Social Media and Rhetoric

Social media is rapidly becoming a naturalized part of our lives. It is altering the nature of our relationships and producing new avenues of social, political, intellectual, and emotional engagement. Is this a positive or negative trend? What do we gain and what do we lose as the ways we communicate change? Academic Level : Bachelor Paper details You must write an essay that makes an argument on the issues raised by your topic. The quality of your argument will be the basis for your grade, as well as the clarity through which you are able to argue your case—good writing matters here. Remember, this is an argumentative paper and you need to have a clear, direct thesis. Your paper must include references to at least FOUR secondary sources (books or scholarly peer-reviewed articles). Your research assignment will summarize and evaluate your secondary source material as well as indicate your own position on the issue at hand. You will have to use research and evidence to support your position, and so must ensure you follow correct documentation practices and avoid plagiarism. MLA format is required for this assignment. Please think about what kinds of sources you are using and whether or not they are effective and verifiable. For this assignment, Wikipedia is not considered an acceptable source. Tips for writing In persuasive writing we try to convince others to agree with our facts, share our values, accept our argument and conclusions, and adopt our way of thinking. The persuasive essay must choose a side, make a case for it, consider and refute alternative arguments, and prove to the undecided reader that the opinion it presents is the best one. You must be aware of other sides and be fair to them; dismissing them completely will weaken your own argument. ▪ Come up with your own title for the paper (the wording of the title should be different from the wording of the chosen topic) ▪ Write your abstract and introduction ▪ Introduce the topic ▪ Inform the reader of your point of view! ▪ Entice the reader to continue with the rest of the paper! ▪ Focus on three main points to develop (those should be indicated in your thesis statement) ▪ Establish flow from paragraph to paragraph (transitions) ▪ Keep your voice active ▪ Quote sources to establish authority ▪ Stay focused on your point of view throughout the essay ▪ Focus on logical arguments ▪ Don’t lapse into summary in the development—wait for the conclusion ▪ Conclusion Summarize, then conclude, your argument Refer to the first paragraph/opening statement as well as the main points ▪ does the conclusion restate the main ideas? ▪ reflect the succession and importance of the arguments? ▪ logically conclude their development?