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250 Good Topics for an Opinion Essay

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Opinion essay , like other academic papers, requires writers to express their take on a given subject. Many may confuse this essay type with a persuasive paper, which is wrong. As a writer, you are required to take a side and provide an argument that will support your point of view. Since opinion essays are commonly written across different educational levels, it is important to learn about potential research topics. Students often struggle to identify and work on good opinion essay topics. Are you looking for excellent opinion subjects or means to develop one? Continue reading this blog from our professional writing service to learn the definition of an opinion paper and explore different opinion writing topics that you can use in essays.

What Are Opinion Essay Topics?

Opinion papers rank among the commonly issued assignments in learning institutions. So, what is an opinion essay topic? It is a subject that attracts divergent outlooks and ideas from readers and thus enables writers to develop arguments that support a certain take. It is even much easier to write about an opinion topic if it has many differing sentiments. If the title is controversial, a writer can select and build on broad scopes of argumentation available. Unlike when writing a persuasive essay, students do not need to convince readers about a given stand. Although one can draw discussions from different fields – education, healthcare, social media, technology, government, and music, among others – opinion topics share some common characteristics.

Characteristics of Good Opinion Topics

Although people pick subject matters from a wide array of disciplines, good opinion essay topics share some traits. Some of these attributes are discussed below:

  • A writer can find supportive evidence from reliable research and sources. A quality opinion topic should have examples, facts, and clear evidence that can be used to support a given standpoint.
  • It should have opposite viewpoints. A topic that has different angles is preferred when developing an opinion paper.
  • The topic should accommodate development of a strong thesis statement.

How to Choose an Opinion Topic Idea?

There are many subject areas to pick issues from. To select an exceptional opinion essay topic, you need to follow these steps:

  • Determine a field that you are passionate about. Your topic should be related to your individual experience, personal skills, or a subject you have researched exhaustively.
  • Conduct a brainstorming session to help select and adjust opinions to write about within your preferred discipline.
  • Once you create your potential opinion ideas list, conduct research to ascertain viability of all options. A good topic should have evidence, facts, and examples from reliable sources.
  • You should have a strong opinion on topics you wish to discuss.

If you follow these steps, you will choose a topic that appeals to your personal interests and can be developed comprehensively with good evidence. Feel free to contact StudyCrumb for expert advice and college essay writing help .

List of the Best Opinion Writing Topics

A student should be able to select good topics for opinion writing. Today, you can find numerous opinion subjects online. You just need a smartphone with access to the internet! Although you can find various opinion essay topics online, you should strive to choose the best titles. Below are sample best opinion topics:

  • Is gun control used as a political control tool among Americans?
  • Is global warming a true phenomenon?
  • Does access to social media content and video negatively affect children’s behaviors?
  • Should smartphone usage be accepted in colleges and other higher education institutions?
  • Does watching action films promote violence among children?
  • Role of music in different age groups.
  • Role of government in promoting freedom of speech.
  • Should parents learn to use the internet and communicate online?
  • Are human beings putting adequate effort toward environmental management?
  • What is your take on right to privacy?

Interesting Opinion Essay Topics

You should consider opinion essay topics that would easily capture your target audience’s attention. Lucky for you, there are many different opinion editorials topics to choose from. Examples of such captivating issues include:

  • Is an electric car better than a petrol vehicle?
  • Impact of World War II on the issue of racism in America.
  • Is religion important in school curricula?
  • Gender roles in modern society.
  • Should the COVID-19 jab be mandatory for all?
  • Disparities in services and racial bias in USA's healthcare industry.
  • Impact of gender neutrality and fluidity on modern language.
  • Are virtual classes better than physical sessions?
  • Pop stars influence fashion and present-day societal norms.
  • Role of physical exercise in alleviating the obesity pandemic in the United States.
  • Impact of vegetarianism on human health.
  • Is medical research on human subjects ethical?
  • Impact of World War II on gender roles in Europe and America.
  • Police brutality and its impact on the fight against racism.
  • Ownership of firearms by people improves safety and security of private citizens.

Easy Opinion Paper Topics

Unlike other complex subjects, easy opinion essay topics take writers a shorter period to develop. You also do not need to put too much effort into writing such a paper. Teachers in lower education levels rely on these types of opinion papers topics to train better writing skills. Below is a list of simplest opinion topics that you can use:

  • Effect of the Cold War on the relationship between Russia and the USA.
  • Role of Presidents from your own perspective.
  • Social media platforms do more harm than good.
  • The USA is the best country in the world.
  • Are men and women treated equally in the USA?
  • Are print books better than e-books in this modern era?
  • What is your ethical opinion on caged wild animals?
  • Impact of exercise and physical education on stress.
  • Should children have full access to the internet?
  • Virtual learning and its benefits.
  • Are social media platforms making people less social?
  • Reason why politicians should rely on technology.
  • How can you stay healthy during a lockdown?
  • Can solar power alleviate climate change?
  • Impact of the cancellation culture on public discussions.

Good Topics for Opinion Essays

If people select good opinion writing topics, they can express their point of view on such subjects in a better way. One can find deep and extensive topical knowledge on the issue online. A writer can comfortably defend their belief and inclinations with solid, reliable evidence. Common good op ed ideas include:

  • Should parents take part in their children’s educational journey?
  • What is the overall impact of making marijuana legal?
  • How can gender-based violence issues be resolved in America?
  • Weaknesses of current US immigration policies.
  • Is depression a public health issue in the United States?
  • Gender equity policies and affirmative action in US military departments.
  • Does social media promote depression among teenagers and young adults?
  • Role of government social welfare programs in promoting poverty.
  • Anger management and its relationship with gender-based violence.
  • Office versus virtual working environment.
  • Is there a connection between drug abuse and gender-based violence?
  • Will the world ever attain total peace?
  • Can genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be a solution to world hunger?
  • Are people doing enough to negate climate change effects?
  • Is euthanasia ethical and justified?

Opinion Editorial Topics

Senior authors and editors usually have a section in newspapers, magazines, or any other publication, where they express their viewpoints on a given matter. Good op ed topics attract wide audiences and thus can be used to influence readers. Examples of topics for opinion articles are outlined below:

  • Is the existing gun control legislation adequate in addressing increased mass shootings in America?
  • The future of GMOs and food security.
  • Are we winning the war against global warming?
  • In your opinion, what should be the minimum marrying age in America?
  • Impact of oil spillage on the marine ecosystem.
  • Benefits of physical exercise on physiological and mental health.
  • Can the human race inhabit Mars successfully?
  • Is it viable to replace fossil fuels with alternative clean energy sources in the aviation industry?
  • Should doping be accepted in sports?
  • Sex education should be taught to children by their parents.

Topics and Ideas for Opinion Writing by Subject

People can choose essay topics from various disciplines. With adequate research, you can list and develop arguments on numerous issues within every subject. There is a wide variety of options, which can ensure that you always discuss issues that interest you. As a writer, you can select a topic from various subjects, including political science, history, public opinion, environmental issues, technology, parenting, education, social media, and psychology, among others. Irrespective of the discipline, opinion writing ideas must be written in a specific format and structure. This section discusses common topics for opinion essays from different disciplines.

Opinion Topics in Political Science

Politics ranks among the most discussed subjects worldwide. Besides, people have diverging and contradicting takes on topics related to political science. Furthermore, since these decisions affect almost everyone, Political Science opinion essay topics attract great interest from the public. Below is a list of opinion topics in this discipline:

  • Rule of law and its unbiased application to everyone.
  • Strengths and weaknesses of the US electoral system.
  • Terrorism as a political tool.
  • Immigration policy and its effect on minority families.
  • US foreign policies in the Middle Eastern countries.
  • Relationship between politics and climate change initiatives.
  • How politics affect mainstream media.
  • Political conflicts between Israel and Palestine.
  • The collision between federal and state legislation.
  • Should governments regulate religious practices?
  • Should the minimum age for voting be reduced?
  • How can governments address corruption problems?
  • Capitalism is superior to socialism.
  • Strengths and weaknesses of the American system of governance.

>> View more: Topics of Political Science

History Opinion Essay Ideas

Historical events influence our current decisions. It is, therefore, no surprise that many people take a keen interest in History opinion essay topics. Issues related to past wars, civil riots, and political decisions have drawn great debates over the years. Check a list of top 15 essay topics on the subject below:

  • Thanksgiving from Native Americans’ historical view.
  • United States’ role in World War I.
  • Industrial Revolution and its effect on population distribution.
  • Contribution of Slavery to current economic and social inequalities in USA.
  • The Holocaust and its role in shaping current world politics.
  • Abolition of slavery in the United States.
  • Did the Election of President Barack Obama influence the issue of racism in America?
  • Impact of the 9/11 tragedy on United States foreign policy.
  • Importance of the American Civil Rights movement in promoting gender and racism equity in America.
  • Was the Vietnam war justified from the American point of view?
  • Martin Luther King’s contribution to the fight against racial discrimination.
  • How did the 19th Amendment empower women in the 1920s?
  • Are history lessons important in present-day school curricula?
  • What was the role of the trade union movement in promoting workers’ rights?
  • Impact of colonialism on current economic inequalities between countries worldwide.

Public Opinion Essay Topics

Public opinion, as a discipline, encompasses common beliefs, ideas, perspectives, and attitudes shared among many members of the community. Information on public opinion essay topics is often collected through polls. In many cases, the public is concerned with topic opinion related to politics. Take a look at examples outlined below:

  • Public transportation systems should be free.
  • The public transportation system in New York is inconvenient.
  • Should abortion be fully legal?
  • The Obamacare program was a disaster.
  • Mainstream media is nowadays a tool for propagating political agendas and narratives.
  • Should COVID-19 vaccine injection be compulsory?
  • Medical and recreational use of marijuana should be legal.
  • Should teachers carry firearms in classrooms?
  • Social media has increased cyberbullying among youths.
  • The US healthcare system is incompetent in dealing with increased mental health and suicide cases.
  • Should military qualification test standards be lowered to accommodate women?
  • Police departments in America have failed in their community outreach programs.
  • Police racism has negatively affected the relationship between law enforcement departments and the public.
  • How can the government deal with the increased homelessness problem in American cities?
  • The COVID-19 vaccine should be offered free of charge.

Environmental Topics for Opinion Essays

With the fight against climate change growing in momentum, people are increasingly reading op-ed topics related to environmental change and management. This subject attracts controversial viewpoints, which makes it very interesting. You can find an issue that resonates with you from the environmental opinion essay topics below:

  • Dangers of large-scale commercial farming to the environment.
  • Overfishing should be regulated globally.
  • Is global warming a real phenomenon?
  • Effect of human activity on flora and fauna.
  • Can solar power alleviate the problem of air pollution?
  • Effect of mass concrete construction on environment.
  • Does excessive consumption of beef have a negative effect on the environment?
  • Alternative clean energy solutions can slow down climate change.
  • Electric cars are better for the environment compared to petrol engine vehicles.
  • Impact of oil spillage on marine and dry-land ecosystems.
  • Tree planting is a viable solution for rapid climate change.
  • Effect of farm inputs on the environment.
  • How can wildfires be prevented?
  • Effect of global warming on human health.
  • The government should introduce legislation to regulate emissions.

Education Opinion Topics to Write About

The existence and continuous growth of the human race rely on education hugely. It is, therefore, only fair for people to express their opinions on topics on the subject. Some of the common education opinion essay topics are outlined in this section:

  • Is distance learning a viable replacement for face-to-face learning in classrooms?
  • How does the expensive cost of education affect learners in the United States?
  • Student loans in tertiary education negatively affect the economic well-being of students after school.
  • How can the government address the issue of mass shootings in schools?
  • How soon should sex education be taught in school?
  • What is the effect of social media on student learning?
  • How can technology improve learning outcomes in schools?
  • Should instructors punish learners in schools?
  • Educational institutions should introduce healthier meals in their cafeteria.
  • Gender equality in education has positively affected economic development.
  • Should religious education be incorporated into school curricula?
  • What are the effects of social and economic classes on student performance?
  • Impact of career choice decisions in school on pay gap between men and women.
  • Are private schools better than public schools?
  • Disparities in the quality of educational facilities across various ethnic communities in the US.

You can browse special education research topics  and get some new ideas for your opinion essay.

Psychology Opinion Based Questions

The increased cases of mental health issues and suicide have made Psychology opinion essay topics very popular. Today, these opinion essay questions are raised among medical professionals, legislators, and even the general public. Below are the top 15 talking points on this subject:

  • What is the impact of physical exercise on mental health?
  • Psychological effects of yoga and meditation.
  • What are the effects of social media on an individual’s mental health?
  • How does an unhealthy work/life balance affect the psychological health of people?
  • Effects of violent films on the mental development of children.
  • How can the healthcare sector better address increased cases of depression?
  • Role of pop stars in shaping the psychological growth and well-being of children.
  • How emotional support pets help in improving mental health.
  • Should parents regulate children’s access to the internet?
  • How can schools better utilize guidance and counseling departments to prevent mass shootings by students?
  • How does bullying affect mental health of students?
  • How does negative stigma toward autistic students affect their performance in school?
  • What teaching methods can be used for students who are mentally disabled?
  • Effect of childhood experience on adults.
  • Effect of divorce and domestic violence on children’s mental development.

Philosophy Opinion Essay Topics

Human beings have, for the longest time, expressed their opinion on different philosophies. Since society and laws are built on various schools of thought, opinion piece topics on this subject are very common. Below are some of the Philosophy opinion paper ideas:

  • Strengths of the utilitarian school of thought.
  • Should capital punishment be abolished?
  • What are the ethical issues linked to abortion?
  • What are the effects of environment and nurture on child development?
  • The difference between determinism and freedom.
  • Benefits of democracy over absolutism.
  • The spread of Confucianism around the world.
  • How does a personal fable lead people to commit life-changing mistakes?
  • What is the true meaning of happiness?
  • Critical evaluation of Puritan culture and beliefs.
  • Effect of the “world revolves around me” fallacy on quality of life.
  • The theory of deontology and consequentialism in America’s correction system.
  • Impact of Confucianism on western culture.
  • Does God Exist?
  • The discordance between free will and determinism.

Social Media Opinion Article Ideas

In the current age of smartphones and the internet, social media is huge. Almost every person has some level of presence on social media platforms. The effect of social media on people’s daily lives has caused a significant interest in op ed topics on the subject. Some of the common opinion article topics on Social Media are listed below:

  • Effect of social media on students’ performance in school.
  • How does social media impact the psychological and behavioral growth of children?
  • Should parents limit children’s access to social media content?
  • How should children be protected from cyberbullying on social media?
  • Evolving roles of social media in online marketing.
  • Social media is a source of depression among some young adults.
  • Has social media normalized hate speech and behaviors?
  • How can social media be used in the current education system?
  • The role of social media in promoting a sedentary lifestyle.
  • How can social media be used to promote environmental management and climate change awareness?
  • Effect of social media on face-to-face relationships.
  • Impact of social media on group mind and social pressure.
  • How can online messaging platforms be used to promote activism and revolution globally?
  • Role of social media on cultural exchange across communities.
  • Effect of social media on individuals’ self-esteem and confidence.

Culture Opinion Essay Topics

This discipline focuses on language, religion, art, and mentality. Since these aspects vary from one community to another, many opinion essays topics attract a great deal of debate. Common opinion piece ideas include:

  • Is present-day culture based on recent decades?
  • The internet has revolutionized the music industry and destroyed record companies.
  • Changes in cultural stereotypes and social prejudice across various age groups.
  • Effect of internet and globalization on traditional fashion styles.
  • The replacement of traditional acoustic instruments by computer programs has changed the music culture globally.
  • The widespread access to the internet has resulted in the rise of social media stars.
  • Stars and popular figures have the potential to influence public opinion.
  • Are high divorce rates an indicator of the changing marriage culture in the US?
  • Is recreational use of drugs part of modern US culture?
  • Will classical music ever grow out of fashion?
  • Development of hybrid culture due to intercultural exchange.
  • Effect of religion and culture on legislation.
  • Should culture be taught in a school setup?
  • Role of movies in propagating cultural information.
  • Effect of diversity on America’s food culture.

Literature Opinion Essay Topics

People have enjoyed literature throughout human history. It is common to find persons discussing and exploring different interpretations of a given literature opinion paragraph topic. Below are some of the good topics for opinion writing in Literature:

  • Do you prefer reading an entire classic book in an e-books format and in hardcopy?
  • Why has the reading culture been reduced recently?
  • Gender bigotry and prejudice in 17th-century English literature.
  • Are books on the verge of elimination due to technological advancement?
  • Themes of love and death in Shakespearean literature .
  • Does reading result in better spelling skills?
  • Difference between Western and Eastern literature.
  • Can reading a book help relieve stress?
  • What can be done to reclaim the lost Native American literature?
  • Challenges of teaching foreign literature.
  • Is there a need to limit English literature in institutions of higher education?
  • Importance of the internet in facilitating the sharing of literature around the world.
  • Classic literature should be made available at no cost.
  • How can English language grammar be preserved?

Sports Opinion Paper Topics

Whether you are an athlete or a sports fan, you must have had a heated sports debate at least once. The emotional aspect of sports makes opinionated essay topics on Sports very common. Examples of opinion topic ideas are presented here:

  • Nutrition is necessary for athletic success.
  • Is bodybuilding a sport?
  • Are professional athletes over or underpaid?
  • Should psychological and mental health be considered in sports training programs?
  • Is doping ethical?
  • Should controlled doping be allowed in some sports?
  • Is animal sport ethical?
  • How vital are sports in school curricula?
  • Why do some athletes struggle after retirement?
  • Importance of statistics in sports analysis and match preparation.
  • How can the gap between male and female sports be reduced?
  • Are injuries indicators of an athlete’s level of physical fitness?
  • How can you reduce the dangers associated with extreme sports and motorsport?
  • Can supplements improve the performance of an athlete?
  • How can you incorporate the LGBTQ+ community into sports?

Ideas for Opinion Essay for Students

Teachers often require students to compose opinion essays. These articles train learners to better express their opinion and build their argument skills. Opinion essay topic ideas vary depending on the student’s education level. Since each education level has different learning objectives and outcomes, the complexity and the research levels required to complete such assignments differ. The format for this academic paper does not, however, vary, irrespective of the level. This section explores op-ed ideas for different education levels, particularly high school and college levels. You may also browse our persuasive essay topics  and find some interesting ideas for your writing.

Opinion Essay Topics for High School

Even high school students have personal views! They are perfectly able to prepare essays on opinionated topics. Opinion essay topics for high school can be derived from a variety of disciplines. Below are titles that learners can discuss:

  • Is social media negatively affecting social interaction?
  • What are the benefits and disadvantages of homework?
  • Should parents limit social media usage among high school students?
  • Does cheating count as academic misconduct?
  • Should gym classes be made mandatory in high school?
  • Should students wear uniform attire to school?
  • Should the use of mobile phones be allowed in classrooms?
  • What are the advantages of group tasks?
  • How can bullying be prevented in school?
  • Do reading novels and fictional literature improve academic performance?

Opinion Essay Topics for College

The opinion paragraph topics for college students are a little bit more complex compared to articles written by high schoolers. Other than that, opinion essay topics for college level, just like high school, can be drawn from any subject. Below are some examples:

  • Are traditional family values under threat in the United States?
  • Should the death penalty be considered in capital crime cases?
  • How can the government address the existing economic inequality in the United States?
  • Should unintentional plagiarism be penalized?
  • How can schools reduce depression among college students?
  • How does the virtual education model compare with physical classrooms?
  • How does social media promote cultural bias?
  • Application of technology in college education.
  • Is it ethical for students to develop intimate relationships with students?
  • The weaknesses of the United States immigration policy.

Bottom Line on Opinion Essay Topics

In sum, you can choose opinion story ideas from various disciplines depending on your interest. With adequate research, anybody can write a good opinion article. This type of essay should follow a specific format. Irrespective of the issue, your paper should have a strong thesis statement. The quality of your essay will also depend on the amount of clear supporting evidence you’ve provided. Also, always remember to mention and talk about opposing points of view.

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FAQ About Opinion Essay Topics

1. what are some opinion topics.

Depending on your passion, you can choose opinion topics from your preferred subject. Below are some of the opinion topics:

  • Impact of divorce on child development.
  • What are the potential solutions for human trafficking?
  • How does poor education in low-income communities promote crime?
  • Why has the United States not had a female president so far?

3. How to come up with topics for an opinion essay?

To select good topics for opinion essays, you need to know your passion. You are more likely to write a better paper if you have a great interest in topics. Once you have identified your preferred discipline, select a topic you can develop with adequate evidence. You can also have a brainstorming session to come up with topics.

2. What are intriguing opinion essay topics?

You might find opinion essay topics listed below to be interesting:

  • What measures can be taken to reverse the climate change process?
  • New roles of social media in business operations.
  • The role of technology in improving learning outcomes.
  • Taming wild animals within a restricted zoo area is unethical.

4. What are some examples of opinion writing topics?

Below are some examples of topics for opinion writing:

  • Learning institutions should help parents and guardians in controlling children’s screen time.
  • Does racial profiling negatively affect the relationship between police departments and the American public?
  • Is America’s middle class getting overwhelmed by the high class?
  • Are physical and cyberbullying indications that perpetrators are insecure?

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200+ Amazing Opinion Essay Topics and Ideas

Updated 23 Jul 2024

opinion essay topics

Choosing to write an opinion essay can be challenging if student does not consider relevant opinion essay topics that would meet an event or subject, making it suitable to provide good argumentation. When college professor asks to present such essay type, it means that formal writing piece on particular topic or event is requested. It must represent an opinion, a personal take on specific issue.

Still, as one wants to maintain academic style structure for opinionated writing, it is necessary to mention an opposite view right before conclusion paragraph. Yet, how does one choose successful opinion essay topic to receive A grade? Just like paper title generator , one needs strong arguable thesis subject. Selecting the right opinion essay topics is crucial for a persuasive argument, and an essay writing service can assist in refining your topic and crafting a strong essay. Choosing good opinion essay topic should relate to personal skills, experience, reliable sources, analysis, and solid research that reveals reasons for specific viewpoint.

7 Opinion Essay Writing Tips

Good opinion writing topics may be compared to prompts that instantly describe what the article is about. The same goes for each piece of writing where opinion is given. Here are writing tips from EduBirdie’s experts that make essay writing a breeze.

  • Brainstorm Future Topic - select from several opinion essay topics so one can see if chosen research meets course requirements.
  • Use Supporting Evidence - always backup presented information with reliable sources that include accurate citations.
  • Mind Opinion Paragraph Topic Sentence - make sure that prompt is clear as to what side is taken.
  • Remember Opposite Viewpoint - always insert opposing reasoning that’s why choose a suitable opinion essay topic.
  • Turn to Related Research - see if there is any other research on given subject.
  • Strong Thesis - first paragraph should have perspective statement that links to subsequent paragraphs.
  • Proofreading - check twice for grammar, spelling, structure, citing to meet each grading rubric points.

200 Opinion Essay Topics Divided by Subject

Good opinion topics are relevant to initial discipline and student’s strongest skills. Below are 150 ideas in most popular disciplines to choose from. Good assignment idea asks a question and is  argumentative, posing an opinion.

Political Science Opinion Essay Topics

  • The Effectiveness of the United Nations in Maintaining International Peace
  • The Impact of Social Media on Political Campaigns and Elections
  • Universal Basic Income: A Solution to Economic Inequality or a Utopian Dream?
  • The Role of Whistleblowers in Modern Democracies
  • Climate Change Policy: Should It Be a Central Focus in Political Agendas?
  • The Future of the European Union Post-Brexit
  • The Ethics and Implications of Political Lobbying
  • Cybersecurity in Politics: Protecting the Integrity of Elections
  • The Influence of Corporate Money in American Politics
  • Immigration Policy: Balancing Human Rights and National Security
  • The Pros and Cons of Direct Democracy in the Digital Age
  • The Role of Political Satire in Shaping Public Opinion
  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation: An Achievable Goal or a Lost Cause?
  • The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Future Political Decision-Making
  • The Role of Women in Political Leadership Globally
  • Political Polarization: Causes and Solutions for Bridging the Divide
  • The Ethics of Drone Warfare and Remote Military Intervention
  • The Influence of Religion on Political Policies and Decisions
  • The Rise of Populism: Causes and Consequences for Global Politics
  • Media Censorship and Freedom of Speech in Authoritarian Regimes

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History Opinion Essay Topics

  • The True Motivations Behind European Colonization of the Americas
  • The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Modern Society
  • The Role of Women in World War II and Its Long-Term Effects
  • The Historical Accuracy of the 'Great Man' Theory of History
  • The Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles: Fair or Overly Punitive?
  • The Influence of Ancient Greek Democracy on Modern Political Systems
  • The Ethics of Atomic Bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
  • The Crusades: Religious Duty or Economic and Political Gain?
  • The Fall of the Soviet Union: Inevitable or Preventable?
  • The Role of Propaganda in Shaping Public Opinion During the Cold War
  • The Impact of the Renaissance on Modern Western Thought
  • The Historical Significance of the Silk Road in Global Trade
  • The Legacy of Colonialism in Africa: Development Hindered or Helped?
  • The Effectiveness of Non-Violent Protests in the Civil Rights Movement
  • The Real Causes of the Great Depression and Its Lessons for Today
  • The Influence of the Mongol Empire on Eurasian History
  • The Role of the Printing Press in Democratizing Knowledge
  • The Historical Impact of the Spanish Inquisition on Religious Freedom
  • The Significance of the Berlin Wall in the Context of the Cold War
  • The Evolution of Feminism and Its Impact on Modern Society

Environment Opinion Essay Topics

  • The Real Impact of Climate Change on Global Weather Patterns
  • The Effectiveness of International Agreements in Combating Climate Change
  • Should Governments Prioritize Economic Growth Over Environmental Protection?
  • The Role of Renewable Energy in Shaping the Future of Global Energy Policies
  • The Ethics of Genetic Modification in Agriculture: Balancing Risks and Benefits
  • Ocean Pollution: The Unseen Crisis Affecting Marine Life and Human Health
  • The Impact of Deforestation on Biodiversity and Climate
  • Urban Sprawl: Environmental Catastrophe or Necessary Growth?
  • The Feasibility of a Zero-Waste Lifestyle in Modern Society
  • The Role of Individual Actions vs. Corporate Responsibility in Environmental Conservation
  • The Future of Electric Vehicles and Their Impact on the Environment
  • The Consequences of Overfishing: A Global Perspective
  • The Viability of Nuclear Energy as a Clean Energy Source
  • The Impact of Fast Fashion on the Environment and Sustainable Alternatives
  • The Role of Technology in Solving Environmental Challenges
  • The Ethics and Environmental Impact of Animal Testing
  • Water Scarcity: A Looming Global Crisis
  • The Environmental Costs of Digital Technology and E-Waste
  • The Effectiveness of Carbon Tax in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  • Sustainable Agriculture: The Key to Feeding the World Without Destroying It

Nursing Opinion Essay Topics

  • The Impact of Nurse-to-Patient Ratios on Patient Care Quality
  • The Role of Nurses in Shaping Health Policy Decisions
  • Ethical Implications of Rationing Care in Times of Healthcare Shortages
  • The Effectiveness of Holistic Nursing Practices in Modern Healthcare
  • Mental Health Nursing: Addressing the Stigma in Healthcare Settings
  • The Challenges and Rewards of Geriatric Nursing
  • The Role of Technology in Enhancing Nursing Efficiency and Patient Care
  • Nursing Burnout: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention Strategies
  • The Importance of Cultural Competence in Nursing
  • The Impact of Telemedicine on Nursing Practices and Patient Access to Care
  • Nursing Leadership: Key to Effective Healthcare Teams
  • The Ethics of End-of-Life Care in Nursing
  • Pediatric Nursing: Balancing Emotional Connection with Professional Detachment
  • The Role of Nurses in Patient Education and Health Literacy
  • The Future of Nursing: Trends and Predictions in Healthcare
  • The Challenges of Rural Nursing and Strategies for Improvement
  • Nursing and Public Health: Bridging the Gap Between Hospital and Community
  • The Impact of Nursing on Patient Satisfaction and Hospital Ratings
  • The Role of Advanced Practice Nurses in Healthcare System
  • The Importance of Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing

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Social Media Opinion Essay Topics

  • The Impact of Social Media on Teenage Mental Health
  • Social Media: A Tool for Social Change or a Platform for Misinformation?
  • The Ethics of Data Collection and Privacy in Social Media
  • The Role of Social Media in Modern Political Campaigns
  • Cyberbullying: The Dark Side of Social Media
  • The Influence of Social Media on Body Image and Self-Esteem
  • Social Media Addiction: Myth or Reality?
  • The Effectiveness of Social Media as a Tool for Education and Learning
  • The Role of Social Media in Business Marketing and Consumer Engagement
  • The Impact of Social Media on Interpersonal Communication Skills
  • Social Media Influencers: Shaping Consumer Behavior and Culture
  • The Pros and Cons of Censorship and Moderation on Social Media Platforms
  • The Role of Social Media in Cultural Preservation and Globalization
  • Social Media and the News: The Changing Landscape of Information Dissemination
  • The Psychological Effects of Social Media 'Likes' and Validation
  • The Future of Social Media: Trends and Predictions
  • Social Media as a Platform for Artistic Expression and Recognition
  • The Role of Social Media in Crisis Management and Emergency Response
  • The Impact of Social Media on Professional Networking and Career Development
  • Social Media and Democracy: Enhancing or Hindering Public Discourse?

Education Opinion Essay Topics

  • The Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing in Education
  • The Impact of Technology and Digital Learning on Traditional Classroom Education
  • Should Financial Education Be a Mandatory Part of School Curriculum?
  • The Role of Arts Education in Student Development
  • Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling: Benefits and Drawbacks
  • The Effectiveness of Bilingual Education in Schools
  • The Importance of Physical Education in Schools
  • The Role of Teachers vs. Technology in the Future of Education
  • The Impact of School Uniforms on Student Behavior and School Culture
  • The Pros and Cons of Sex Education in Schools
  • The Influence of Social Media on Student Learning and Concentration
  • The Necessity of Life Skills Education in Schools
  • The Benefits and Challenges of Inclusive Education
  • The Role of Parental Involvement in Children's Education
  • The Impact of Cultural Diversity in the Classroom
  • The Future of Higher Education: Online vs. Traditional Universities
  • The Role of Education in Promoting Environmental Awareness
  • The Ethics of Corporate Sponsorship in Schools
  • The Importance of Teaching Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills
  • The Effect of Class Size on Student Learning and Teacher Effectiveness

Generation Gap Opinion Essay Topics

  • The Impact of Technology on the Generation Gap
  • Understanding the Different Work Ethics Across Generations
  • The Influence of Pop Culture on Bridging or Widening the Generation Gap
  • The Role of Social Media in Shaping Generational Identities
  • Differences in Political Views Between Generations
  • The Evolution of Family Dynamics Across Generations
  • How Education Systems Have Changed and Their Impact on Different Generations
  • The Shift in Life Goals and Aspirations Across Generations
  • Generational Differences in Attitudes Towards Mental Health
  • The Changing Nature of Retirement and Its Perception Across Generations
  • The Effect of Globalization on the Generation Gap
  • Intergenerational Communication: Challenges and Solutions
  • The Role of Music in Defining Generational Gaps
  • Differences in Environmental Consciousness Across Generations
  • The Impact of Economic Fluctuations on Different Generations
  • Generational Perspectives on Gender Roles and Equality
  • How Technological Advancements Are Perceived Differently by Various Generations
  • The Influence of Historical Events on Generational Worldviews
  • The Changing Nature of Privacy and Sharing in the Digital Age Across Generations
  • The Role of Elders in Modern Society: Respected or Overlooked?

Literature Opinion Essay Topics

  • The Relevance of Shakespeare in Modern Times
  • The Role of Women in Victorian Literature
  • Dystopian Literature: A Reflection of Society's Fears or a Warning for the Future?
  • The Impact of Cultural Background on Interpretations of Classic Literature
  • The Representation of Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary Literature
  • The Influence of Digital Media on the Evolution of Narrative Forms
  • The Role of Mythology in Modern Literature
  • The Ethics of Posthumous Publications in Literature
  • The Significance of the Bildungsroman Genre in Shaping Young Adult Perspectives
  • The Impact of Translation on Literary Interpretation and Appreciation
  • The Evolution of Science Fiction and Its Predictions for the Future
  • The Role of Literature in Social and Political Change
  • The Psychological Depth in Gothic Literature
  • The Importance of Children's Literature in Early Development
  • The Representation of Mental Health in Modern Novels
  • The Influence of Historical Events on Literary Movements
  • The Role of Symbolism in Poetry
  • The Decline of Reading in the Digital Age: Causes and Consequences
  • The Representation of LGBTQ+ Characters in Literature
  • The Impact of Literary Awards on Readership and Publishing Trends

Culture Opinion Essay Topics

  • The Impact of Globalization on Local Cultures
  • Cultural Appropriation vs. Cultural Exchange: Where to Draw the Line?
  • The Role of Traditional Festivals in Modern Society
  • The Influence of Pop Culture on Youth Identity
  • The Preservation of Indigenous Languages and Cultures
  • The Impact of Western Culture on Eating Habits Worldwide
  • Cultural Impacts of Tourism: Beneficial or Harmful?
  • The Role of Art and Literature in Cultural Preservation
  • The Effects of Digital Media on Cultural Practices and Traditions
  • The Evolution of Family Structures and Values in Different Cultures
  • Cultural Perspectives on Gender Roles and Equality
  • The Role of Museums in Cultural Education and Preservation
  • The Influence of Hollywood on Global Film Cultures
  • Cultural Responses to Climate Change
  • The Impact of Immigration on Cultural Identity
  • The Role of Music in Cultural Expression and Unity
  • Cultural Attitudes Towards Aging and Elderly Care
  • The Effect of Consumerism on Cultural Values
  • Cultural Traditions vs. Modern Healthcare Practices
  • The Role of Language in Shaping Cultural Identity

Psychology Opinion Essay Topics

  • The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Treating Anxiety Disorders
  • The Impact of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health
  • Nature vs. Nurture: The Ongoing Debate in Psychological Development
  • The Ethics of Using Placebos in Psychological Research
  • The Psychological Effects of Long-Term Remote Work
  • The Role of Psychology in Understanding and Combating Climate Change Denial
  • The Influence of Childhood Trauma on Adult Behavior and Mental Health
  • The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in Mental Health Treatment
  • The Stigma Surrounding Mental Health: Causes and Solutions
  • The Psychology of Addiction: Beyond Substance Abuse
  • The Impact of Sleep on Mental Health and Cognitive Function
  • The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Personal and Professional Success
  • The Psychological Implications of Virtual Reality Technologies
  • The Influence of Parenting Styles on Child Development
  • The Role of Psychology in Enhancing Sports Performance
  • The Impact of Stereotypes and Prejudices on Social Behavior
  • The Psychological Effects of Aging in a Youth-Centric Society
  • The Role of Resilience in Overcoming Trauma
  • The Influence of Music on Mood and Cognitive Performance
  • The Ethics and Effectiveness of Deception in Psychological Studies

These are far not all topics we offer. Contact our 24/7 experts for specific essay topics or help with opinion essay writing.

Opinion Essay Sample for Students

It is not a secret that best way to learn is by examples, therefore, below is an opinion essay samples that you may use as an example while completing your own opinion essay on any topic:

Social Media has Negative Impact on Body Image

Social media networks may be compared to invisible role models that dictate fashion and moral standards. Since there is no control per se making information is freely available even to young people, social networks contribute to distorted standards promotion. One of them is body image that is based on celebrities and anorexia templates that results in eating disorders and traumatic experiences. Because of power of peer pressure online, young people copy improper and distorted viewpoints in order to become popular and successful, which results in healthcare hazards including mental breakdowns.

Social networks like Facebook or Instagram, control what is popular by sharing or reposting celebrities’ images which unificates body shapes and fashion standards. Having a post by certain pop star or an actress (actor) in social network influences personal views even subconsciously. It forces young people to mimic their heroes by eating less and focusing on brand clothes, copying improper behaviors. Striving to become popular among initial circle, online users limit themselves to what is being offered and repeated on a daily basis.

Even though it can be assumed that online users do not always count on peer pressure, but large media networks promote fashion standards and body image with forced advertisements that link certain patterns with success and power. Those that oppose negative Instagram impact should research narcissistic digital era culture behavior that rarely promotes healthy eating or physical activity. Networking itself limits physical interaction, proper body images analysis that person encounter on his or her own without socio-cultural pressure.

Thus, it seems that online media promotes incorrect viewpoints and takes away creativity, personal analysis, leaving no freedom of making a choice. Online promotion is powerful, yet this power must have supervision within ethical and moral norms, promoting a healthy lifestyle.

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Written by David Kidwell

David is one of those experienced content creators from the United Kingdom who has a high interest in social issues, culture, and entrepreneurship. He always says that reading, blogging, and staying aware of what happens in the world is what makes a person responsible. He likes to learn and share what he knows by making things inspiring and creative enough even for those students who dislike reading.

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250+ Opinion Essay Topics to Write About

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Table of contents

  • 1 How to Select the Best Opinion Essay Topic?
  • 2 Opinion Essay Writing Tips
  • 3 Opinion Essay Topics for High School
  • 4 Opinion Essay Topics for College Students
  • 5 Personal Opinion Essay Topics
  • 6 Public Opinion Essay Topics
  • 7 Nursing Opinion Essay Topics
  • 8 Opinion Essay Topics on Culture
  • 9 Social Media Opinion Essay Topics
  • 10 Sports Opinion Essay Topics
  • 11 Psychology Opinion Essay Topics
  • 12 Political Science Opinion Essay Topics
  • 13 Thought-Provoking Opinion Writing Topics
  • 14 History Opinion Essay Topics
  • 15 Environment Opinion Essay Topics
  • 16 Education Opinion Essay Topics
  • 17 Literature Opinion Essay Topics

Opinion essay topics and ideas are a great way to share your thoughts and opinions on various subjects. These essays let you explore topics like current events, social issues, and political debates. Choosing a topic that you care deeply about helps you express and support your viewpoint.

It is crucial to write your essay in a clear and concise manner. Make sure your arguments are straightforward and backed by reliable evidence. It’s also essential to consider other people’s opinions with respect. This approach not only enriches your essay but also demonstrates your critical thinking skills and deep understanding of the topic.

How to Select the Best Opinion Essay Topic?

When you choose an opinion essay topic, consider the purpose of the essay and who will read it. Select a topic that will capture and hold your readers’ interest. Focus on topics you feel passionate about and have strong opinions on. It’s important to check how much research you need for the topic.

After you narrow down your list, research the topic well to make sure you understand it thoroughly. Also, think about different viewpoints and prepare to address them in your essay. Finally, ensure the topic is relevant and timely. If you follow these steps, you can choose the best topics for your opinion essay.

  • Consider the purpose of your essay. Do you want to inform, persuade, or entertain? Knowing this will help you choose a suitable topic.
  • Think about the audience. Are you writing for a general audience or a specific group? Knowing your audience helps you pick a topic that will interest and engage them.
  • Consider the scope of your essay. Will it be short or long? Will you discuss one issue or many? This knowledge will guide you to select a suitable topic.
  • Research your potential topics. Find reliable sources and look at different perspectives on the issue. This will help you make an informed decision about which topic is best for your essay.
  • Choose a topic you are passionate about . A topic you care about makes the opinion paper process easier and more enjoyable.

Opinion Essay Writing Tips

We’ve created some steps for you to follow to select the perfect topic for your opinion paper:

topics for op ed essay

Opinion Essay Topics for High School

There is a variety of opinion writing ideas that high school students can choose from. Some popular opinion topics, for example, include the significance of staying physically fit, the importance of eating habits, the implications of eating disorders, how government controls religious practices, etc. The important point to note while selecting an opinion essay topic is to consider your personal beliefs and interests.

  • The benefits of a college education
  • Impact of social media on adolescent growth
  • The pros and cons of standardized testing
  • The importance of physical education
  • The benefits of extracurricular activities
  • The effects of bullying on teen development
  • Why are family bonds important?
  • An opinion essay on the benefits of positive self-esteem
  • The effects of teenage pregnancy on teen development
  • The pros and cons of co-ed schooling
  • The importance of volunteer work
  • The benefits of a healthy diet
  • The effects of teenage drinking and drug use
  • Is time management suitable for students?
  • The importance of a good education
  • Should students be allowed to have cell phones in school?
  • Should students have to wear uniforms?
  • Should students be required to take physical education classes?
  • Should students be allowed to grade their teachers?
  • Should students be required to do community service?
  • Should students be allowed to pray in school?
  • Should students be allowed to eat during class?
  • Should students be allowed to listen to music during class?
  • Should students be allowed to use social media in school?
  • Should students be allowed to have part-time jobs?

Opinion Essay Topics for College Students

A college student usually navigates through a plethora of different controversial issues and dilemmas during his/her education. Students who want to express their thoughts and ideas while also engaging in meaningful debate can use opinion essay writing as an opportunity. From campus violence related issues to gun laws, students get the chance to express their views and beliefs. Some good opinion essay topics that are relevant to the experiences are as follows:

  • The impact of social media on the development of teenage social skills
  • The benefits of studying abroad for college students
  • The effects of a college education on future income potential
  • The importance of internships for college students
  • The value of a liberal arts education
  • How to choose the right college for you
  • How to pay for college
  • The role of college athletics in the educational experience
  • How to balance work and school
  • The challenges of returning to school as an adult
  • The impact of technology on the college experience
  • The changing role of the professor in the classroom
  • The benefits of study groups
  • How to stay motivated in college
  • The importance of college graduation

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Personal Opinion Essay Topics

Topics for personal opinion essays can encompass everything from current events to personal experiences. When selecting a topic for an opinion essay, it’s crucial to ensure that you have a strong stance and can back it up with solid evidence. Opinion topics provide an opportunity to persuade others and introduce them to a diverse range of perspectives.

  • The impact of social media on personal relationships
  • The dangers of smoking
  • The importance of regular exercise
  • The effects of stress on the body
  • The benefits of getting a good night’s sleep
  • The dangers of drinking alcohol
  • The importance of staying safe online
  • The effects of technology on the brain
  • The benefits of meditation
  • The dangers of using too much screen time
  • The benefits of a positive outlook on life
  • The effects of gratitude on happiness
  • The importance of spending time with loved ones
  • The importance of taking time for oneself
  • Should parents be allowed to choose their children’s education?
  • Should the government impose stricter gun control laws?
  • Should the death penalty be abolished?
  • Should the voting age be lowered?
  • Should the legal drinking age be lowered?
  • Should marijuana be legalized?
  • Should the government provide free healthcare?
  • Should the government provide free college tuition?
  • Should the government increase taxes on the wealthy?
  • Should the government invest more in renewable energy sources?

Public Opinion Essay Topics

Public opinion refers to the attitudes and views held by a substantial segment of society regarding a specific issue. These opinions are typically impacted by a range of factors, such as government policies, personal experiences, and cultural values. Here are some ideas for public opinion essay topics to consider:

  • How does the media shape public opinion?
  • Are there any benefits to having a public opinion?
  • How much impact do social networking platforms have on us?
  • Does the public have a right to know everything?
  • How can we ensure that the public’s opinion is heard?
  • How does angry parenting affect children?
  • The pros and cons of health insurance
  • Modern pop stars and their influence on the youth
  • Does the government have a responsibility to act on the opinion of the public?
  • Is it possible to have a collective opinion?
  • How can we ensure that public opinion is not impacted by fake news?
  • Who should be responsible for shaping the opinion of the common man?
  • Analysing the impact of media coverage on public
  • The effectiveness of military training programs
  • The pros and cons of using medical marijuana

Nursing Opinion Essay Topics

  • What are the benefits of a career in nursing?
  • What challenges do nurses face in the healthcare system?
  • How can nurses best advocate for their patients?
  • What role does technology play in modern nursing?
  • How can nurses help to reduce medical errors?
  • How can nurses help to improve patient satisfaction?
  • What is the impact of nurse-patient ratios on patient care?
  • How can nurses help to reduce healthcare costs?
  • What ethical considerations are important for nurses to consider?
  • How can nurses help to reduce health disparities?

Opinion Essay Topics on Culture

  • The Impact of Social Media on Culture
  • The Role of Religion in Society
  • The Impact of Technology on Culture
  • The Influence of Music on Culture
  • The Impact of Immigration on Culture
  • The Role of Education in Shaping Culture
  • The Impact of Media on Culture
  • The Influence of Art on Culture
  • The Impact of Language on Culture
  • The Role of Family in Shaping Culture
  • The Impact of Social Class on Culture
  • The Role of Gender in Society
  • The Impact of Globalization on Culture
  • The Influence of Pop Culture on Society
  • The Role of Tradition in Culture

Social Media Opinion Essay Topics

Online social platforms have become a significant part of our daily existence. They affect various aspects of our lives in various ways. Hence, there are a multitude of potential essay topics to consider.

  • How have online social platforms changed the way we communicate?
  • Online social platforms shaping the way we think
  • Influence of social media on human behaviour
  • How can we use online social platforms for our benefit?
  • Drawbacks of using digital social platforms
  • Ways how online social platforms impact mental health
  • Is your physical health impacted by the excessive use of online social apps?
  • Influence of social media platforms on relationships.
  • How does excessive use of social media affect our productivity?
  • Is it ethical for parents to have access to social media control tools?
  • How are political leaders using online social apps for their own benefit?
  • How is social media shaping our societal norms?
  • Unleashing the power of social media platforms and online communication
  • Do online social platforms affect our control over privacy?
  • Navigating the dark side of online social platforms and their threat to our society

Sports Opinion Essay Topics

If you’re a sports fan, there are many aspects of sports that make for great opinion essay topics. Whether you choose to write about the impact of sports on youth growth or the evolving nature of the sports world, make sure to present a clear, well-supported opinion backed by relevant research and data.

  • The impact of sports on society
  • An opinion essay on the business of sports
  • Sports and its contribution to national identity
  • The impact of sports on individual development
  • The positive and negative effects of sports on mental health
  • Sports and the media
  • Sports and gender
  • Sports and disability
  • Elite sports and the exploitation of athletes
  • Amateur sports and the benefits for participants
  • Sports and obesity
  • Sports and violence
  • Sports and gambling today and in the past decades
  • The impact of sports on international relations
  • Envisioning the future of sports, trends and predictions

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Psychology Opinion Essay Topics

Psychology is a captivating field of study that has sparked numerous opinions and debates for years. If you’re seeking thought-provoking topics for your opinion essay within psychology, there are many fascinating options to choose from:

  • How does the human brain process information?
  • How do different cultures perceive mental illness?
  • How does the media affect the way people view mental illness?
  • What are the benefits of therapy?
  • What are the different types of therapy?
  • Assessing the Efficiency of Various Therapeutic Approaches
  • How do family dynamics affect mental health?
  • An opinion essay on stress and its effect on mental health?
  • How does trauma affect mental health?
  • How does poverty affect mental health?
  • How does immigration affect mental health?
  • How does discrimination affect mental health?
  • How does social media affect mental health?
  • Do Internal online platforms affect mental health?
  • Technological advancement in the field of psychology
  • The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
  • The Role of Genetics in Personality Development
  • The Effects of Childhood Trauma on Adult Mental Health
  • The Impact of Technology on Human Behavior
  • The Relationship Between Stress and Mental Health
  • The Impact of Substance Abuse on Mental Health
  • The Role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Mental Health
  • The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Mental Health
  • The Role of Attachment Theory in Mental Health
  • The Impact of Culture on Mental Health
  • The Role of Exercise in Mental Health
  • The Impact of Parenting Styles on Mental Health
  • The Role of Nature vs. Nurture in Mental Health
  • The Impact of Social Support on Mental Health
  • The Role of Gender in Mental Health
  • The Impact of Religion on Mental Health
  • The Role of Self-Esteem in Mental Health
  • The Impact of Media on Mental Health
  • The Role of Nutrition in Mental Health
  • The Impact of Trauma on Mental Health

Political Science Opinion Essay Topics

The study of politics provides numerous opportunities for crafting thought-provoking opinion essays. There is a range of topics to choose from, covering everything from local politics to international governance and political control instruments.

  • The impact of social media on political participation
  • The impact of campaign finance on the political process
  • The role of the media in shaping public opinion
  • How does the voting system impact the political outcomes
  • The impact of political polarisation on legislative productivity
  • The impact of gerrymandering on electoral outcomes
  • The impact of term limits on the quality of representation
  • The impact of redistricting on political representation
  • Campaign advertising and its effect on voter behaviour
  • Political dynasties and how they shape political competition
  • The role and effect of youth engagement in the political process
  • The impact of women’s participation in politics
  • Does ethnic diversity contribute to political outcomes?
  • Religious diversity and how it shapes political outcomes
  • The influence of social media on political division

Thought-Provoking Opinion Writing Topics

A powerful way to communicate and engage your perspective with society is by opinion writing For instance, you can write about artificial intelligence, the slavery controversy, global warming, any philosophy essay topics , or modern society. In all cases, a successful opinion essay resonates with you on a personal level.

  • What is the key to academic success?
  • Does Asian culture dominate the business world?
  • Eating disorders—is the media to blame?
  • Vulgar power display and its impact on society – is this a good thing?
  • Is the current drinking age too high?
  • Are angry parents to blame for behavioral problems in children?
  • What are your personal views on domestic violence?
  • Is modern culture based on the ideology of feminism?
  • Do we need to rethink the way we approach education?
  • Is the internet a positive or negative force in our lives?
  • Should we be worried about the rise of artificial intelligence?
  • How do we deal with the challenges of globalization and economic inequality?
  • What is the future of the human race?
  • Should we be more environmentally conscious and take steps to help with global warming?
  • How can we create a better world?

History Opinion Essay Topics

History is a realm that lets you get a glimpse of the past and understand how events of the past shaped the world of today. There are many opinion essay topics that you can choose from, including the events leading up to World War, civil wars, and colonialism.

  • How has the role of women changed in society over the past few decades?
  • How has modern culture affected the way we view traditional values?
  • How do different cultures view slavery and the slave trade?
  • How does the rest of the world view our country and its politics?
  • How did World War II affect the entire world?
  • How has the internet changed the way we research and learn about history?
  • How do different cultures celebrate holidays and traditions?
  • What are some lesser-known historical facts about your own country?
  • What are some controversial topics in history that are still debated today?
  • How do we remember and commemorate historical events?
  • How do we balance historical accuracy with artistic license when telling historical stories?
  • What is the future of historical research and scholarship?
  • How do we ensure that the lessons of history are not forgotten?
  • What is the impact of historical revisionism on our understanding of the past?
  • How does history shape our understanding of the present and future?
  • The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Society
  • The Legacy of the American Revolution
  • The Role of Women in Ancient Civilizations
  • The Influence of Religion on Politics
  • The Causes of the French Revolution
  • The Impact of Imperialism on Colonialism
  • The Significance of the Cold War
  • The Legacies of the Civil Rights Movement
  • The Impact of the Scientific Revolution
  • The Role of Technology in Modern Society

Environment Opinion Essay Topics

We cannot deny the fact that the environment is an important part of our planet, and it has a paramount impact on all of us. If you are an environment enthusiast, then you must be searching for an opinion essay topic that translates your beliefs.

  • What are the most effective ways to reduce air pollution?
  • Should governments impose stricter regulations on companies to reduce their environmental impact?
  • Should the use of plastic be banned?
  • Is nuclear energy a viable alternative to fossil fuels?
  • What are the most effective ways to reduce water pollution?
  • Should governments invest more in renewable energy sources?
  • What are the benefits and drawbacks of using genetically modified crops?
  • Should the use of pesticides be banned?
  • How can we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels?
  • What are the most effective ways to reduce deforestation?

Education Opinion Essay Topics

There are several opinion essay topics that can be explored in the field of education. This can include the role of technology in the education system, gender bias faced by students, and unequal access to quality education.

  • How can academic writing help students achieve academic success?
  • What are the benefits of distance learning for high school students?
  • Personal skills that students develop in single-gender schools.
  • Is sex education necessary in the school curriculum?
  • How effective is home-schooling as an educational option?
  • Is it a challenging task to educate modern children?
  • What are the flaws in the current educational system?
  • How can the school curriculum be improved?
  • What is the impact of age differences on the educational process?
  • How do modern children spend their free time?
  • What are the benefits of challenging tasks for students?
  • How can students balance their academic and personal lives?
  • Is there a way to reduce stress in the educational process?
  • What are the benefits of a healthy lifestyle for students?
  • Should standardized tests be abolished?
  • Should college tuition be free?
  • What is the best way to teach a foreign language?
  • Should the education system be more flexible?
  • Should online education be more widely available?
  • Should schools prioritize STEM education?
  • Should schools provide more vocational training?
  • Should schools have uniforms? Should schools have a longer school day?
  • Should schools have a longer school year?
  • Should schools have more extracurricular activities?
  • Should schools provide more mental health services?
  • Should schools provide more career guidance?
  • Should schools be more culturally inclusive?
  • Should schools provide more financial literacy education?
  • Should schools provide more technology education?
  • Should schools have more parental involvement?
  • Should schools have more community involvement?
  • Should schools have more global awareness education?
  • Should schools have more environmental education?

Literature Opinion Essay Topics

Literature is a landscape that is rich and offers the opportunity to explore the intangible, such as human experience and emotions.

  • Is there a universal classic book that everyone should read?
  • Is there a difference between classic literature and modern literature?
  • How has literature changed over the years?
  • What is the most important element of a successful novel?
  • What is the most important thing a reader should look for in a book?
  • Is there a difference between reading a book and watching a movie based on the book?
  • What is the most important lesson that literature can teach us?
  • What is the most important thing that literature can teach us about life?
  • How has literature influenced society?
  • What is the most important thing that literature can teach us about ourselves?
  • How has literature changed over time?
  • What is the most important thing that literature can teach us about the world?
  • How has literature shaped our culture?
  • What is the most important thing that literature can teach us about justice?
  • How has literature impacted our understanding of history?
  • How has literature shaped our understanding of morality?
  • What is the most important thing that literature can teach us about love?
  • How has literature helped to shape our understanding of gender roles?
  • What is the most important thing that literature can teach us about democracy?
  • How has literature helped to shape our understanding of race and ethnicity?

Opinion topics are not easy to decide on. But if you want to write a winning essay, you need to pick a topic that you have a good understanding of. No matter if you’re writing about education, politics, or sports, it’s important to have solid evidence and examples to back up your opinion. This way, you can write an interesting and convincing essay that will have a lasting impact on your reader.

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160 Good Argumentative Essay Topics for Students in 2024

April 3, 2024

The skill of writing an excellent argumentative essay is a crucial one for every high school or college student to master. In sum, argumentative essays teach students how to organize their thoughts logically and present them in a convincing way. This skill is helpful not only for those pursuing degrees in law , international relations , or public policy , but for any student who wishes to develop their critical thinking faculties. In this article, we’ll cover what makes a good argument essay and offer several argumentative essay topics for high school and college students. Let’s begin!

What is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is an essay that uses research to present a reasoned argument on a particular subject . As with the persuasive essay , the purpose of an argumentative essay is to sway the reader to the writer’s position. However, a strong persuasive essay makes its point through diligent research and emotion while a strong argumentative essay should be based solely on facts, not feelings.

Moreover, each fact should be supported by clear evidence from credible sources . Furthermore, a good argumentative essay will have an easy-to-follow structure. When organizing your argumentative essay, use this format as a guide:

  • Introduction
  • Supporting body paragraphs
  • Paragraph(s) addressing common counterarguments

Argumentative Essay Format

In the introduction , the writer presents their position and thesis statement —a sentence that summarizes the paper’s main points. The body paragraphs then draw upon supporting evidence to back up this initial statement, with each paragraph focusing on its own point. The length of your paper will determine the amount of examples you need. In general, you’ll likely need at least two to three. Additionally, your examples should be as detailed as possible, citing specific research, case studies, statistics, or anecdotes.

In the counterargument paragraph , the writer acknowledges and refutes opposing viewpoints. Finally, in the conclusion , the writer restates the main argument made in the thesis statement and summarizes the points of the essay. Additionally, the conclusion may offer a final proposal to persuade the reader of the essay’s position.

How to Write an Effective Argumentative Essay, Step by Step

  • Choose your topic. Use the list below to help you pick a topic. Ideally, a good argumentative essay topic will be meaningful to you—writing is always stronger when you are interested in the subject matter. In addition, the topic should be complex with plenty of “pro” and “con” arguments. Avoid choosing a topic that is either widely accepted as fact or too narrow. For example, “Is the earth round?” would not be a solid choice.
  • Research. Use the library, the web, and any other resources to gather information about your argumentative essay topic. Research widely but smartly. As you go, take organized notes, marking the source of every quote and where it may fit in the scheme of your larger essay. Moreover, remember to look for (and research) possible counterarguments.
  • Outline . Using the argument essay format above, create an outline for your essay. Then, brainstorm a thesis statement covering your argument’s main points, and begin to put your examples in order, focusing on logical flow. It’s often best to place your strongest example last.
  • Write . Draw on your research and outline to create a first draft. Remember, your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect. (As Voltaire says, “Perfect is the enemy of good.”) Accordingly, just focus on getting the words down on paper.
  • Does my thesis statement need to be adjusted?
  • Which examples feel strongest? Weakest?
  • Do the transitions flow smoothly?
  • Do I have a strong opening paragraph?
  • Does the conclusion reinforce my argument?

Tips for Revising an Argument Essay

Evaluating your own work can be difficult, so you might consider the following strategies:

  • Read your work aloud to yourself.
  • Record yourself reading your paper, and listen to the recording.
  • Reverse outline your paper. Firstly, next to each paragraph, write a short summary of that paragraph’s main points/idea. Then, read through your reverse outline. Does it have a logical flow? If not, where should you adjust?
  • Print out your paper and cut it into paragraphs. What happens when you rearrange the paragraphs?

Good Argumentative Essay Topics for Middle School, High School, and College Students

Family argumentative essay topics.

  • Should the government provide financial incentives for families to have children to address the declining birth rate?
  • Should we require parents to provide their children with a certain level of nutrition and physical activity to prevent childhood obesity?
  • Should parents implement limits on how much time their children spend playing video games?
  • Should cell phones be banned from family/holiday gatherings?
  • Should we hold parents legally responsible for their children’s actions?
  • Should children have the right to sue their parents for neglect?
  • Should parents have the right to choose their child’s religion?
  • Are spanking and other forms of physical punishment an effective method of discipline?
  • Should courts allow children to choose where they live in cases of divorce?
  • Should parents have the right to monitor teens’ activity on social media?
  • Should parents control their child’s medical treatment, even if it goes against the child’s wishes?
  • Should parents be allowed to post pictures of their children on social media without their consent?
  • Should fathers have a legal say in whether their partners do or do not receive an abortion?
  • Can television have positive developmental benefits on children?
  • Should the driving age be raised to prevent teen car accidents?
  • Should adult children be legally required to care for their aging parents?

Education Argument Essay Topics

  • Should schools ban the use of technology like ChatGPT?
  • Are zoos unethical, or necessary for conservation and education?
  • To what degree should we hold parents responsible in the event of a school shooting?
  • Should schools offer students a set number of mental health days?
  • Should school science curriculums offer a course on combating climate change?
  • Should public libraries be allowed to ban certain books? If so, what types?
  • What role, if any, should prayer play in public schools?
  • Should schools push to abolish homework?
  • Are gifted and talented programs in schools more harmful than beneficial due to their exclusionary nature?
  • Should universities do away with Greek life?
  • Should schools remove artwork, such as murals, that some perceive as offensive?
  • Should the government grant parents the right to choose alternative education options for their children and use taxpayer funds to support these options?
  • Is homeschooling better than traditional schooling for children’s academic and social development?
  • Should we require schools to teach sex education to reduce teen pregnancy rates?
  • Should we require schools to provide sex education that includes information about both homosexual and heterosexual relationships?
  • Should colleges use affirmative action and other race-conscious policies to address diversity on campus?
  • Should public schools remove the line “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance?
  • Should college admissions officers be allowed to look at students’ social media accounts?
  • Should schools abolish their dress codes, many of which unfairly target girls, LGBTQ students, and students of color?
  • Should schools be required to stock free period products in bathrooms?
  • Should legacy students receive preferential treatment during the college admissions process?
  • Are school “voluntourism” trips ethical?

Government Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Should the U.S. decriminalize prostitution?
  • Should the U.S. issue migration visas to all eligible applicants?
  • Should the federal government cancel all student loan debt?
  • Should we lower the minimum voting age? If so, to what?
  • Should the federal government abolish all laws penalizing drug production and use?
  • Should the U.S. use its military power to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan?
  • Should the U.S. supply Ukraine with further military intelligence and supplies?
  • Should the North and South of the U.S. split up into two regions?
  • Should Americans hold up nationalism as a critical value?
  • Should we permit Supreme Court justices to hold their positions indefinitely?
  • Should Supreme Court justices be democratically elected?
  • Is the Electoral College still a productive approach to electing the U.S. president?
  • Should the U.S. implement a national firearm registry?
  • Is it ethical for countries like China and Israel to mandate compulsory military service for all citizens?
  • Should the U.S. government implement a ranked-choice voting system?
  • Should institutions that benefited from slavery be required to provide reparations?
  • Based on the 1619 project, should history classes change how they teach about the founding of the U.S.?
  • Should term limits be imposed on Senators and Representatives? If so, how long?
  • Should women be allowed into special forces units?
  • Should the federal government implement stronger, universal firearm licensing laws?
  • Do public sex offender registries help prevent future sex crimes?
  • Should the government be allowed to regulate family size?
  • Should all adults legally be considered mandated reporters?
  • Should the government fund public universities to make higher education more accessible to low-income students?
  • Should the government fund universal preschool to improve children’s readiness for kindergarten?

Health/Bioethics Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Should the U.S. government offer its own healthcare plan?
  • In the case of highly infectious pandemics, should we focus on individual freedoms or public safety when implementing policies to control the spread?
  • Should we legally require parents to vaccinate their children to protect public health?
  • Is it ethical for parents to use genetic engineering to create “designer babies” with specific physical and intellectual traits?
  • Should the government fund research on embryonic stem cells for medical treatments?
  • Should the government legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients?
  • Should organ donation be mandatory?
  • Is cloning animals ethical?
  • Should cancer screenings start earlier? If so, what age?
  • Is surrogacy ethical?
  • Should birth control require a prescription?
  • Should minors have access to emergency contraception?
  • Should hospitals be for-profit or nonprofit institutions?

Good Argumentative Essay Topics — Continued

Social media argumentative essay topics.

  • Should the federal government increase its efforts to minimize the negative impact of social media?
  • Do social media and smartphones strengthen one’s relationships?
  • Should antitrust regulators take action to limit the size of big tech companies?
  • Should social media platforms ban political advertisements?
  • Should the federal government hold social media companies accountable for instances of hate speech discovered on their platforms?
  • Do apps such as TikTok and Instagram ultimately worsen the mental well-being of teenagers?
  • Should governments oversee how social media platforms manage their users’ data?
  • Should social media platforms like Facebook enforce a minimum age requirement for users?
  • Should social media companies be held responsible for cases of cyberbullying?
  • Should the United States ban TikTok?
  • Is social media harmful to children?
  • Should employers screen applicants’ social media accounts during the hiring process?

Religion Argument Essay Topics

  • Should religious institutions be tax-exempt?
  • Should religious symbols such as the hijab or crucifix be allowed in public spaces?
  • Should religious freedoms be protected, even when they conflict with secular laws?
  • Should the government regulate religious practices?
  • Should we allow churches to engage in political activities?
  • Religion: a force for good or evil in the world?
  • Should the government provide funding for religious schools?
  • Is it ethical for healthcare providers to deny abortions based on religious beliefs?
  • Should religious organizations be allowed to discriminate in their hiring practices?
  • Should we allow people to opt out of medical treatments based on their religious beliefs?
  • Should the U.S. government hold religious organizations accountable for cases of sexual abuse within their community?
  • Should religious beliefs be exempt from anti-discrimination laws?
  • Should religious individuals be allowed to refuse services to others based on their beliefs or lifestyles? (As in this famous case .)
  • Should the US ban religion-based federal holidays?
  • Should public schools be allowed to teach children about religious holidays?

Science Argument Essay Topics

  • Would the world be safer if we eliminated nuclear weapons?
  • Should scientists bring back extinct animals? If so, which ones?
  • Should we hold companies fiscally responsible for their carbon footprint?
  • Should we ban pesticides in favor of organic farming methods?
  • Should the federal government ban all fossil fuels, despite the potential economic impact on specific industries and communities?
  • What renewable energy source should the U.S. invest more money in?
  • Should the FDA outlaw GMOs?
  • Should we worry about artificial intelligence surpassing human intelligence?
  • Should the alternative medicine industry be more stringently regulated?
  • Is colonizing Mars a viable option?
  • Is the animal testing worth the potential to save human lives?

Sports Argument Essay Topics

  • Should colleges compensate student-athletes?
  • How should sports teams and leagues address the gender pay gap?
  • Should youth sports teams do away with scorekeeping?
  • Should we ban aggressive contact sports like boxing and MMA?
  • Should professional sports associations mandate that athletes stand during the national anthem?
  • Should high schools require their student-athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
  • Should transgender athletes compete in sports according to their gender identity?
  • Should schools ban football due to the inherent danger it poses to players?
  • Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
  • Do participation trophies foster entitlement and unrealistic expectations?
  • Should sports teams be divided by gender?
  • Should professional athletes be allowed to compete in the Olympics?
  • Should women be allowed on NFL teams?

Technology Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Should sites like DALL-E compensate the artists whose work it was trained on?
  • Should the federal government make human exploration of space a more significant priority?
  • Is it ethical for the government to use surveillance technology to monitor citizens?
  • Should websites require proof of age from their users? If so, what age?
  • Should we consider A.I.-generated images and text pieces of art?
  • Does the use of facial recognition technology violate individuals’ privacy?
  • Is online learning as effective as in-person learning?
  • Does computing harm the environment?
  • Should buying, sharing, and selling collected personal data be illegal?
  • Are electric cars really better for the environment?
  • Should car companies be held responsible for self-driving car accidents?
  • Should private jets be banned?
  • Do violent video games contribute to real-life violence?

Business Argument Essay Topics

  • Should the U.S. government phase out the use of paper money in favor of a fully digital currency system?
  • Should the federal government abolish its patent and copyright laws?
  • Should we replace the Federal Reserve with free-market institutions?
  • Is free-market ideology responsible for the U.S. economy’s poor performance over the past decade?
  • Will cryptocurrencies overtake natural resources like gold and silver?
  • Is capitalism the best economic system? What system would be better?
  • Should the U.S. government enact a universal basic income?
  • Should we require companies to provide paid parental leave to their employees?
  • Should the government raise the minimum wage? If so, to what?
  • Should antitrust regulators break up large companies to promote competition?
  • Is it ethical for companies to prioritize profits over social responsibility?
  • Should gig-economy workers like Uber and Lyft drivers be considered employees or independent contractors?
  • Should the federal government regulate the gig economy to ensure fair treatment of workers?
  • Should the government require companies to disclose the environmental impact of their products?
  • Should companies be allowed to fire employees based on political views or activities?
  • Should tipping practices be phased out?
  • Should employees who choose not to have children be given the same amount of paid leave as parents?
  • Should MLMs (multi-level marketing companies) be illegal?
  • Should employers be allowed to factor tattoos and personal appearance into hiring decisions?

In Conclusion – Argument Essay Topics

Using the tips above, you can effectively structure and pen a compelling argumentative essay that will wow your instructor and classmates. Remember to craft a thesis statement that offers readers a roadmap through your essay, draw on your sources wisely to back up any claims, and read through your paper several times before it’s due to catch any last-minute proofreading errors. With time, diligence, and patience, your essay will be the most outstanding assignment you’ve ever turned in…until the next one rolls around.

Looking for more fresh and engaging topics for use in the classroom? You might consider checking out the following:

  • 125 Good Debate Topics for High School Students
  • 150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics
  • 7 Best Places to Study
  • Guide to the IB Extended Essay
  • How to Write the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay
  • AP Lit Reading List
  • How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay
  • 49 Most Interesting Biology Research Topics
  • High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

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Opinion Essay Topics - Choose the Best

topics for op ed essay

Want to flex your writing muscles and share your thoughts on the world? Look no further than the opinion essay! This powerful tool lets you get insights into a topic, analyze its complexities, and ultimately persuade the reader to see things your way. 

But before you produce brilliant arguments, the first hurdle is choosing a compelling theme. This guide will equip you with different opinion writing prompts, sparking your creativity and propelling you towards a thought-provoking composition. For students looking for an instant fix, our argumentative essay writing services are available around the clock.

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The List of Opinion Essay Topics

An opinion essay is a platform for you to share your beliefs on a specific topic. You'll clearly state your position and convince the reader why it's valid. Don’t forget to back up your arguments with evidence like facts, statistics, or personal anecdotes to make a strong case.

signs of good opinion essay topics

Best Opinion Essay Topics for 2024

  • Standardized Testing vs. Practical Skills: Which Should Schools Prioritize?
  • Boon or Bane? The Impact of Social Media on Society in 2024.
  • The Four-Day Workweek: A Productivity Booster or Recipe for Chaos?
  • College Education in 2024: Is the High Cost Still Worth the Investment?
  • Striking a Balance: Privacy vs. Security in the Digital Age.
  • Friend or Foe? The Rise of Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Humanity.
  • Should We Aim for the Stars? Space Exploration as a Top Global Priority.
  • The Rise of Remote Work: A Boon for Flexibility or a Blow to Collaboration?
  • Bridging Cultures: Travel and Exchange in a Globalized World.
  • Beyond Electric Cars: The Future of Sustainable Transportation.
  • Vaccination for Athletes: Protecting Public Health or Individual Rights?
  • The Ethics of Gene Editing: A Powerful Tool with Uncertain Consequences.
  • Fast Fashion's Dark Side: Convenience or Environmental Disaster?
  • Shaping Society: The Influence of Social Media Influencers.
  • Protecting Our Planet's Treasures: Endangered Species Conservation in 2024.
  • Online Learning vs. Traditional Classrooms: Can Virtual Education Deliver?
  • Quiet Quitting: Employee Disengagement or a Healthy Work-Life Balance?
  • The Metaverse: Utopian Dream or Dystopian Nightmare?
  • Citizen Journalism: Holding Institutions Accountable in the Digital Age.
  • Financial Literacy in the Digital Age: Equipping Ourselves for Success.

Opinion Writing Prompts 1st Grade

  • Recess: Sunshine and Swings or More Learning Time?
  • Playground Pals: One Best Friend or Lots of Playmates?
  • Lunchbox Surprise: Yummy Sandwiches or Delicious Dips?
  • Nap Time: Snooze Away or More Play Time?
  • Art Attack: Crayons Rule or Markers are the Best?
  • Story Time: Funny Books or Fairytale Fun?
  • Show and Tell: Your Favorite Toy or a Special Snack?
  • Rainy Day Activities: Puzzles and Games or Reading Adventures?
  • Gym Class: Jumping and Climbing or Ball Games All the Way?
  • Music Time: Singing Along or Learning Instruments?
  • Pets in Class: Cuddly Critters or Classroom Chaos?
  • School Bus vs. Walking to School: Fun Ride or Fresh Air Fun?
  • Backpack Buddies: Lighter Load or All Your Treasures?
  • Playground Rules: More Freedom or Keeping Everyone Safe?
  • School Supplies: Fancy Pencils or Plain Ones Work Just Fine?
  • Field Trip Fun: A Visit to the Zoo or Exploring a Museum?
  • Classroom Celebrations: Birthday Parties or Special Events?
  • After-School Activities: Playing Outside or Creative Classes?
  • School Shows: Dancing and Singing or Acting Out a Story?
  • Pajama Day or Dress Up Day: Which is More Fun?

Opinion Writing Prompts 2nd Grade

  • Standardized Testing: A Necessary Benchmark or Pressure Cooker for Students?
  • Social Media Detox: A Break for Mental Well-being or Missing Out on Connection?
  • School Uniforms: Promoting Equality or Stifling Individuality?
  • Climate Change Action: Individual Responsibility or Collective Effort?
  • Renewable Energy: The Answer to Our Energy Needs or Just a Dream?
  • Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Powerful Tool or a Threat to Traditional Learning?
  • E-Sports: A Legitimate Competitive Sport or Just a Video Game Obsession?
  • Space Exploration: A Luxurious Pursuit or a Necessary Investment in Humanity's Future?
  • The Gig Economy: Flexibility and Freedom or Job Insecurity and a Lack of Benefits?
  • Online Privacy: Striking a Balance Between Convenience and Personal Data Protection
  • Teenagers and Social Activism: A Force for Change or Naive Idealism?
  • Should College be Free? Examining the Costs and Benefits of Higher Education
  • The Rise of Streaming Services: The End of Traditional Television or a New Era of Entertainment?
  • Sleep for Teenagers: Early Bedtimes or Sacrificing Sleep for Extra Activities?
  • The Four-Day Workweek: A Recipe for Productivity or a Shortcut to Laziness?
  • The Future of Transportation: Self-Driving Cars or Sustainable Public Transportation Systems?
  • Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): A Threat to Nature's Balance or a Solution to World Hunger?
  • The Influence of Social Media Influencers: Positive Role Models or Promoters of Unrealistic Standards?
  • The Value of Volunteering: Making a Difference or Just Checking a Box?
  • Virtual Reality: An Immersive Learning Tool or a Gateway to Escapism?

Opinion Writing Prompts 3rd Grade

  • Milk Mustache Mania: White Milk or Chocolate Milk for the Win?
  • Math Manipulatives: Counting with Colorful Blocks or Working with Numbers on Your Own?
  • Classroom Decorations: Bright and Cheery or Cool and Calming?
  • Lunchtime Choices: Leftovers from Home or Hot Lunch Mystery?
  • Playground Equipment: The Thrill of the Seesaw or Building Castles in the Sandbox?
  • Book Reports: Creating a Bookmark or Writing a Mini-Review?
  • Field Trip Frenzy: Exploring a Farm or Visiting a Children's Museum?
  • Show and Tell Treasures: Your Favorite Stuffed Animal or a Special Family Keepsake?
  • Art Attack: Messy Finger Painting or Neat and Detailed Pictures?
  • Music Time: Learning New Songs or Playing Instruments Together?
  • Rainy Day Activities: Building with Building Blocks or Reading Cozy Books Under a Blanket?
  • Gym Class: The Fun of Teamwork Games or Free Play on the Equipment?
  • School Supplies: Fancy Glittery Pens or Reliable Old Pencils?
  • Extracurricular Activities: Learning a New Language or Joining the Coding Club?
  • School Breaks: Snowy Day Adventures or Sunny Spring Break Fun?
  • Classroom Jobs: Cleaning the Whiteboard or Watering the Classroom Plants?
  • Class Presentations: Sharing a Fun Fact Presentation or Acting Out a Historical Event?
  • School Lunch: Choosing Nutritious Fruits and Veggies or Bringing a Sweet Dessert?
  • Movie Night at School: A Classic Kids' Movie or a Nature Documentary?
  • Library Time: Borrowing a Mystery Book or Choosing a Funny Comic Strip?

Opinion Writing Prompts 4th Grade

  • Should Recess Be Longer Than Math Class?
  • Is Pizza The Best Birthday Party Food?
  • Pencils Or Pens: Which Are Better For Schoolwork?
  • Weekend Homework: Helpful Or A Waste Of Time?
  • Should Schools Have Uniforms?
  • Field Trips: The Best Part Of School Or Just A Break?
  • More Recess Games Or More Free Time At Recess?
  • Are Tests The Best Way To Show What You Know?
  • Should Kids Get To Choose Their Own Classroom Seats?
  • Bikes Or Scooters: The Coolest Way To Get Around?
  • Is Technology Making Homework Easier Or Harder?
  • Should Classrooms Have More Decorations Or Be Kept Plain?
  • More Group Projects Or More Individual Work In School?
  • Is Learning A New Language A Waste Of Time?
  • Should Schools Have Vending Machines With Healthy Snacks?
  • Should There Be More Recess For Younger Grades?
  • Is Reading For Fun More Important Than Reading Textbooks?
  • Should Schools Focus On Learning New Things Or Practicing Old Skills?
  • Are Museums Boring Or Exciting Places To Visit?
  • Is Having A Best Friend Overrated?

Opinion Essay Topics for Students

  • Homework Deadline Dilemma: Should Schools Set Stricter Deadlines?
  • The Great Debate: Textbooks or Tablets in the Classroom?
  • Unplugging for Success: Should Schools Ban Phones During the Day?
  • Standardizing Learning: Are Standardized Tests a Fair Measure of Student Ability?
  • The Power of Choice: Should Students Have More Control Over Their Coursework?
  • The Art of Learning: Should Arts Education Be Mandatory in Schools?
  • The Value of Sleep: Should Schools Start Later to Allow for More Sleep?
  • The Power of Play: Is Recess Essential for Student Learning?
  • Classroom Classics: Should Traditional Teaching Methods Make a Comeback?
  • The Global Classroom: Should Schools Offer More International Exchange Programs?
  • Learning Through Service: Should Community Service Be a Graduation Requirement?
  • The Great Cafeteria Conundrum: Should Schools Offer More Healthy Food Options?
  • Dress for Success (or Comfort?): Should Schools Have Dress Codes?
  • Mentorship: Should Schools Implement Mentorship Programs?
  • Beyond the Classroom Walls: Should Schools Offer More After-School Activities?
  • The Great Debate: Should Students Be Allowed to Use Calculators in Math Class?
  • The Power of Playful Learning: Should Schools Incorporate More Games into the Curriculum?
  • The Value of Failure: Should Schools Encourage Students to Embrace Mistakes?
  • The Homework Dilemma: Should Schools Assign Less Homework?
  • The Power of Choice: Should Students Be Able to Choose Their Electives?

Good Opinion Essay Topics

  • School Uniforms: Boon Or Bane?
  • Should Homework Be Abolished?
  • The Four-Day Workweek: A Recipe For Success?
  • Fast Fashion: Friend Or Foe Of The Environment?
  • Travel Broadens The Mind: Agree Or Disagree?
  • Should Art Be Mandatory In Schools?
  • Technology In The Classroom: A Helpful Distraction?
  • Learning A Second Language: Essential Or Extra?
  • Gap Year: Time For Exploration Or Time-Wasting?
  • Volunteer Work: Building Character Or Resume Padding?
  • Social Media: Connecting Or Isolating?
  • Reality TV: Entertainment Or Empty Calories?
  • Online Learning: A Viable Alternative To Traditional Classrooms?
  • The Importance Of Sleep In A Busy World.
  • Should Professional Athletes Be Paid More Than Teachers?
  • The Legalization Of Recreational Marijuana: A Positive Step?
  • Universal Basic Income: A Solution To Poverty?
  • Living In A Big City Vs. A Small Town: What's Your Pick?
  • The Benefits Of Taking A Break From Technology.
  • Preserving Historical Landmarks: A Necessity Or A Waste Of Resources?

Easy Opinion Essay Topics

  • Recycling of Plastic: Zero or Hero?
  • Zoos: Ethical Entertainment or Animal Captivity?
  • Single-use Plastics: A Ban or Better Solutions?
  • Standardized Testing: Does it Measure Up?
  • Space Exploration: A Luxury or Investment in the Future?
  • News Bias: Does it Cloud Our Judgment?
  • Public Transportation: A Green Dream or Logistical Nightmare?
  • The Sharing Economy: Boon or Bubble?
  • Should College Be Free?
  • Online Shopping: Convenience or Killer of Main Street?
  • All-nighters for Studying: Effective or Destructive?
  • Curfews for Teenagers: Wise Restriction or Unnecessary Control?
  • The Rise of Citizen Journalism: Trustworthy Source or Wild West of Information?
  • Robots in the Workplace: Job Creators or Job Takers?
  • Video Games: Mindless Entertainment or Educational Tool?
  • Dress Codes at Work: Empowering or Encroaching?
  • Energy Drinks: A Pick-Me-Up or Health Hazard?
  • Pet Ownership: Responsibility or Indulgence?
  • Beauty Standards on Social Media: A Realistic Goal or Unhealthy Pressure?
  • Cash vs. Cashless: A Digital Divide or Progress?

Public Opinion Essay Topics

  • Government Funding for the Arts: Necessary Investment or Frivolous Spending?
  • Public Shaming on Social Media: Effective Deterrent or Mob Mentality?
  • Gun Control: A Path to Safety or Infringement on Rights?
  • Nationalized Healthcare: A Universal Right or Recipe for Bureaucracy?
  • Term Limits for Politicians: Preventing Stagnation or Weakening Experience?
  • The Rise of Social Media Influencers: Role Models or Misguided Celebrities?
  • Renewable Energy Sources: The Key to Sustainability or Overhyped Solution?
  • Privatization of Public Services: Efficiency Boost or Public Disadvantage?
  • Foreign Aid: Helping Struggling Nations or Enabling Dependence?
  • Surveillance for Public Safety: A Necessary Evil or Threat to Privacy?
  • Standardized Beauty Contests: Celebrating Diversity or Promoting Stereotypes?
  • College Athletes and Compensation: Amateurs or Professionals Deserving Pay?
  • The Gig Economy: Flexibility and Freedom or Job Insecurity and Exploitation?
  • The Death Penalty: Justice Served or Flawed System?
  • Hate Speech Laws: Protecting Vulnerable Groups or Stifling Free Speech?
  • Climate Change Activism: Necessary Disruption or Public Nuisance?
  • Universal Basic Income: A Hand Up or Disincentive to Work?
  • Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide: A Compassionate Choice or Slippery Slope?
  • Tax Breaks for the Wealthy: Trickle-Down Economics or Unfair Advantage?
  • Online Censorship: Protecting Morality or Stifling Political Expression?

Environment Opinion Writing Prompts

  • Paper or Plastic? Picking the Eco-Friendly Option.
  • Can Technology Solve Our Environmental Problems?
  • Meatless Mondays: A Fad or Sustainable Future?
  • Bottled Water: Convenience or Environmental Culprit?
  • Reforestation Efforts: Planting a Greener Tomorrow?
  • Ecotourism: Friend or Foe to Fragile Ecosystems?
  • Light Pollution: Dimming the Stars, Harming Wildlife.
  • Should National Parks Have Limited Access?
  • Disposable Culture: Convenience or Catastrophe?
  • From Fast Fashion to Sustainable Style.
  • Composting: Turning Kitchen Scraps into Gold.
  • Banning Single-Use Plastics: A Step in the Right Direction?
  • Public Transportation: The Key to a Greener Commute?
  • Can We Have Clean Energy Without Sacrificing Jobs?
  • Individual Action vs. Systemic Change: What Matters More?
  • The Rise of Veganism: A Dietary Shift for the Planet?
  • Sustainable Packaging: Can We Innovate Our Way Out of Waste?
  • Rewilding Deserted Lands: Restoring Balance for Nature.
  • Ocean Acidification: A Silent Threat to Marine Life.
  • Can We Hold Corporations Accountable for Environmental Damage?

Nursing Opinion Essay Topics

  • Nurse-to-Patient Ratios: Balancing Quality Care with Staffing Shortages.
  • Standardized Language in Nursing Communication.
  • Telehealth: A Valuable Tool or Threat to Traditional Patient Interaction?
  • Advocacy in Nursing: Motivating Patients to Make Informed Decisions.
  • The Ethical Dilemmas of End-of-Life Care.
  • Nurse Burnout: Strategies for Promoting Wellbeing in a Demanding Field.
  • Art Therapy: Integrating Creativity into Patient Care.
  • Cultural Competency in Nursing: Providing Care that Respects Diversity.
  • The Rise of Specialization in Nursing: Pros and Cons for Patient Care.
  • The Future of Nursing Education: Preparing for a Changing Healthcare Landscape.
  • The Role of Nurses in Public Health Education and Disease Prevention.
  • Mental Health Nursing: Addressing the Growing Need for Specialized Care.
  • Nurses as Leaders: Taking the Initiative in Improving Healthcare Systems.
  • Collaboration Between Nurses and Physicians.
  • Technology in Nursing: Automation or Human Connection?
  • The Role of Nurses in Pain Management: A Balancing Act.
  • Ethical Considerations of Social Media Use in the Nursing Profession.
  • Nurse Residency Programs: Providing New Graduates with the Support They Need.
  • The Global Shortage of Nurses: Strategies for Addressing a Worldwide Issue.
  • Work-Life Balance for Nurses: Maintaining Personal Wellbeing While Providing Care.

Education Opinion Essay Topics

  • Play-Based Learning: Essential for Early Childhood or Time Waster?
  • Standardizing Curriculums: One Size Fits All or Stifling Innovation?
  • The Value of Vocational Training: A Path to Success or Underrated Option?
  • Student Loan Debt: Crippling Burden or Investment in the Future?
  • The Role of Standardized Testing: Measuring Progress or Hindering Learning?
  • The Merits of Single-Sex Education: Fostering Focus or Limiting Opportunities?
  • Financial Literacy in Schools: Equipping Students for Life.
  • Blended Learning: Combining the Best of Both Worlds or Dilution of Quality?
  • The Value of a Gap Year: Time for Personal Growth or Delaying the Inevitable?
  • The Pressure to Achieve: Fostering Excellence or Breeding Anxiety?
  • Should Grades Be Abolished? Rethinking Student Evaluation.
  • The Rise of Online Learning: A Flexible Future or Threat to Traditional Education?
  • Art & Music Education: Enriching Lives or Frivolous Extras?
  • Should Schools Focus on STEM Subjects? Balancing Skills for the Future.
  • Teacher Training: Investing in Quality Educators.
  • The Debate Over Charter Schools: Fostering Innovation or Exacerbating Inequality?
  • Uniforms in Schools: Promoting Equality or Stifling Individuality?
  • The Role of Technology in the Classroom: Boon or Distraction?
  • Reducing Class Sizes: A Recipe for Improved Learning or Budgetary Strain?
  • Social-Emotional Learning: Equipping Students for Life Beyond Academics.

Literature Topics for an Opinion Essay

  • Censorship in Literature: Protecting Morality or Stifling Creativity?
  • Classics in a Modern World: Timeless Treasures or Outdated Relics?
  • Should Literature Be "Realistic" or Embrace Fantasy?
  • The Value of Unreliable Narrators: Adding Depth or Deceiving Readers?
  • Happy Endings: A Requirement for a Satisfying Story or Overused Cliché?
  • The Role of Technology in Literature: Friend or Foe to Traditional Storytelling?
  • The Moral Compass of Literature: Should Stories Teach Lessons?
  • Adaptations: Capturing the Magic or Missing the Mark?
  • The Power of Poetry: A Lost Art or Enduring Form?
  • Are Cliffhangers a Cheap Trick or an Effective Storytelling Device?
  • The Value of Diverse Voices in Literature: Expanding Horizons or Catering to Trends?
  • The Importance of Setting in Literature: Creating Atmosphere or Just Backdrop?
  • Should Authors Reveal Their Endings? The Mystery of Authorial Intent.
  • First-Person vs. Third-Person Narration: Intimacy or Objectivity?
  • Open Endings: Sparking Imagination or Leaving Readers Frustrated?
  • Humor in Literature: A Tool for Lightheartedness or Social Commentary?
  • Science Fiction: Predicting the Future or Escapist Fantasy?
  • The Allure of Dystopian Literature: A Warning or a Downer?
  • The Value of Retellings: Fresh Takes on Familiar Tales or Unnecessary Repetition?
  • Ambiguity in Literature: Room for Interpretation or Lack of Clarity?

Psychology Opinion Essay Topics

  • Social Media: Building Connections or Feeding Insecurities?
  • Multitasking: Myth of Productivity or Recipe for Mistakes?
  • Sleep Deprivation: A Badge of Honor or Road to Ruin?
  • Positive Thinking: Overhyped Solution or Effective Strategy?
  • Introverts vs. Extroverts: A Spectrum, Not a Duality.
  • The Rise of Tiger Parenting: Pushing Children to Succeed or Stifling Potential?
  • Power Naps: A Quick Fix for Energy or Disruption to Sleep Cycles?
  • Video Games: A Waste of Time or Cognitive Training Ground?
  • The Placebo Effect: Mind Over Matter or All in the Head?
  • Lie Detection: Can We Truly Know When Someone's Lying?
  • The Bystander Effect: Why Do People Stand By in Emergencies?
  • Social Media Detox: A Necessary Escape or Overreaction?
  • The Healing Power of Laughter: Fact or Fiction?
  • Can We Learn to Be Happy? The Pursuit of Happiness in Psychology.
  • Daydreaming: A Sign of Boredom or Spark of Creativity?
  • The Impact of Music on Mood and Motivation.
  • The Science of First Impressions: Lasting Impact or Superficial Judgment?
  • The Power of Forgiveness: Letting Go for Your Own Wellbeing.
  • Can Technology Help Us Overcome Phobias?
  • The Nature vs. Nurture Debate: A Complex Interplay.

How to Select an Opinion Essay Topic

The right topic for your opinion essay sets the stage for your argument and ensures you have a clear focus. Here's a breakdown of key factors to consider when selecting your topic:

Factor 🌟 Description 📖 Example 💡
Interest & Knowledge Pick a topic you're genuinely interested in and have some knowledge about. This will make researching and writing more engaging. You're passionate about environmental issues. Consider an opinion essay on "The effectiveness of plastic bag bans in reducing pollution."
Clear & Arguable Your topic should have a clear stance you can argue. Avoid topics with universally agreed-upon answers. "Video games are fun" doesn't allow for argument. Instead, try "Video games promote violence in children" or "Video games can enhance cognitive skills."
Research Availability Ensure you have access to credible sources to support your arguments. A highly specialized topic might be difficult to research with limited resources.
Relevance & Significance Is your topic relevant to a wider audience or current events? An opinion on your favorite fast-food chain might be less interesting than one on the ethical sourcing of meat in the industry.

If you want more tips on how to write an opinion essay , please visit this guide.

With a well-chosen topic, your opinion essay has the potential to not only express your views but also spark conversation and even influence change. Remember, a captivating topic is the foundation for a first-class essay, so take your time, explore your interests, and don't be afraid to tackle a subject you feel passionate about! If you need help, hire a cheap essay writer on our website in just a few clicks.

 Don’t Want to Bother with Opinion Essays?

Free time is too important to waste on lesser essays. Use our service instead!

What Is An Example In Opinion Writing?

What is a good topic to write an opinion essay on, how do i choose an opinion topic.

Adam Jason

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

topics for op ed essay

  • An opinion essay. (2024, June 1). LearnEnglish. https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/writing/b2-writing/opinion-essay
  • Harrison, S. (2023, August 2). How to Write an Opinion Based Essay - UCT English Language Centre. UCT English Language Centre. https://uctlanguagecentre.com/blog/exam-focus/writing-opinion-based-essays
  • Opinion Essays - The Boston Globe. (n.d.). BostonGlobe.com. https://www.bostonglobe.com/tag/opinion-essays/

Neuroscience Research Topics

The New York Times

The learning network | 200 prompts for argumentative writing.

The Learning Network - Teaching and Learning With The New York Times

200 Prompts for Argumentative Writing

<a href="//www.nytimes.com/2011/03/07/education/07classrooms.html">Related Article</a> | <a href="//learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/does-class-size-matter/">Related Student Opinion Question</a>

Updated, March 2, 2017 | We published an updated version of this list, “401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing,” as well as a companion piece, “650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing.” We also now have a PDF of these 200 prompts .

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and get five new Student Opinion questions delivered to you every week.

What issues do you care most about? What topics do you find yourself discussing most passionately, whether online, at the dinner table, in the classroom or with your friends?

Our annual Student Editorial Contest invites you to write an evidence-based persuasive piece on an issue that matters to you. To help jump-start your brainstorming, we have gathered a list of 200 writing prompts from our daily Student Opinion feature that invite you to take a stand.

Though you won’t be limited to these topics for the contest, you’ll see that our list touches on every aspect of modern life, from politics to sports, culture, education and technology. We hope the range inspires you, and we hope the fact that each question links to at least one related Times article gives you a starting point for finding evidence.

So skim the list below to think about the topic you’d most like to take on.

For more information, here are links to our spring 2014 editorial-writing contest , a list of winners from that contest and a related lesson plan on argumentative writing .

<a href="//www.nytimes.com/2012/09/08/education/studies-show-more-students-cheat-even-high-achievers.html">Related Article</a>

  • Is Cheating Getting Worse?
  • Should Students Be Able to Grade Their Teachers?
  • Does Your School Hand Out Too Many A’s?
  • Should Middle School Students Be Drug Tested?
  • Should Reading and Math Be Taught in Gym Class Too?
  • How Seriously Should We Take Standardized Tests?
  • How Well Do You Think Standardized Tests Measure Your Abilities?
  • Do You Spend Too Much Time Preparing for Standardized Tests?
  • Should Schools Offer Cash Bonuses for Good Test Scores?
  • Should We Rethink How Long Students Spend in High School?
  • Do Schools Provide Students With Enough Opportunities to Be Creative?
  • What Are You Really Learning at School?
  • How Important Is Arts Education?
  • Does Gym Help Students Perform Better in All Their Classes?
  • Who Should Be Able to See Students’ Records?
  • Are Children of Illegal Immigrants Entitled to a Public Education?
  • What Is the Right Amount of Group Work in School?
  • Is Your School Day Too Short?
  • Do You Think a Longer School Calendar Is a Good Idea?
  • Should the Dropout Age Be Raised?
  • Should Students Be Allowed to Skip Senior Year of High School?
  • How Does Your School Deal With Students Who Misbehave?
  • Should Schools Be Allowed to Use Corporal Punishment?
  • How Big a Problem Is Bullying or Cyberbullying in Your School or Community?
  • How Should Schools Address Bullying?
  • Should Schools Put Tracking Devices in Students’ ID Cards?
  • What Do You Think of Grouping Students by Ability in Schools?
  • Do We Need a New Way to Teach Math?
  • Does Class Size Matter?
  • Should All Students Get Equal Space in a Yearbook?
  • Is Prom Worth It?
  • How Important Are Parent-Teacher Conferences?
  • Should All Children Be Able to Go to Preschool?
  • Should Colleges Use Admissions Criteria Other Than SAT Scores and Grades?
  • What Criteria Should Be Used in Awarding Scholarships for College?
  • Do You Support Affirmative Action?
  • Do College Rankings Matter?
  • How Necessary Is a College Education?
  • Should Engineers Pay Less for College Than English Majors?

Technology and Social Media

<a href="//www.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/booming/in-your-face-book-heres-the-party-you-werent-invited-to.html">Related Article<br /></a>

  • Are the Web Filters at Your School Too Restrictive?
  • Does Technology Make Us More Alone?
  • Are You Distracted by Technology?
  • Do Apps Help You or Just Waste Your Time?
  • Do You Spend Too Much Time on Smart Phones Playing ‘Stupid Games’?
  • Has Facebook Lost Its Edge?
  • Does Facebook Ever Make You Feel Bad?
  • Should What You Say on Facebook Be Grounds for Getting Fired?
  • Should People Be Allowed to Obscure Their Identities Online?
  • What Should the Punishment Be for Acts of Cyberbullying?
  • Is Online Learning as Good as Face-to-Face Learning?
  • Do Your Teachers Use Technology Well?
  • Should Tablet Computers Become the Primary Way Students Learn in Class?
  • Can Cellphones Be Educational Tools?
  • Should Computer Games Be Used for Classroom Instruction?
  • How Young Is Too Young for an iPhone?
  • Should Companies Collect Information About You?
  • Would You Trade Your Paper Books for Digital Versions?
  • Are Digital Photographs Too Plentiful to Be Meaningful?
  • Do You Worry We Are Filming Too Much?
  • Would You Want a Pair of Google’s Computer Glasses?
  • How Would You Feel About a Computer Grading Your Essays?
  • What Role Will Robots Play in Our Future?
  • How Many Text Messages Are Too Many?
  • How Much Do You Trust Online Reviews?

Arts and Media: TV, Music, Video Games and Literature

<a href="//www.nytimes.com/2012/05/14/business/media/in-evolving-media-landscape-television-holds-sway.html">Related Article</a>

  • Why Do We Like to Watch Rich People on TV and in the Movies?
  • Do TV Shows Like ‘16 and Pregnant’ Promote or Discourage Teenage Pregnancy?
  • Does TV Capture the Diversity of America Yet?
  • Is TV Too White?
  • Is TV Stronger Than Ever, or Becoming Obsolete?
  • Does Reality TV Promote Dangerous Stereotypes?
  • What Current Musicians Do You Think Will Stand the Test of Time?
  • What Artists or Bands of Today Are Destined for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
  • What Musician, Actor or Author Should Be a Superstar, but Hasn’t Quite Made It Yet?
  • Will Musical Training Make You More Successful?
  • Should Video Games Be Considered a Sport?
  • Should Stores Sell Violent Video Games to Minors?
  • Can a Video Game Be a Work of Art?
  • Do Violent Video Games Make People More Violent in Real Life?
  • When Should You Feel Guilty for Killing Zombies?
  • What Game Would You Like to Redesign?
  • What Were the Best Movies You Saw in the Past Year?
  • To What Writer Would You Award a Prize?
  • Do You Prefer Your Children’s Book Characters Obedient or Contrary?
  • Where Is the Line Between Truth and Fiction?
  • Can Graffiti Ever Be Considered Art?
  • Do We Need Art in Our Lives?
  • What Makes a Good Commercial?
  • Why Did a Cheerios Ad Attract So Many Angry Comments Online?
  • Does Pop Culture Deserve Serious Study?

Gender Issues

<a href="//www.nytimes.com/2013/10/01/nyregion/city-unveils-a-campaign-to-improve-girls-self-esteem.html">Related Article</a><a href="//learning.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/tyell/"></a>

  • Do Parents Have Different Hopes and Standards for Their Sons Than for Their Daughters?
  • Is School Designed More for Girls Than Boys?
  • Is There Too Much Pressure on Girls to Have ‘Perfect’ Bodies?
  • How Much Pressure Do Boys Face to Have the Perfect Body?
  • Do Photoshopped Images Make You Feel Bad About Your Own Looks?
  • Is It O.K. for Men and Boys to Comment on Women and Girls on the Street?
  • What Should We Do to Fight Sexual Violence Against Young Women?
  • How Do You Feel About Rihanna and Chris Brown Getting Back Together?
  • Do Fraternities Promote Misogyny?
  • Why Aren’t There More Girls in Leadership Roles?
  • Why Aren’t More Girls Choosing to Pursue Careers in Math and Science?
  • Should Women Be Allowed to Fight on the Front Lines Alongside Men?
  • Do You Believe in Equal Rights for Women and Men?
  • Are Women Better at Compromising and Collaborating?
  • Do Boys Have Less Intense Friendships Than Girls?

Sports and Athletics

<a href="//www.nytimes.com/2013/09/18/sports/football/would-i-let-my-son-play-football.html">Related Article</a><a href="//learning.blogs.nytimes.com/category/news-quiz/weekly-news-quiz/"></a>

  • If Football Is So Dangerous to Players, Should We Be Watching It?
  • Should Parents Let Their Children Play Football?
  • Should College Football Players Get Paid?
  • When Do Pranks Cross the Line to Become Bullying?
  • Has Baseball Lost Its Cool?
  • Are Some Youth Sports Too Intense?
  • Is It Offensive for Sports Teams to Use Native American Names and Mascots?
  • Where Should Colleges and Sports Teams Draw the Line in Selling Naming Rights?
  • Should Colleges Fund Wellness Programs Instead of Sports?
  • Is Cheerleading a Sport?
  • How Big a Deal Is It That an N.B.A. Player Came Out as Gay?
  • Should There Be Stricter Rules About How Coaches Treat Their Players?
  • Should Athletes Who Dope Have to Forfeit Their Titles and Medals?
  • Should Sports Betting Be Legal Everywhere?
  • Should Home-Schoolers Be Allowed to Play Public School Sports?
  • Would You Want a Bike Share Program for Your Community?

Politics and the Legal System

<a href="//www.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/opinion/global/chappatte-doubts-about-intervening-in-syria.html">Related Article</a>

  • What Local Problems Do You Think Your Mayor Should Try to Solve?
  • If You Were Governor of Your State, How Would You Spend a Budget Surplus?
  • When Is the Use of Military Force Justified?
  • What Is More Important: Our Privacy or National Security?
  • California Notice
  • Should the U.S. Be Spying on Its Friends?
  • Do You Trust Your Government?
  • What Do You Think of the Police Tactic of Stop-and-Frisk?
  • Do Rich People Get Off Easier When They Break the Law?
  • Should Rich People Have to Pay More Taxes?
  • Do Laws That Ban Offensive Words Make the World a Better Place?
  • Is It Principled, or Irresponsible, for Politicians to Threaten a Shutdown?
  • Do Leaders Have Moral Obligations?
  • Do Great Leaders Have to Be Outgoing?
  • How Should We Prevent Future Mass Shootings?
  • Should Guns Be Permitted on College Campuses?
  • Would You Feel Safer With Armed Guards Patrolling Your School?
  • What Is Your Relationship With Guns?
  • Do You Support or Oppose the Death Penalty?
  • When Should Juvenile Offenders Receive Life Sentences?

Parenting and Childhood

<a href="//www.nytimes.com/2013/09/25/opinion/losing-is-good-for-you.html">Related Article<br /></a>

  • Do We Give Children Too Many Trophies?
  • When Do You Become an Adult?

When Should You Be Able to Buy Cigarettes, Drink Alcohol, Vote, Drive and Fight in Wars?

  • Should the Morning-After Pill Be Sold Over the Counter to People Under 17?
  • Should Birth Control Pills Be Available to Teenage Girls Without a Prescription?
  • Is Modern Culture Ruining Childhood?
  • Are Adults Hurting Young Children by Pushing Them to Achieve?
  • How, and by Whom, Should Children Be Taught Appropriate Behavior?
  • What Can Older People Learn From Your Generation?
  • Do ‘Shame and Blame’ Work to Change Teenage Behavior?
  • How Should Children Be Taught About Puberty and Sex?
  • Is Dating a Thing of the Past?
  • How Should Parents Handle a Bad Report Card?
  • Should Children Be Allowed to Wear Whatever They Want?
  • How Should Educators and Legislators Deal With Minors Who ‘Sext’?
  • Do You Think Child Stars Have It Rough?

Health and Nutrition

<a href="//www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/health/e-cigarette-use-doubles-among-students-survey-shows.html">Related Article</a><a href="//www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/health/e-cigarette-use-doubles-among-students-survey-shows.html"></a>

  • Is Smoking Still a Problem Among Teenagers?
  • Are Antismoking Ads Effective?
  • Is Drinking and Driving Still a Problem for Teenagers?
  • Do You Think a Healthier School Lunch Program Is a Lost Cause?
  • How Concerned Are You About Where Your Food Comes From?
  • Is It Ethical to Eat Meat?
  • Do You Prefer Your Tacos ‘Authentic’ or ‘Appropriated’?
  • Should the Government Limit the Size of Sugary Drinks?
  • Should Marijuana Be Legal?
  • Should Students Be Required to Take Drug Tests?

Personal Character and Morality Questions

<a href="//www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/opinion/sunday/its-not-mess-its-creativity.html">Related Article<br /></a>

  • Do Bystanders Have a Responsibility to Intervene When There is Trouble?
  • Should You Care About the Health and Safety of Those Making Your Clothing?
  • Can Money Buy You Happiness?
  • Does Buying and Accumulating More and More Stuff Make Us Happier?
  • Are We Losing the Art of Listening?
  • Do People Complain Too Much?
  • Can Kindness Become Cool?
  • Which Is More Important: Talent or Hard Work?
  • How Important Is Keeping Your Cool?
  • When Should You Compromise?
  • Is Your Generation More Self-Centered Than Earlier Generations?
  • Can You Be Good Without God?
  • Have Curse Words Become So Common They Have Lost Their Shock Value?
  • What Words or Phrases Should Be Retired in 2014?
  • What Words or Phrases Do You Think Are Overused?
  • Should Couples Live Together Before Marriage?
  • How Important Do You Think It Is to Marry Someone With the Same Religion?
  • How Long Is It O.K. to Linger in a Cafe or Restaurant?
  • Does Keeping a Messy Desk Make People More Creative?
  • How Important Is Keeping a Clean House?
  • Should Scientists Try to Help People Beat Old Age So We Can Live Longer Lives?
  • Given Unlimited Resources, What Scientific or Medical Problem Would You Investigate?
  • When Is It O.K. to Replace Human Limbs With Technology?
  • Do You Think Life Exists — or Has Ever Existed — Somewhere Besides Earth?
  • Should Fertilized Eggs Be Given Legal ‘Personhood’?
  • How Concerned Are You About Climate Change?

Other Questions

<a href="//www.nytimes.com/2013/10/20/opinion/sunday/here-comes-the-neighborhood.html">Related Article</a><a href="//learning.blogs.nytimes.com/category/lesson-plans/"></a>

  • Is It Wrong for a Newspaper to Publish a Front-Page Photo of a Man About to Die?
  • What Causes Should Philanthropic Groups Finance?
  • Should Charities Focus More on America?
  • Should the Private Lives of Famous People Be Off Limits?
  • Did a Newspaper Act Irresponsibly by Publishing the Addresses of Gun Owners?
  • Would You Rather Work From Home or in an Office?
  • What Time Should Black Friday Sales Start?
  • Do You Shop at Locally Owned Businesses?
  • How Much Does Your Neighborhood Define Who You Are?

Comments are no longer being accepted.

Argumentative prompts – 200

So i was thinking about doing a topic of Nuclear War for school and i am not able to take and find it on here does anyone know were i can find it?

Many of these questions aren’t at all appropriate for someone writing a persuasive speech. Take the question about life existing other than on earth. The only argument that should convince anyone that life exists other than on earth would use definitive scientific evidence. And if we had that, there wouldn’t be an argument in the first place.

Regarding the section on Gender Issues:

Where are the questions regarding transgender teens or adults? Where are the questions regarding sexuality? Where are the questions regarding whether or not gender roles have an impact on teens? Where are the questions regarding society’s view on the LGBT(etc.) community?

Hi Tasha, We have touched on all of these issues on the blog numerous times, but for this collection of questions, we only highlighted those asked in a way that most naturally led to argumentative writing. But, for example, we have a whole collection on teaching about LGBT issues here, and we ask questions and run lesson plans around aspects of teenage sexuality regularly. (For instance, just off the top of my head, here , here , here , here , here, here , here and here .) But we’re always open to suggestions, so let us know what else you’d like to see. –Katherine

I have another persuasive argument-should students have recess in junior high?

Do Photoshopped Images Make You Feel Bad About Your Own Looks? Have you ever seen an image of a model in a magazine and thought to yourself “wow, I wish I looked that remarkable”? You are not the only one. They are perfect, however, the images we view of these women and men are 99.9% not how they actually look. They use a tremendous amount of photoshop to create a look they could not even achieve themselves. Yes, looking at these images have an outcome of someone staring unhappily in the mirror, not seeing perfect skin and chiseled abs. Looking at perfect people in pictures for hours and then looking at yourself, you seem to come across every blemish and fault that the models in the pictures did not have. Having the idea that you could never look as flawless as the unreal people in magazines does have the power to lower your self-esteem. You do not really know how bad you feel about your looks until you see teeth as bright as the sun, the perfect coke bottle shape, and the flawless sun kissed skin in your favorite magazine. Photoshopped images make you look and feel better, but then again it portrays an unrealistic person that is hardly yourself. Everyone has flaws and with this photoshop madness, the flaws are erased. With no flaws in these images there is no limit to how far someone will go to get that level of perfection, even though that level is unachievable because a great deal of lightening, smoothing, and shrinking has been added to the image. The more photoshop is being used to clear up insecurities; the more it is just adding to ours. If you see before and after photos, you will realize that people in the photoshopped images are not as perfect as they claim to be. And we should not feel bad about ourselves because of this, but we do. Seeing how a size 10 model can be photoshopped down to a size 1 is ridiculous. How can wrinkles vanish inconspicuously, uneven skin tones be evened out, dark circles erased, and stretch marks blurred? In real life this is not possible to be completely without a blemish or flaw. So, when we see all of these photoshopped images we start putting our heads down in shame knowing we cannot look as impeccable as these fake images display. Altering images to try and fit the society’s way of how people should look is nonsense. We will never look like that and it is just making people self-esteem worse because we will go to the end of the world and back to figure out every secret to acquire glowing skin and youthful looking skin like the individuals in our magazine. But the secret is all in the image, it is a little thing called photoshop and it is ruining the way we look at ourselves.

Do Photoshopped Images Make You Feel Bad About Your Own Looks? Have you ever seen an image of Kim Kardashian in a magazine and thought to yourself “wow, I wish I looked that remarkable”? You are not the only one to think in this fantasizing way. Kim is perfect; however, the images we view of her are 99.9% retouched. Photographers use a tremendous amount of photoshop to create a look of pure perfection they could not achieve themselves. Yes, looking at these images has an outcome of staring unhappily in the mirror, not seeing perfect skin and chiseled abs. Looking at perfect people in pictures for hours and then looking at yourself, you seem to come across every blemish and fault that the models in the pictures did not have. Having the idea buried in your mind that you could never look as flawless as the unreal people in magazines does have the power to lower your self-esteem. You do not really know how bad you feel about your looks until you see teeth as bright as the sun, the perfect coke bottle shape, and the flawless sun kissed skin on your idle, in your favorite magazine. Photoshopped images make them look and feel better about themselves, but then again it portrays an unrealistic person that is hardly close to the real you. Everyone has flaws and with this photoshop madness, the flaws are erased. With no flaws in these images there is no limit to how far someone will go to get that level of perfection, even though that level is unachievable because a great deal of lightening, smoothing, and shrinking has been added to the image. The more images being photoshopped to clear up insecurities; the more insecurity there is being piled on the viewers. If you see before and after photos, you will realize that people in the photoshopped images are not as perfect as they claim to be. And we should not feel bad about ourselves because of this, but we do. Seeing how a size 10 model can be photoshopped down to a size 1 is ridiculous. How can wrinkles vanish inconspicuously, uneven skin tones be evened out, dark circles erased, and stretch marks blurred? In real life this is not possible to be completely without a blemish or flaw. So, when we see all of these photoshopped images we start putting our heads down in shame knowing we cannot look as impeccable as these fake images display. Altering images to try and fit into society’s way of how people should look is nonsense. We will never look like that and it is just making people self-esteem worse because we will go to the end of the world and back to figure out every secret to acquire glowing and youthful looking skin like the individuals in our magazine. But the secret is all in the image, it is a little thing called photoshop and it is ruining the way we look at ourselves.

Carly H & Maggie W Galvin Middle School Canton, MA 02021

Should student be able to wear whatever they want?

Many adults argue there is a line between skimpy and sweet. More than 75 % of schools in the United States have issued dress codes that limit what boy and girls are allowed to wear on school grounds. Unless schools are supplying uniforms or paying money for students’ wardrobes we believe schools should not have a say. Although many teachers would say middle school and high school students’ choice of clothing is rather inappropriate and distracting, almost all parents and students would beg to differ. As middle schoolers we strongly believe schools have taken away students right to express themselves. Middle school and high school age kids are just starting to come out of their shells. Some students feel more comfortable in their own clothes than they would feel in a uniform. Nowadays students have been bullied due to what they are wearing. Kids have been called “ugly” or “weird” and “gay”. Kids want to fit in and wear the newest styles. It seems though these styles have been getting skimpier and skimpier. Letting a child wear clothing of their choice it can boost their self confidence. We feel that as long as your parents let you out of the house the way that you are dressed then the schools should not have a say. About 63% percent of kids in middle school get bullied because of what they are wearing. Without a dress code students have that chance to fit in and develop a personal style. Many teachers and faculty believe schools without dress codes have lower test scores. People say that these low test scores can be because students are dressing inappropriately. Dressing inappropriately can distract other students and faculty. Some people have a hard time paying attention in school and then skimpy clothing can just make it worse. One theory suggests that students who wear uniforms and who don’t not have freedom to wear what they want get better grades in school. Even though wearing uniforms might seem like it can solve all problems no matter what people choose to do clothing will always be a debate in schools. All in all wearing whatever you want has its advantages but also disadvantages. When you have the freedom to wear what you want there is always going to be the kids that take that for granted. But then having that freedom can be a way for children to fit in and express themselves. We believe that students should be able to wear whatever they want.

Colleen B. Sofia C. Galvin Middle School Canton, MA 02021

Why women are not pursuing careers in the S.T.E.M. field.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said “A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” Throughout history humans haven’t been treated equally, most of this injustice has to do with sex, race, or ethnicity. As humanity has developed we have created rights for the discrimination. Women have always been thought as the inferior gender, however as time has progressed women have earned more rights. Unfortunately many women still think of themselves as secondary.

One reason the majority of female has not been choosing careers in math and science has to do with encouragement. Repetition builds a muscle, a muscle builds a habit and habit builds a character that sticks. If children are not encourage from a young age, or don’t get exposed to S.T.E.M. careers, their mind has already been developed and is not focused on exploring the science and math fields. Most children of this generation are steered toward sports from a young age, which does not allow females in particular to see a variety of career options in their future. Its not that the majority of women don’t want to work in the S.T.E.M. field but their upbringing does not promote these callings.

Throughout history, women have always been stereotyped as the inferior gender. Women are usually thought as less intelligent and are relegated to lower paying jobs. Females in the past have had a very small work selection. From the 1950s to the 1970s, women commonly had two job options, becoming a teacher or a nurse. However, as time has progressed women have begun to expand their career choices but still make less than males. The Media can make a big impact on how women are seen through pop culture.

Even though statistics state that the percentage of females in the S.T.E.M. field has decreased, people still believe that our country has a stable science and math field. Many believe that in our future, the science fields will open up to women population more. This may be true but the fields are already open for females to enter. However, the majority of females still do not choose to pursue these careers.

Just as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” Until more women explore the S.T.E.M. fields we can never quite tell how strong and intelligent women are.

Is Prom Worth it?

As teenagers we all want to have one perfect night, especially girls. For us prom is the only chance to have a complete Cinderella dream. You wait all these years until the day finally comes, dress hunting. That’s the moment when you doubt and say the unspeakable, “Is prom worth it?” Some might say yes while others may say no whatever the reason is the glitz or the thought of getting rejected. People come in and out of our lives, but many articles say this is our last chance to be with our peers. It isn’t really because there is still graduation but to have a lot of fun with our peers, proms the night. In that one night you become the person you were when you walked into to high school for the first time and now you get to leave as the person you have become. In high school you change, you make new types of choices and maybe become mature. Sometimes in growing up we forget the things that makes us, us and in this night you get a chance to remember and become that graduating class that you were always meant to be. To some people they still say no, however I think it is still worth it. Other articles say that prom is a big memorable moment. You all fall into places like in a story, there is a king and queen and moments to remember. Moments aren’t only captured in pictures but in places, in our minds, in people, in heartbeats. These moments are what brings a class together and helps us say, “Don’t you remember…” This will definitely be something you will remember. Many of us want to do everything, trying anything, and do them with the people they love. We have choices in our lives which sometimes get’s in the way of doing things but is prom a choice which helps us accomplish this? About twenty five percent of the teen population don’t attend prom. Some might not want to go after seeing the price on the dress tag or the ticket itself. Most families spend about a thousand one hundred thirty nine dollars. For most families this is a lot and people don’t plan to spend this much unless it’s their wedding. In this economy college tuition also seems a lot to families and this seems like an unnecessary expense. Despite the cost and the drama that prom brings on, it is a night to remember. From the moment you meet your date to the moment the limo picks you up there is a story to be told within.

• //learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/02/is-prom-worth-it/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 • //www.lifeway.com/Article/parenting-teens-family-Prom-in-Perspective

Grace K and John A Galvin Middle School Canton MA 02021

School Dress Codes . In middle schools and high schools all over the country, administrators are punishing children for their clothing choices. The reason for this being that girl specifically, dress too provocatively. Therefore, stricter dress codes are being enforced, but is it worth it? It isn’t appropriate for anyone besides a child’s parents to tell them what they can and can not wear. Period. Most people buy their kids shorter, smaller and lighter clothes for the warmer months, spending their own hard earned money. For a public school to then proceed to tell those parents that their child is not permitted to wear that clothing on school grounds, where they spend over 7 hours of their day, just isn’t right. If a child’s legal guardian is perfectly fine with their kids wearing a pair of “short-shorts” then why should a school policy be allowed to them they can’t? Especially when the school isn’t providing uniforms or money to buy clothing that fit into their particular dress codes. Another reason why schools shouldn’t enforce such strict dress codes is because of basic human rights. Freedom of expression, by definition, is the right to express one’s ideas and opinions freely through speech, writing, and other communication. For centuries, clothing has been one of those forms of other communication. To deny people their rights is illegal, no matter what age, race, or sex and schools not allowing students to wear clothing of their choice is no exception. Besides it being against the law, schools are supposed to encourage kids to be themselves, stand up for what they believe in, and help them find their identities. One of the best ways for our country’s youth to accomplish these things is to allow them to be as unique and personal with their clothes as possible. If this means letting a child wear a tank top with straps that are less than 3 inches wide, so be it. Many people don’t want to give kids, girls in particular; the freedom to wear whatever they want to school because they think it will be too much of a distraction for boys. While I agree with that, I think it is more important for children to be able to express themselves freely. Besides that, who’s to say that girls aren’t distracted by the clothing that boys wear? There are almost no restrictions or limitations towards the clothing that boys are allowed to wear yet there are several for girls. It shouldn’t be a female student’s problem that some young boys get too “distracted” by what they wear when boys are hardly even affected by the dress code at schools anyways. In conclusion, school dress codes are harsh and unnecessary and should be lessened at the least. Plenty of people agree with this as well as disagree. Hopefully, schools will see the error of their ways and adjust their clothing policies, as they are currently unfair and too strict for many different reasons.

Colleen B. Sofia C. Galvin Middle School Canton, MA 02021 Why women are not pursuing careers in the S.T.E.M. field. Eleanor Roosevelt once said “A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” Throughout history humans haven’t been treated equally, most of this injustice has to do with sex, race, or ethnicity. As humanity has developed we have created rights for the discrimination. Women have always been thought as the inferior gender, however as time has progressed women have earned more rights. Unfortunately many women still think of themselves as secondary. One reason the majority of female has not been choosing careers in math and science has to do with encouragement. Repetition builds a muscle, a muscle builds a habit and habit builds a character that sticks. If children are not encourage from a young age, or don’t get exposed to S.T.E.M. careers, their mind has already been developed and is not focused on exploring the science and math fields. Most children of this generation are steered toward sports from a young age, which does not allow females in particular to see a variety of career options in their future. Its not that the majority of women don’t want to work in the S.T.E.M. field but their upbringing does not promote these callings. Throughout history, women have always been stereotyped as the inferior gender. Women are usually thought as less intelligent and are relegated to lower paying jobs. Females in the past have had a very small work selection. From the 1950s to the 1970s, women commonly had two job options, becoming a teacher or a nurse. However, as time has progressed women have begun to expand their career choices but still make less than males. The Media can make a big impact on how women are seen through pop culture. Even though statistics state that the percentage of females in the S.T.E.M. field has decreased, people still believe that our country has a stable science and math field. Many believe that in our future, the science fields will open up to women population more. This may be true but the fields are already open for females to enter. However, the majority of females still do not choose to pursue these careers. Just as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” Until more women explore the S.T.E.M. fields we can never quite tell how strong and intelligent women are. -//learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/22/why-arent-more-girls-choosing-to-pursue-careers-in-math-and-science/ -//www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept09/vol67/num01/Encouraging-Girls-to-Pursue-Math-and-Science.aspx

Should cyber-bullying laws be passed?

Cyber-bullying is extremely serious, no one should suffer from cyber-bullying, those doing the bullying should not get away with it they need to be punished. More laws on cyberbullying and punishments need to be passed. If cyber bullying doesn’t get prevented it will drastically increase over the years due to the progress of new technology. Cyberbullying is cruel and hurtful, it can cause depression, thoughts of suicide and low self esteem. Anna Maria Chavez the chief executive officer of girl scouts once said “unless and until our society recognizes cyberbullying for what it is, the suffering of thousands of silent victims will continue.” Hurtful words take a toll on the individual, at times they may feel worthless and believe the world would be a better place without them. In the United States 49 states have bullying laws only 19 states include cyberbullying, meaning 31 states have yet passed a cyberbullying law. How much longer until more cyberbullying laws are passed? How many more lives will be lost? Each year over 13 million individuals are bullied, there are about 4,400 deaths in the United States by suicide those being bullied have a greater chance to be one of those individuals. No one should be cyber bullied, bullies need to be punished for their actions. Megan Meier from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri committed suicide on October 17, 2006 at the age of 13 due to cyberbullying. After Megan’s death, her mother Tina Meier urged that Megans bully must be punished, and was able to get “Megans Law” passed which protects individuals from harassment on social networking sites. The majority of parents plead for more cyberbullying laws, why aren’t they passing? Therefore each state should pass laws preventing cyberbullying and punishments for bullies. Bullying is a stab in the heart after the constant fighting,trying to get through the pain, the heart gives up as the individual cannot take it anymore. Katherine Jenkins, a classical crossover singer has said “children should be able to live free from bullying and harassment and it is time that we all took a stand.” Cyber Bullying must end before it´s too late.

Sources The Associated Press. “Mother Wants Maximum Penalty in Cyberbullying Case.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Nov. 2008. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. //www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/us/29internet.html?ref=meganmeier “About Tina Meier.” Megan Meier Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. //www.meganmeierfoundation.org/about-tina-meier.html “State Cyberbullying Laws.” N.p., Feb.-Mar. 2014. Web. Feb.-Mar. 2014. < //www.cyberbullying.us/Bullying_and_Cyberbullying_Laws.pdf>. “Bullying and Suicide.” Bullying Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. //www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html Jenkins, Katherine. “Beatbullying’s The Big March 2012.” Beatbullying’s The Big March 2012. Feb.-Mar. 2014. Address. Chavez, Anna Maria. “Confronting Cyber Violence in the Digital Age.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Apr. 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. //www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-maria-chavez/confronting-cyber-violenc_b_3157086.html

It can’t be worked out systematically. Young people need to leap beyond the assumption that at 18 they can do everything; buy cigarettes, drink alcohol, vote, drive and fight in wars—but it actuality, not until they’re 21.

Young people need to be protected by law since a majority is ignorant of the consequences that follow every decision. Anemona Hartocollis found that many young people thought they weren’t mature enough in making life-or-death decisions before 21. It not only applied to drinking and smoking, but combat as well. When both parties are in agreement that one is in need of guidance, justifies raising the age limit, making it equivalent, provides consistency.

Dealing with consumption, privileges and the civic engagement, privileges are the least controversial of the three. At 16, young people can receive their license. There should be regulations—which some states have already implemented. The ‘We Check to Protect-Vertical Identification Program’ requires those under 21 a vertical (portrait) style driver’s license (Johnson). This ensures health and safety of young people as reminder for teenagers, parents, businesses, law enforcement, retailers and merchants.

Buying cigarettes and drinking alcohol is next controversial. Enforcing an age limit is virtually impossible (by society’s standards, since keeping up with our standard of living in our culture of instant gratification, where underage this that and the other, are the best things these days) it wouldn’t make a difference. It would receive outcry.

“If [loved ones] condone it, then… it’s acceptable,” says Patrick Brown who sought the consultation of his mother before enlisting. Even though it may not be idealistic with underage consumption, ‘Older adults with the benefit of a lot of hindsight might tend to agree’ (Hartocollis).

Immaturity extends beyond a person’s legal entrance into adulthood. Cheryl G. Healton, dean of Global Health at N.Y.U. says, “The executive function [of the brain]…is really not fully developed until…over 21” (Hartocollis). If, through someone else’s experience, has better knowledge about these issues, then the government raising the age limit to 21, for a majority of them, is right when young people aren’t fully prepared to comprehend such actions psychologically.

Some will argue about the consistency. Keeping the age limit to drive at 16, treating them like minors until 21, and raising it to 21 for the other issues, will receive different levels of criticism. It’s simpler to have a bit of difference than to have no congruity.

Buying cigarettes, drinking alcohol, voting, driving and fighting in wars shouldn’t be given freedom until 21. Young people are supposed to make mistakes and everyone is a life lesson learned. We don’t want to be guilty by association of not trying to prevent such lessons learned at severe expenses and/or too early.

Hartocollis, Anemona. “Smoking? Combat? Wait Till 21, Young Recruits Say.” New York Times [New York] 23 Apr 2013, early ed. A19. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. < //www.nytimes.com/2013/04/24/health/smoking-combat-wait-until-21-to-decide-young-recruits-say.html>.

Johnson, Ruth. Michigan. Department of State. Vertical Driver’s License Helps with Age Verification!. State of Michigan, 2003. Web. < //www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1627_8669-70561–,00.html>.

Nathaniel Skinner

Are we Ever Without God?

People often wonder “Can we be good without God?” . It’s a common question; one may argue that there are good atheists all around us. This is true, even by Christian standards; there are atheists practice good deeds and some who practice evil deeds, just like there are Christians who practice good deeds and some who practice evil deeds. Some atheists give to the poor, help those in jail, feed the hungry, clothe the naked and do other things a good Christian should do. Being an atheist does not always equate to being an immoral or bad person. So yes you can be good and you can do this without believing in God. What is God, is there a single definition or are there multiple? According to Roman Catholic belief, what we refer to as God is an all powerful deity consisting of The Father, the son, and the Holy spirit. A common understanding of this God, to many non-Christians is the guy in the white garb standing on the clouds with the beard and sandals;this is not the sole image of God. God is all powerful, so why would ‘he’ maintain one form for all the 7 billion plus people on earth now, not to mention all the people who have come before us? In truth God is all things good, God is happiness, God is love, God is faith, God is truth and God is compassion. Truly whatever religion whatever race what ever culture, if you are just and honest and practice these things then God is with you. So The more prevalent question here instead of can you be good without god is: are people ever without God?

God is not bound to human form nor is God bound to any of the laws of physics or reality that are recognized by modern day science(Proverbs 15:3) This means that God can and does appear in a multitude of forms and situations. We must be careful not to put God into human restraints: God is not subject to the same terms that we judge our fellow men and women(Job 11:7-9). In this way God is all around us, even inside our hearts. God knows us like we know ourselves because we all have a little piece of God in ourselves, this furthers the fact that no one can be without God. Even people who are commonly considered immoral or evil have God in them or around them; just because one does not believe in God does not mean God is not present so even murderers and stone cold criminals have God in their life.

God is also all knowing, meaning that god knows the future, the present and the past by “heart”. The argument can be made that if God knows a certain person will go to hell after they die from the beginning why does he not just send them straight to hell? The answer is that life is a journey and if God were to send people straight to hell without giving them a chance to walk the path of life and understand what they are called to do, then it would be extremely unfair. Just because a person is an atheist does not mean they are doomed to hell; actions speak louder than words. It really is true. So if you worship god in your actions but don’t do it in your voice or mind then this still counts as being with God.

God loves all of us; every human to walk this earth have received love from God even if they don’t know it. God has a roundabout way of getting things done. Every Action is weaved into God’s design: running like a perfect machine every action affects somebody,then somebody else then somebody else and so on. God is in fact everywhere and we cannot and will not part unto death. until then there is never a step one person walks without God

“I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It’s just that the translations have gone wrong.”

― John Lennon

Due to the controversial and seemingly almost unique view included in this editorial, there are no New York Times sources that support the ideas expressed. I hope to receive a slight pardon for not having a NY times source. If this essay does not qualify, I understand. N. Skinner

//www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+11%3A7-9&version=ESV

Proverbs 15:3

//www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+15%3A3&version=ESV

Why does society (men and women) tell women that they have to appeal a certain way to the public eye? Women are the most beautiful creation God has made because without women, there wouldn’t be a population to grow to carry out the future. Since this is true who do we as a society tend to present to women that they need to change. keep in thought that we don’t have to make something perfect, if it was already perfect to begin with. In some cases women have always been told what to do or how to appeal a certain way to the public eye. I believe that society’s appeal to the preconceived image of the perfect woman is unjust because no two women are the same and no to women should have to conform to look like one another. Society, both men and women, have been putting pressure on women to have that ‘perfect’ body. From the New York Times, Katherine Schulten had said that “the ads show girls of different races and sizes, and others playing sports in a wheelchair. Each one with the campaign’s slogan: ‘I’m beautiful the way I am.’” This describes how women shouldn’t be discriminated on how their body appears in the public eye. The woman should see herself just as worthy as she sees all the other women. In some circumstances, women have always been told that they have to take the second seat to man. There’s a song that compares women and society, it shows how “we say to girls: ‘You can have ambition but not too much. You should am t be successful, but not too successful, otherwise you will threaten the man’ (Knowles). Throughout this song i can confer that some women are able to handle the pressure of the workplace, whereas other women like the role of being a domestic engineer. However, Maybelline expresses through their campaign that women should indeed wear makeup. Maybelline’s President, David Greenberg, claimed that “makeup helps women feel more comfortable with going out in public.” Mr. Greenberg says that they’re not trying to make women have a false identity, but instead trying to make them have a secure sense of security. Women shouldn’t be judged by their appeal to the public eye. Society needs to stop advertising a certain type of woman, and show all types of women. If a woman were to walk down the street, either she is insecure, obese, and/or depressed, and she were to look up to a beautiful woman on the billboard, shes going to feel more insecure and want to change how she appears. A life of a woman shouldn’t be based on their physical appearance, because every woman is beautiful in their own way and it shouldn’t be hidden due to what society says. – Schulten, Katherine. “Is There Too Much Pressure on Girls to Have ‘Perfect’ Bodies?” The Learning Network Is There Too Much Pressure on Girls to Have Perfect Bodies Comments. New Yorks Times, 03 Oct. 2013. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. < //learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/is-there-too-much-pressure-on-girls-to-have-perfect-bodies/>.

Does Technology make us more alone? As a greatness that has increased the way that we perceive the world, technology can be a burden. Unlike the many screen glossed eyes and over exerted thumbs, technology is doing something far worse than hand cramps: it is making the human mind more comfortable with being alone and devoid of human contact. Technology has created, based upon evidence stated by Sherry Turkle, the desire ‘to customize our lives’ through the vast creativity that technology provides. It forces people to only ‘pay attention to what interests them’. But who wouldn’t? People typically pay more attention to the subjects that interest them and would most likely try to find those subjects online where they are easiest to access. Yes, despite increasing our knowledge, it is decreasing our ability to converse with one another. The fear of being judged all gone with eye contact glued to a screen. It is as if no one wants to be bothered by others around them, but is willing to have millions follow them on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Even Sherry Turkle- a psychologist and professor employed at M.I.T- states in her article The Flight from Conversation that ‘people are comforted by being in touch with a lot of people- carefully kept at bay’. This need to be important and loved by a persona is a reassuring concept that provides those two wants without having to deal with actual human emotion. The need for interaction with living, breathing people seems to be cast aside for the more accurate version from a nonliving thing such as a robot. We live in an age where technology is a necessity in life, but it is becoming a way to destroy connecting and feeling emotions from other people, enforcing being alone in a world that is barely real.

“The Flight From Conversation”. New York Times. April 21, 2012. Web. March 2, 2014. //www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-conversation.html?pagewanted=all

Legalize Marijuana Drugs aren’t as harmful as people believe them to be. Marijuana is more helpful than harmful. Statistics state that 88,000 people die from alcohol and more than 480,000 people die from cigars. While less than a hundred people die from the marijuana usage. This drug benefits people with diseases such as cancer. It seems that many people would rather drink alcohol that can become addictive rather than smoke marijuana which is a drug that most people value for medical needs. Marijuana is being legalized in many places for different reasons. In Mexico City officials suggest “Legalization of marijuana, not other drugs.” People smoke the drug instead of having any other addictions such as shopping, sex, tv and video games. In Guatemala, the president has put forward a plan for the government to legalize and sell the drug. While these two places are allowing the drug, majority of the U.S is still against the use of marijuana. “The U.S has rejected legalization as a solution to drug use.” Citizens in the U.S have different emotions about this debate with many citizens not accepting the drug. Marijuana isn’t harmful because it is a natural substance. People should be able to smoke a substance that is natural rather than tobacco which is mixed with a highly addictive substance called nicotine. Allen St. Pierre a Executive Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws agrees that the drug marijuana should be legalized. He stated that he hopes more Americans would legalize it. “Since 1996, 18 states approved marijuana for medical use.” And also “13 states have decriminalized the possession of marijuana, removing the possibility of jail time.” This suggest that many of the world’s population are able to persuade their government that marijuana isn’t as much as an addictive drug as society believes it to be. Marijuana isn’t a harmful substance unless it is laced with another drug. Marijuana has been proven to be a palliative drug and should be legalized in the U.S

Archibold, Randal C. “Americas Coalition Suggests Marijuana Laws Be Relaxed.” New York Times. 18 May. 2013: A.7. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

Gonchar,Michael. Should marijuana be legalized?.Ny times. 31, May 2013. Web. 10, March 2014

Sexual Violence against Young Women According to American Medical Association, Sexual violence and rape are considered the most under reported violent crime. In the Steubenville case 2 high school football players were found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl. After being found guilty of raping and sending nude images of the girl around, 1 boy got 1 year in juvenile jail and the other boy got 2 years. After the case one of the boys apologized to the victims family stating “No pictures should have been sent around, let alone ever taken.” The fact that the 2 high school boys raped and took pictures shows that we as a society are not teaching the effects and consequences of rape to young adults. According to an article in the New York Times, “the judge of the case noted that the boys could have had far worse punishments and said that this was a cautionary lesson.” The fact that the judge is giving them a cautionary lesson astounds me. Rape is rape and no matter what age the rapists are the consequences should be served based on the crime not their age.

In Ms. Nathman’s article “Raising children who will speak up tot prevent rape, not defend it,” she discusses the “Cult of Masculinity” and how male power and strength are being praised upon especially since these 2 boys were football stars. The teenage boys thought that because they were football stars that they were unstoppable and could get away with anything until they were caught and found guilty. Nathman states that there is often and impulse to “Blame the victim” and that is one thing I disagree with her. There in any case is never an impulse to blame the victim noted on what she was wearing. So the amount of insincerity people are showing to the victim of this case is unbearable. Social media also had a big role on the insincerity people showed the victim.

In my opinion, the work of these college activists is impressive, but we need to do more. I also agree with the college activists saying that colleges and high schools are falling short in educating students about sexual assaults since most young adults are defending the rapists of this case. Also many people are tweeting to the victim that she “ruined their life” when the rapist ruined their own life. “Rape is not a recreational activity. We, as a society, have an obligation to do more to educate our young people about rape. They need to know that it is a horrible crime of violence. And it is simply not ok.” Stated Ohio attorney of the Steubenville case Dr. DeWine.

Guarino, Mark “Steubenville’s Troubling Question: Is Rape Just a Part of ‘Hook-up Culture?’ Christian Science Monitor, March 20, 2013 n.p

Oppel, Richard “Ohio Teenagers Guilty in Rape That Social Media Brought to Light”. New York Times, March 17, 2013

Books not Guns

In 2002 at a Arizona university, an irate student shot three professors to death. This event and many other school shootings lead to one of the biggest questions in Arizona’s and other states government and schools… “Should weapons be aloud on campus?” Guns and other weapons should not be permitted in schools and on campuses. They can cause danger to other students and professors. Students or teachers may use them without a cause or for the wrong reasons, and bringing weapons to campus can be the cause of more school shootings. If students bring weapons to school, it can put everyone in that building or on that campus in danger. Students or professors may feel unsafe and not comfortable there, even though a campus is supposed to be a comfortable, friendly environment. Having people on campus able to carry weapons on them can cause students and/or teachers to have violent outburst. For example, if the student thinks it’s unfair to have an assessment or finds the material they are learning too difficult, they might use their weapon upon the teacher. The number of students bringing weapons to school is sky rocketing and the number teachers being threatened by their students is increasing as well. As of now the risk of a student accidentally getting shot or obtaining a gun during a school year has increased by 40 percent in the past four decades. Because of one child carrying a gun on campus, others may feel they can too. “Campus shootouts are a relative rarity, but they do occur. The most notorious shooting at an Arizona university took place in 2002 when a disgruntled nursing student shot three professors to death.” Just from being angry and dissatisfied, she shot the people there to help her. Exactly as Carmen Themar stated, “…and bullets don’t always go where they are aimed.” Taking out your frustration on someone may impact another’s life. The shooting victims most likely have families that are devastated. The anger could cause those certain people to shoot others. A gun shooting is more than just injuring or killing that human; whole families are affected. Guns should stay out of any educational environment because schools are for learning and guns have no purpose to be there.

“Should Guns Be Permitted on College Campuses?” The Learning Network Should Guns Be Permitted on College Campuses Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

Szabo, Liz. “Guns in the Home Are Proving Deadly for Kids.” //sks.sirs.com . Newspaper USA Today, 29 May 2013. Web.

Is it really worth calling a sport? From experience, I can tell you cheerleading is a sport. Girls train endless, tiring hours each week perfecting a routine that includes a combination of gymnastics, dance, and stunting. Not only do you need a high level of strength and skill, cheerleading offers a high risk of injury. And what is that cheerleading doesn’t have that other sports do? “An athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature” is the definition of a sport according to Dictionary.com. Cheerleading exceeds all these criteria. According to the Women’s Sport Foundation, a sport must include a physical activity which involves propelling a mass through space or overcoming the resistance of mass, like a football, baseball, or in cheerleading, a person.Of course it takes strength and skill to throw a ball accurately, but to throw a person up into the air takes a tremendous amount of strength. All sports are governed by rules, and have some element of competitiveness. Cheerleading has rules that restrict skills in each level and performance time, and as far as I know, cheerleading is the most competitive sport I’ve ever participated in. Cheerleaders travel the U.S. all year round to compete in different states. There is even a competition called The World Championship that is broadcasted on ESPN. If its broadcasted on television, then its definitely a sport. 65.1% of all catastrophic sports injuries in high school females are from cheerleading, according to livescience.com. So, over half of all injuries in high schools in girls are from cheerleading, so what makes it not a sport? Injuries are sadly common in every sport, and I have experienced one before. As a backspot, my job is to catch and make sure my flyer stays up safely in the air. While putting their safety before mine, I have numerous girls fall on me, especially my head. After many visits to the doctors, I was diagnosed with a concussion. Missing many days of school, I had left my team stranded with one less team member. Injuries really take a toll on life, especially when you play a sport that has a high risk of it occurring. According to, George W. Bush was the head cheerleader at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. Since, cheerleading has grown tremendously. Numerous cheer gyms are opening in every state, why would there be such a demand for them if cheerleading wasn’t a sport. Not only are their gyms continuously opening, but cheerleading is all over the media, television and online shows are dedicated to the sport. So, if you still don’t think cheerleading is a sport, ask cheerleader, and they will tell you countless reasons why it is.

Sources Thomas, Katie. “Cheering Clamors to Be Sport.” The New York Times 22 May 2011: 1-5.

IS Music The Key to Success?

Music. It’s Not Just For Entertainment

Collaboration. Creativity. Discipline. Three important qualities that are hard to come by in society today. As people, we need to find a way to acquire these traits. Many people look to music for entertainment. Unfortunately they are missing the big picture. Music can encourage these desired qualities within us. In fact, many successful people in business, acting and newscasting have been classically trained in music. Coincidence? I think not. Alan Greenspan, a man who served as the chairman of the federal reserve,and grew up playing the clarinet and piano, told the New York Times that he himself, knows that this is no coincidence. “The probability that this is just chance is extremely small.” Greenspan explains. In agreement, many pose the question, “Why does this connection exist?” Most would simply say “It just does.” Paul Allen says otherwise. The co founder of Microsoft has played both the violin and the guitar. He informed the New York Times that at the end of a long day of programming, he would pull his guitar out and play, learning to express himself in a brand new way. The sad part is that music isn’t being taught to many students. In a 2003 Gallup Poll, only 54% of American households said they have have at least one musician. Since 1978, this statistic has dropped by 15%. Sooner or later, there will be nobody playing musicians. Parents have argued that the arts do nothing for our students, but do gym classes really do anything for us? At a small middle school in Holliston Massachusetts, kids are required to take a form of music class. Students can play instruments, sing in the chorus or study general music. Holliston has ranked number 18 in the state. Interestingly, all of the schools ranked ahead of Holliston require music to graduate. In an article in Forbes Magazine, a writer says that if a scientist were to have musical training it would have no relevance on how great a scientist they are. Thus, countering the fact that musical training will lead to success. This may be true but most would agree that listening to music can help us concentrate on work. Music being a branch of performing arts also can give us confidence. SInging in front of a crowd could help with public speaking. Playing an instrument in front of thousands shares the language of melody, sharing our ideas in front of a crowd shares the language of our knowledge. Many instrumentalists refer to music as a “hidden language.” If we believe that languages of countries will help us to be successful, then we believe that the language of music will help too.

Works Cited: Lipman, Joanne. “Is Music the Key to Success?.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Oct. 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. < //www.nytimes.com/2013/10/13/opinion/sunday/is-music-the-key-to-success.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0> .Ubel, Peter. “An Embarrassingly Unscientific New York Times Op-Ed On Music And Success.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 10 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. < //www.forbes.com/sites/peterubel/2014/01/10/an-embarrassingly-unscientific-new-york-times-op-edon-music-and-success/>.

Collaboration. Creativity. Discipline. Three important qualities that are hard to come by in society today. As people, we need to find a way to acquire these traits. Many people look to music for entertainment. Unfortunately they are missing the big picture. Music can encourage these desired qualities within us. In fact, many successful people in business, acting and newscasting have been classically trained in music. Coincidence? I think not. Alan Greenspan, a man who served as the chairman of the federal reserve,and grew up playing the clarinet and piano, told the New York Times that he himself, knows that this is no coincidence. “The probability that this is just chance is extremely small.” Greenspan explains. In agreement, many pose the question, “Why does this connection exist?” Most would simply say “It just does.” Paul Allen says otherwise. The co founder of Microsoft has played both the violin and the guitar. He informed the New York Times that at the end of a long day of programming, he would pull his guitar out and play, learning to express himself in a brand new way. The sad part is that music isn’t being taught to many students. In a 2003 Gallup Poll, only 54% of American households said they have have at least one musician. Since 1978, this statistic has dropped by 15%. Sooner or later, there will be no musicians left. Parents have argued that the arts do nothing for our students, but do gym classes really do anything for us? At a small middle school in Holliston Massachusetts, kids are required to take a form of music class. Students can play instruments, sing in the chorus or study general music. Holliston has ranked number 18 in the state. Interestingly, all of the schools ranked ahead of Holliston require music to graduate. In an article in Forbes Magazine, a writer says that if a scientist were to have musical training it would have no relevance on how great a scientist they are. Thus, countering the fact that musical training will lead to success. This may be true but most would agree that listening to music can help us concentrate on work. Music being a branch of performing arts also can give us confidence. SInging in front of a crowd could help with public speaking. Playing an instrument in front of thousands shares the language of melody. Sharing our ideas in front of a crowd shares the language of our knowledge. Many instrumentalists refer to music as a “hidden language.” If we believe that languages of countries will help us to be successful, then we believe that the language of music will help too.

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170 Opinion Essay Topics to Choose in 2023 for Your Writings

  • by Lesley V.
  • August 16, 2023 November 10, 2023

Whether in high school or college, opinion writing prompts will follow you. This essay type is a must to master:

Teachers will assign oped papers to check your critical thinking skills. They want to ensure you know how to build arguments and prove your point of view. Academic writing skills are also here: Opinion essays have a structure (1) to follow.

In this article, you’ll find a massive list of good opinion essay topics and ideas to consider for your work. All are strong, divided by subject, and with actionable writing tips to get an A+ for your piece.

What Is an Opinion Essay?

Op-ed essays are formal, representing an author’s personal take on a specific subject. They aren’t about college work only. You could see op-ed posts on social media or journalistic articles in newspapers.

In academia, you’ll also need to mention the opposite point of view in opinion essays. The final paragraph before a conclusion should contain counterarguments (for a fuller discussion).

How to Choose Good Opinion Essay Topics

While teachers can assign a topic for op-ed writing, college students often have freedom of choice here. And that’s where a challenge comes in:

How to choose a good opinion essay topic? How to ensure it’s controversial enough to trigger a discussion? Is it possible to know of it gives you enough argumentation and evidence to support your point?

What is a Good Topic for an Opinion Paper?

Good opinion writing topics have 3 specific characteristics:

  • They allow you to develop a strong thesis statement (2).
  • You can find enough facts to support your point: examples, reliable sources, quotes, etc.
  • They have opposite viewpoints . Avoid topics presenting the ultimate truth: There’s nothing to discuss there.

How to Choose Your Perfect Opinion Writing Prompt?

Opinion essay topics are many. Follow these 5 steps when choosing yours:

  • Recheck the requirements. How long should your essay be? Do you need to cover a single issue or discuss a few? Depending on the prompt, not all topics may appear to be appropriate.
  • Consider the audience. Who’ll read your paper? Do you write for everyone or a specific group? Choose topics that are relevant and interesting to whom you’ll write.
  • Remember about your interests, too. Consider issues of your knowledge and passion. Write about something bothering or exciting you: Such opinion essay topics are easier to craft.
  • Recheck the essay’s purpose. Will it educate, persuade, or entertain readers? It can help you narrow down the topic choices.
  • Do pre-research. Check if you can find enough sources with reliable information on your chosen topic. Will you have evidence to support your point if writing on this?

Opinion Essay Writing Tips: Start With Easy Prompts

When choosing opinion essay topics, remember you’ll need to structure your paper on it. It’s an academic paper, so please follow the format requirements . Also, you’ll need to cover all the questions related to your chosen topic.

The below writing tips will help ensure you’ve chosen a proper op-ed idea for your essay:

  • Brainstorm several topics before writing. Which one does meet the prompt’s requirements best?
  • Research . Are there other people investigating and discussing your chosen issue? Will you have enough supporting evidence to use throughout the paper?
  • Choose a side . What point of view will you support about the topic?
  • Develop a strong thesis and think of arguments you’ll use to prove it.
  • Remember to mention an opposite viewpoint. What counterarguments do your opponents have? Choose controversial topics, open to discussions.

20 Opinion Topics to Practice Your Writing Skills

Below are 20 elementary topics teachers assign for 5th-grade or for middle school students. They are easy opinion essay topics to practice writing. Also, they are great to consider when you have no idea what to write about in your piece:

Opinion Essay Topics: Choose Yours And Get A+

So, now you have them: 170 topics for opinion writing! Choose yours:

  • Consider the prompt requirements and the target audience of your paper.
  • Check if you have enough arguments and evidence to state and support a thesis in the paper.
  • Choose a topic that interests you but with counterarguments to add to a paper for discussion.

Which opinion essay topics from the list above have you already covered? And which one would you choose for your next paper or article?

References:

  • https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/essay-structure
  • https://www.vwu.edu/academics/academic-support/learning-center/pdfs/Thesis-Statement.pdf
  • https://www.jscc.edu/academics/programs/writing-center/writing-resources/five-paragraph-essay.html

6 thoughts on “170 Opinion Essay Topics to Choose in 2023 for Your Writings”

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Wow! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a completely different topic but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Outstanding choice of colors!

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Thank you for providing me with these article examples!

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Nice blog! I love how it is easy on my eyes and the data are well written. I am wondering how I could be notified whenever a new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your RSS which must do the trick! Have a nice day!

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Your articles are extremely helpful to me. May I ask for more information?

Thank you for providing so many examples! Now I know what to write in my next paper. 🙂

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Many thanks for this list! It’s my top struggle – to decide on a topic for my next essay or article. You’ve nailed it! All the best!

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50 Argumentative Essay Topics for Students

50 Argumentative Essay Topics for Students

4-minute read

  • 11th June 2022

The goal of an argumentative essay is to persuade the reader to understand and support your position on an issue by presenting your reasoning along with supporting evidence. It’s important to find the right balance between giving your opinions and presenting established research.

These essays discuss issues around a range of topics, including science, technology, politics, and healthcare. Whether you’re a teacher looking for essay topics for your students or a student tasked with developing an idea of your own, we’ve compiled a list of 50 argumentative essay topics to help you get started!

●  Does texting hinder interpersonal communication skills?

●  Should there be laws against using devices while driving?

●  Do violent video games teach or encourage people to behave violently?

●  Should social media sites be allowed to collect users’ data?

●  Should parents limit how long their children spend in front of screens?

●  Is AI helping or hurting society?

●  Should cyber-bullying carry legal consequences?

●  Should Supreme Court justices be elected?

●  Is war always a political decision?

●  Should people join a political party?

●  Is capitalism ethical?

●  Is the electoral college an effective system?

●  Should prisoners be allowed to vote?

●  Should the death penalty be legal?

●  Are governments around the world doing enough to combat global warming?

●  Is healthcare a fundamental human right?

●  Should vaccinations be mandated for children?

●  Are there any circumstances under which physician-assisted suicides should be legal?

●  Should parents be able to choose specific genetic modifications of their future children?

●  Should abortion be legal?

●  Is it ethical to perform medical experiments on animals?

●  Should patients who lead unhealthy lifestyles be denied organ transplants?

●  Should doctors be able to provide medical care to children against their parents’ wishes?

Mental Healthcare

●  What causes the stigma around mental health?

●  Discuss the link between insufficient access to mental health services and the high suicide rates among veterans.

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●  Should cannabis be used as a treatment for patients with mental disorders?

●  Is there a link between social media use and mental disorders?

●  Discuss the effect of physical activity on mental health.

●  Should sports be segregated by gender?

●  Should male and female athletes be given the same pay and opportunities?

●  Are professional athletes overpaid?

●  Should college athletes be paid?

●  Should sports betting be legal?

●  Should online access to art such as music be free?

●  Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism?

●  Are there any circumstances under which books should be banned?

●  Should schools be required to offer art courses?

●  Is art necessary to society?

●  Should schools require uniforms?

●  Should reciting the Pledge of Allegiance be required in schools?

●  Do standardized tests effectively measure intelligence?

●  Should high school students take a gap year before pursuing higher education?

●  Should higher education be free?

●  Is there too much pressure on high school students to attend college?

●  Are children better off in two-parent households?

●  Should LGBTQ+ partners be allowed to adopt?

●  Should single people be able to adopt children as easily as couples?

●  Is it okay for parents to physically discipline their children?

●  Does helicopter parenting help or hurt children?

●  Should parents monitor their children’s Internet use?

Proofreading & Editing

An argument could also be made for the importance of proofreading your essay ! The reader can focus more on your message when your writing is clear, concise, and error-free, and they won’t question whether you’re knowledgeable on the issues you’re presenting. Once you have a draft ready, you can submit a free trial document to start working with our expert editors!

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Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — Great Opinion Essay Topics for Everyone

Great Opinion Essay Topics for Everyone

opinion essay topics

An opinion essay is about expressing your point of view. You can fully agree with a certain statement, partially or express complete disagreement. In this case, each argument in support of your point of view should be devoted to a paragraph. In this type of essay, you indicate your opinion in the introduction and conclusion.

Choosing a balanced approach, you should not only describe the problem from two sides (one paragraph – points for, and the second – points against) but also indicate which position is closer to you. In this case, it is advisable to start with an idea that is less close to you and devote the second paragraph to the one you adhere to. You must indicate your position in three places: in the introduction, in the conclusion, and in the topic sentence of the second paragraph.

In the introduction, the author expresses his opinion, starting with the words in my opinion. In the first paragraph, he indicates the position that is less close to him, and in the second, the one to which he is more inclined. At the same time, he gives consistent and convincing arguments in support of his opinion with the help of introductory constructions on the one hand, on the other hand. In the conclusion, the author uses the introductory phrase in conclusion and summarizes his opinion with the phrase I am still convinced that.

Next, we will look at opinion essay topics that will help you get inspired to write your own work.

Top 15 Opinion Essay Topics

Here we will analyze the 15 most popular topics for an opinion essay .

  • Do you think that technology has reduced the social interaction of people?
  • How has science influenced modern education?
  • How do you feel about dating apps?
  • Do you think social media filters are bad for mental health?
  • Do you think smartphones can be used in the classroom?
  • How do you think social media should be censored?
  • How do you think the Internet harms or benefits?
  • Is global warming real and how can it be combated?
  • Is it true that strict parents harm children more than they help?
  • Do you think parents should provide privacy to their children?
  • Is it true that it is easier for a younger person to learn a language?
  • Do you think medical marijuana should be banned?
  • Is it true that all legends are based on false facts?
  • Is it normal for college students to be tech-savvy?
  • Is it true that dolphins carry death to the dam?

Public Opinion Essay Topics

Public opinion papers topics include the general beliefs, desires, and reasoning of most people.

  • Can we continue to trust news resources and channels?
  • Do you think health insurance should be more affordable?
  • Is it true that domestic violence harms the public?
  • Do you think that abortion can remain legal ?
  • Do you think the legalization of cannabis is more harmful or beneficial?
  • Does owning a firearm make people feel safer?
  • Do you think national parks are endangered?
  • How do you think social networks affect the split of the public in the country?
  • Can mass depression be considered a global health problem in the country?
  • Should school help parents control the amount of time their children spend on gadgets?
  • How can you fight fake news?
  • What solutions to economic inequality would you suggest?
  • Can we trust the voting system?
  • Does our country need to reform its military policy?
  • Do you think that the death penalty should be abolished everywhere?
  • Do you think it is possible to fight corruption in the police?
  • How can the rise of homelessness be tackled in the country?
  • Do you think the public will ever be satisfied with their president?
  • How does the appearance of a person affect his mood and performance?
  • Is it necessary to play sports in schools on a mandatory basis?

Personal Opinion Essay Topics

Here are some ideas for opinion essays on personal topics.

  • Is it true that social networks contribute to the development of depression in adolescents?
  • Do you think that respect is a key aspect of success in a person’s life?
  • How do you think close friendships should imply ethics?
  • Can self-pity harm a person?
  • How do you know when a romantic relationship is over?
  • In your opinion, should the public education system provide healthy nutrition to students?
  • Is it acceptable that students’ homework takes up all their free time?
  • How important is rest to ensure good academic performance?
  • Does travel really help broaden your horizons and worldview?
  • Is it true that journaling has a positive effect on a person’s emotions?
  • How do you think students should be allowed to use e-books during class?
  • Can I feel safe at school ?
  • Is bullying really a sign of a person’s insecurity?
  • Does a modern business need offices?
  • Should the age limit for drivers be raised to 18?
  • Do you think working women can be good mothers?
  • Does military training really have a positive effect on the development of a person’s character?
  • How can evil parents harm their children?
  • Does a person need time management?
  • What benefits and harms can energy drinks bring to the human body?

Opinion Topics in History

Here are some historical topics for opinion writing .

  • Benefits of learning the history of other countries.
  • US role in World War II.
  • Religion and State: An Unobvious Connection.
  • Why do students need to study subjects that they will not need in the future?
  • History of cinema: how did it all begin?
  • Echoes of Slavery Today: The Black Lives Matter Movement.
  • Views and true intentions of Che Guevara.
  • Benefits of capitalism.
  • Causes of the Caribbean Crisis.
  • Causes of the Cold War.
  • The difference between the monarchy in Spain and Great Britain.
  • Religion and the Amish: A Conservative Religious Movement in Christianity.
  • Displacement by the British colonizers of the indigenous population of the United States.
  • The viability of communism today. 

Good Opinion Writing Topics: Elementary

Here are good opinion writing topics for an essay on elementary themes.

  • Time management in elementary grades.
  • The role of extracurricular reading in education.
  • The role of social networks in shaping the personality of a child.
  • Creative subjects as the basis for the versatile development of the student.
  • The role of pocket money in the development of interpersonal relationships between primary school students.
  • No use of smartphones during lessons.
  • The influence of pets on the socialization of students.
  • Food and education: they are more connected than you think.
  • Change as an important part of your child’s socialization.
  • Drawing and singing: two things you can’t refuse.
  • The role of classical music in stimulating the brain activity of students.
  • Warming up between classes is a way to improve the learning process.
  • Gamification of classes: pros and cons.
  • Is it worth it to completely replace physical media with digital ones?
  • What is the complexity and size of the ideal homework assignment?

Opinion Essay Topics: Sports

Here are some sports topics for essay writing .

  • How do you think the use of doping in sports is ethical?
  • Does success in sports really depends on eating a healthy diet?
  • Do athletes have a life after retirement?
  • Is it possible to justify sporting achievements by getting serious injuries?
  • Is it true that athletes must meet high moral standards?
  • Is it true that successful coaches make their teams successful?
  • How much do professional athletes get paid?
  • Is it true that female athletes are engaged in traditionally male sports?
  • The role of the Olympic Games in strengthening friendly relations between countries.
  • Is there any ethics in sports exports involving animals?
  • Can a break from sports be beneficial?
  • Do good shoes really provide a part of success in sports?
  • Do college athletes deserve professional coaching?
  • Is it true that athletes are less susceptible to depression?
  • Is it true that basketball players are more vulnerable to racist discrimination?

Opinion Essay Topics on Culture

Here are some cultural opinion topics .

  • The role of modern pop music in shaping public attitudes.
  • Unrealistic beauty standards of today.
  • Electronic music as a tribute to universal digitalization.
  • Advantages and disadvantages of online communication.
  • The Internet as a Cause of Inappropriate Expectations in Interpersonal Relationships.
  • Globalization of the fashion industry as a reason for the destruction of cultural heritage.
  • The cycle of fashion.
  • K-pop as a unique phenomenon in modern culture.
  • Rock and pop industry: they have more in common than you think.
  • YouTube as the main platform for identifying talents.
  • Copyright in the music industry.
  • Twitch and Instagram as tools for female objectification.
  • Digital technologies in politics.
  • Features of the cuisines of the people of the world.
  • Pacifism in modern culture.

Nursing Opinion Essay Topics

Here are some best opinion nursing essay topics 

  • Cases of exaggeration of the powers of nurses.
  • Features of communication of medical staff with relatives of patients.
  • The problem of interaction between medical staff and patients planning a gender transition.
  • Digitalization of work processes of medical staff.
  • Digitalization as one of the reasons for the reduction of medical staff.
  • Forced vaccination: pros and cons.
  • Globalization of medical control of the population.
  • The role of homeopathy in modern medicine.
  • The problem of alternative medicine.
  • The problem of euthanasia in different countries.
  • Patient Data Privacy.
  • Expansion of the ban on the free sale of drugs.
  • Genetics and diseases.
  • The effectiveness of patient participation in the treatment process.
  • Gender dependence of the nursing profession.

Social Media Opinion Essay Topics

Here are some social media essays writing ideas.

  • Social networks as an element of approval in education.
  • The impact of social media on everyday life.
  • Censorship on the modern web.
  • Problems with using digital sources of information in education.
  • Eco activity in social networks.
  • The role of influencers in changing the moral values of society.
  • Social engineering as a scourge of modern society.
  • Cyberbullying and reality.
  • Children and social networks: are restrictions necessary?
  • Digitalization and modern culture.
  • The role of Twitter in politics.
  • Smartphones and parental controls.
  • Piracy on social media.
  • Popularization of deep fakes.
  • Success in reality and success in social networks: is there a difference?

Education Opinion Essay Topics

Here are the best interesting education essay themes.

  • Should children be taught to write in elementary schools?
  • Should students be allowed to carry phones to school?
  • What benefits do students get from participating in extracurricular activities?
  • Do you think it is worth raising the age of graduates?
  • Do you think e-learning is effective enough?
  • The role of gamification in increasing the involvement of students in the educational process.
  • Why is learning a foreign language critical for a student?
  • Why grade is not an indicator of a student’s mental development?
  • Are e-books dangerous?
  • Is it acceptable to punish students by teachers?
  • How reliable can online sources be for research?
  • Should students study only those subjects they like?
  • And how relevant are Gender Schools today?
  • Are there any advantages to distance learning?
  • What is the role of Latin in modern education?

 Literature Opinion Essay Topics

Here are some literature opinion essay topics.

  • What caused gender bias in 17th-century English literature?
  • What is the satire in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
  • How did Shakespeare present love and death in his works?
  • Do you think English grammar should be preserved?
  • The more a person reads, the better he can write.
  • How do you think reducing the amount of literature in college will positively affect the level of education of students?
  • Do engineering students need English?
  • How can essay writing help in building a successful career?
  • Taras Shevchenko as an image of Ukrainian society.
  • Is Martin Luther King Jr. the voice of the African American people?
  • How can science fiction contribute to the development of technology?
  • Does reading have a positive effect on PTSD patients?
  • How quickly will e-books be replaced by paper ones?
  • Should the works of the classics become free?
  • How to get kids to read? 

Psychology Opinion Essay Topics

Here are the best topics for an essay on psychology. 

  • What is causing the rise of racism in the United States of America?
  • What is the importance of personal perception?
  • Is love really a chemical reaction
  • Identify examples of the effective use of propaganda.
  • How important is it for people to understand non-verbal communication?
  • What are the most pressing issues in the field of social cognition?
  • How to force yourself not to put off homework until later?
  • How do commercials affect the human brain?
  • Is it true that laughter is good for a person?
  • What are the consequences of cyberbullying?
  • What non-standard methods can increase productivity in the workplace?
  • How does aging affect human behavior?
  • Are there effective treatments for a personality disorder?
  • Does exercise really have a positive effect on the human brain?
  • Is it the right decision to give a small child access to a smartphone?

Opinion Essay Sample for Students

Here are interesting ideas for opinion essays for students.

  • The problem of the high cost of education in capitalist countries.
  • Issues of the safety of public places.
  • The attitude of different generations to social networks.
  • The value of the institution of marriage in modern society.
  • Maternity leave and the problems of restoring former labor duties.
  • Antidepressants as an addiction.
  • The out-of-school pastime of students.
  • Gender and economic inequality in third world countries.
  • Interpersonal relationships and the covid-19 pandemic.
  • IVF privacy issues.
  • Changes in US government policy related to Russian aggression.
  • The environmental aspect of using private transport.
  • DNA examination in the investigation: how expedient is it to rely on its results?
  • The problem of life imprisonment in states that have abolished the death penalty.
  • The influence of the opinion of the people of the United States on the foreign policy of the state.
  • The effectiveness of the state in solving drug addiction problems.

We hope that the topics that we have suggested will help you write a good topic for an essay . In case you need help with writing a paper, you can always refer to our free database, which contains thousands of essays and topics for writing them. On our website, you will find many prompts and topics you can write about   in good opinion essays.

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120 Best Opinion Essay Topics for College Students to Explore

Voicing your opinion doesn't seem so hard. After all, we all have equally strong feelings about things that matter and things that aren't all that important. I bet you had many heated arguments with your roommates about which pizza parlor was the best in your area. However, writing an opinion essay for college is quite a different kettle of fish and can be a challenging genre for students.

First of all, you have to tread the fine line between argumentative and persuasive writing. To do that, you might want to check out our guide on how to write an opinion essay .

Then, there is the question of a suitable issue to take a stand on. It must be meaningful, relevant, and divisive. We can help you with that as well! Below you will find 120 great ideas for opinion essays to nudge your inspiration.

Opinion Writing Topics for Essays about Education

Education and things related to it supply the most relevant topics for opinion writing among college students. After all, it directly concerns your life and issues that are shaping your experiences daily. Here just some matters you can explore. Note that each topic is linked to the relevant sample from our free database, so you could read what others have to say on education's pressing matters.

  • What is your opinion on studying abroad?
  • Your opinion on the current student selection system for college admission
  • How would you assess modern early childhood education?
  • What are the biggest challenges of special education?
  • Do you support school uniforms?
  • What is your opinion on the General Education trend?
  • What is your personal experience with education? Do you think it's typical?
  • How personal identity and global citizenship can be integrated through education?
  • Should standardized tests in K12 be more accommodating to students with disabilities?
  • Do you think Native American education today is problematic? Why?
  • Do you think current college tuition costs are fair?
  • Is college admission too competitive?

Political Science and Law Opinion Essays Topics

Probably the most prolific source of controversies and hot-button issues is politics. All the more reasons to become an eloquent debater, wouldn't you agree? Practice on these topics and reign over the discussion on campus!

  • In your opinion, should government control the Internet?
  • Do you believe incarceration or intermediate sanctions to be more effective?
  • Do you think the sex offenders' registry is effective?
  • Should voting be compulsory?
  • Do you think marijuana should be legalized in all 50 states?
  • Do you believe that freedom of speech must not be limited in any way?
  • What do you think about the USA's military involvement in global politics?
  • Should same-sex marriage be legal in your state?
  • What are your views on gun control?
  • Why is cybersecurity a crucial component of state security today?
  • Should your state raise the minimum driving age?
  • How patriotic is the Patriotic Act?

Pick These Opinion Topics to Write About Social Media

Social media is a relatively recent but potent phenomenon that changed individual lives and society at large beyond recognition in merely a couple of decades. Care to explore challenges and controversies associated with it? Welcome to the following topics.

  • In your opinion, is there a link between social networking and narcissism?
  • Are social media dangerous? How and why?
  • Is identity theft on social media a crime? Why?
  • Should children be allowed on social media?
  • What is the true meaning of social media, in your opinion?
  • Did Facebook had a positive or negative effect on human interactions?
  • Do you think Facebook changed romantic relationships? How?
  • The ethics of facial recognition technology in social media
  • Do you think social media could be more ethical with their terms of service?
  • Are parents clueless about the child predators on the Internet?
  • Do you think that social media have created big social changes in the USA?
  • Do you think the use of social media for politics is appropriate?

Find Your Perfect Sports Opinion Topic Among These Suggestions

People tend to have strong opinions on athletic tournaments, their favorite teams, doping scandals, and other controversial issues surrounding competitive sports. No wonder it's a great source of topics for opinion essays! Take a look at these:

  • Drag racing: fascinating or dangerous?
  • Should college athletes be paid?
  • Why do you think college football is so popular?
  • Is hazing in sports teams an important ritual or just bullying?
  • Which is more dangerous: football or cheerleading?
  • Do you think gender equality exists in tennis?
  • What is your position on the athletic use of drugs and stimulants?
  • The issue of and domestic violence among NFL Players
  • The controversy of baseball payoffs
  • How does FIBA challenge the NBA?
  • Is there any particular sports team you find remarkable? Why?
  • Why do you think football is more popular in the USA than soccer?

Great Opinion Topics for Essays About Environment

Human impact on the environment is the topic that first became the focus of public discussion several decades ago, but it remains very divisive to this day. Some people devote their lives to fighting the adverse effects of global warming. In contrast, others refuse to acknowledge climate change at all. Which side are you on?

  • Should recycling be mandatory?
  • What solution to climate change seems most viable to you?
  • Are the benefits of globalization worth the toll it takes on the environment?
  • Are exotic species passengers or drivers of the ecological change?
  • The effects of medium frequency sonar on right whales
  • Assess the work done by one of the national parks of wildlife reserves in your area
  • Do you think coral reef decay is a natural or anthropogenic environmental issue?
  • Should we battle global warming?
  • What is the most effective way to prevent water pollution?
  • What is the most significant environmental problem in your area?
  • The role of wind energy in environmental conservation
  • Are environmental and health risks associated with fracking worth the economic benefits? Why or why not?

Topics for Opinion Essay on Nursing and Healthcare

Healthcare becomes the center of public discussion quite often, but people rarely agree on it. Too bad. Maybe we all need a fresh perspective. Try exploring these topics from opposing points of view as an exercise!

  • What are your views on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ?
  • Should people with terminal illnesses have the right to assisted suicides ?
  • Why is psychology vital in sports injury rehabilitation?
  • Do you think that access to health care is sufficient in your state?
  • Should abortion be healthcare right?
  • Should vaccination be mandatory?
  • What could improve the stroke rehabilitation process?
  • What is your opinion on the use of robotics in Health Care?
  • Why is patient confidentiality important?
  • Should stem cell technology be applied?
  • What pressure ulcer healing technique you believe to be effective?
  • Review a rehabilitation facility in your area. What can be done to make it more effective?

Psychology and Mental Health Opinion Papers Topics

Mental health issues are still perceived by many as stigmatizing. Maybe because we don't talk about them enough? Try these opinion paper topics to start a conversation and tip the balance.

  • Do you think behavioral programs are effective for crime prevention?
  • Are individuals with high EQ better leaders? Why?
  • How can we better help patients with PTSD?
  • Should pedophilia be treated as a mental disorder?
  • Do you believe in love at first sight ?
  • What do you consider your calling?
  • What is the key component in treating patients with anorexia nervosa?
  • How does physical abuse influence human development?
  • Are operant conditioning and classical conditioning principles applicable in everyday life?
  • Is there a link between phobias and addiction?
  • Why should doctors be mindful about prescription drugs for managing mental disorders?
  • How can psychological intervention help prevent domestic violence?

Good Opinion Topics on Society and Culture

Modern culture is so diverse and multifaceted that it naturally becomes a breeding ground for opinionated essay topics, as interests and beliefs collide, interact, and blend. Can you give a definite answer to the questions posed below? We seriously doubt that. Yet we are happy to hear your opinion!

  • What is your opinion on gender representation in media?
  • Is affirmative action morally permissible?
  • Can Christians disagree on moral issues?
  • What are your views on full-time parenting?
  • Why people spend too much money, in your opinion?
  • Why is peer pressure so powerful?
  • Why is abusive leadership harmful?
  • What is your opinion on consumerism?
  • Is DIY just another fad or a positive movement?
  • What do you think about raising the numbers of teenage plastic surgeries?
  • In what ways are technology, industry, and culture of games linked?
  • Do you think the 1939 film adaptation of 'Gone with the Wind' is problematic? Why or why not?

Opinion Essay Ideas About English and World Literature

Literature may seem an easy subject to write opinion papers about. However, it's a bit more complicated than just telling whether or not you liked a particular book. Such a task requires analytical skills, an in-depth understanding of the text, and familiarity with cultural and historical context. Did I mention research? Well, there will be a lot of it! Do you think you can write an essay on some of these topics?

  • How historically accurate is Harper's Lee "To Kill a Mocking Bird"?
  • Is the point of view important in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
  • Quest for identity in "Alice's Adventure in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass ."
  • How is the adult world represented in the coming of age literature?
  • What have you learned about the past from Anne Moody's "Coming of Age in Mississippi"?
  • What do you find interesting about F. S. Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby"?
  • Do you think Orwell's allegory is still relevant today?
  • Why do you think "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" was impactful?
  • What can George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion" teach us today?
  • Who do you think is the least sympathetic character in Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"?
  • Are women's portrayal in "Beowulf" different from other heroic narratives?
  • Are Nathaniel Hawthorne's works relevant in the 21st century? Why or why not?

Opinion Essay Topics on History

Do you agree with the famous statement, "Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it" by Winston Churchill? Your answer to this question would already make an excellent opinion essay! Need something different? Try these.

  • Did Columbus discover America?
  • Is the story of the Aztec Conquest rooted in myth or facts?
  • Does the Thanksgiving celebration do justice to its historical origins? Why or why not?
  • How has the Declaration of Independence influenced the current governmental system of the USA?
  • Do you agree with the 'Second Revolution' name sometimes given to the Civil War?
  • Do you think Native American boarding schools were a positive or a negative influence?
  • What was the overall impact of the Spanish-American War and World War I on the US?
  • Was Roosevelt's New Deal policy effective? Why?
  • Did World War II significantly change the US?
  • Was Lyndon B. Johnson's the Great Society a success or failure?
  • What were the key factors in Morocco's independence ?
  • Israeli War of Independence in the history of Arab-Israeli conflict

Still puzzled? Browse around our free database for more relevant samples. You can use search by keywords to find more essays about the issue you are interested in. Alternatively, you can order a personalized sample from our essay writing service . We can personalize it to express any perspective you want us to support on any topic under the sun!

Jana Rooheart

Jana Rooheart

Jana Rooheart came to WOWESSAYS™ with a mission to put together and then slice and dice our vast practical experience in crafting all kinds of academic papers. Jana is an aspired blogger with rich expertise in psychology, digital learning tools, and creative writing. In this blog, she willingly shares tricks of pencraft and mind-altering ideas about academic writing any student will find utterly beneficial.

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Op Ed Essay Made Easy: Example And Topics From Experts

op ed essay

Do you have an op ed essay task but no idea how to go about it? You are not alone because a lot of people get stuck even before starting. Whether the trouble is in picking good op ed essay ideas or do not understand the right format to use, we are here to help.

This post is a comprehensive guide on how to write an op ed essay. Keep reading to find out more about the best op ed essay format and useful writing tips. To cap it all, we have listed the best 60 op ed topics for essay.

Table Of Contents

Op-Ed Essay Definition

How to write a good op ed essay, op ed essay example, writing an op ed essay: a step-by-step guide, top op ed essay writing tips, interesting op ed essay ideas.

Before looking at how to write a good op ed essay, it is crucial to start by answering the question, “What is it?” Traditionally, it is an opinion piece, mainly used in print media, appearing opposite the editorial page (hence the name “op-ed). These are essays done by authors who are not affiliated with the publisher and are used to provide an opinion to provoke discussion and thought among the readers.

Op-ed essays are slightly longer than the common letter to the editor and have become very common in both print and digital media. Because they offer expert opinions, it is important to start by learning how they are done by reading other top op ed essay examples in specific areas. However, most people still find using op ed examples essay not be enough and opt to seek essay writing help.

When writing an op ed essay, perhaps the most important thing is getting the right topic because it shapes the opinion that you will work on. Try to dig deeper into the topic and answer the question, “What is the latest trend about it?”

Like a standard essay, it is crucial to start your work by developing a good essay structure. Here is the most preferred op ed essay format, but you can also develop a different one.

A news hook. Thesis. Argument. 1 st point. 2 nd point. 3 rd point. Address counterarguments Op ed essay conclusion.

This Op ed is based on the article “Trump, and Great Business Ideas for America”. This is an economic review posted by Shiller Robert in the New York Times. The article mainly discuss the ideas that the new president elect of the United States of America, Donald Trump has on the nation. In essence, the people are hopeful that he will transform the nation’s economy since is a leader who has been in business and management for various years. Economists consider that this is an experiment that will prove whether the skills and techniques of a manager can be vital in enhancing the economy of a nation. Therefore, because of his success in business the Americans are expected that the economy will substantially improve. For Donald Trump, it is vital to be keen on the steps that he will take since people are expecting too much from him especially regarding economy.

Classical School

School of thoughts plays a vital role in the today’s economy. In essence, there are several ways in which the school of thoughts is applied mainly to enhance and solve economic challenges. Therefore, it is imperative to inform the members of the public the need to apply economic school of thoughts to enhance the economy. One of the major commonly use economic school of thoughts is the classical tool. The classical school of thought is regarded as the first economic school of thought that was developed by a Scottish economist Adam Smith. Hunt asserts that the main argument of the school is that the best way to enhance economy is to leave the markets alone (2). In this case, it means that the government had a minimal role to play. This means that the classical economic thought advocated for a free market that involves minimal or no rules. Thus, regarding explaining the value of the classical school, the determining factors were cost of production and scarcity. Concerning macro economy, there are self-re adjustment terms that allow the economy to automatically return to full employment.

Neoclassical School of Economics

This is a school of thought that emerged mainly as an improvement of the classical theory of economics. The school is also currently referred to as the marginal revolution. However, as an advancement of the classical school the theory left various aspects. Some of the most common aspects that were dropped include the value theory and the distribution of wealth in the society. As a result, neoclassical approach focuses on the strategies that promote effective allocation of scarce resources in the various markets. In that connection, there is a great emphasis on how various participants in the market such as the customers and producers utilize the function of utility and production. To achieve success in such markets, they must consider factors such as budgets and constraints. This is the main reason the neoclassical theory introduced the mechanism of maximizing utility and it challenge of cost minimization.

In addition to the above, the neoclassical school of thought can be defined as the theory that emphasizes the efficacy of the products and how it affects the market in terms of supply and demand. In essence, it is clear that the markets are based on the customers due to their control of the market forces such as price and demand. This is mainly because the goal of the consumer is utility maximization whereas the role of the goal of the business is to enhance profits. In that connection, there is a great emphasis on how various participants in the market such as the customers and producers utilize the function of utility and production.

The Theorist That Supports the Human Behavior School of Thought

Landreth and Colander confirm that Elton Mayo is the theorist who best supports this school of thought. Various principles are emphasized by the school of thought (10). One of the most important policies is employee motivation. By accepting diversity, managers demonstrate his management skill of motivating the employees to enhance their performance. The second principle of behavioral school of thought is leadership. This can be explained by the fact that managers can enable to adapt to internal changes swiftly. As well, the other principle of the theory is employee development. The management styled established by managers should ensure that employee development supports the people-focused strategy.

In conclusion, it is elemental to note that the economic school of thoughts may vary in one way or another. However, all these schools of thoughts such as the classical thought and the behavioral schools should be employed to enhance economic growth and development. There are various assumptions that are made in the neoclassical school of thought. One of the major assumption is that the decisions that are made are usually rational due to the availability of completed information about the product and service. The second assumption is that customers compare the available products and services in the market with the primary objective of making effective deceived based on utility. The third and most crucial assumption of the neoclassical economic school is that the primary objective of business is to maximize on profit making. On the contrary, customer’s main objective is to have improved satisfaction while using the service or product. Therefore, as the new president elect of the United States of America takes office he must ensure that the right polices are implemented to enhance economy. Otherwise, improving US economy might be a great challenge to overcome.

After developing the preferred structure for your essay, it is time to write a high-quality piece to impress readers. It might be a great idea to closely check another top op-ed essay example to learn how different components are put through.

  • Develop a News Hook

Because an op ed essay is designed for the media, it is crucial to target a trending topic in the local, national, or global headlines. The first few sentences should also grab the reader’s attention, making him/her want to read more. During the just-concluded presidential elections, some topics revolving around the violence on the capitol, the American voting system, and the policy shift between outgoing President Trump and incoming President Joe Biden, would have been excellent.

  • Tune Your Op Ed Essay to Match the Targeted Audience

If you read a high-rated op ed essay sample, one of the most notable things is the focus on a specific audience. For example, local print media might be targeted at providing insights on how wearing face masks affect the spread of COVID-19. So, it will be a great idea to try and understand the audience.

  • Understand the Targeted Publication

As we have mentioned, op ed essays are written pieces of opinion, but they must follow the rules and guidelines of the targeted media. This means that although you might have a lengthy piece, it has to be cut to size to fit the recommended number of words for the respective media. Other attributes include a sense of style, level, image size and font.

  • Back-Up Your Arguments with Facts

While it is true that you are writing a personal opinion, it is paramount to ensure it is based on facts. Once you bring out key arguments, try to incorporate data and statistics to reinforce them. Go ahead and use historical facts to bolster the case. Counterarguments can also help you to sound more professional and avoid bias.

  • Use the O p Ed Essay Conclusion to Call Readers to Action

After articulating all the points in your essay, you should not leave readers hanging. Well, if you were discussing a very serious issue, be it the COVID-19 vaccine or the danger of the latest video games, the conclusion should be used to call readers to action. For example, you can ask people to go and get the vaccine, select non-violent games, speak against school bullying, or other actions.

The following op ed essay writing tips will come in handy to help you to stay focused, sharpen your skills, and craft top-notch work.

Try to make the op-ed essay as clear as possible. Even if you are working on a complex topic, it might be a good idea to ditch the complex words or explain them well when they appear in your essay. Take your time practicing how to write a good op ed essay. Particularly, it can be a good idea to check another op ed essay sample done by a professional and try crafting a better piece. Make sure to follow the guidelines for the essay you are writing strictly. These include the essay structure, number of words, style, font, and other formatting particulars. Proofread your work well. Once you are through working on your essay, make sure to proofread it well and clear all sorts of errors. You might also want to seek the assistance of expert writers when proofreading the work.

Top 30 Op Ed Topics for Essay

Now that we have looked at what is an op ed essay and tips for making it outstanding, what are some of the best topics to consider? Check out our top 60 op ed essay topics and pick the preferred option. You can use op ed essay ideas as they are or tweak a little to suit your preference.

There is nothing as enjoyable as writing a good op ed essay about a topic that you like . Here are some interesting op ed essay ideas to consider:

  • Are professional athletes and actors paid too much for their work?
  • Should we have a specific dress code for teachers in school?
  • Nuclear weapons: Are they killing devices or global peacemakers?
  • The bulk of high-level jobs are done by men. Should the government set a specific percentage of these jobs for women?
  • What are the impacts of inaccurate sleep patterns?
  • What factors contribute to the development of a good movie?
  • Death penalty: Should it be abolished globally?
  • What age should be considered appropriate for dating?
  • Voting age: Should it be lowered to 11 years?

Top Op Ed essay ideas on Environment and Conservation

If you love the environment and conservation, here are some awesome op ed essay ideas.

  • Use of animals in scientific research: Up to what extent is it acceptable?
  • Zoos are often considered necessary, but they cannot be alternatives to natural environments.
  • Are we doing enough to protect endangered animals?
  • Is it impossible to address global warming?
  • Facing the facts: Is it possible for the globe to entirely rely on green energy?
  • Why do most governments hide their information on global warming?
  • Are the benefits of electric cars worth the huge investments being directed into the industry?
  • Explore the main arguments for or against keeping animals in zoos.
  • What are the effects of whaling in the sea?
  • Should we develop technology to bring back extinct animals, such as dinosaurs?

Education-Related Op-Ed Essay Topics

Education is one of the broad areas, meaning that identifying some good topics for your essay can be challenging. To help you out, here are some excellent topics suggestions.

  • Should girls and boys be taught in separate classes?
  • Imagine your geography teacher wants to take your class for a different subject and she is taking suggestions from students. What subjects should she pick? Write an essay supporting your decision.
  • Has the modern generation become too dependent on computers?
  • Should we replace all the textbooks with tablet computers?
  • Should wealthy countries be compelled to share their wealth with poorer nations?
  • Space exploration: Is it a worthy undertaking?
  • Should we abolish all forms of punishment in schools?
  • Using Homework in schools: Should it be abolished?
  • College violence: Is it related to video games.
  • Should students who are talented in sports go to school?
  • Distance learning in modern education: Comparing the pros and cons.
  • Students grading their teachers: Should it be allowed in schools?
  • Should smartphones be allowed in elementary schools?
  • If you had a chance to bring one person to a place that is so special, who would that be?

Culture Opinion Essay Opinion Essay Ideas

Here are some great cultural opinion essay topics to consider for your work.

  • The bulk of 21 st -century fashion can result in serious eating disorders.
  • Music and generation gap.
  • Should a tax be placed on all junk to address the problem of obesity?
  • If we wake up and found that the world has no rules and government, what would it be like?
  • Online video and music streaming: What are the associated pros and cons?
  • Anti-war culture in the 21 st century.
  • Is fashion important?
  • Should all companies screen their employees for mental disorders?
  • Is the internet helping or destroying companies today?
  • Online communications: A demonstration of how it affects physical relationships.

History Op Ed Essay Topics

Check out the leading op ed essay topics in history.

  • Monarchy system in modern society: Does it have any benefits?
  • The benefits of learning history
  • Comparing Buddhism and Islam.
  • Gender bias in the Roman Empire?
  • Holocaust: How were the lessons learned used to shape modern-day Israel?
  • Vietnam War: A closer look at the bias in media coverage.
  • Slave Trade: Imagining a new world if the slave trade never took place.
  • The distortion of Martin Luther King’s message today.
  • Should the history of World War I and II be abolished to espouse a new globe?

Nursing and Psychology Op Ed Topics for Essay

If you are in nursing, medicine or psychology-related areas, here are some great easy ideas to consider:

  • Why nurses and physicians should have very close cooperation.
  • How effective is WHO in addressing global pandemics?
  • Herbal practitioners and traditional medicine: Are they the same?
  • Causes of racial bias in healthcare.
  • Physical education and its role in reducing anxiety.
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD): What are the best solutions?
  • Nursing theorists: Are they relevant in nursing studies today?
  • Legalization of cannabis use: Is it a good idea?

Time to Seek Writing Assistance

Now that we have provided a step-by-step guide to writing quality op ed essays, can you craft one? If it is still challenging, you need to keep trying, but how do you craft the op ed essay at hand? You should consider seeking essay writing help from experts.

Good custom essay firms work with professional writers in different areas and can craft some of the best pieces. Indeed, they are likely to have handled similar tasks before, and you can count on them for excellent essays. You will also love the fact that essay writing help is cheap, and your task can be completed very fast. With professionals, no writing task is too tough!

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How to Write an Impactful Op-Ed

by The Writing Workshop | Feb 8, 2024 | Persuasive Writing

topics for op ed essay

What is an op-ed?

An op-ed goes by many names—an editorial, opinion piece, commentary, page op, etc.—but it is, in essence, a piece of writing within the public view that expresses an informed opinion focused on a specific topic or problem. Op-eds are fairly new as a writing style, first coming to prominence in the early 1900s as a way to attract the public back to print news in the age of radio. Today, they serve a similar niche; newspapers face a budget crisis as readership is at an all-time low, and op-eds offer a low-cost solution to providing daily content that engages readers in a way that more traditional journalism simply can’t.

The modern op-ed writer is not restricted by occupation either; professors, politicians, researchers, and professionals use them to take control of the narrative on a given topic rather than entrusting social media and search algorithms to do the job. There is also a rising trend in the sciences to compliment research with op-eds to address limitations in their work that can lead to pervasive misinterpretations.

For example, in early 2023, Cochrane, an influential organization that collects databases and reviews research, published an ambiguously worded review of RCT studies on masking and hand washing that led to gross misinterpretations of the study’s conclusions, even by one of its authors . Researchers and epidemiologists, including the editor in chief at Cochrane , were quick to point out that the study did not come to a conclusion due to a lack of evidence alongside glaring inadequacies in the review . Given the mistrust in science that has permeated from Covid-19 misinformation, academics continue to dispel the significance of the article months after its original publication .

Why does this matter? Well, just like in research writing, where you are one piece of a larger puzzle contributing to the cannon of knowledge on a given topic, op-ed writing is about making a small yet meaningful contribution to this cannon using persuasion. Unfortunately, many of the tools used to purvey a greater understanding can also be used to distort and mislead. While there is certainly something to be said of the severity and degree to which misinformation impacts the public in a digital age (in an op-ed, perhaps?), it is just an amplification of the truth’s dependence on the status quo; your job as an op-ed writer is to add nuance to widely held assumptions by offering alternative opinions, evidence, and interpretations.

So where do you begin? Well for one, you need some expertise on the topic you are writing about; persuading your audience to believe something you don’t understand yourself would be both unethical and a poor reflection of your abilities. You will also need to understand who you are writing to and what they care about, so let’s start there!

Identifying your audience

Good writing always has an audience, but writing to a large group of folks, each with their own unique needs and beliefs, can often be difficult. Your job in an op-ed is to speak to the aligned values and attitudes of your audience.

  • Do you speak to what is most important to your audience?
  • Is there a clear benefit to reading your piece?
  • Do you present information in a way that is new and interesting to the audience?
  • Does your audience have biases or preconceptions about the issue? Can you manage them?
  • How do you want your audience to react to this piece?
  • Is the language appropriate?

Successful op-eds also capitalize on what the audience may know (or not) about the topic.

  • What does your audience already know about the topic?
  • Is there a varying level of knowledge or familiarity with your topic?
  • Does your audience “know” because they trust that someone does?
  • What is new to your audience?
  • Do you present new information in a way that is easy to understand?
  • Why does your audience not know this information?

All writers struggle to understand their audiences, but for op-eds, it’s a little easier. Given the popularity of op-eds in most US newspapers, you can look to what other writers do in their pieces to engage readers—just remember that the point of an op-ed is to challenge a prominent belief or interpretation, and if you write only to those who share your views, you will lose the hearts and minds of those open to a critical dialogue on the topic.

For more on understanding your reader’s unique needs, check out our post below!

topics for op ed essay

Choosing a role

Everyone from professional journalists to professors and politicians—including the president—writes op-eds. There are plenty of reasons someone would be compelled to write an op-ed, but we think it’s useful to divide them into three distinct roles, listed below, that a policy professional will find themselves in at one time or another.

The Witness

The Witness offers a firsthand account of the problem, whether they experienced it themselves or witnessed it in action. Witnesses focus on the material and human costs, but the true power of their opinion lies in their testimony, often speaking truth to power and serving up a distinctly human-centered narrative of what’s going on. Witnesses should focus on creating a strong narrative that is representative of the problem and conveys the cost of ignoring it.

The Practitioner

The Practitioner occupies an important space between witness and expert. The practitioner experiences the problem secondhand—through aid or non-profit work, for example—but uses their insider knowledge to further educate their audience on its root causes, often moving from problem identification to a solutions-focused narrative. Practitioners are challenged to create short, effective narratives followed by evidence-based arguments to contextualize their observations; they should lean into their role and the credibility it provides but be cautious in appealing to themselves as an authority in place of evidence.

The Expert can be both a witness and/or practitioner (a practicing epidemiologist, for example), but their power lies in their extensive knowledge of the problem and the landscape in which it occurs. While it may seem easy for the experts, they are plagued with the “curse of knowledge” and challenged to write about complex ideas in way that an average reader will understand. Experts should lean into their extensive knowledge but be careful in presenting too many contingencies, caveats, and abstractions. Experts tend to jump around in their op-eds, which can often disorient a reader, so having a second set of eyes that represents their intended audience will always be helpful.

Once you’ve identified where you fall within this spectrum, it’s time to begin developing your argument.

The nuts and bolts of an op-ed

Structurally, an op-ed can be somewhat free-form, and there will be a lot of variation between different schools of writers (i.e. researchers, academics, journalists, activists, etc.), but a deductive structure is always a great starting point, even if you alter it after your essentials are in place. To start, focus on creating adequate context for your argument in the first paragraph—making sure to provide your reader with the essentials—and then move on to crafting a strong connection between that background information and your argument in the second paragraph. From there, go point by point, keeping in mind that journalists use line breaks more often than academic writers, dividing each piece of evidence along with its analysis into individual paragraphs rather than adjoining them to their topic sentence. For more on deductive structure, read our post below!

topics for op ed essay

Every op-ed should have a clear purpose that can be intuited in the first few paragraphs. However, the central claim of an op-ed often differs from an academic thesis in that it requires some action on your reader’s part. You may want them to consider, reconsider, deny, approve, march, vote, or a whole host of other activities, but your argument should always move toward a call to action. Aside from being persuasive, your piece should also:

Those writing for monthly publications will have a little more flexibility here, but your central claim should have some degree of relation to what is going on right now . Maybe it’s that the problem has finally reached its tipping point, or that some event has made it front and center in the public eye, but whatever it is, it should activate existing knowledge in your audience. Regularly reading the news will be essential to your success in the op-ed space as readers are simply uninterested in rehashing the issues of the past or predictions of the future unless they are pertinent today.

Start with a leading sentence

Traditional journalists often write a setting sentence to start their feature pieces (i.e. “John Doe sits on his front porch looking at his latest bill from the doctor.”), but you have much more flexibility in an op-ed. The goal in your leading sentence should be to entice your audience into reading your piece while providing them with a general sense of the topic or problem. Check out a few examples below (UChicago students have unlimited access to the New York Times via the library page).

  • The air pollution in Emma Lockridge’s community in Detroit was often so bad, she had to wear a surgical mask inside her house.
  • Tyler Parish thinks of himself as “the last dinosaur.”
  • What comes to mind when you think of a mom-and-pop small business: A hardware store? A diner? A family-run clothing store or small-scale supermarket?

Get to the point

Timing is everything in an op-ed. If you present your case for change too early, the reader might not have the background knowledge they need to understand or support it; however, if you wait too long, they may lose interest. Depending on your topic, your point—one main argument per piece being the standard—may come sooner or later, but it should always be clearly stated by the halfway mark.

In this recent piece by Peter Coy on commercial real estate in the New York Times , notice how quickly the author presents his point. He uses the first paragraph to contextualize new information that will be familiar to the audience while attaching the issue to the larger concern of a potential banking crisis, then uses the second paragraph to present his argument (skepticism in the Fed’s approach to inflation as it pertains to commercial real estate). The New York Times has covered domestic inflation on a daily basis, so Coy is both capitalizing on this existing knowledge while encouraging the reader to further invest by presenting nuance and evidence for it. While this piece is heavier on the jargon than we would recommend, it is to be expected when targeting a more specific group.

In contrast, this piece on antitrust law by the editorial board of the Washington Post uses the first few paragraphs to explain a more complex issue that the reader may not be familiar with given the current direction of the FTC. Their main claim—that this is a classic example of antitrust enforcement—comes later because readers may not understand how Google’s ad stack functions nor the alleged monopolistic behavior within that space.

Create a realistic call to action

While a policy maker, organization, or politician may be the one who implements change, be sure to include your audience in the call to action as they will be essential in pushing your decision-maker to action. For example, you might want a senator to support a bill that you think will institute change; in this case, you should think of the voters in their district and how you can make the value of your argument resonate with them through a boycott, petition, or other activist work. 

Adding counterpoints to increase credibility

Sometimes it helps to present an argument against your own, which can earn credibility from a skeptical audience or consideration from one that is potentially hostile. A counterpoint assures readers that you’ve considered both sides and wrestled with discordant data or situations that don’t neatly fit the narrative thus far. Basic and fair counterpoints rhetorically position you to make your strongest case before the close. Avoid choosing a weak or widely discredited claim as a counterpoint—often referred to as a “strawman” argument—and instead focus on summarizing the most prominent or pervasive criticism of your main point.

The rebuttal, on the other hand, refutes the counterpoint while introducing a subclaim that directly addresses it. In the case that a previous claim already addresses the counterpoint, do not repeat it verbatim; instead, expand on that point’s scope with additional analysis or evidence to accommodate the counterpoint.

Sign posting language will be a useful tool in writing a compelling and concise counterargument, so make use of language like:

  • Some might argue that . . . However . . .
  • While it can be said that . . .
  • There is a widely held belief that . . .  but . . .

Counterarguments (the counterpoint plus the rebuttal) should come at the end of your piece, right before the conclusion. If your piece contains a call to action, make sure to set yourself up for success in your counterargument (a good sign post to add in this case is “that is why . . .”).

Counterarguments can also be the focus of an op-ed when a belief about a given topic has become fallacious or dangerous to public discourse—a phenomena all too common in our current age. Politicians will often use these longform critiques to respond to opponents during election cycles, but in light of controversial bills and rulings within the United States, many have stepped up to the soapbox to dispel common myths and misinformation about a whole host of issues.

We think a recent op-ed on the value of the humanities in higher education by Professor John Keck did this exceptionally. Notice how he uses his first paragraph to build context through timeliness, capitalizing on the recent comments surrounding Texas’s HCR 64, an immigration bill, and their unwarranted criticism of higher education. As he progresses through his critique, he gradually reorients his reader to his home state and the work that he does there, navigating his role of the expert while utilizing the tools of the practitioner to give his narrative a distinctly human focus.

Using a behavioral framework to better persuade your audience

Knowing your target audience’s priorities, values, and concerns will help you craft an argument that is most likely to resonate with them. To better analyze how a given policy narrative might strike our potential readers, we can use insights from social-psychological theories like the Moral Foundations Theory, which was developed by Jonathan Haidt and colleagues to explain how individuals’ moral values are shaped by their cultural, social, and evolutionary contexts. Moral Foundations Theory won’t reveal exactly how your audience will react to your argument for change, but no theory can. At the Writing Workshop, we like to think of these social-psychological theories as additional tools in your kit to help you make quicker and better informed decisions about the arguments, evidence, and language you use within your piece rather than empirical frameworks you can apply with certainty.

If you are interested in acquiring other tools to help you become more persuasive, we recommend checking out the work of Paul Slovic and Daniel Kahneman as well. For further reading on Moral Foundations Theory, check out our post below:

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50 Argumentative Essay Topics

Illustration by Catherine Song. ThoughtCo. 

  • M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
  • B.A., History, Armstrong State University

An argumentative essay requires you to decide on a topic and argue for or against it. You'll need to back up your viewpoint with well-researched facts and information as well. One of the hardest parts is deciding which topic to write about, but there are plenty of ideas available to get you started. Then you need to take a position, do some research, and present your viewpoint convincingly.

Choosing a Great Argumentative Essay Topic

Students often find that most of their work on these essays is done before they even start writing. This means that it's best if you have a general interest in your subject. Otherwise, you might get bored or frustrated while trying to gather information. You don't need to know everything, though; part of what makes this experience rewarding is learning something new.

It's best if you have a general interest in your subject, but the argument you choose doesn't have to be one that you agree with.

The subject you choose may not necessarily be one you are in full agreement with, either. You may even be asked to write a paper from the opposing point of view. Researching a different viewpoint helps students broaden their perspectives. 

Ideas for Argument Essays

Sometimes, the best ideas are sparked by looking at many different options. Explore this list of possible topics and see if a few pique your interest. Write those down as you come across them, then think about each for a few minutes.

Which would you enjoy researching? Do you have a firm position on a particular subject? Is there a point you would like to make sure you get across? Did the topic give you something new to think about? Can you see why someone else may feel differently?

List of 50 Possible Argumentative Essay Topics

A number of these topics are rather controversial—that's the point. In an argumentative essay , opinions matter, and controversy is based on opinions. Just make sure your opinions are backed up by facts in the essay.   If these topics are a little too controversial or you don't find the right one for you, try browsing through persuasive essay and speech topics  as well.

  • Is global climate change  caused by humans?
  • Is the death penalty effective?
  • Is the U.S. election process fair?
  • Is torture ever acceptable?
  • Should men get paternity leave from work?
  • Are school uniforms beneficial?
  • Does the U.S. have a fair tax system?
  • Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?
  • Is cheating out of control?
  • Are we too dependent on computers?
  • Should animals be used for research?
  • Should cigarette smoking be banned?
  • Are cell phones dangerous?
  • Are law enforcement cameras an invasion of privacy?
  • Do we have a throwaway society ?
  • Is child behavior better or worse than it was years ago?
  • Should companies market to children?
  • Should the government have a say in our diets?
  • Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy?
  • Should members of Congress have term limits?
  • Are actors and professional athletes paid too much?
  • Are CEOs paid too much?
  • Should athletes be held to high moral standards?
  • Do violent video games cause behavior problems?
  • Should creationism be taught in public schools?
  • Are beauty pageants exploitative ?
  • Should English be the official language of the United States?
  • Should the racing industry be forced to use biofuels?
  • Should the alcohol-drinking age be increased or decreased?
  • Should everyone be required to recycle?
  • Is it okay for prisoners to vote (as they are in some states)?
  • Should same-sex marriage be legalized in more countries?
  • Are there benefits to attending a single-sex school ?
  • Does boredom lead to trouble?
  • Should schools be in session year-round ?
  • Does religion cause war?
  • Should the government provide health care?
  • Should abortion be illegal?
  • Should more companies expand their reproductive health benefits for employees?
  • Is homework harmful or helpful?
  • Is the cost of college too high?
  • Is college admission too competitive?
  • Should euthanasia be illegal?
  • Should the federal government legalize marijuana use nationally ?
  • Should rich people be required to pay more taxes?
  • Should schools require foreign language or physical education?
  • Is affirmative action fair?
  • Is public prayer okay in schools?
  • Are schools and teachers responsible for low test scores?
  • Is greater gun control a good idea?

How to Craft a Persuasive Argument

After you've decided on your essay topic, gather evidence to make your argument as strong as possible. Your research could even help shape the position your essay ultimately takes. As you craft your essay, remember to utilize persuasive writing techniques , such as invoking emotional language or citing facts from authoritative figures. 

  • 100 Persuasive Essay Topics
  • Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
  • List of Topics for How-to Essays
  • Tips on How to Write an Argumentative Essay
  • Complete List of Transition Words
  • 501 Topic Suggestions for Writing Essays and Speeches
  • How to Write a Narrative Essay or Speech (With Topic Ideas)
  • 67 Causal Essay Topics to Consider
  • Practice in Supporting a Topic Sentence with Specific Details
  • What Is Expository Writing?
  • Topical Organization Essay
  • How to Outline and Organize an Essay
  • Make Your Paragraphs Flow to Improve Writing
  • What an Essay Is and How to Write One
  • Personal Essay Topics
  • Ecology Essay Ideas

What Is an Op-Ed Article? Op-Ed Examples, Guidelines, and More

Have you ever wondered the name of those articles in newspapers or online that seem to be more conversational in style than standard news stories?

These are called op-ed articles, and they are an entirely different style and format of writing that is typically found in the opinion section of a newspaper, magazine, or website.

In this article, I’m going to answer the question what is an op-ed article by digging into exactly what an op-ed article is as well as looking at some op-ed examples, how to write an op-ed, and how (and where) to submit an op-ed.

What Is an Op-Ed Article?

Op-ed stands for “opposite the editorial page,” and an op-ed article is an article in which the author states their opinion about a given topic, often with a view to persuade the reader toward their way of thinking.

Despite the “op” in “op-ed” not standing for “opinion,” op-eds are often called opinion pieces because, unlike standard news articles, the authors of op-eds are encouraged to give their opinions on a certain topic, as opposed to simply reporting the news.

Op-eds are sometimes written by a ghostwriter, which means somebody writes the op-ed on behalf of someone else (such as a businessperson or politician), then the intended author makes some tweaks, with the final version being attributed—bylined—to the intended author instead of the ghostwriter.

Anonymous Op-Eds

Op-eds can also be anonymous, although for larger publications, such as the New York Times , Wall Street Journal , and Washington Post , an anonymous op-ed is typically only allowed when the writer’s job (or in extreme cases, their life) would be jeopardized if their name or other distinguishing details were disclosed. In cases when an anonymous op-ed is allowed to go ahead, the author’s true identity is known by the publisher.

Whether or not anonymous op-eds should be allowed to be published comes up for frequent scrutiny, the most recent episode of which being in September 2018 after the New York Times published an anonymous opinion piece by a senior official working in the Trump administration. (In October 2020, former chief of staff in the Department of Homeland Security, Miles Taylor, publicly confirmed that he had authored the article.)

Op-Ed Responses

Often, op-ed articles are written in response to something that is happening in the news at a particular time; such as during a climate change summit or election cycle, or they are written as a response to another op-ed, whether the first opinion piece was published in the same newspaper or, for example, somebody decided to write an op-ed in the New York Times in response to an op-ed that appeared in the Wall Street Journal .

While there is no generalized word limit for an op-ed, most published op-eds run under 1,000 words. The New York Times notes that:

Written essays typically run from 800 to 1,200 words, although we sometimes publish essays that are shorter or longer.

Op-Ed Examples

For an article to be an op-ed it must, as noted above, appear in an opinion column. As many people find themselves reading op-eds after clicking a link online, op-ed columns typically also have the words ‘Opinion’ or ‘Guest Essay’ displayed above or close to the column’s headline.

If you’re looking for op-ed examples, look no further than the opinion pages of three of the largest newspapers in the United States, namely the New York Times , Wall Street Journal , and Washington Post opinion pages (for a longer list, see the How (and Where) to Submit an Op-Ed section below).

The Difference Between Op-Eds and Regular Articles

Some columns that look like a good op-ed article example are in fact lifestyle articles that, while not being timely in relation to the news of the day, aren’t defined as op-ed articles because they are purely factual, with no opinion being given.

Articles I have personally written for the New York Times , New York Observer , Quartz , and similar publications had to be meticulously sourced and fact-checked before publication; and my opinion surrounding any of the topics in question was not taken into consideration, unlike for an op-ed.

That’s not to say you can simply make up facts when writing an op-ed. You can’t have your own opinion about the year Queen Elizabeth II was born (1926), the height of the Empire State Building (1,454 ft.), or the length of the Great Wall of China (21,196 km). Depending on what your op-ed is discussing, you can sprinkle your opinion in around facts, but those facts must be deep-rooted in order for your audience to get on board with your argument—and for a reputable source to choose to print your article.

How to Write an Op-Ed

Of course, knowing what an op-ed is and knowing how to write an op-ed are two different things entirely.

Here are my top five tips on how to write an op-ed:

  • Get to the point: The moment a reader (or your potential editor) starts reading your op-ed article they need to know what it is about, and why it matters to them.
  • Have a clear thesis: Submitting a meandering opinion column is a surefire way to ensure you do not hear back from the editor. Outline your entire op-ed before sitting down to write, and keep a clear thesis in mind.
  • Write what you know: While many factors go into the op-ed selection process, having authority in the topic you’re writing about, as well as a persuasive argument, is required above all else.
  • Write for the publication you’re pitching: Don’t use technical phrases if it is a non-technical publication. Look into what they have published on your topic in the past. How can you advance this discussion?
  • Stick to the rules: Most op-ed sections list their rules for publication. These often include information on how to source your facts, a well as the house style.

How (and Where) to Submit an Op-Ed

It’s easy to submit an op-ed to either a national or local newspaper, or to a trade publication in your field. Assuming you’ve read my advice on how to write an op-ed above, here are the links you’ll need to submit an op-ed to the following newspapers:

  • New York Times
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Washington Post
  • Los Angeles Times
  • Houston Chronicle
  • Chicago Tribune
  • San Francisco Chronicle
  • Tampa Bay Times
  • Dallas Morning News
  • Denver Post
  • Seattle Times

If you want to submit an op-ed to your local newspaper or a trade publication, look in their opinion columns for information on how to send in your submission, or search for their name alongside the word “submissions” online.

I hope this article on what an op-ed article is will help you on your journey toward writing and submitting your first op-ed to a major newspaper or publication.

If you’re interested in hearing more from me, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter , and if you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media, link to it from your website, or bookmark it so you can come back to it often. ∎

Benjamin Spall

Benjamin Spall

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The best op ed format and op ed examples: hook, teach, ask (part 2).

This section will cover two objectives: learning how great op-eds teach their point of view (rather than always arguing) and we’ll explore three op-eds and what makes them effective through the Hook, Teach, Ask, op-ed format.

Objective 1: Learn what the best op-eds do and how to reverse engineer great op-eds to get inspired for topic ideas and structure

Overview: what do the best op-eds do.

The best op-eds and opinion pieces teach . Sure, some argue, some demand, but if you approach your piece as an opportunity to teach you will have a better chance of changing minds and effecting change.

You can teach through history, through anecdotes, through personal testimony, through well-chosen statistics, through research, through envisioning likely implications, through showing the shortcomings of an argument, through any method that helps the reader better understand your perspective.

Alternatively, the best op-eds are not infomercials for the organization, company, book, or candidacy, you represent. Sure, you can draw attention indirectly to what you are doing in your work but the end goal of your opinion piece is to teach the reader something new about a current issue.

How to use the op-ed examples: Reverse engineer great writing

This guide contains numerous examples to not only help make the points necessary but to give you a starting point for several approaches to op-eds and opinion piece writing .

As you read these and those of the publication where you will submit your piece, ask the following questions to figure out how the author put their piece together:

  • What was the author’s overall main point or “ask” of the reader?
  • What type of evidence did the author use? Rather than focus specifically on what was said, how did the author make their case? Imagine they were a lawyer or investigative journalist, how did they put together their case? Was it mostly an emotional appeal, a logical fact-based one, or some mix?
  • What made you want to keep reading? What happened in the first paragraph that made you say, “This is worth my time to keep reading?”
  • In the middle, what did the author do to convince you they were right? How much time did they spend on their opinion? Did they ever address opposing viewpoints? Some op-eds and opinion pieces don’t (which is OK depending on the subject).
  • How did the author close? Was your mind changed in the end? Was that the author’s objective? Did you gain a new perspective? Did you already agree with the author and have your views confirmed? Did you want to find out more about the author and their cause?
  • Why do you think the op-ed/opinion piece was published at that moment? What was going on in the world at the time to make the piece timely? Reading past op-eds can give us a sense of what issues mattered at that moment to that publication’s readers.

Objective 2: Learn the Hook, Teach, Ask Method, see how it applies to three effective op eds, and start brainstorming ideas for your piece.

Op-ed format: hook, teach, ask — the method explained.

One method that helps with organizing an op-ed is “Hook, Teach, Ask.” This method will help you organize your thoughts and the eventual piece itself. We’ll get into the specifics of each portion later on in the guide when you’re ready to write the piece.

Hook: Begin in a way that grabs the reader and makes them want to read more. This is also your opportunity to layout the main themes and question you’ll be exploring. Some ways to hook your reader: Declarative sentences, hypothetical situations, surprising statements and quotations, stories and vignettes, recreated conversations — anything that will make a reader stop scrolling and say, “This sounds interesting, I want to find out more.”

Teach: The main body of your op-ed should be devoted to teaching your point of view. Use historical examples, vignettes, personal testimony, statistics, research findings; you can also take this opportunity to explain your background and why you’re writing this piece.

Ask: Have a clear ask ready at the end. It could be as general as advocating for something like registering to vote or eating less meat; it could be as specific as urging the passage or defeat of specific legislation.

3 Op-Ed Articles to Learn From:

A few op-eds that follow this model with the parts outlined (click each one to read in full):

A Murder Case Tests Alexa’s Devotion to Your Privacy by Gerald Sauer

“Think of the assistants like really smart dogs. They’re always ready to react to specific commands. Also like a really smart dog, they can remember those commands forever. And this concept of an always-on, always-connected, always-remembering listening device is where it gets intriguing.”

What I love about it:

  • The author builds his case through historical examples, legal examples, and current news.
  • It takes one issue — the use of voice data collected by law enforcement via the Echo — and raises a larger one, “but the company has failed to address the real problem: Why is all that data just sitting in Amazon’s servers in the first place?”
  • The author uses realistic hypothetical examples to demonstrate that the problems raised are plausible — how often do we hear people bring up improbable implications instead?

Hook: Sauer starts off with a declarative sentence, “THE AMAZON ECHO can seem like your best friend — until it betrays you.” In one sentence, you have the opinion piece summed up with the major themes. If you can’t think of such a sentence immediately, write your entire piece and then figure out what the opening sentence should be based on the rest of the piece.

Teach: Sauer uses history, legal examples, descriptions of current digital assistants beyond the Echo, analogous cases with smartphones and other listening devices, and reasonable hypothetical examples — all to teach us of the dangers of these wonderful assistants

Ask: Rather than a specific call-to-action such as “go vote,” it’s more of a consumer beware, “Millions of people are putting digital assistants in their lives with no clue about the potential havoc this Trojan horse could bring. Based on what Amazon and Google say about their devices, everyone needs to recognize the unresolved legal issues involving this new technology. Beware of who, or what, is listening.”

Questions to think about:

  • Can you take one issue a current news story presents and demonstrate that it raises a larger one?
  • What other technologies in our lives do we take for granted where we are trading privacy (or safety or some other value) for convenience?
  • If you are arguing that a course of action should not be adopted (such as the passage of a law) can you create believable hypothetical scenarios that show those effects?

It’s Time to Talk About Death by Sunita Puri, M.D.

“Americans are not good at talking about death. But we need to be prepared for when, not if, illness will strike. The coronavirus is accelerating this need.”
  • The author sets the scene as if you were there — you can experience what she has experienced in end-of-life discussions
  • The Ask at the end is incredibly detailed and specific — a reader can walk away knowing what to do and say in these situations
  • It’s a great example of the right profession, the current issue (COVID), and larger issues (end of life, limited healthcare resources) all coming together in one piece. Timing is crucial with many op-eds and this one demonstrates how all three parts come together for a piece published in the NY Times
  • You get an insight into the author’s own discussions with her parents on the issue of end-of-life decisions

Hook: Dr. Puri opens with a scene where she brings the reader into one of the discussions she had with numerous patients — replete with dialogue and description — as if we were reading a novel.

Teach: The author gives us her own advice on end-of-life discussions and then relates a personal story of having those same discussions with her parents.

Ask: This ask, as opposed to the one in the Wired piece, is a series of questions that provide a guide for the type of questions a person should be asking their parents and loved ones about end-of-life decisions. Relevant 3rd party resources are also given.

  • Is there a way to demonstrate that your perspective, a current issue, and a larger “life” issue, can all come together for the piece you’re writing? Are you someone earning a minimum wage and there’s an issue on the ballot to raise it? Can you also discuss what it means to be able to have a comfortable life?
  • If you’re an author, can the work you’ve done for a book be repurposed into an op-ed such as done here? Do you have something that directly bears on a current situation or issue?
  • Can you share a piece of your own life as relevant to the issue? Can you recreate those scenes as if we were reading a scene from your autobiography?
  • In offering your own advice, are there 3rd party organizations and sources that you could amplify as well?

I’m a Developer. I Won’t Teach My Kids to Code, and Neither Should You. by Joe Morgan

“There are no books that teach you how to solve a problem no one has seen before. This is why I don’t want my kids to learn syntax. I want them to learn to solve problems, to dive deep into an issue, to be creative. So how do we teach that?”
  • It combines the author’s own experience with parenting, his career, and argues against a current trend (teaching kids to code)
  • It’s nuanced — it’s not necessarily against coding but showing that learning syntax is not the same as the overall skill of computer programming
  • He addresses the argument for teaching kids to code but shows its limitations by demonstrating that knowledge of Java or C++ isn’t the same as understanding the overall philosophy of coding
  • The author uses a mix of stories from his own life (servers crashing) but also of problem-solving with his son (fixing a wobbly chair, making sugar cookies) to make his case that learning syntax is not the same as problem-solving
  • The author focuses on the question, “Should we teach all kids to code?” but then raises it to the larger issue about fostering creativity.

Hook: The hook is the subject of the op-ed itself — why would a coder not want to teach his kids to code? The opening paragraph sets the stage for a current debate: Why is it assumed that we should be teaching young kids the syntax of programming languages?

Teach: The author uses stories from his own life as a developer where he demonstrates that simply knowing the syntax of code isn’t enough — you need to have problem-solving skills, too. He then demonstrates that in action as he relates stories of teaching problem-solving and applying algorithms to fixing wobbly chairs and baking sugar cookies with his kid.

Ask: He heightens the debate to the larger issue of teaching kids creativity and implies that’s what we should be doing instead of just teaching the syntax of programming languages.

“But you’re not only teaching them that. You’re teaching them the world is full of interesting things to discover. You’re showing them how to be passionate and look for that ephemeral sense of quality in everything they do. The best part is that even if they don’t become coders — most shouldn’t and won’t — the same skills can be used in nearly any career, in every hobby, in every life. When we force kids to learn syntax, we reinforce the idea that if something is not a blatantly employable skill, it’s not valuable. Adults can learn syntax. Only kids can learn to embrace curiosity.”

Questions to ask yourself:

  • Can your perspective as a parent (or not a parent) give a perspective to an ongoing debate?
  • Can you take a contrary view towards what people might expect of you because of your profession, group identity, or way of life?
  • Does a current debate rest on a faulty assumption? Can you demonstrate that through evidence or your own experience?
  • Are there stories from your own life that directly and indirectly prove your point that you could tell?
  • What larger issue is a current question or debate getting at? How do you add to that conversation?

This next part of the guide will guide you through the initial ideas and pitch to draft to publication. Have a doc open where you can start generating notes and ideas for your piece.

Do now: Answer the following questions to help brainstorm topic ideas for your op-ed:

  • Based on the examples above, what are some of your initial ideas for your piece?
  • What types of evidence and examples will you use to teach your point of view? Will you rely on historical examples, personal ones, analogies, research, news pieces, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning? (any are OK!)
  • Based on where you want to submit (your ideal publication and maybe a few backups), which topics appear most frequently? Skim the past few months of opinion pieces and see if you notice any trends for what gets published.

Write an Op-Ed Like a Pro: Expert Tips and Tricks

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Women on the margins of the political sphere in J&K Premium

The political representation of women is an exception and not a norm in j&k.

Updated - September 24, 2024 02:12 pm IST

A woman shows her ink marked finger after voting during the first phase of Assembly elections in Srinagar on September 18, 2024.

A woman shows her ink marked finger after voting during the first phase of Assembly elections in Srinagar on September 18, 2024. | Photo Credit: Imran Nissar

A s Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) enters the second phase of the Assembly elections on September 25, the persistent marginalisation of women in the political sphere demands critical scrutiny.

Despite women comprising almost 48% of the electorate in the Union Territory, their political representation has remained poor. In the 2014 J&K Assembly elections, only 3.6% of the total candidates were women. In the 2024 elections, there were only nine women out of the 219 candidates in the first phase. The political landscape is deeply rooted in J&K’s patriarchal social structure that views public and political life as male-dominated. Further, political instability and concerns about safety in a volatile atmosphere have kept women at the margins.

While there have been legal and advocacy efforts in expanding the representation of women , such as granting 33% reservation to women in the J&K Assembly, they often fall short in addressing the deep-seated cultural and institutional barriers that limit women’s political engagement. The two main political parties in the region — the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party — have historically sidelined women. Even female leaders, including former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, have failed to effect the needed transformation, as they often conform to the male-dominated political structures themselves.

When women are fielded as candidates, it is often in constituencies considered unwinnable or in token positions within party structures. In the 2020 District Development Council elections, though 33% of the seats were reserved for women, actual representation barely crossed 10%.

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls: Follow highlights from the first phase of polling on September 18, 2024

No women-centric policies

Further, there are no dedicated women-centric policies. Neither the major political parties nor the local governance institutions have implemented policies that specifically address the economic, social, and political empowerment of women, such as reserving seats for women in legislative bodies, introducing gender-sensitive economic schemes, or supporting women entrepreneurs in J&K.

While women’s literacy in J&K has improved over time, the gender gap remains significant — 66% of women are literate compared to 84% of men. Additionally, women’s labour force participation is abysmal, hovering around 25%. The absence of gender-responsive budgeting, economic empowerment initiatives, or electoral reforms contribute to the ongoing political exclusion of women.

Elections are a mechanism to ensure that all sections of society are represented, but when half the population is under-represented, the very foundation of democracy is undermined. In J&K, where women’s participation is notably low, the absence of female voices results in policies that fail to comprehensively address gender disparities, further entrenching patriarchal norms. The formulation and implementation of incisive, women-centric policies are imperative for ensuring equitable representation in democratic governance.

Making women’s perspectives integral to peace-building, education, healthcare, and employment will ensure that their voices are heard and encourage political involvement. Providing free childcare, healthcare benefits, and family support policies for female politicians would ease the burden of familial responsibilities, enabling more women to enter and stay in politics. A push for political quotas in J&K, as implemented in post-conflict Rwanda where 60% of parliamentarians today are women, including electoral reforms and capacity-building initiatives for women, could substantially alter the status quo.

Also Read | In volatile pockets of Kashmir, vote is a new weapon of change

After the dilution of Article 370 in J&K in 2019, the UT came under the scope of Central laws, including the National Policy for Empowerment of Women (2001). There is a strong foundation now to support women in participating more actively in politics. These laws offer a chance to not only boost women’s involvement in decision-making but also to secure their rights and dignity. By focusing on political participation, we can empower women to shape their own futures and create a more inclusive society in J&K.

Our hope is that it will slowly become a norm to see women represented politically in J&K, not an exception.

Bilal Ahmad Wagay teaches Politics at Government Degree College, Beerwah, and Binish Qadri is Assistant Professor, Cluster University Srinagar

Published - September 24, 2024 12:44 am IST

Related Topics

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024 / Jammu and Kashmir / Women's Representation / politics (general) / gender / Assembly Elections

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Guest Essay

I’m the Republican Governor of Ohio. Here Is the Truth About Springfield.

An old photo of a neighborhood with “Welcome to Springfield “written across it like a postcard.

By Mike DeWine

Mr. DeWine, a Republican, is the governor of Ohio.

I was born in Springfield, Ohio. My wife, Fran, and I have lived our entire lives less than 10 miles from this city.

When we were dating in high school, we would go there to see movies at the Regent or State Theater or to eat fried clams at Howard Johnson’s. I remember Fran taking the bus about eight miles from our hometown, Yellow Springs, to Springfield to shop at Wren’s Department Store. Over the years, we’ve eaten countless doughnuts from Schuler’s Bakery, worshiped at St. Raphael Catholic Church and we logged many work hours there when I represented Springfield in the U.S. House and Senate.

Springfield has a rich history of providing refuge for the oppressed and being a place of opportunity. As a stop on the Underground Railroad, the Gammon House, which still stands, was a safe haven for escaped slaves seeking freedom. And, as a stop on the Old National Road, America’s first east/west federal highway, Springfield attracted many settlers both before and after the Civil War. Immigrants from Ireland, Greece, Germany, Italy and other countries helped build the city into what it is today.

For a long time, commerce and manufacturing flourished in Springfield, which earned the title “Champion City” after the founding there of the agriculture implement giant Champion Machine Company.

But the city hit tough times in the 1980s and 1990s, falling into serious economic decline as manufacturing, rail commerce and good-paying jobs dwindled. Now, however, Springfield is having a resurgence in manufacturing and job creation. Some of that is thanks to the dramatic influx of Haitian migrants who have arrived in the city over the past three years to fill jobs.

They are there legally. They are there to work.

It is disappointing to me that Springfield has become the epicenter of vitriol over America’s immigration policy, because it has long been a community of great diversity. Fran and I were reminded of this when we attended Mass at St. Raphael this past Sunday and stopped at the nearby Groceryland on our way home. We talked with community members from many backgrounds who are understandably concerned about the negative things being said about their city in news reports and on social media.

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Critical Writing Seminar: People, Power, and the Environment - How Places are Made - Fall 2024: Researching the Op-Ed

  • Getting started
  • News and Opinion Sites
  • Academic Sources
  • Grey Literature
  • Substantive News Sources
  • What to Do When You Are Stuck
  • Understanding a citation
  • Examples of Quotation
  • Examples of Paraphrase
  • Chicago Manual of Style: Citing Images

Researching the Op-Ed

  • Researching Prospective Employers
  • Resume Resources
  • Cover Letter Resources

Many of the same research techniques you learned during the white paper can be applied to your op-ed research (e.g., finding images, searching news articles, ethical treatment of sources).  To get started, you will want to search for a publication that features Op-Eds and that would have an interest in your topic.  As a college student, you are likely to find your local newspaper receptive to publishing an Op-Ed by you, because they are eager to present the views of younger writers and to attract a younger, college-educated market. However, if you wish to publish your views in your hometown paper, you will need to make your topic relevant to hometown readers, as we’ll discuss in the next section.   

  • To find your hometown newspaper information, visit ProQuest News & Newspaper - Go to "Advanced Search" located above the search box; enter your hometown and into the search box; under "Document type," select "Editorial" and click on the "Search" button to see your results. 

ReThink Media - A Millennial Guide Companion: Where to Pitch your Op-Ed 

Move-On - How to Place an Op-Ed in your Local Newspaper

The OpEdProject - Submission Guidelines for Online and Print Publications

The WriteLife - 22 Websites and Magazines That Want to Publish Your Personal Essay

You can also find publications that feature Op-Eds by typing “Op-Ed and (your topic) into the search box of Google.  This will provide you with a range of publications that have already focused on your or a related topic.

Finding Op-Eds; Analyzing the Publication’s Genre

Once you have identified a venue, it’s important to see if they have already published Op-Eds on your intended topic or a related topic. For example, let’s say you wish to publish an Op-Ed on the housing shortage. You search your target publication to see if they have written other Op-Eds on the housing shortage, rental shortage, housing affordability, and related kinds of Op-Eds. This will tell you if they are receptive to your topic, and also tell you if what you wish to write about has already been covered by this publication. If so, you will either need to move on or take a different angle. As you peruse the history of their prior editorials on your topic, you will also get a feel for whether they will only publish a certain viewpoint (say, conservative or liberal, teens or seniors, and so forth). Whenever you encounter a new genre, it’s important to do a genre analysis. As a professional writer (one who is publishing Op-Eds, in this case) you should be sure to research your target publication before pitching an editorial to them.  Individual newspapers and other publications often have a very distinct style and set of conventions.    Along with the search tools mentioned above, you can also search for Op-Eds using the following databases: 

  • Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) or Business Source Complete (EBSCO)  - Enter your term(s) into the search box; in the "Document Type" box, select "Editorial;" click on the "Search" button at the bottom of the page to see your results. 
  • Nexis Uni  - To the left of the large search box, click on the " All Nexis Uni " dropdown. Select " News ," and under " Article Type ," check the box next to "Editorials & Opinions;" enter your search terms into the search box and click on the magnifying lens to the right to see your results.   
  • Factiva  - Under the "Free Text Search" box, click on the "Subject" arrow; click on the + sign next to "Content Types," then click on the word "Editorial," which will highlight it in yellow; enter your term(s) into the "Free Text Search" box; adjust the "Date" under the "Free Search Box;" scroll down and click on the arrow next to "More Options," and select “Headline and Lead Paragraph” from the drop down menu labeled "Search for free-text terms in" so that you get better, more relevant results; click on the "Search" button to see your results. 

Linking Current News to Your Op-Ed Topic

Editors of Op-Eds generally prefer that your editorial is linked to current news, particularly in their market.  For example, the Philadelphia Inquirer will favor Op-Eds that are discussing matters of direct interest to Philadelphians, and will welcome it if you have links in your Op-Ed to other stories or Op-Eds the Inquirer has published. If you are writing about a topic that is of interest to your selected venue’s readership, but its not linked to current news or to the venue, do your best to emphasize its relevance to the venue’s readership. Use the tools above, and the search box of your target publication, to see if there are any news stories related to your topic.

Where to Send your Pitch and Op-Ed

Once you settle on your intended publication, use their search box to find their “submission guidelines.”  For example, here is the link to The Philadelphia Inquirer - Opinion Submission Guidelines: Op-Eds, Commentary and Letters to the Editor

Typically if you cannot find a “submission guidelines” link for a newspaper, you will likely find that information on the paper’s Op-Ed Page. The same is true for most online publications. If you cannot find submission guidelines, look for the "Contact Us" section of their website, which is where they sometimes list the submission guidelines. If not, send an email to the person listed as the editor of the Op-Ed, editorial, or opinion page. Failing that, send an inquiry to whomever seems to be the most logical choice for advising you of where to send an Op-Ed.

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    How to Write an Effective Argumentative Essay, Step by Step. Choose your topic. Use the list below to help you pick a topic. Ideally, a good argumentative essay topic will be meaningful to you—writing is always stronger when you are interested in the subject matter. In addition, the topic should be complex with plenty of "pro" and "con ...

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    Example 💡. Interest & Knowledge. Pick a topic you're genuinely interested in and have some knowledge about. This will make researching and writing more engaging. You're passionate about environmental issues. Consider an opinion essay on "The effectiveness of plastic bag bans in reducing pollution." Clear & Arguable.

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  8. 200 Prompts for Argumentative Writing

    To help jump-start your brainstorming, we have gathered a list of 200 writing prompts from our daily Student Opinion feature that invite you to take a stand. Though you won't be limited to these topics for the contest, you'll see that our list touches on every aspect of modern life, from politics to sports, culture, education and technology.

  9. Over 170 Prompts to Inspire Writing and Discussion

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  10. 170 New Opinion Essay Topics [All Subjects + Example]

    Good opinion writing topics have 3 specific characteristics: They allow you to develop a strong thesis statement (2). You can find enough facts to support your point: examples, reliable sources, quotes, etc. They have opposite viewpoints. Avoid topics presenting the ultimate truth: There's nothing to discuss there.

  11. 49 Opinion Writing Prompts for Students

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    Guide to Op-Eds: How to Write and Submit an Op-Ed. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jan 24, 2022 • 4 min read. Op-eds are essays that guest contributors or staffers write and submit to publications or other media outlets in order to express their views on a particular subject.

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    These essays discuss issues around a range of topics, including science, technology, politics, and healthcare. Whether you're a teacher looking for essay topics for your students or a student tasked with developing an idea of your own, we've compiled a list of 50 argumentative essay topics to help you get started!

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    It must be meaningful, relevant, and divisive. We can help you with that as well! Below you will find 120 great ideas for opinion essays to nudge your inspiration. Opinion Writing Topics for Essays about Education. Education and things related to it supply the most relevant topics for opinion writing among college students.

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    While there is no generalized word limit for an op-ed, most published op-eds run under 1,000 words. The New York Times notes that: Written essays typically run from 800 to 1,200 words, although we sometimes publish essays that are shorter or longer. Op-Ed Examples. For an article to be an op-ed it must, as noted above, appear in an opinion column.

  22. The Best Op Ed Format and Op Ed Examples: Hook, Teach, Ask (Part 2)

    One method that helps with organizing an op-ed is "Hook, Teach, Ask.". This method will help you organize your thoughts and the eventual piece itself. We'll get into the specifics of each portion later on in the guide when you're ready to write the piece. Hook: Begin in a way that grabs the reader and makes them want to read more.

  23. WRIT 0930-351 Critical Composing: Researching the Op-Ed

    The WriteLife - 22 Websites and Magazines That Want to Publish Your Personal Essay. You can also find publications that feature Op-Eds by typing "Op-Ed and (your topic) into the search box of Google. This will provide you with a range of publications that have already focused on your or a related topic.

  24. Opinion

    10) You're not Proust. Keep your sentences short and your paragraphs tight. 11) A newspaper has a running conversation with its readers. Before pitching an op-ed you should know when the paper ...

  25. Women on the margins of the political sphere in J&K

    Comments. Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.. We have migrated to a new ...

  26. Opinion

    Ms. Ocasio-Cortez is a Democratic U.S. representative from New York and Ms. Smith is a Democratic U.S. senator from Minnesota. Stop almost anyone on the street today and you'll hear we're in a ...

  27. Opinion

    Mr. DeWine, a Republican, is the governor of Ohio. I was born in Springfield, Ohio. My wife, Fran, and I have lived our entire lives less than 10 miles from this city. When we were dating in high ...

  28. Researching the Op-Ed

    Editors of Op-Eds generally prefer that your editorial is linked to current news, particularly in their market. For example, the Philadelphia Inquirer will favor Op-Eds that are discussing matters of direct interest to Philadelphians, and will welcome it if you have links in your Op-Ed to other stories or Op-Eds the Inquirer has published. If you are writing about a topic that is of interest ...