For this assignment, you will write an argumentative essay evaluating the positive and negative effects of the selfie. This is not a personal response essay that is focused solely on your own thoughts and feelings, and it is not an informative essay that simply summarizes the resources listed below. Instead, you should view and read through all of the resources. Then, determine your argument or claim. What do you believe about selfies? Are they promoting narcissism and unhealthy perspectives in young people or do they contribute to positive feelings and greater self confidence in the rising generation? Is your perspective a more nuanced perspective that acknowledges both the positive and negative aspects of selfies?
In a thoughtful, well-written argumentative essay, do the following:
Clearly state your perspective or claim in a strong thesis statement.
Use evidence from at least three of the resources below to support your perspective and to develop your argument and cite these sources correctly using in-text citations or footnotes.
Use effective organization in your essay to develop your argument and present supporting details and information.
Present and effectively explain a perspective that differs from the one you present in your essay. (This perspective may oppose your own perspective, or it may simply be different.) Rather than simply stating why this counterclaim is incorrect, evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. How is this counterclaim valid? What are its weaknesses?
Use informal to formal diction in your writing. It is appropriate to use the personal pronoun in your essay; however, remember this is an analysis essay and should be written very thoughtfully. Personal experiences and opinions should not make up the majority of your essay.
Your essay should be double-spaced using a 12-point Times or Times New Roman font. Your margins may be no larger than one inch on each side (see the MLA formatting guidelines).
Include a header on each page with your last name and the page number.
Remember to format your essay according to the MLA formatting guidelines included in this document from the BYU Writing Center: MLA Style Formatting
You must also submit a revised rough draft. This draft may be revised by you or someone else; however, in order to receive credit for this draft, your instructor must be able to see that you have completed the revision process. This means that highlighting a few words here and there does not suffice. Revise it carefully.
It is difficult to put a length requirement on an essay such as this one because, frankly, your essay needs to be long enough to cover the topic appropriately. However, to provide you with an idea of how detailed your essay would be, it would be quite impossible to cover the topic and all of the elements of this topic adequately in under 750–1000 words.
