English writing

Essay #1 Prompt

Readings:

“Education: Attentional Disarray” by Sherry Turkle

“Our Future Selves” by Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen

“Let’s Get Lost” by Kenneth Goldsmith

“Has the Smartphone Destroyed A Generation?” by Jean M. Twenge

“Zoe and the Trolls” by Noreen Malone

Context:

In “Let’s Get Lost,” Kenneth Goldsmith argues that “learning, interaction, conversation, and

engagement continues as it always has, but [in] new and different forms” (par. 37). Furthermore,

Goldsmith also thinks that “it’s time to drop the simplistic guilt about wasting time on the

Internet and instead begin to explore—and perhaps even celebrate—the complex possibilities

that lay before us” (par. 37).

Conversely, Jean M. Twenge argues in “Has the Smartphone Destroyed A Generation?” that,

while the internet certainly has benefits, the “arrival of the smartphone has radically changed

every aspect of teenagers’ lives, from the nature of their social interactions to their mental

health” (par. 8). According to Twenge, loneliness, unhappiness, sleep deprivation, and

depression are just some of the negatives associated with increased smartphone usage among

young people.

Assignment:

For our first essay, please take a position in the debate about smartphones and respond to the

following prompt: Analyze how smartphones impact our mental health.

Directions:

Please write a 4-5 page essay that has a clear, specific thesis supported by strong argumentation.

When appropriate, vivid, detailed examples should be used to support your ideas.

Your essay must use three of our texts and have five quotes in total.

Please use 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spacing, and one-inch margins. Make sure all quotes

are properly introduced with a signal phrase and cited in MLA style. Please consult A Writer’s Reference

for proper MLA, punctuation, capitalization, and quote integration guidelines. When appropriate, please

also use transitions to move your reader through your argument, both within a paragraph and from each

paragraph (C5-d). Also, please remember that there should be no outside sources. The only sources

available for use are the essays listed above.

Your essay must also contain a counterargument paragraph that includes a thorough rebuttal.

Please see A4-f and A4-g for more help. Please also consult my counterargument outline and

handout, and also the sample paper I’ve provided.

Dates:

Peer Review: See Canvas

Final Draft: See Canvas