Instructions

Remember that for this writing assignment, I have given you a general research question: How does technology impact people’s lives? However, you will need to narrow down your research question to a topic that is specific and interesting for you.

Remember: Look for a topic that is controversial. That means you can find arguments on both sides. You will eventually need to choose a side, but for now try learn as much as you can about all possible arguments.

Task

For this assignment, please answer the following questions:

1. Choose your research question.
2. Search for and find one source that you could use for this assignment.
3. Then write a paragraph about why we can trust this source and how it will be useful for you. Use the CRAAP Test and your understanding of persuasive appeals to help you defend your choice. You can use these sentence starters:
   • My research question is: ___________________________________________________________.
   • Paragraph 1:
     • This text is current because . . .
     • This text is relevant because . . .
     • This text seems authoritative because . . .
     • This text appears to be accurate because . . .
     • The text is reliable because the purpose is . . .
   • Paragraph 2:
     • In my essay I’m going to argue that . . .
     • This text will be useful because . . .
4. Provide a link or PDF document of your source.

Make sure that you give me the opportunity to access your source. This will help me do my own evaluation to determine if your selection is a good one. The more information you give me, the easier it is for me to provide helpful feedback.

Tips

Possible Topics

If you’re still not certain what you want to write about, here are some potential directions for your research:

The technology and . . .

• mental health
• physical health
• obesity
• social freedom
• social movements
• relationships
• social intimacy
• education
• the environment
• identity theft
• selling personal information
• politics
• gun violence
• war
• intimacy
• covid
• bullying
• online shaming
• misinformation
• racism
• sexism

Even if you choose one of the ideas above, you will need to narrow this down to a specific question.

Example Research Questions

You may choose on of these or choose your own.

• What are the effects of social media on young voters during political elections?
• How does social media influence teenagers attitudes towards gun control?
• How has online gaming affected relationships?
• What is the impact of social media on racism and hate speech?
• What is the impact of TikTok on teenage girls?
• What is the impact of TikTok on security and privacy?
• What is the impact of TikTok on the spread of misinformation?
• What is the impact of AI on education? Is it mostly beneficial or harmful?
• Is social media more likely to cause or prevent gun violence?
• Was technology mostly helpful or harmful to education during the pandemic?
• Is technology mostly helpful or harmful to sports?

Sources

Not sure where to start looking for articles? These are some good places to find reliable sources:

• TED TalksLinks to an external site.
• The ConversationLinks to an external site.
• BBC NewsLinks to an external site.
• AP NewsLinks to an external site.
• Grossmont College Library One SearchLinks to an external site.
• BloombergLinks to an external site.
• Pew Research CenterLinks to an external site.
• ReutersLinks to an external site.
• United Press International (UPI)Links to an external site.
• ProCon.orgLinks to an external site. (Take a look at the Science and Technology Section)

*At least one of your sources must come from the Grossmont College Library.

**For your final project, you will need to choose a variety of sources. For example, choose a TED Talk, a news article, and a journal article from Grossmont Library. Don’t use news articles that all come from one publisher.

My Essay is:

Education

For information on politics, particularly in relation to political elections, I have chosen a source from the annual review of political science, which is an authoritative and dependable source. Since the article was published in May 2022, it is current and pertinent to the subject of my research. In addition, the fact that the article was written by a respected university professor indicates that it is authoritative and accurate. The motivation behind the article is to dissect the effect of various degrees of instruction on the casting ballot conduct of teenagers

In my essay, I will argue that young people’s voting behavior is significantly influenced by their level of education. Because it provides an in-depth look at the voting behaviors of young people and how this is affected by their level of education, this text will be useful for my research. The article additionally incorporates the basic study of information from various nations, which can help me in making informed decisions about the connection between training and young citizens. The article is from Princeton University’s Department of Politics, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, and is titled “Education and political participation.” The writers of the article are two teachers from the College who have widely concentrated on the impacts of instruction on political commitment and casting ballot conduct. This source is dependable in light of the fact that the writers are regarded researchers in the field of political theory and the article has been peer-checked. In addition, the article is useful for this assignment due to its comprehensive analysis of the effects of education on young voter engagement and comprehensive overview of the most recent research on the subject. As a final point, the authors present their findings in an objective and unbiased manner, drawing on a variety of primary sources. In general, this reliable source will be helpful for this assignment.

Reference

Claire Willeck & Tali Mendelberg (2022). Annual review of political science; Education and political participation.

https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-polisci-051120-014235