any other in recent memory, assigning language to a behavior that almost every woman has witnessed—mansplaining—and, in the course of identifying that behavior, spurring a movement, online and offline, to share the ways in which patriarchal arrogance has intersected all our lives. (It would also come to be the titular essay in her collection published in 2014.) The Mother of All Questions follows up on that work and takes it further in order to examine the nature of self-expression—who is afforded it and denied it, what institutions have been put in place to limit it, and what happens when it is employed by women. Solnit has a singular gift for describing and decoding the misogynistic dynamics that govern the world so universally that they can seem invisible and the gendered violence that is so common as to seem unremarkable; this naming is powerful, and it opens space for sharing the stories that shape our lives.

The Mother of All Questions, comprised of essays written between 2014 and 2016, in many ways armed us with some of the tools necessary to survive the gaslighting of the Trump years, in which many of us—and especially women—have continued to hear from those in power that the things we see and hear do not exist and never existed. Solnit also acknowledges that labels like “woman,” and other gendered labels, are identities that are fluid in reality; in reviewing the book for The New Yorker , Moira Donegan suggested that, “One useful working definition of a woman might be ‘someone who experiences misogyny.'” Whichever words we use, Solnit writes in the introduction to the book that “when words break through unspeakability, what was tolerated by a society sometimes becomes intolerable.” This storytelling work has always been vital; it continues to be vital, and in this book, it is brilliantly done.  –Corinne Segal, Senior Editor

Valeria Luiselli, Tell Me How It Ends (2017)

The newly minted MacArthur fellow Valeria Luiselli’s four-part (but really six-part) essay  Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions  was inspired by her time spent volunteering at the federal immigration court in New York City, working as an interpreter for undocumented, unaccompanied migrant children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Written concurrently with her novel  Lost Children Archive  (a fictional exploration of the same topic), Luiselli’s essay offers a fascinating conceit, the fashioning of an argument from the questions on the government intake form given to these children to process their arrivals. (Aside from the fact that this essay is a heartbreaking masterpiece, this is such a  good  conceit—transforming a cold, reproducible administrative document into highly personal literature.) Luiselli interweaves a grounded discussion of the questionnaire with a narrative of the road trip Luiselli takes with her husband and family, across America, while they (both Mexican citizens) wait for their own Green Card applications to be processed. It is on this trip when Luiselli reflects on the thousands of migrant children mysteriously traveling across the border by themselves. But the real point of the essay is to actually delve into the real stories of some of these children, which are agonizing, as well as to gravely, clearly expose what literally happens, procedural, when they do arrive—from forms to courts, as they’re swallowed by a bureaucratic vortex. Amid all of this, Luiselli also takes on more, exploring the larger contextual relationship between the United States of America and Mexico (as well as other countries in Central America, more broadly) as it has evolved to our current, adverse moment.  Tell Me How It Ends  is so small, but it is so passionate and vigorous: it desperately accomplishes in its less-than-100-pages-of-prose what centuries and miles and endless records of federal bureaucracy have never been able, and have never cared, to do: reverse the dehumanization of Latin American immigrants that occurs once they set foot in this country.  –Olivia Rutigliano, CrimeReads Editorial Fellow

Zadie Smith, Feel Free (2018)

In the essay “Meet Justin Bieber!” in Feel Free , Zadie Smith writes that her interest in Justin Bieber is not an interest in the interiority of the singer himself, but in “the idea of the love object”. This essay—in which Smith imagines a meeting between Bieber and the late philosopher Martin Buber (“Bieber and Buber are alternative spellings of the same German surname,” she explains in one of many winning footnotes. “Who am I to ignore these hints from the universe?”). Smith allows that this premise is a bit premise -y: “I know, I know.” Still, the resulting essay is a very funny, very smart, and un-tricky exploration of individuality and true “meeting,” with a dash of late capitalism thrown in for good measure. The melding of high and low culture is the bread and butter of pretty much every prestige publication on the internet these days (and certainly of the Twitter feeds of all “public intellectuals”), but the essays in Smith’s collection don’t feel familiar—perhaps because hers is, as we’ve long known, an uncommon skill. Though I believe Smith could probably write compellingly about anything, she chooses her subjects wisely. She writes with as much electricity about Brexit as the aforementioned Beliebers—and each essay is utterly engrossing. “She contains multitudes, but her point is we all do,” writes Hermione Hoby in her review of the collection in The New Republic . “At the same time, we are, in our endless difference, nobody but ourselves.”  –Jessie Gaynor, Social Media Editor

Tressie McMillan Cottom, Thick: And Other Essays (2019)

Tressie McMillan Cottom is an academic who has transcended the ivory tower to become the sort of public intellectual who can easily appear on radio or television talk shows to discuss race, gender, and capitalism. Her collection of essays reflects this duality, blending scholarly work with memoir to create a collection on the black female experience in postmodern America that’s “intersectional analysis with a side of pop culture.” The essays range from an analysis of sexual violence, to populist politics, to social media, but in centering her own experiences throughout, the collection becomes something unlike other pieces of criticism of contemporary culture. In explaining the title, she reflects on what an editor had said about her work: “I was too readable to be academic, too deep to be popular, too country black to be literary, and too naïve to show the rigor of my thinking in the complexity of my prose. I had wanted to create something meaningful that sounded not only like me, but like all of me. It was too thick.” One of the most powerful essays in the book is “Dying to be Competent” which begins with her unpacking the idiocy of LinkedIn (and the myth of meritocracy) and ends with a description of her miscarriage, the mishandling of black woman’s pain, and a condemnation of healthcare bureaucracy. A finalist for the 2019 National Book Award for Nonfiction, Thick confirms McMillan Cottom as one of our most fearless public intellectuals and one of the most vital.  –Emily Firetog, Deputy Editor

Dissenting Opinions

The following books were just barely nudged out of the top ten, but we (or at least one of us) couldn’t let them pass without comment.

Elif Batuman, The Possessed (2010)

In The Possessed Elif Batuman indulges her love of Russian literature and the result is hilarious and remarkable. Each essay of the collection chronicles some adventure or other that she had while in graduate school for Comparative Literature and each is more unpredictable than the next. There’s the time a “well-known 20th-centuryist” gave a graduate student the finger; and the time when Batuman ended up living in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for a summer; and the time that she convinced herself Tolstoy was murdered and spent the length of the Tolstoy Conference in Yasnaya Polyana considering clues and motives. Rich in historic detail about Russian authors and literature and thoughtfully constructed, each essay is an amalgam of critical analysis, cultural criticism, and serious contemplation of big ideas like that of identity, intellectual legacy, and authorship. With wit and a serpentine-like shape to her narratives, Batuman adopts a form reminiscent of a Socratic discourse, setting up questions at the beginning of her essays and then following digressions that more or less entreat the reader to synthesize the answer for herself. The digressions are always amusing and arguably the backbone of the collection, relaying absurd anecdotes with foreign scholars or awkward, surreal encounters with Eastern European strangers. Central also to the collection are Batuman’s intellectual asides where she entertains a theory—like the “problem of the person”: the inability to ever wholly capture one’s character—that ultimately layer the book’s themes. “You are certainly my most entertaining student,” a professor said to Batuman. But she is also curious and enthusiastic and reflective and so knowledgeable that she might even convince you (she has me!) that you too love Russian literature as much as she does. –Eleni Theodoropoulos, Editorial Fellow

Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist (2014)

Roxane Gay’s now-classic essay collection is a book that will make you laugh, think, cry, and then wonder, how can cultural criticism be this fun? My favorite essays in the book include Gay’s musings on competitive Scrabble, her stranded-in-academia dispatches, and her joyous film and television criticism, but given the breadth of topics Roxane Gay can discuss in an entertaining manner, there’s something for everyone in this one. This book is accessible because feminism itself should be accessible – Roxane Gay is as likely to draw inspiration from YA novels, or middle-brow shows about friendship, as she is to introduce concepts from the academic world, and if there’s anyone I trust to bridge the gap between high culture, low culture, and pop culture, it’s the Goddess of Twitter. I used to host a book club dedicated to radical reads, and this was one of the first picks for the club; a week after the book club met, I spied a few of the attendees meeting in the café of the bookstore, and found out that they had bonded so much over discussing  Bad Feminist  that they couldn’t wait for the next meeting of the book club to keep discussing politics and intersectionality, and that, in a nutshell, is the power of Roxane. –Molly Odintz, CrimeReads Associate Editor

Rivka Galchen, Little Labors (2016)

Generally, I find stories about the trials and tribulations of child-having to be of limited appeal—useful, maybe, insofar as they offer validation that other people have also endured the bizarre realities of living with a tiny human, but otherwise liable to drift into the musings of parents thrilled at the simple fact of their own fecundity, as if they were the first ones to figure the process out (or not). But Little Labors is not simply an essay collection about motherhood, perhaps because Galchen initially “didn’t want to write about” her new baby—mostly, she writes, “because I had never been interested in babies, or mothers; in fact, those subjects had seemed perfectly not interesting to me.” Like many new mothers, though, Galchen soon discovered her baby—which she refers to sometimes as “the puma”—to be a preoccupying thought, demanding to be written about. Galchen’s interest isn’t just in her own progeny, but in babies in literature (“Literature has more dogs than babies, and also more abortions”), The Pillow Book , the eleventh-century collection of musings by Sei Shōnagon, and writers who are mothers. There are sections that made me laugh out loud, like when Galchen continually finds herself in an elevator with a neighbor who never fails to remark on the puma’s size. There are also deeper, darker musings, like the realization that the baby means “that it’s not permissible to die. There are days when this does not feel good.” It is a slim collection that I happened to read at the perfect time, and it remains one of my favorites of the decade. –Emily Firetog, Deputy Editor

Charlie Fox, This Young Monster (2017)

On social media as in his writing, British art critic Charlie Fox rejects lucidity for allusion and doesn’t quite answer the Twitter textbox’s persistent question: “What’s happening?” These days, it’s hard to tell.  This Young Monster  (2017), Fox’s first book,was published a few months after Donald Trump’s election, and at one point Fox takes a swipe at a man he judges “direct from a nightmare and just a repulsive fucking goon.” Fox doesn’t linger on politics, though, since most of the monsters he looks at “embody otherness and make it into art, ripping any conventional idea of beauty to shreds and replacing it with something weird and troubling of their own invention.”

If clichés are loathed because they conform to what philosopher Georges Bataille called “the common measure,” then monsters are rebellious non-sequiturs, comedic or horrific derailments from a classical ideal. Perverts in the most literal sense, monsters have gone astray from some “proper” course. The book’s nine chapters, which are about a specific monster or type of monster, are full of callbacks to familiar and lesser-known media. Fox cites visual art, film, songs, and books with the screwy buoyancy of a savant. Take one of his essays, “Spook House,” framed as a stage play with two principal characters, Klaus (“an intoxicated young skinhead vampire”) and Hermione (“a teen sorceress with green skin and jet-black hair” who looks more like The Wicked Witch than her namesake). The chorus is a troupe of trick-or-treaters. Using the filmmaker Cameron Jamie as a starting point, the rest is free association on gothic decadence and Detroit and L.A. as cities of the dead. All the while, Klaus quotes from  Artforum ,  Dazed & Confused , and  Time Out. It’s a technical feat that makes fictionalized dialogue a conveyor belt for cultural criticism.

In Fox’s imagination, David Bowie and the Hydra coexist alongside Peter Pan, Dennis Hopper, and the maenads. Fox’s book reaches for the monster’s mask, not really to peel it off but to feel and smell the rubber schnoz, to know how it’s made before making sure it’s still snugly set. With a stylistic blend of arthouse suavity and B-movie chic,  This Young Monster considers how monsters in culture are made. Aren’t the scariest things made in post-production? Isn’t the creature just duplicity, like a looping choir or a dubbed scream? –Aaron Robertson, Assistant Editor

Elena Passarello, Animals Strike Curious Poses (2017)

Elena Passarello’s collection of essays Animals Strike Curious Poses picks out infamous animals and grants them the voice, narrative, and history they deserve. Not only is a collection like this relevant during the sixth extinction but it is an ambitious historical and anthropological undertaking, which Passarello has tackled with thorough research and a playful tone that rather than compromise her subject, complicates and humanizes it. Passarello’s intention is to investigate the role of animals across the span of human civilization and in doing so, to construct a timeline of humanity as told through people’s interactions with said animals. “Of all the images that make our world, animal images are particularly buried inside us,” Passarello writes in her first essay, to introduce us to the object of the book and also to the oldest of her chosen characters: Yuka, a 39,000-year-old mummified woolly mammoth discovered in the Siberian permafrost in 2010. It was an occasion so remarkable and so unfathomable given the span of human civilization that Passarello says of Yuka: “Since language is epically younger than both thought and experience, ‘woolly mammoth’ means, to a human brain, something more like time.” The essay ends with a character placing a hand on a cave drawing of a woolly mammoth, accompanied by a phrase which encapsulates the author’s vision for the book: “And he becomes the mammoth so he can envision the mammoth.” In Passarello’s hands the imagined boundaries between the animal, natural, and human world disintegrate and what emerges is a cohesive if baffling integrated history of life. With the accuracy and tenacity of a journalist and the spirit of a storyteller, Elena Passarello has assembled a modern bestiary worthy of contemplation and awe. –Eleni Theodoropoulos, Editorial Fellow

Esmé Weijun Wang, The Collected Schizophrenias (2019)

Esmé Weijun Wang’s collection of essays is a kaleidoscopic look at mental health and the lives affected by the schizophrenias. Each essay takes on a different aspect of the topic, but you’ll want to read them together for a holistic perspective. Esmé Weijun Wang generously begins The Collected Schizophrenias by acknowledging the stereotype, “Schizophrenia terrifies. It is the archetypal disorder of lunacy.” From there, she walks us through the technical language, breaks down the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ( DSM-5 )’s clinical definition. And then she gets very personal, telling us about how she came to her own diagnosis and the way it’s touched her daily life (her relationships, her ideas about motherhood). Esmé Weijun Wang is uniquely situated to write about this topic. As a former lab researcher at Stanford, she turns a precise, analytical eye to her experience while simultaneously unfolding everything with great patience for her reader. Throughout, she brilliantly dissects the language around mental health. (On saying “a person living with bipolar disorder” instead of using “bipolar” as the sole subject: “…we are not our diseases. We are instead individuals with disorders and malfunctions. Our conditions lie over us like smallpox blankets; we are one thing and the illness is another.”) She pinpoints the ways she arms herself against anticipated reactions to the schizophrenias: high fashion, having attended an Ivy League institution. In a particularly piercing essay, she traces mental illness back through her family tree. She also places her story within more mainstream cultural contexts, calling on groundbreaking exposés about the dangerous of institutionalization and depictions of mental illness in television and film (like the infamous Slender Man case, in which two young girls stab their best friend because an invented Internet figure told them to). At once intimate and far-reaching, The Collected Schizophrenias is an informative and important (and let’s not forget artful) work. I’ve never read a collection quite so beautifully-written and laid-bare as this. –Katie Yee, Book Marks Assistant Editor

Ross Gay, The Book of Delights (2019)

When Ross Gay began writing what would become The Book of Delights, he envisioned it as a project of daily essays, each focused on a moment or point of delight in his day. This plan quickly disintegrated; on day four, he skipped his self-imposed assignment and decided to “in honor and love, delight in blowing it off.” (Clearly, “blowing it off” is a relative term here, as he still produced the book.) Ross Gay is a generous teacher of how to live, and this moment of reveling in self-compassion is one lesson among many in The Book of Delights , which wanders from moments of connection with strangers to a shade of “red I don’t think I actually have words for,” a text from a friend reading “I love you breadfruit,” and “the sun like a guiding hand on my back, saying everything is possible. Everything .”

Gay does not linger on any one subject for long, creating the sense that delight is a product not of extenuating circumstances, but of our attention; his attunement to the possibilities of a single day, and awareness of all the small moments that produce delight, are a model for life amid the warring factions of the attention economy. These small moments range from the physical–hugging a stranger, transplanting fig cuttings–to the spiritual and philosophical, giving the impression of sitting beside Gay in his garden as he thinks out loud in real time. It’s a privilege to listen. –Corinne Segal, Senior Editor

Honorable Mentions

A selection of other books that we seriously considered for both lists—just to be extra about it (and because decisions are hard).

Terry Castle, The Professor and Other Writings (2010) · Joyce Carol Oates, In Rough Country (2010) · Geoff Dyer, Otherwise Known as the Human Condition (2011) · Christopher Hitchens, Arguably (2011) ·  Roberto Bolaño, tr. Natasha Wimmer, Between Parentheses (2011) · Dubravka Ugresic, tr. David Williams, Karaoke Culture (2011) · Tom Bissell, Magic Hours (2012)  · Kevin Young, The Grey Album (2012) · William H. Gass, Life Sentences: Literary Judgments and Accounts (2012) · Mary Ruefle, Madness, Rack, and Honey (2012) · Herta Müller, tr. Geoffrey Mulligan, Cristina and Her Double (2013) · Leslie Jamison, The Empathy Exams (2014)  · Meghan Daum, The Unspeakable (2014)  · Daphne Merkin, The Fame Lunches (2014)  · Charles D’Ambrosio, Loitering (2015) · Wendy Walters, Multiply/Divide (2015) · Colm Tóibín, On Elizabeth Bishop (2015) ·  Renee Gladman, Calamities (2016)  · Jesmyn Ward, ed. The Fire This Time (2016)  · Lindy West, Shrill (2016)  · Mary Oliver, Upstream (2016)  · Emily Witt, Future Sex (2016)  · Olivia Laing, The Lonely City (2016)  · Mark Greif, Against Everything (2016)  · Durga Chew-Bose, Too Much and Not the Mood (2017)  · Sarah Gerard, Sunshine State (2017)  · Jim Harrison, A Really Big Lunch (2017)  · J.M. Coetzee, Late Essays: 2006-2017 (2017) · Melissa Febos, Abandon Me (2017)  · Louise Glück, American Originality (2017)  · Joan Didion, South and West (2017)  · Tom McCarthy, Typewriters, Bombs, Jellyfish (2017)  · Hanif Abdurraqib, They Can’t Kill Us Until they Kill Us (2017)  · Ta-Nehisi Coates, We Were Eight Years in Power (2017)  ·  Samantha Irby, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life (2017)  · Alexander Chee, How to Write an Autobiographical Novel (2018)  · Alice Bolin, Dead Girls (2018)  · Marilynne Robinson, What Are We Doing Here? (2018)  · Lorrie Moore, See What Can Be Done (2018)  · Maggie O’Farrell, I Am I Am I Am (2018)  · Ijeoma Oluo, So You Want to Talk About Race (2018)  · Rachel Cusk, Coventry (2019)  · Jia Tolentino, Trick Mirror (2019)  · Emily Bernard, Black is the Body (2019)  · Toni Morrison, The Source of Self-Regard (2019)  · Margaret Renkl, Late Migrations (2019)  ·  Rachel Munroe, Savage Appetites (2019)  · Robert A. Caro,  Working  (2019) · Arundhati Roy, My Seditious Heart (2019).

Emily Temple

Emily Temple

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student opinion

130 New Prompts for Argumentative Writing

Questions on everything from mental health and sports to video games and dating. Which ones inspire you to take a stand?

argumentative essay about 21st century

By The Learning Network

Note: We have an updated version of this list, with 300 new argumentative writing prompts .

What issues do you care most about? What topics do you find yourself discussing passionately, whether online, at the dinner table, in the classroom or with your friends?

In Unit 5 of our free yearlong writing curriculum and related Student Editorial Contest , we invite students to research and write about the issues that matter to them, whether that’s Shakespeare , health care , standardized testing or being messy .

But with so many possibilities, where does one even begin? Try our student writing prompts.

In 2017, we compiled a list of 401 argumentative writing prompts , all drawn from our daily Student Opinion column . Now, we’re rounding up 130 more we’ve published since then ( available here as a PDF ). Each prompt links to a free Times article as well as additional subquestions that can help you think more deeply about it.

You might use this list to inspire your own writing and to find links to reliable resources about the issues that intrigue you. But even if you’re not participating in our contest, you can use these prompts to practice the kind of low-stakes writing that can help you hone your argumentation skills.

So scroll through the list below with questions on everything from sports and mental health to dating and video games and see which ones inspire you to take a stand.

Please note: Many of these prompts are still open to comment by students 13 and up.

Technology & Social Media

1. Do Memes Make the Internet a Better Place? 2. Does Online Public Shaming Prevent Us From Being Able to Grow and Change? 3. How Young Is Too Young to Use Social Media? 4. Should the Adults in Your Life Be Worried by How Much You Use Your Phone? 5. Is Your Phone Love Hurting Your Relationships? 6. Should Kids Be Social Media Influencers? 7. Does Grammar Still Matter in the Age of Twitter? 8. Should Texting While Driving Be Treated Like Drunken Driving? 9. How Do You Think Technology Affects Dating?

10. Are Straight A’s Always a Good Thing? 11. Should Schools Teach You How to Be Happy? 12. How Do You Think American Education Could Be Improved? 13. Should Schools Test Their Students for Nicotine and Drug Use? 14. Can Social Media Be a Tool for Learning and Growth in Schools? 15. Should Facial Recognition Technology Be Used in Schools? 16. Should Your School Day Start Later? 17. How Should Senior Year in High School Be Spent? 18. Should Teachers Be Armed With Guns? 19. Is School a Place for Self-Expression? 20. Should Students Be Punished for Not Having Lunch Money? 21. Is Live-Streaming Classrooms a Good Idea? 22. Should Gifted and Talented Education Be Eliminated? 23. What Are the Most Important Things Students Should Learn in School? 24. Should Schools Be Allowed to Censor Student Newspapers? 25. Do You Feel Your School and Teachers Welcome Both Conservative and Liberal Points of View? 26. Should Teachers and Professors Ban Student Use of Laptops in Class? 27. Should Schools Teach About Climate Change? 28. Should All Schools Offer Music Programs? 29. Does Your School Need More Money? 30. Should All Schools Teach Cursive? 31. What Role Should Textbooks Play in Education? 32. Do Kids Need Recess?

College & Career

33. What Is Your Reaction to the College Admissions Cheating Scandal? 34. Is the College Admissions Process Fair? 35. Should Everyone Go to College? 36. Should College Be Free? 37. Are Lavish Amenities on College Campuses Useful or Frivolous? 38. Should ‘Despised Dissenters’ Be Allowed to Speak on College Campuses? 39. How Should the Problem of Sexual Assault on Campuses Be Addressed? 40. Should Fraternities Be Abolished? 41. Is Student Debt Worth It?

Mental & Physical Health

42. Should Students Get Mental Health Days Off From School? 43. Is Struggle Essential to Happiness? 44. Does Every Country Need a ‘Loneliness Minister’? 45. Should Schools Teach Mindfulness? 46. Should All Children Be Vaccinated? 47. What Do You Think About Vegetarianism? 48. Do We Worry Too Much About Germs? 49. What Advice Should Parents and Counselors Give Teenagers About Sexting? 50. Do You Think Porn Influences the Way Teenagers Think About Sex?

Race & Gender

51. How Should Parents Teach Their Children About Race and Racism? 52. Is America ‘Backsliding’ on Race? 53. Should All Americans Receive Anti-Bias Education? 54. Should All Companies Require Anti-Bias Training for Employees? 55. Should Columbus Day Be Replaced With Indigenous Peoples Day? 56. Is Fear of ‘The Other’ Poisoning Public Life? 57. Should the Boy Scouts Be Coed? 58. What Is Hard About Being a Boy?

59. Can You Separate Art From the Artist? 60. Are There Subjects That Should Be Off-Limits to Artists, or to Certain Artists in Particular? 61. Should Art Come With Trigger Warnings? 62. Should Graffiti Be Protected? 63. Is the Digital Era Improving or Ruining the Experience of Art? 64. Are Museums Still Important in the Digital Age? 65. In the Age of Digital Streaming, Are Movie Theaters Still Relevant? 66. Is Hollywood Becoming More Diverse? 67. What Stereotypical Characters Make You Cringe? 68. Do We Need More Female Superheroes? 69. Do Video Games Deserve the Bad Rap They Often Get? 70. Should Musicians Be Allowed to Copy or Borrow From Other Artists? 71. Is Listening to a Book Just as Good as Reading It? 72. Is There Any Benefit to Reading Books You Hate?

73. Should Girls and Boys Sports Teams Compete in the Same League? 74. Should College Athletes Be Paid? 75. Are Youth Sports Too Competitive? 76. Is It Selfish to Pursue Risky Sports Like Extreme Mountain Climbing? 77. How Should We Punish Sports Cheaters? 78. Should Technology in Sports Be Limited? 79. Should Blowouts Be Allowed in Youth Sports? 80. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams and Their Fans to Use Native American Names, Imagery and Gestures?

81. Is It Wrong to Focus on Animal Welfare When Humans Are Suffering? 82. Should Extinct Animals Be Resurrected? If So, Which Ones? 83. Are Emotional-Support Animals a Scam? 84. Is Animal Testing Ever Justified? 85. Should We Be Concerned With Where We Get Our Pets? 86. Is This Exhibit Animal Cruelty or Art?

Parenting & Childhood

87. Who Should Decide Whether a Teenager Can Get a Tattoo or Piercing? 88. Is It Harder to Grow Up in the 21st Century Than It Was in the Past? 89. Should Parents Track Their Teenager’s Location? 90. Is Childhood Today Over-Supervised? 91. How Should Parents Talk to Their Children About Drugs? 92. What Should We Call Your Generation? 93. Do Other People Care Too Much About Your Post-High School Plans? 94. Do Parents Ever Cross a Line by Helping Too Much With Schoolwork? 95. What’s the Best Way to Discipline Children? 96. What Are Your Thoughts on ‘Snowplow Parents’? 97. Should Stay-at-Home Parents Be Paid? 98. When Do You Become an Adult?

Ethics & Morality

99. Why Do Bystanders Sometimes Fail to Help When They See Someone in Danger? 100. Is It Ethical to Create Genetically Edited Humans? 101. Should Reporters Ever Help the People They Are Covering? 102. Is It O.K. to Use Family Connections to Get a Job? 103. Is $1 Billion Too Much Money for Any One Person to Have? 104. Are We Being Bad Citizens If We Don’t Keep Up With the News? 105. Should Prisons Offer Incarcerated People Education Opportunities? 106. Should Law Enforcement Be Able to Use DNA Data From Genealogy Websites for Criminal Investigations? 107. Should We Treat Robots Like People?

Government & Politics

108. Does the United States Owe Reparations to the Descendants of Enslaved People? 109. Do You Think It Is Important for Teenagers to Participate in Political Activism? 110. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? 111. What Should Lawmakers Do About Guns and Gun Violence? 112. Should Confederate Statues Be Removed or Remain in Place? 113. Does the U.S. Constitution Need an Equal Rights Amendment? 114. Should National Monuments Be Protected by the Government? 115. Should Free Speech Protections Include Self Expression That Discriminates? 116. How Important Is Freedom of the Press? 117. Should Ex-Felons Have the Right to Vote? 118. Should Marijuana Be Legal? 119. Should the United States Abolish Daylight Saving Time? 120. Should We Abolish the Death Penalty? 121. Should the U.S. Ban Military-Style Semiautomatic Weapons? 122. Should the U.S. Get Rid of the Electoral College? 123. What Do You Think of President Trump’s Use of Twitter? 124. Should Celebrities Weigh In on Politics? 125. Why Is It Important for People With Different Political Beliefs to Talk to Each Other?

Other Questions

126. Should the Week Be Four Days Instead of Five? 127. Should Public Transit Be Free? 128. How Important Is Knowing a Foreign Language? 129. Is There a ‘Right Way’ to Be a Tourist? 130. Should Your Significant Other Be Your Best Friend?

Home — Essay Samples — History — Contemporary History — 21St Century

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Essays on 21st Century

Choosing 21st century essay topics.

As we navigate through the 21st century, the world around us is constantly evolving, and this evolution comes with a plethora of complex issues and topics that are ripe for exploration and discussion. When it comes to selecting an essay topic for your academic assignments, it's important to choose a subject that is not only relevant but also engaging and thought-provoking. In this article, we will delve into the importance of choosing a 21st-century essay topic, provide advice on how to select a topic, and offer a detailed list of recommended essay topics across various categories.

The Importance of the Topic

Choosing a relevant and impactful essay topic is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it allows you to engage with current events and trends, fostering a deeper understanding of the world around us and its complexities. Secondly, a well-chosen topic can spark meaningful discussions and debates, both within academic circles and in society at large. Additionally, selecting a 21st-century essay topic can help you develop critical thinking and analytical skills, as you navigate through the complexities of contemporary issues.

Advice on Choosing a Topic

When it comes to selecting an essay topic, it's important to consider your interests, as well as the relevance and significance of the subject matter. Start by brainstorming a list of topics that intrigue you and align with your academic goals. Consider the potential impact of the topic and its relevance to modern society. Research the latest developments and debates surrounding the topic to ensure that you have access to current and credible sources. Lastly, make sure the topic is broad enough to provide you with ample research material, but also specific enough to allow for in-depth exploration.

Recommended Essay Topics

Social issues.

  • The impact of social media on mental health
  • Income inequality in the 21st century
  • The rise of fake news and its implications
  • The role of activism in contemporary society

Technology and Innovation

  • The ethical implications of artificial intelligence
  • The future of renewable energy sources
  • Privacy and data protection in the digital age
  • The impact of technology on the job market

Environmental Concerns

  • The effects of climate change on global communities
  • Sustainable practices for a greener future
  • The role of activism in environmental conservation
  • The intersection of environmentalism and social justice

Global Politics

  • International responses to humanitarian crises
  • Nationalism and its impact on global diplomacy
  • The role of the United Nations in the 21st century
  • The rise of populism and its implications for global governance

Cultural Identity

  • The impact of globalization on cultural diversity
  • The portrayal of gender and race in contemporary media
  • The intersection of technology and cultural heritage
  • The role of art and literature in shaping cultural identities

These are just a few examples of the myriad of topics that you can explore for your 21st-century essay. Remember to choose a topic that resonates with you and aligns with your academic interests. By delving into the complexities of contemporary issues, you can develop a deeper understanding of the world around us and contribute to meaningful discussions and debates.

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Comic Books in The 21st Century

A lesson to never give up in "the odyssey", a poem by homer, organizational structure and management: alibaba and the 21st century, challenges faced by native americans in 21str century, trump and the rise of 21st century fascism, princess diana’s memoir, a study on the impact of corporate accountability, understanding the craze behind esports, the changing role of accountants in the 21st century, sylvia plath’s presentation of feelings and standards on women as described in her book, the bell jar, analysis on communication as a factor in relationships, understanding the representation of black females sexual desirability in the u.s, how lucky i am to be born in this century, consensual cannibalism in the 21st century, reflections on a half-century: the world 50 years ago.

The beginning of the 21st century was the rise of a global warming, global economy and Third World consumerism, increased private enterprise and terrorist attacks. Many great and many bad things happened in the current century. Many natural and man-made disasters made their impact on the world.

In the 21st century the effects of social development have affected different countries and different social groups differently. Although social development upgraded life standards of population.

The main challenges in the 21st century are: climate change, plastic pollution in the oceans, natural hazards, air pollution, hunger and increased inequalities.

Technology in the 21st century has enabled to humans to make strides that our ancestors could only dream of. People in the 21st century live in a technology and media-suffused environment.

The world population was about 6.1 billion at the start of the 21st century and reached 7.8 billion by March 2020.

Economically and politically, the United States and Western Europe were dominant at the beginning of the century. By the 2010s, China became an emerging global superpower and the world's largest economy. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are increasing in popularity worldwide.

The 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers, Hurricane Katrina, Same-Sex Marriage Legalisation, Haiti Earthquake, The Arab Spring, Brexit

Relevant topics

  • Jack The Ripper
  • 19Th Century
  • Green Revolution
  • Cuban Revolution
  • Mother Teresa
  • Cuban Missile Crisis
  • Moon Landing
  • Roaring Twenties

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argumentative essay about 21st century

275 Education Argumentative Essay Topics & Ideas

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  • Icon Calendar 28 September 2024
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Education, a cornerstone of societal development, is a fertile field for writing papers. In this case, education argumentative essay topics can range widely, from debates over traditional vs. digital classrooms, the effectiveness of standardized testing, and the necessity of college education in the 21st century to the balance between academics and character development. Arguments can consider whether current school curriculums cater adequately to the needs of all students or primarily reinforce societal inequalities. Examining education policies at the local, national, or international levels can provide further insights. In turn, exploring the role of educational institutions in preparing students for the future workforce, including discussions on vocational training and entrepreneurial education, is another promising direction for developing argumentative essay topics in education.

What Is an Education Argumentative Essay Topic and Its Purpose

According to its definition, an education argumentative essay topic is a specific issue, idea, policy, or practice within an educational system that provoke debate and critical thinking. For example, the main purpose for selecting an education argumentative essay topic is to persuade readers to adopt a specific viewpoint or to challenge an existing perspective regarding educational matters (Mertler, 2024). In writing, common ideas cover a wide range of subjects, including an effectiveness of standardized testing, an impact of technology in classrooms, educational equity, and a necessity of certain curriculum changes. Further on, by exploring these themes, students engage in thorough research, presenting evidence to support their arguments while addressing counterarguments to strengthen their positions (Crossley & Tian, 2022). Basically, an ultimate goal is to encourage readers to critically evaluate their beliefs and implications of educational policies on students, educators, and society as a whole. Moreover, through effective argumentative essay topics, authors not only contribute to a discourse surrounding education but also promote informed decision-making and advocacy for positive change within educational institutions (Li et al., 2020). Thus, education argumentative essay topics serve as a vital platform for dialogue, aiming to influence both public opinion and educational reform.

Education Argumentative Essay Topics & Ideas

How to Choose

Choosing a compelling education argumentative essay topic requires a careful consideration and evaluation of several key factors to ensure relevance and engagement. Firstly, students should select ideas that resonates with current educational debates or challenges, such as an effectiveness of online versus traditional learning environments or an impact of socio-economic factors on educational access (Koons, 2021). Essentially, conducting preliminary research can help them to identify areas where there is a lack of consensus or significant ongoing discussion, providing a fertile ground for argumentation. Further on, a selected education argumentative essay topic should align with personal interests and expertise, as this aspect will enhance a student’s ability to articulate informed arguments and engage readers effectively (Kleemola et al., 2022). In principle, they should consider an availability of credible sources and data to support their positions, while using robust evidence is critical for persuasive writing. Moreover, a well-defined and focused subject will facilitate a clear thesis statement, guiding an essay’s structure and its arguments (Goodson, 2024). As such, evaluating potential counterarguments can enrich an entire discussion and strengthen an overall argument, making it more persuasive. In turn, some steps for picking a good education argumentative essay topic include:

  • Identify Current Issues: Explore contemporary debates and challenges within an educational landscape to ensure a central idea is relevant and timely.
  • Reflect on Personal Interests: Choose a subject that aligns with your passions and expertise to enhance engagement and an overall quality of your arguments.
  • Conduct Preliminary Research: Investigate existing literature and studies to determine an entire availability of credible sources and data that can support your position.
  • Narrow a Focus: Select a specific aspect of a broader issue to create a more manageable and focused argument that allows for in-depth analysis.
  • Consider Counterarguments: Anticipate opposing viewpoints to strengthen your central argument and demonstrate a well-rounded understanding of education argumentative essay topic, enhancing the essay’s persuasiveness.

Best Education Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Balancing School Curriculum: Is Art Education as Important as Science?
  • Roles of Technology in Enhancing Educational Outcomes
  • The Ethics of Using Animals for School Biology Experiments
  • Parental Influence on a Child’s Academic Success
  • University Tuition Fees: Necessary Expense or Excessive Burden?
  • Should Physical Education Be Mandatory in Schools?
  • Importance of Teaching Life Skills alongside Traditional Subjects
  • Grading System: Helping Students Learn or Adding Undue Pressure?
  • Incorporating Meditation in Schools for Improved Mental Health
  • Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling: Which Prepares Students Better?
  • Examining the Role of Sex Education in Preventing Teenage Pregnancy
  • Importance of Introducing Multicultural Education in Schools
  • Mandatory Community Service as Part of the Curriculum: Pros and Cons
  • Cyberbullying: Should Schools Take Responsibility?
  • Unraveling the Effects of School Uniforms on Student Behavior
  • Gender-Separated Classes: Beneficial or Discriminatory?
  • Are College Degrees Worth the Financial Investment?
  • The Role of Teachers’ Salaries in Ensuring Quality Education
  • Digital Textbooks vs. Traditional Books: Which Is More Effective?
  • Evaluating the Effectiveness of Homework in Enhancing Learning
  • The Pros and Cons of Year-Round Schooling
  • Roles of Parent-Teacher Communication in Enhancing Students’ Performance
  • Effectiveness of Distance Learning: Is It Comparable to Traditional Learning?
  • Should Controversial Topics Be Discussed in School?

Easy Education Essay Topics

  • Exploring the Impact of School Lunch Programs on Student Health
  • Is Cursive Writing Necessary in Today’s Digital Age?
  • Teaching Consent in Schools: A Necessity or Overstepping Bounds?
  • Gifted Programs: Are They Unfair to Other Students?
  • Bilingual Education: Key to Global Competency or Detrimental to Native Culture?
  • Implementing Zero Tolerance Policies in Schools: Beneficial or Harmful?
  • Should Teachers Be Allowed to Carry Firearms for Classroom Protection?
  • Influence of School Infrastructure on Student Learning Outcomes
  • Incorporating Climate Change Education in School Curriculums
  • Should Students Be Grouped by Ability in Classrooms?
  • Effectiveness of Anti-Bullying Campaigns in Schools
  • The Right to Privacy: Should Schools Monitor Student’s Online Activities?
  • Evaluating the Role of Extracurricular Activities in Student Development
  • The Need for Financial Literacy Education in Schools
  • Freedom of Speech: Should Students Be Allowed to Express Controversial Opinions in School?
  • Potential Benefits of Single-Sex Schools
  • Relevance of History Education in Modern Times
  • The Influence of Religious Beliefs on Education
  • Foreign Language Requirements: Necessity or Unnecessary Burden?
  • Are Teachers’ Unions Beneficial or Detrimental to Education Quality?
  • Impacts of Parental Educational Background on Children’s Academic Achievement
  • Does Grade Inflation Devalue a College Degree?
  • Does Early Childhood Education Have Long-Term Benefits?
  • Are College Admissions Processes Fair?

Interesting Education Essay Topics

  • The Consequences of Educational Budget Cuts
  • Exploring the Role of Sports in Academic Achievement
  • Effects of Teacher Burnout on Student Learning
  • Is Educational Equality Achievable in a Capitalist Society?
  • Are Private Schools Necessarily Better than Public Schools?
  • Role of Social Media in Education: Distraction or Useful Tool?
  • Is Traditional Discipline Effective in Modern Schools?
  • Examining the Effectiveness of Montessori Education
  • Are Standardized Curriculum Frameworks Limiting Teachers’ Creativity?
  • Is There a Place for Character Education in Today’s Schools?
  • Importance of Critical Thinking Skills in the Curriculum
  • Do Student Evaluations of Teachers Improve Teaching Quality?
  • Music Education’s Influence on Academic Performance
  • Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Academic Achievement
  • Should Children Be Taught Entrepreneurship in Schools?
  • Educational Benefits of Field Trips in Curriculum
  • Does School Counseling Effectively Address Students’ Mental Health Needs?
  • The Role of Games in Enhancing Math Education
  • Is the Current Emphasis on STEM Education Justified?
  • The Influence of Family Structure on Children’s Educational Outcomes
  • Does Multitasking with Technology Hinder Learning?
  • Should Political Education Be Mandatory in Schools?
  • Effects of Classroom Diversity on Student Learning and Empathy

Academic Level Difference

Academic level differences significantly influence a whole nature and complexity of education argumentative essay topics, shaping an entire depth of analysis required at each stage of educational development. At a high school level, common ideas revolve around foundational issues, such as an effectiveness of various teaching methods, a relevance of standardized testing, or an impact of technology on learning (Koons, 2021). Basically, they tend to be more straightforward, allowing students to build critical thinking skills while exploring familiar concepts. In contrast, undergraduate-level education argumentative essay subjects may cover more nuanced discussions, such as potential implications of educational policy changes, roles of socioeconomic factors in educational attainment, or ethics of educational practices (Mertler, 2024). As such, these themes demand a greater degree of research, analytical thinking, and an ability to engage with scholarly sources. At a graduate level, key subjects require a sophisticated understanding of theoretical frameworks and methodologies, addressing complex issues, like systemic inequalities in education or an efficacy of educational reforms (Goodson, 2024). In principle, this progression illustrates how academic level differences not only influence a whole selection of education argumentative essay topics but also dictate an entire depth of inquiry and argumentation, ultimately shaping crucial skills and perspectives students develop throughout their educational journeys.

Education Essay Topics for High School

  • Does Standardized Testing Accurately Reflect a Student’s Knowledge?
  • Should Schools Invest More in Arts Education?
  • Is a Year-Round School Calendar Beneficial for Learning?
  • Are School Uniforms Necessary for a Conducive Learning Environment?
  • Does Homework Actually Benefit Students?
  • Should Advanced Courses Be Made Available to All High School Students?
  • Can Online Learning Replace Traditional Classroom Teaching?
  • How Is Essential Sex Education in High School Curriculum?
  • The Impact of School Infrastructure on Quality of Education
  • Are School Sports Essential for Student Development?
  • Does Bilingual Education Enhance Cognitive Skills?
  • Does Parental Involvement Improve Academic Performance?
  • Is There a Need to Reinvent School Discipline Policies?
  • How Does the Use of Technology in Schools Affect Learning?
  • The Role of Schools in Promoting Healthy Eating Habits
  • Are School Field Trips Essential for Practical Learning?
  • Should Schools Introduce Personal Finance Classes?
  • Physical Education Classes: Necessity or Luxury?
  • Effect of Bullying on Academic Performance
  • The Influence of Peer Pressure on Students’ Performance
  • Should We Teach Entrepreneurship in High Schools?
  • Does a Longer School Day Improve Learning Outcomes?
  • Roles of Moral Education in Character Building

Education Essay Topics for College Students

  • Incorporating Technology in Classrooms: Necessity or Distraction?
  • Standardized Testing: An Effective Evaluation Tool or a Hindrance to Creativity?
  • University Degrees: Essential for Success or Overrated?
  • Pros and Cons of Single-Sex Education: A Deep Dive
  • Private vs. Public Schools: Who Provides a Better Education?
  • Traditional Education vs. Online Learning: Comparing Effectiveness
  • Impact of Extracurricular Activities on Academic Performance
  • Bilingual Education: Potential Benefits and Challenges
  • Vocational Training: Does It Deserve More Emphasis in the Curriculum?
  • Effects of Class Size on Student Learning Outcomes
  • Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling: Weighing the Outcomes
  • Mandatory Physical Education: A Boon or Bane?
  • College Athletes: Should They Be Paid?
  • Education in Rural vs. Urban Settings: Exploring Disparities
  • Funding: How Does It Impact the Quality of Education?
  • Role of Sex Education in Schools: Analyzing the Importance
  • Uniforms in Schools: Do They Promote Equality?
  • Plagiarism Policies: Are They Too Strict or Not Enough?
  • Art Education: Is It Being Neglected in Schools?
  • Teaching Soft Skills: Should It Be Mandatory in Schools?
  • Tuition Fees: Do They Restrict Access to Higher Education?
  • Inclusion of Students With Disabilities: Analyzing Best Practices

Education Argumentative Essay Topics for University

  • Cyberbullying: Should Schools Have a Greater Responsibility?
  • STEM vs. Liberal Arts: Which Provides a Better Future?
  • Impacts of Mental Health Services in Schools
  • Grade Inflation: Does It Devalue a Degree?
  • Diversity in Schools: Does It Enhance Learning?
  • Gap Year: Does It Help or Hinder Students?
  • Recess: Is It Necessary for Students’ Well-Being?
  • Early Childhood Education: Does It Contribute to Later Success?
  • Parental Involvement: How Does It Influence Student Performance?
  • Value of Internships in Higher Education
  • Curriculum: Is It Outdated in Today’s Fast-Paced World?
  • Digital Textbooks vs. Paper Textbooks: Evaluating the Differences
  • Learning a Second Language: Should It Be Mandatory?
  • Censorship in School Libraries: Freedom or Protection?
  • Life Skills Education: Is It Missing From Our Curriculum?
  • Teachers’ Pay: Does It Reflect Their Value in Society?
  • College Rankings: Do They Truly Reflect Educational Quality?
  • Corporal Punishment: Does It Have a Place in Modern Education?
  • Student Loans: Are They Creating a Debt Crisis?
  • Learning Styles: Myth or Real Educational Framework?
  • Grading System: Is It the Best Measure of Students’ Abilities?

Education Argumentative Essay Topics for Master’s and Ph.D.

  • Assessing the Impact of Remote Learning on Student Engagement and Academic Performance
  • Should Standardized Testing Be Abolished in Favor of More Holistic Assessment Methods?
  • Evaluating the Effectiveness of Bilingual Education Programs in Improving Academic Outcomes
  • How Do Teacher Training Programs Impact Classroom Management and Student Success?
  • Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Personalized Learning and Its Ethical Considerations
  • Exploring the Correlation Between Early Childhood Education and Long-Term Academic Achievement
  • The Importance of Inclusive Education Practices for Students With Disabilities
  • Are Online Degree Programs a Viable Alternative to Traditional Education Pathways?
  • The Effectiveness of Peer Tutoring in Enhancing Academic Performance and Social Skills
  • Should Higher Education Institutions Prioritize Vocational Training Over Traditional Degree Programs?
  • Evaluating the Role of Arts Education in Developing Creativity and Innovation in Students
  • Should the Curriculum Include Comprehensive Financial Literacy Education for Students?
  • The Necessity of Cultural Competence Training for Educators in Diverse Classroom Settings
  • Should Schools Implement Year-Round Education to Improve Academic Performance?
  • Evaluating the Need for Comprehensive Sex Education in High Schools
  • Are Charter Schools More Effective Than Traditional Public Schools in Improving Student Achievement?
  • The Importance of Sustainability Education in Preparing Students for Future Challenges
  • Analyzing the Effectiveness of Classroom Management Strategies on Student Behavior
  • Should College Athletes Be Compensated for Their Participation in Sports Programs?
  • The Influence of Cultural Diversity on Curriculum Development in Multicultural Education

Academic Topics Essay

  • Fostering Creativity: Should Schools Prioritize the Arts?
  • Student Debt: Consequences and Possible Solutions
  • Bullying Policies in Schools: Are They Effective?
  • Teaching Ethics and Values: Whose Responsibility?
  • Distance Learning: The New Normal Post-Pandemic?
  • School Censorship: Are There Limits to Freedom of Speech?
  • College Admissions: Is the Process Fair?
  • Standardizing Multilingual Education: A Possibility?
  • Learning Disabilities: How Can Schools Provide Better Support?
  • Does Class Size Impact the Quality of Education?
  • Integrating Technology: Are There Potential Risks?
  • Affirmative Action in College Admissions: Fair or Biased?
  • The Role of Private Tuition: Supplemental Help or Unfair Advantage?
  • Military-Style Discipline in Schools: Effective or Harmful?
  • Should Schools Implement Mental Health Curriculums?
  • Early Education: Does It Pave the Way for Success?
  • Grading System: Is it an Accurate Measure of Student Ability?
  • Career Counseling in Schools: Should It be Mandatory?
  • Addressing Racial Bias in Educational Materials
  • The Debate Over Prayer in Schools: Freedom of Religion or Church-State Separation?
  • The Impact of Zero-Tolerance Policies on the School Environment
  • Education Funding: The Pros and Cons of School Vouchers
  • University Rankings: Helpful Guide or Harmful Pressure?
  • Personal Finance Education: Should It Be Included in the Curriculum?

Argumentative Essay Topics on Education

  • Impacts of Standardized Testing on Students’ Creativity
  • Digital Learning Platforms vs. Traditional Classroom Teaching
  • Effectiveness of the Montessori Education System
  • Mandatory Foreign Language Education: A Necessity or Luxury?
  • Single-Sex Schools’ Role in Modern Society
  • Teachers’ Salaries: A Reflection of Their Value in Society?
  • Technological Devices in Classrooms: A Boon or Bane?
  • Inclusion of Life Skills in the Curriculum
  • Ethical Education: Its Significance and Implementation
  • Educating Children About Climate Change and Sustainability
  • Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling: Which Yields Better Results?
  • School Uniforms: Do They Encourage Uniformity Over Individuality?
  • The Role of Extracurricular Activities in Holistic Education
  • Importance of Critical Thinking in the Curriculum
  • Corporate Sponsorship in Schools: Ethical Considerations
  • Increasing Parental Involvement in Children’s Education
  • Vocational Training in High School: Is It Necessary?
  • The Merits and Demerits of Charter Schools
  • Prioritizing Health Education in the School Curriculum
  • Diversifying History Lessons: The Impact on Cultural Understanding
  • Gifted and Talented Programs: Unfair Advantage or Necessary Support?
  • Implementing Mindfulness Training in Schools
  • Mandatory Physical Education: Is It Vital for Health?
  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Year-Round Schooling
  • The Potential of Virtual Reality in Education

Education Persuasive Essay Topics

  • Enhancing Creativity: The Importance of Art Education in Schools
  • Mandatory Coding Lessons: Preparing Students for the Digital Future
  • Bilingual Education: Encouraging Multilingualism From an Early Age
  • Parental Involvement: Crucial for Academic Success or an Invasion of Privacy?
  • Cyberbullying Awareness: Should It Be Part of the School Curriculum?
  • The Role of Technology in Modern Education: Boon or Bane?
  • Sex Education: Essential for Reducing Teen Pregnancy and STD Rates
  • Standardized Tests: Accurate Measure of a Student’s Capabilities or Outdated Practice?
  • Religious Studies: The Necessity of Teaching World Religions in Public Schools
  • Homework Overload: Assessing the True Impact on Students’ Mental Health
  • School Uniforms: Encouraging Discipline or Suppressing Individuality?
  • Inclusion in Classrooms: The Benefits of Educating Special Needs Students Alongside Their Peers
  • Teacher Salaries: The Need for Higher Pay to Attract Quality Educators
  • Educational Video Games: Revolutionizing Learning or Distraction From Studying?
  • Student Athletes: Balancing Academics and Sports Participation
  • Year-Round Schooling: Improving Learning Retention or Overloading Students?
  • Early Education: The Benefits of Pre-School Programs
  • Social Media: Its Role in Modern Education
  • Field Trips: Enhancing Learning Outside the Classroom
  • Classroom Size: The Impact on Learning and Engagement
  • Vocational Training: Essential for Preparing Students for the Workforce
  • Distance Learning: Exploring its Advantages and Disadvantages

Education Research Paper Topics

  • Extracurricular Activities: The Importance in Students’ Holistic Development
  • Multiple Intelligence Theory: Implementing Diverse Teaching Strategies
  • Classroom Decor: Its Influence on Student Engagement and Learning
  • Mindfulness Practices: Promoting Emotional Health in Schools
  • Sustainability Education: Fostering Environmentally-Conscious Citizens
  • Cultural Diversity: Promoting Inclusion and Acceptance in Schools
  • Physical Education: Addressing Childhood Obesity through School Programs
  • Gifted and Talented Programs: Benefits and Drawbacks
  • Homeschooling: Advantages Over Traditional Schooling
  • Alternative Assessment Methods: Moving Beyond Exams and Grades
  • Bullying Prevention: The Role of Schools and Teachers
  • College Admissions: The Controversy Around Legacy Preferences
  • Ethics Education: Instilling Moral Values in Students
  • Student Loans: The Crisis and Its Impact on Higher Education
  • Nutrition Education: Promoting Healthy Eating Habits in Schools
  • Digital Literacy: Essential Skills for the 21st Century
  • Grade Inflation: The Deterioration of Academic Standards in Higher Education
  • Climate Change Education: Teaching the Next Generation About Global Warming
  • Character Education: Building Integrity and Responsibility in Students
  • Music Education: Its Influence on Cognitive Development
  • Literacy Programs: Overcoming Reading and Writing Challenges
  • Mentorship Programs: Enhancing Student Success and Confidence
  • Financial Literacy: Preparing Students for Real-World Money Management

Strong Education Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Is Censorship Justified in School Libraries?
  • The Benefits and Drawbacks of Single-Sex Schools
  • Is College Preparation in High School Adequate?
  • Are Teachers’ Salaries Commensurate With Their Job Responsibilities?
  • Cyberbullying: Should Schools Intervene?
  • The Importance of Cultural Diversity in Education
  • Should Mental Health Education Be Mandatory in Schools?
  • Do School Rankings Reflect the Quality of Education?
  • The Relevance of Cursive Writing in Today’s Digital World
  • Should Religious Studies Be Part of the School Curriculum?
  • Are Students Overburdened with Excessive Schoolwork?
  • The Implications of Zero Tolerance Policies in Schools
  • School Safety: Responsibility of Schools or Parents?
  • Does Grade Inflation Diminish the Value of Education?
  • Are Life Skills Education Necessary in Schools?
  • The Debate on Home Schooling vs. Traditional Schooling
  • Is it Necessary to Teach World Religions in High Schools?
  • Does a School’s Location Affect the Quality of Education?
  • The Argument for Teaching Emotional Intelligence in Schools
  • Should Attendance Be Mandatory in High School?
  • Could Meditation and Mindfulness Improve Students’ Concentration?
  • The Role of Music Education in Student Development
  • Do Students Learn More From Books or Computers?
  • The Need for Environmental Sustainability Education in Schools

Crossley, S., & Tian, Y. (2022). Argumentation features and essay quality: Exploring relationships and incidence counts. Journal of Writing Research , 14 (1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2022.14.01.01

Goodson, P. (2024). Becoming an academic writer: 50 exercises for paced, productive, and powerful writing . Sage.

Kleemola, K., Hyytinen, H., & Toom, A. (2022). The challenge of position-taking in novice higher education students’ argumentative writing. Frontiers in Education , 7 , 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.885987

Koons, M. (2021). Writing an argumentative essay: The complete introductory guide to writing an argumentative essay for beginner students . Write Illusion LLC.

Li, Y., Wang, K., Xiao, Y., & Froyd, J. E. (2020). Research and trends in STEM Education: A systematic review of journal publications. International Journal of STEM Education , 7 (1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00207-6

Mertler, C. A. (2024). Introduction to educational research . SAGE Publications.

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3 Strong Argumentative Essay Examples, Analyzed

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General Education

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Need to defend your opinion on an issue? Argumentative essays are one of the most popular types of essays you’ll write in school. They combine persuasive arguments with fact-based research, and, when done well, can be powerful tools for making someone agree with your point of view. If you’re struggling to write an argumentative essay or just want to learn more about them, seeing examples can be a big help.

After giving an overview of this type of essay, we provide three argumentative essay examples. After each essay, we explain in-depth how the essay was structured, what worked, and where the essay could be improved. We end with tips for making your own argumentative essay as strong as possible.

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is an essay that uses evidence and facts to support the claim it’s making. Its purpose is to persuade the reader to agree with the argument being made.

A good argumentative essay will use facts and evidence to support the argument, rather than just the author’s thoughts and opinions. For example, say you wanted to write an argumentative essay stating that Charleston, SC is a great destination for families. You couldn’t just say that it’s a great place because you took your family there and enjoyed it. For it to be an argumentative essay, you need to have facts and data to support your argument, such as the number of child-friendly attractions in Charleston, special deals you can get with kids, and surveys of people who visited Charleston as a family and enjoyed it. The first argument is based entirely on feelings, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven.

The standard five paragraph format is common, but not required, for argumentative essays. These essays typically follow one of two formats: the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model.

  • The Toulmin model is the most common. It begins with an introduction, follows with a thesis/claim, and gives data and evidence to support that claim. This style of essay also includes rebuttals of counterarguments.
  • The Rogerian model analyzes two sides of an argument and reaches a conclusion after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each.

3 Good Argumentative Essay Examples + Analysis

Below are three examples of argumentative essays, written by yours truly in my school days, as well as analysis of what each did well and where it could be improved.

Argumentative Essay Example 1

Proponents of this idea state that it will save local cities and towns money because libraries are expensive to maintain. They also believe it will encourage more people to read because they won’t have to travel to a library to get a book; they can simply click on what they want to read and read it from wherever they are. They could also access more materials because libraries won’t have to buy physical copies of books; they can simply rent out as many digital copies as they need.

However, it would be a serious mistake to replace libraries with tablets. First, digital books and resources are associated with less learning and more problems than print resources. A study done on tablet vs book reading found that people read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain 20% less information, and understand 10% less of what they read compared to people who read the same information in print. Additionally, staring too long at a screen has been shown to cause numerous health problems, including blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes, headaches, and eye strain, at much higher instances than reading print does. People who use tablets and mobile devices excessively also have a higher incidence of more serious health issues such as fibromyalgia, shoulder and back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and muscle strain. I know that whenever I read from my e-reader for too long, my eyes begin to feel tired and my neck hurts. We should not add to these problems by giving people, especially young people, more reasons to look at screens.

Second, it is incredibly narrow-minded to assume that the only service libraries offer is book lending. Libraries have a multitude of benefits, and many are only available if the library has a physical location. Some of these benefits include acting as a quiet study space, giving people a way to converse with their neighbors, holding classes on a variety of topics, providing jobs, answering patron questions, and keeping the community connected. One neighborhood found that, after a local library instituted community events such as play times for toddlers and parents, job fairs for teenagers, and meeting spaces for senior citizens, over a third of residents reported feeling more connected to their community. Similarly, a Pew survey conducted in 2015 found that nearly two-thirds of American adults feel that closing their local library would have a major impact on their community. People see libraries as a way to connect with others and get their questions answered, benefits tablets can’t offer nearly as well or as easily.

While replacing libraries with tablets may seem like a simple solution, it would encourage people to spend even more time looking at digital screens, despite the myriad issues surrounding them. It would also end access to many of the benefits of libraries that people have come to rely on. In many areas, libraries are such an important part of the community network that they could never be replaced by a simple object.

The author begins by giving an overview of the counter-argument, then the thesis appears as the first sentence in the third paragraph. The essay then spends the rest of the paper dismantling the counter argument and showing why readers should believe the other side.

What this essay does well:

  • Although it’s a bit unusual to have the thesis appear fairly far into the essay, it works because, once the thesis is stated, the rest of the essay focuses on supporting it since the counter-argument has already been discussed earlier in the paper.
  • This essay includes numerous facts and cites studies to support its case. By having specific data to rely on, the author’s argument is stronger and readers will be more inclined to agree with it.
  • For every argument the other side makes, the author makes sure to refute it and follow up with why her opinion is the stronger one. In order to make a strong argument, it’s important to dismantle the other side, which this essay does this by making the author's view appear stronger.
  • This is a shorter paper, and if it needed to be expanded to meet length requirements, it could include more examples and go more into depth with them, such as by explaining specific cases where people benefited from local libraries.
  • Additionally, while the paper uses lots of data, the author also mentions their own experience with using tablets. This should be removed since argumentative essays focus on facts and data to support an argument, not the author’s own opinion or experiences. Replacing that with more data on health issues associated with screen time would strengthen the essay.
  • Some of the points made aren't completely accurate , particularly the one about digital books being cheaper. It actually often costs a library more money to rent out numerous digital copies of a book compared to buying a single physical copy. Make sure in your own essay you thoroughly research each of the points and rebuttals you make, otherwise you'll look like you don't know the issue that well.

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Argumentative Essay Example 2

There are multiple drugs available to treat malaria, and many of them work well and save lives, but malaria eradication programs that focus too much on them and not enough on prevention haven’t seen long-term success in Sub-Saharan Africa. A major program to combat malaria was WHO’s Global Malaria Eradication Programme. Started in 1955, it had a goal of eliminating malaria in Africa within the next ten years. Based upon previously successful programs in Brazil and the United States, the program focused mainly on vector control. This included widely distributing chloroquine and spraying large amounts of DDT. More than one billion dollars was spent trying to abolish malaria. However, the program suffered from many problems and in 1969, WHO was forced to admit that the program had not succeeded in eradicating malaria. The number of people in Sub-Saharan Africa who contracted malaria as well as the number of malaria deaths had actually increased over 10% during the time the program was active.

One of the major reasons for the failure of the project was that it set uniform strategies and policies. By failing to consider variations between governments, geography, and infrastructure, the program was not nearly as successful as it could have been. Sub-Saharan Africa has neither the money nor the infrastructure to support such an elaborate program, and it couldn’t be run the way it was meant to. Most African countries don't have the resources to send all their people to doctors and get shots, nor can they afford to clear wetlands or other malaria prone areas. The continent’s spending per person for eradicating malaria was just a quarter of what Brazil spent. Sub-Saharan Africa simply can’t rely on a plan that requires more money, infrastructure, and expertise than they have to spare.

Additionally, the widespread use of chloroquine has created drug resistant parasites which are now plaguing Sub-Saharan Africa. Because chloroquine was used widely but inconsistently, mosquitoes developed resistance, and chloroquine is now nearly completely ineffective in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over 95% of mosquitoes resistant to it. As a result, newer, more expensive drugs need to be used to prevent and treat malaria, which further drives up the cost of malaria treatment for a region that can ill afford it.

Instead of developing plans to treat malaria after the infection has incurred, programs should focus on preventing infection from occurring in the first place. Not only is this plan cheaper and more effective, reducing the number of people who contract malaria also reduces loss of work/school days which can further bring down the productivity of the region.

One of the cheapest and most effective ways of preventing malaria is to implement insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs).  These nets provide a protective barrier around the person or people using them. While untreated bed nets are still helpful, those treated with insecticides are much more useful because they stop mosquitoes from biting people through the nets, and they help reduce mosquito populations in a community, thus helping people who don’t even own bed nets.  Bed nets are also very effective because most mosquito bites occur while the person is sleeping, so bed nets would be able to drastically reduce the number of transmissions during the night. In fact, transmission of malaria can be reduced by as much as 90% in areas where the use of ITNs is widespread. Because money is so scarce in Sub-Saharan Africa, the low cost is a great benefit and a major reason why the program is so successful. Bed nets cost roughly 2 USD to make, last several years, and can protect two adults. Studies have shown that, for every 100-1000 more nets are being used, one less child dies of malaria. With an estimated 300 million people in Africa not being protected by mosquito nets, there’s the potential to save three million lives by spending just a few dollars per person.

Reducing the number of people who contract malaria would also reduce poverty levels in Africa significantly, thus improving other aspects of society like education levels and the economy. Vector control is more effective than treatment strategies because it means fewer people are getting sick. When fewer people get sick, the working population is stronger as a whole because people are not put out of work from malaria, nor are they caring for sick relatives. Malaria-afflicted families can typically only harvest 40% of the crops that healthy families can harvest. Additionally, a family with members who have malaria spends roughly a quarter of its income treatment, not including the loss of work they also must deal with due to the illness. It’s estimated that malaria costs Africa 12 billion USD in lost income every year. A strong working population creates a stronger economy, which Sub-Saharan Africa is in desperate need of.  

This essay begins with an introduction, which ends with the thesis (that malaria eradication plans in Sub-Saharan Africa should focus on prevention rather than treatment). The first part of the essay lays out why the counter argument (treatment rather than prevention) is not as effective, and the second part of the essay focuses on why prevention of malaria is the better path to take.

  • The thesis appears early, is stated clearly, and is supported throughout the rest of the essay. This makes the argument clear for readers to understand and follow throughout the essay.
  • There’s lots of solid research in this essay, including specific programs that were conducted and how successful they were, as well as specific data mentioned throughout. This evidence helps strengthen the author’s argument.
  • The author makes a case for using expanding bed net use over waiting until malaria occurs and beginning treatment, but not much of a plan is given for how the bed nets would be distributed or how to ensure they’re being used properly. By going more into detail of what she believes should be done, the author would be making a stronger argument.
  • The introduction of the essay does a good job of laying out the seriousness of the problem, but the conclusion is short and abrupt. Expanding it into its own paragraph would give the author a final way to convince readers of her side of the argument.

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Argumentative Essay Example 3

There are many ways payments could work. They could be in the form of a free-market approach, where athletes are able to earn whatever the market is willing to pay them, it could be a set amount of money per athlete, or student athletes could earn income from endorsements, autographs, and control of their likeness, similar to the way top Olympians earn money.

Proponents of the idea believe that, because college athletes are the ones who are training, participating in games, and bringing in audiences, they should receive some sort of compensation for their work. If there were no college athletes, the NCAA wouldn’t exist, college coaches wouldn’t receive there (sometimes very high) salaries, and brands like Nike couldn’t profit from college sports. In fact, the NCAA brings in roughly $1 billion in revenue a year, but college athletes don’t receive any of that money in the form of a paycheck. Additionally, people who believe college athletes should be paid state that paying college athletes will actually encourage them to remain in college longer and not turn pro as quickly, either by giving them a way to begin earning money in college or requiring them to sign a contract stating they’ll stay at the university for a certain number of years while making an agreed-upon salary.  

Supporters of this idea point to Zion Williamson, the Duke basketball superstar, who, during his freshman year, sustained a serious knee injury. Many argued that, even if he enjoyed playing for Duke, it wasn’t worth risking another injury and ending his professional career before it even began for a program that wasn’t paying him. Williamson seems to have agreed with them and declared his eligibility for the NCAA draft later that year. If he was being paid, he may have stayed at Duke longer. In fact, roughly a third of student athletes surveyed stated that receiving a salary while in college would make them “strongly consider” remaining collegiate athletes longer before turning pro.

Paying athletes could also stop the recruitment scandals that have plagued the NCAA. In 2018, the NCAA stripped the University of Louisville's men's basketball team of its 2013 national championship title because it was discovered coaches were using sex workers to entice recruits to join the team. There have been dozens of other recruitment scandals where college athletes and recruits have been bribed with anything from having their grades changed, to getting free cars, to being straight out bribed. By paying college athletes and putting their salaries out in the open, the NCAA could end the illegal and underhanded ways some schools and coaches try to entice athletes to join.

People who argue against the idea of paying college athletes believe the practice could be disastrous for college sports. By paying athletes, they argue, they’d turn college sports into a bidding war, where only the richest schools could afford top athletes, and the majority of schools would be shut out from developing a talented team (though some argue this already happens because the best players often go to the most established college sports programs, who typically pay their coaches millions of dollars per year). It could also ruin the tight camaraderie of many college teams if players become jealous that certain teammates are making more money than they are.

They also argue that paying college athletes actually means only a small fraction would make significant money. Out of the 350 Division I athletic departments, fewer than a dozen earn any money. Nearly all the money the NCAA makes comes from men’s football and basketball, so paying college athletes would make a small group of men--who likely will be signed to pro teams and begin making millions immediately out of college--rich at the expense of other players.

Those against paying college athletes also believe that the athletes are receiving enough benefits already. The top athletes already receive scholarships that are worth tens of thousands per year, they receive free food/housing/textbooks, have access to top medical care if they are injured, receive top coaching, get travel perks and free gear, and can use their time in college as a way to capture the attention of professional recruiters. No other college students receive anywhere near as much from their schools.

People on this side also point out that, while the NCAA brings in a massive amount of money each year, it is still a non-profit organization. How? Because over 95% of those profits are redistributed to its members’ institutions in the form of scholarships, grants, conferences, support for Division II and Division III teams, and educational programs. Taking away a significant part of that revenue would hurt smaller programs that rely on that money to keep running.

While both sides have good points, it’s clear that the negatives of paying college athletes far outweigh the positives. College athletes spend a significant amount of time and energy playing for their school, but they are compensated for it by the scholarships and perks they receive. Adding a salary to that would result in a college athletic system where only a small handful of athletes (those likely to become millionaires in the professional leagues) are paid by a handful of schools who enter bidding wars to recruit them, while the majority of student athletics and college athletic programs suffer or even shut down for lack of money. Continuing to offer the current level of benefits to student athletes makes it possible for as many people to benefit from and enjoy college sports as possible.

This argumentative essay follows the Rogerian model. It discusses each side, first laying out multiple reasons people believe student athletes should be paid, then discussing reasons why the athletes shouldn’t be paid. It ends by stating that college athletes shouldn’t be paid by arguing that paying them would destroy college athletics programs and cause them to have many of the issues professional sports leagues have.

  • Both sides of the argument are well developed, with multiple reasons why people agree with each side. It allows readers to get a full view of the argument and its nuances.
  • Certain statements on both sides are directly rebuffed in order to show where the strengths and weaknesses of each side lie and give a more complete and sophisticated look at the argument.
  • Using the Rogerian model can be tricky because oftentimes you don’t explicitly state your argument until the end of the paper. Here, the thesis doesn’t appear until the first sentence of the final paragraph. That doesn’t give readers a lot of time to be convinced that your argument is the right one, compared to a paper where the thesis is stated in the beginning and then supported throughout the paper. This paper could be strengthened if the final paragraph was expanded to more fully explain why the author supports the view, or if the paper had made it clearer that paying athletes was the weaker argument throughout.

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3 Tips for Writing a Good Argumentative Essay

Now that you’ve seen examples of what good argumentative essay samples look like, follow these three tips when crafting your own essay.

#1: Make Your Thesis Crystal Clear

The thesis is the key to your argumentative essay; if it isn’t clear or readers can’t find it easily, your entire essay will be weak as a result. Always make sure that your thesis statement is easy to find. The typical spot for it is the final sentence of the introduction paragraph, but if it doesn’t fit in that spot for your essay, try to at least put it as the first or last sentence of a different paragraph so it stands out more.

Also make sure that your thesis makes clear what side of the argument you’re on. After you’ve written it, it’s a great idea to show your thesis to a couple different people--classmates are great for this. Just by reading your thesis they should be able to understand what point you’ll be trying to make with the rest of your essay.

#2: Show Why the Other Side Is Weak

When writing your essay, you may be tempted to ignore the other side of the argument and just focus on your side, but don’t do this. The best argumentative essays really tear apart the other side to show why readers shouldn’t believe it. Before you begin writing your essay, research what the other side believes, and what their strongest points are. Then, in your essay, be sure to mention each of these and use evidence to explain why they’re incorrect/weak arguments. That’ll make your essay much more effective than if you only focused on your side of the argument.

#3: Use Evidence to Support Your Side

Remember, an essay can’t be an argumentative essay if it doesn’t support its argument with evidence. For every point you make, make sure you have facts to back it up. Some examples are previous studies done on the topic, surveys of large groups of people, data points, etc. There should be lots of numbers in your argumentative essay that support your side of the argument. This will make your essay much stronger compared to only relying on your own opinions to support your argument.

Summary: Argumentative Essay Sample

Argumentative essays are persuasive essays that use facts and evidence to support their side of the argument. Most argumentative essays follow either the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model. By reading good argumentative essay examples, you can learn how to develop your essay and provide enough support to make readers agree with your opinion. When writing your essay, remember to always make your thesis clear, show where the other side is weak, and back up your opinion with data and evidence.

What's Next?

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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  • Essay on Sociology

Taking Control In The 21st Century Argumentative Essay Sample

Type of paper: Argumentative Essay

Topic: Sociology , Information , World , Internet , Facebook , Friendship , Friends , Privacy

Words: 1600

Published: 03/19/2020

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Taking Control in the 21st Century

The advancement of online networking and online engineering has changed the way people live and had provided a faster and easier means of communication. The emergence of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Instagram had made it possible for people to connect with their family and friends around the globe. Aside from changing the way we communicate, digital technology had also altered the meaning of privacy that poses risks to the American society. This phenomenon is indicated in Clive Thompson's article "I'm so Totally, Digitally Near You: the Daring New Universe of Computerized Closeness", Jeffrey Rosen's "The End of Forgetting", and "Friends without Borders" by Dan Fletcher. In his article "I’m so totally digitally close to you," Thompson points out that the development of online networking and web communities redefine the meaning of privacy. In the strict sense, privacy is defined as "freedom from being watched or bothered by other individuals." However, with the advent of facebook, privacy dramatically loses its traditional meaning. The man behind this popular social network, Mark Zuckerberg created a Facebook feature called News Feed that serves as an implicit administration that would show changes in a client's profile to all of his facebook friends. This is to achieve his missions of defying the limitations set by geography, making the world more connected and making the people who are separated by a thousand miles more closer. This features allows users to monitor the important events in one's life including his birthday, the games he plays, the celebrities that he likes or follows, his everyday mood and even his whereabouts. Despite distance that hinders personal contact, Facebook makes it possible for the social network user to communicate with his friends in a virtual environment. Thus, the definition of privacy undergoes a significant alteration in its original meaning. With the birth and evolution of social media, the concept of privacy would now have the altered definition of "the state of being free from being personally watched by other other people." Depending on their preference, one can take control of his account by configuring the privacy settings of his facebook account and he can also choose the things that he is willing to share to the virtual world wide web. He has the liberty to opt for a public profile where he shares everything about his life including his private phone number or maintain his "privacy" from choosing the option that limits the allowed audiences for his posts and restricts other friends from seeing other personal information. Thompson argues that the changing definition of privacy can be considered as a positive break through. He justifies his point by providing a narrative of a facebook user. He writes: "Haley found that he was starting to sense the musicality of his companions' lives in a manner he never had previously. At the point when one companion got debilitated with a harmful fever, he could tell by her twitter overhauls when she was deteriorating and the moment she at long last turned the corner. He could see when companions were heading into awful days at work or when they scored an enormous achievement." (Thompson 2013) Through the feature "What's on your mind?" on Facebook, one can share his day to day activities, his mood for the day, his schedules and even his random thoughts. As a result, his friends are well informed of what he is going through even without having a face to face conversation. Facebook users get constant updates on the wonderful and awful things that are happening to their friends on a daily basis. By having a glimpse of their friends' status the people of the 21st century can provide appropriate emotional responses to their friends who needs sympathy, comforting words or words of encouragement and inspiration. In addition, Thompson also highlights the perspective of Laura Fitton, a social networking specialist who believes that posting a status delivers a sense of contentment and the feeling of calmness. This is because the process of sharing an important event or pouring out an overflowing emotion in facebook's status section triggers one to reflect on what he had posted. For instance, if a facebook user posts a status about an awful morning experience at work urges him to look at the situation in an objective manner. His friends will post a number of comments in response to his status and it would drive him to reflect on their point of views. In the end, he would devise a way on how to improve the present condition. This scenario is a proof of the constructive potential of social networking. While Thompson's article elaborates the good impact of technology, Rosen article, "The end of forgetting" by Jeffrey Rosen explores its negative impact. He starts his argument by pointing out the case of an education student in Conestoga Valley High School. Stacy Snyder posted her picture drinking with the caption "The Drunken Pirate" in her account in MySpace. Sadly, he was denied of teacher degree after the school discovered his photo. Snyder's unfortunate experience implies that the evolution of technology is a threat to the society's security. Posting photos and confidential information in social networking sites and other online platforms is a crucial decision and would always entail risk. The internet is a vast virtual world and like our physical world, thefts also exists in the world wide web. These people are called cyber criminals or computer hackers who steal other people's information for the purpose of generating profit. While there is crime in the physical society, cyber crime is also an alarming problem of the virtual community. Malware attacks, account hacking, and identity theft are just among the most popular crimes in the cyber world that "professional" criminals love to do. Aside from the risk of becoming the next victim of a cyber crime, people who post information or photos in the internet would suffer from another disadvantage. And that is the impossibility of taking back the things that had been posted. The web has a permanent memory, and though people would likely to forget the photos or controversial things that you have shared in the digital platform, the internet would always make them remember. Internet users, especially the teenagers are usually impulsive in posting photos or statements that they would regret after and would want to take back. Unlike our world who is generous and considerate in giving second chances to those who have wronged, the digital community does not offer second chances. It holds a permanent record of a users' past that would either make or break his future. Worst, even if its only a friend who posted someone else' obscene or awful picture that would invite everyone to make fun of the person, he (the one who is in the picture) has no capacity to delete it. The least thing that he can do is to untag his name so that it would be harder for other people to see it. Inevitably, they would still see it because of facebook's News Feed. Like Rosen who points out that the evolution of internet is dangerous to the public's security, Fletcher shares the same point of view. In his work "Friends without borders," he mentions that facebook tricks the users to reveal their private information. Fletcher points out that "Facebook has changed the way society interacts by demolishing barriers and creating an environment of openness." (Fletcher, 2010) The social networking site encourage its users to share unlimited information from their very intimate photos down to their disturbing thoughts. According to Fletcher, Facebook is constantly changing its privacy policies in order to generate and collect more information from its users around the world. The site entreats the user to make his account public because the more data the user shares would mean that Facebook would be able to sell more information to its private advertisers. Despite the noble declaration of Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg to make the world more connected, their policies are geared towards generating bigger profits. And Facebook attains this materialistic goal by implementing site policies that compromise the privacy of the users. The three articles examines the impact of the internet in the lives of the people living in the 21st century. Thompson, Rosen and Fletcher have different point of views as to whether the advancement in technology improves or destroys the public's security. The authors explained the negative and positive impact of social media and other online platforms on today's society. While they have opposing stand on the issue on how social media affects the life of contemporary Americans, their articles delivers a common message. They tell the readers that although social media have changed the definition of privacy in the modern world, one has still the power to take control and protect his privacy. He should practice safe and responsible use of the internet by not responding or posting obscene and threatening messages and photos, by not sharing personal information and by thinking the potential consequences of his decision before clicking the share button. Lastly, he must always remember that the internet is a home to cyber criminals who are always looking for ways to steal other people's information.

Works Cited

Thompson, C. (2013). I’m so totally, digitally, close to you. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. Rosen, J. The end of forgetting. (2013). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. Fletcher, D. (2010) Friends without borders.Time International 175.21, 16. Fletcher, D. (2010) How Facebook Is Redefining Privacy. Time. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1990798-3,00.html Privacy. (n.d) In Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privacy

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