Option #1: Does Technology Promote Loneliness?

Develop a thesis statement builtupon whether or not technology promotes loneliness. You should focus oneither one form of hardware or one type of software. For example, youcould target cell phones or laptops. If you want to look more intosoftware, you could narrow your discussions to one type of social mediaor one gaming app. These are just a handful of a vast array of optionsyou 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 sentencesthat include your opinion for each section can help ensure the majorityof your essay is argumentative. The beginning of a sample topicsentence might be, “First, Facebook does not promote lonelinessbecause….” Then, be sure to support that claim with a point or two ofresearched data, followed by mostly original material that helps toexplain how your research supports your claims as well as provides newinsights 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

a 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. For additional Works Cited assistance visit http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/ and use the left navigation menu to locate the type of reference you need.

Option #2: Is Citizen Privacy or National Security More Important?

Develop a thesis statement focusedon determining if citizen privacy or national security is moreimportant. You can choose any country or region. Your chosen topic needsto be specific and might address a question like the ones you see inthese examples:

• Should officials make citizens’ privacy more of a priority than national security? Why or why not?
• Is national security likely to pose a risk for citizen privacy? Why or why not?
• You may choose another topic regarding the relationship betweencitizen privacy and national security as well; just be sure that yourmain thesis addresses the association between these two ideas.

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 sentencesthat include your opinion for each section can help ensure the majorityof your essay is argumentative. The beginning of a sample topicsentence might be, “Primarily, exceptional national security is likelyto reduce citizen privacy because….” Then, be sure to support that claimwith a point or two of researched data, followed by mostly originalmaterial that helps to explain how your research supports your claims aswell as provides new insights and perspectives. Conclude each paragraph with a sentence that synthesizes the paragraph’s main ideas.

Sample Thesis Statement: Ideally, a thesis would include themajor assignment objectives for the essay, which in this case would beyour claim/opinion, reasons why you have that opinion, and thecounterargument: Implementing national security measures could lead tocitizen privacy dilemmas because (add argument 1), (add argument 2), and(add argument 3), even though (add counterargument focus). *Note that athorough thesis statement will include the counterargument in additionto your own arguments, but be sure to frame your counterargument as theopposition’s opinion so that readers do not think that you are changingyour stance.

Use at least three credible sources (the author should be consideredan expert on the topic in which he or she writes), such as books,articles, and websites, to support your claims. Include a mix of citedparaphrases, summaries, and quotes in your argumentative research paper.Use MLA format (Tip: You will find useful MLA resources withinthe course topics, particularly in Topic 9) to create properparenthetical citations as well as a Works Cited page at the end of your essay. For additional Works Cited assistance visit http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/ and use the left navigation menu to locate the type of reference you need.

The guidelines and requirements for this assignment are as follows:

Format Requirements:

Header: Include a header in the upper left-hand corner of your writing assignment with the following information:

• Your first and last name
• Course Title (Composition I)
• Assignment name (Comparison and Contrast)
• Current Date

Page Layout:

• MLA style documentation (please see the tutorial in the course topic)
• Last name and page number in the upper-right corner of each page
• Double-spacing throughout
• Title, centered after heading
• Standard font (Times New Roman or Calibri)
• 1″ margins on all sides
• Save the file as .docx or .doc format

Length: This assignment should be at least 750 words.

Underline your thesis statement.