Option #1: Does Technology Promote Loneliness?
Develop a thesis statement built upon whether or not technology promotes loneliness. Focus on either one form of hardware or one type of software. For example, you could target cell phones or laptops. If you want to look more into software, you could narrow your discussions to one type of social media or one gaming app. These are just a handful of a vast array of options you could choose.
Develop at least three strong arguments in addition to a counterargument and refutation (this resource can assist you in developing the counterargument and refutation). This organization should yield four body paragraphs. Using argumentative topic sentences that include your opinion for each section can help ensure the majority of your essay is argumentative. The beginning of a sample topic sentence might be, “First, Facebook does not promote loneliness because….” Then, be sure to support that claim with a point or two of researched data, followed by mostly original material that helps to explain how your research supports your claims as well as provides new insights and perspectives. Conclude each paragraph with a sentence that synthesizes the paragraph’s main ideas.
Sample Thesis Statement: Social media, particularly Facebook, does not promote loneliness because (add argument 1), (add argument 2), and (add argument 3), even though (add counterargument focus). *Note that a thorough thesis statement will include the counterargument in addition to your own arguments, but be sure to frame your counterargument as the opposition’s opinion so that readers do not think that you are changing your stance.
See The Top Ten Tips for College-Level Writing (Presentation) for more thesis statement assistance.
Use at least three credible sources (the author should be considered an expert on the topic in which he or she writes; try Google Scholar to search), such as books, articles, and websites, to support your thesis. Include a mix of cited paraphrases, summaries, and quotes in your argumentative research paper. Use MLA format (Tip: You will find useful MLA resources within the course topics, particularly in Topic 9) to create proper parenthetical citations as well as a Works Cited page at the end of your essay.
