It
is an argumentative/persuasive essay, meaning your essay must represent a specific
stance. Your thesis must contain an argumentative edge
Over the past couple of years, several states have begun writing
legislation designed to limit youth and teen access to social media
platforms. Many colleges/universities and government entities (including
the entire state of Montana) have banned or have tried to ban the TikTok app
from users, and other states are trying to require that social media platforms
provide “child-safe” versions of their platforms. Other laws
require that minors younger than 16 get parental consent to access their
platforms.
For this assignment, we will take a look at the recent Florida
law proposed (which is currently being revised). The original
law would’ve been the strictest social media regulation in the
country.
The law includes the following elements:
·
Prohibits children under 16 years old from opening social media
accounts
·
Allows a “parental permission exception” for youth
aged 14 and 15
·
Requires verification that the people providing the parental
permission exemptions are the minor’s legal parent or guardian
·
Opens social media sites to potential lawsuits for violations of
age restrictions
·
Requires age 18 verification to access pornographic websites
·
Bans “addictive” features on social media
In this essay, you will discuss reasons why you would support or
oppose such a law or a variation of this law. You could also argue that
the law should be stricter/more expansive to include other provisions (maybe
include all of these laws/rules for anyone 18 years of age and younger) or you
could argue that some of these elements should remain in the law but not
others, and/or you could propose different ideas that limit/moderate social
media.
Specific Criteria Necessary
for This Essay:
·
It is an argumentative/persuasive essay, meaning
your essay must represent a specific stance. Your thesis
must contain an argumentative edge (. Creating an
“Argumentative Edge”: Moving from general topic to argument).
Note the difference between a general paper
topic vs one that has an “argumentative edge.”
·
Your thesis should answer the question being
asked, and really, there are three options: 1)
supporting the law and providing different reasons and rationale for your
support; 2) opposing the law and providing different reasons and rationale for
your opposition; or 3) supporting parts of the law, opposing other parts of the
law, and offering modifications or alternative pieces to the law.
·
Select a point-of-view from
which you will argue (a teen social media user, a parent of a teen social media
user, a social media/tech corporation, an influencer, a small business owner
wishing to advertise, a congressperson/lawmaker, a concerned citizen) or
whatever perspective you’d like to take. You will make that
stance clear in your essay and will write from that consistent point-of-view
throughout.
·
The essay will use PEEEC paragraphing,
meaning one point for multiple paragraphs. You will learn about that this
week. You already
learned about the 5-paragraph essay, but instead of one main point per
paragraph, you will TWO or more paragraphs for each main point. You
should have a minimum of 6 body paragraphs–probably more like 7-9.
·
Include at LEAST three quotations/references
from three different sources, PLUS two quotations from your group discussions.
See list below for sources:
·
I am Cringe, but I am Free” https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/embrace-cringe-online-tiktok-trend
·
Social Media: A Medium to Express
Individualism or Conformity? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fduXfLDimh8
·
·
“How We Are All Being Changed by Influencer Culture” https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/b5488f38-e9c4-4e0c-95e2-3002f47f88f8
·
·
“On Twitter, Fake News Travels Faster Than Truth” https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/3/8/17085928/fake-news-study-mit-science
·
·
“‘More Dangerous and More Widespread’: Conspiracy Theories
Travel Faster Than Ever” https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/technology/tiktok-deepfakes-disinformation.html
·
“Analyzing TikTok’s Algorithm” https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=nfczi2cI6Cs&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2F4cd.instructure.com%2Fcourses%2F95893%2Fassignments%2F2391605%3Fmodule_item_id%3D6285631&feature=emb_logo
·
·
“Beware the TikTok Eavesdroppers” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/15/style/beware-the-tiktok-eavesdroppers.html?searchResultPosition=1
·
·
“Do These AI-Curated Fake People Look Real to You?” https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/21/science/artificial-intelligence-fake-people-faces.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-artificial-intelligence&variant=show®ion=BELOW_MAIN_CONTENT&block=storyline_flex_guide_recirc
·
·
“Virtual Influencers are the Vanguard of Marketing’s
Future” https://www.verdict.co.uk/virtual-influencers-lil-miquela-shudu-gram/
·
·
“From Lil Miquela to Shudu Gram: Meet the Virtual
Models” https://www.vogue.fr/fashion/fashion-inspiration/story/from-lil-miquela-to-shudu-gram-meet-the-virtual-models/1843
·
·
Crash Course: Navigating Digital Literacy # 1,
“Introduction/Overview” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLlv2o6UfTU
·
·
Crash Course: Navigating Digital Literacy # 2, “Fact Checking”
·
·
Crash Course: Navigating Digital Literacy # 3, “Lateral
Reading” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoQG6Tin-1E
·
·
Crash Course: Navigating Digital Literacy # 4, “Who Can
You Trust?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o93pM-b97HI&t=400s
Sources
used in the essay are limited to readings, videos, and class discussions from
our modules, plus…
·
You may also reference the article “Pros and Cons of Social Media
Content”Links to an external site.
·
You may also use the Encyclopedia Britannica Pro/Con
Database: Social MediaLinks to an external site.
ONLY
USE THE SOURCES LISTED ABOVE . NO OUTISDE SOURCES
All assignments in this class are routinely checked for
plagiarism AND are run through a variety of AI detection programs. Plagiarized
essays and those generated in full or part by ANY AI writing programs (such as
ChatGPT, Textero, Quillbot, Jasper, Ryter, Essaybot, Contentbot, or any others
including essay extender programs or synonym, summarizers, and paraphraser
programs) will receive 0 credit.