I want the essay written as if I belive that there should be a age limit at which young people can access social media.
by Zach Whiting, former Iowa state senator; policy director and senior fellow, Texas Public Policy Foundation
Written for CQ Researcher, September 2023
When researchers learned just how harmful cigarettes are for kids, parents and medical professionals demanded changes to the law. So, Congress and the states raised the legal smoking age to 18, then 21 nationwide in 2019.
Today, social media is the harmful, addictive “cigarette.” And like the Philip Morris tobacco company, today’s social media giants know it. That’s why states must act swiftly and boldly to protect children by enacting age limits to access social media. Social media exposes kids to a cultural sewer of content such as cyberbullying, violence, pornography, sextortion and dangerous challenges. Research links this harmful content with negative impacts on their mental, physical and social health, such as depression, anxiety, isolation, body dysmorphia, self-harm and suicide.
While Congress continues to talk, states acted in a strong, bipartisan manner in 2023 to keep kids safer online, including placing age limits on social media access. Red states, such as Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Utah, and blue states, such as California and Connecticut, have provided bipartisan roadmaps for other states to follow.
This is neither novel, government overreach, impracticable nor a threat to privacy.
States already place age limits on such things as cigarettes, alcohol, gambling, voting, driving and military service. Federal law already limits data collection and access to a variety of online services for children under age 13. Furthermore, the technological means of age verification exists, from uploading a government issued ID to knowledge-based challenge questions, to signing and faxing verification — yes, faxing. Age verification laws must — and already do — include data minimization and deletion requirements.
This is not about harming Big Tech or diminishing the role of parents. It’s about protecting kids from a harmful, addictive product. Some social media companies claim they are taking steps to better protect kids online, but it is not enough. Consequently, parents are crying out for help — 66 percent think parenting is harder in the digital age and 71 percent are anxious about the effects of their kids’ screen time. Ultimately, legislative proposals should be centered on protecting kids, enhancing privacy and empowering parents with the knowledge and tools to keep their kids safe.
This issue is an oddity in 2023 U.S. politics because bipartisan political and cultural will to act exists. States — and dare I say, Congress — should act immediately to, at a minimum, place age limits on social media access.
This is the rubic and information based on what the essay should be written by:
The world around us is brimming with issues that spark debate and demand attention–from climate change to digital privacy, from healthcare reform to education policies. For this essay, you’ll start by reading two essays from a CQ Researcher report. Those essays will serve as a starting point for your own essay by giving you two different perspectives on a controversial issue. After reading those essays, you’ll craft a policy claim argument of your own on the same topic which answers the prompt question; the argument will be informed by your opinion and supported by additional research.
Your essay must be at least 1000 words in length, although it can be longer (a maximum of 2000 words :-). The essay must have an introduction that gets readers interested, provides context on your topic and the two opposing essays from CQ Researcher that gave you some perspective on the topic question, and ends thesis statement that states your position (a policy claim) in response to your topic question and suggests at least two supporting points you’ll argue for your policy claim and at least one opposing view you’ll address through concession and/or refutation. Body paragraphs should follow the order of ideas in your thesis and should include quotations from your sources which will be introduced, cited using MLA format, and explained (ICE). Your conclusion should summarize your main points, restate your thesis, and give some sense of the significance of your argument, its future implications, and any recommended course of action.
Since this essay is a research paper, you will need to use at least 3 credible sources (in addition to the CQ Researcheressays) to support your ideas and observations in body paragraphs. Sources (text or video) may include reputable news sources, industry reports, academic articles, and books; information should be current and reliable. All sources must be appropriately cited in your paper using MLA format. Your sources will also be listed in a Works Cited page.
Your essay must have an introduction, at least three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
_____ Write a creative, informative title for your essay.
_____ Your introduction should get readers interested, provide context on your topic and the CQ Researcher essays, and end with a clear thesis statement.
_____ Your thesis statement should state your position on the topic question and include at least two supporting points you’ll argue and at least one opposing view you’ll address through concession and/or refutation.
_____ Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence (the main point of the paragraph) and appropriate support and development, using information and expert testimony from credible sources as appropriate.
_____ Introduce, cite, and explain source material (ICE).
_____ Use transitions at the start of each body paragraph and within paragraphs to connect ideas.
_____ Your conclusion should restate your thesis, summarize the main points of your essay, and give some sense of the significance of your argument, its future implications, and any recommended course of action.
_____ Edit and proofread your sentences so that they are as clear and correct as possible. NOTE: It is acceptable to use first-person (“I,” “my,” “we”) but not second-person (“you,” “your”).
_____ Use MLA format to document source material. ICE quotations and include a properly formatted Works Cited page which lists all of the sources used in the essay as well as any AI use.
_____ Include an outline with your final draft that states your thesis as it appears in your essay and lists the major areas of development in the body of your essay.
You are not required to use this outline, but it can help keep you on track with some of the assignment parameters.
Also, you will need to submit a brief outline with your essay (after your Works Cited page). You can fill in the outline template with your information (delete the general instructions and details within paragraphs) or use a briefer scratch outline. In either case, you’ll need to state your thesis as it appears in your essay and list the major areas of development in the body of your essay.
- Introduction
- Start with a hook, a compelling statement or question related to your controversial topic.
- Provide context on the topic and the two CQ Researcher essays.
- End with your thesis statement. Clearly state your position on the topic by answering the topic question. Preview your supporting points (at least two) and any opposing views you’ll address (at least one).
- Your introduction should be a single paragraph. Your thesis should be no more than three sentences in length.
- 2.Opposing Views
- Address at least one opposing view through concession and/or refutation. You are welcome to address more than one.
- Bring in quotations from sources for support and illustration. ICE quotations.
- Discuss each opposing view in its own paragraph(s).
- 3. Supporting Points
- Transition from the opposing view to your first supporting point.
- Present at least two supporting points for your argument. Discuss each supporting point in its own paragraph(s).
- Bring in quotations from sources for support and illustration. ICE quotations.
- 4. Conclusion
- Reiterate your policy claim and summarize the main points of your essay (both the opposing view and your supporting points).
- Give some sense of the significance of your argument, its future implications, and any recommended course of action.
- Your conclusion should be a single paragraph.
- 5. Works Cited
- Use MLA format. List sources used in your essay, including the two CQ Researcher essays and any AI use, in alphabetical order.
- 6.Outline
- Include a brief outline that states your thesis as it appears in your essay and that lists the major areas of development in your essay. The outline should be concise, not a series of paragraphs or lengthy explanations.