Essay 4: Should We Worry About How the Internet Affects Our Cognition?
Format: 12 point type; Times New Roman; double-spaced; MLA citations (submissions without in-text citations and a works cited page will receive no grade)
Length: 1000-1500 words
Purpose: A synthesis essay requires you to incorporate multiple sources into an argumentative essay. The essay will display your ability to put those sources into conversation with one another and articulate the nuances of this conversation while drawing your own conclusions.
Directions: Your task is to argue what we should do about our contemporary relationship with the Internet and other digital technologies. You can address this argument from various angles, just as our examples do: Is our reading comprehension suffering or benefiting from reading online? Are we suffering a decline in our memory capacities? What effects does our digital world have on our overall cognitive functions? Are we becoming bionic?
You do not have to answer all of these questions, specifically. These are starter questions. You must respond to the writers making arguments about our digital habits, particularly with regards to cognition.
You must have a precise thesis that is developed throughout the essay, and you must address the possible counterarguments to your thesis reasonable people might present. You may also bring in outside sources if you desire.
You must incorporate a minimum of four direct references (or quotes) from your source material. You must use at least three sources.
What I’ll look for when grading:
—Precise thesis
—Coherent and cohesive paragraphs
—Concise sentences free from grammar and punctuation errors
—Logical transitions between paragraphs
—Accurate interpretation and incorporation of source texts
