4 Tips To Writing A Memorable Essay About Social Networking Sites
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From grandparents to little cousins – everyone is on social media these days. So it’s no surprise that essays on social networking sites have become a go-to topic in exams and assignments.
The average person spends 2.5 hours per day on social networking platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & WhatsApp. Although some will say that these platforms are extremely useful and valuable, others might argue that they cause more harm than good.
These opposing points of view make the topic of social media a favourite for teachers and examiners all around the globe. While there are hundreds of similar-sounding essays written every day about social networking sites, we’ve outlined four incredibly simple tips below to make your essay a memorable one.
Social Networking Sites Essay Tip #1: Read & Understand The Question
While essays on social media are common, there’s a variety of essay questions on this topic that could appear in your exams. So, it’s important not to get ahead of yourself and start writing before understanding the prompt.
Here are a few common essay questions to keep on your radar:
Negative Essay About Social Media
A popular essay question on the topic is the negative impact of social media. If you have been asked to discuss the negative side of social media, this doesn’t mean you have to cross all limits to describe why social media is harmful to society. Chances are, your personal struggles with these platforms – be it the distraction or the fake news – are perfect for this essay question.
2. Pros & Cons Essay
This is the classic social networking site essay – the pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages. Your task here is to compare the positive and negative impact of social media and end with an open-ended conclusion for the reader to decide where they stand.
To ensure your essay is memorable, it helps to prepare by reading articles or blogs on the topic to come up with your very own list of pros and cons.
3. Argumentative Essay About Social Media
One of the more exciting essays is an argumentative essay. You’re tasked with taking a stand on a topic and convincing the reader of your stance.
For example, the question is: Social media promotes a healthy lifestyle. Do you agree? Let’s say you chose to argue that social networking sites don’t promote a healthy lifestyle. Your essay would then go on to tell the reader how. It would help if you wrote a powerful opening statement in your intro explaining your stand, followed by arguments in the body of your essay to support that statement.
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Social Networking Sites Essay Tip #2: Get Organised With An Outline
Once you’ve understood the question, it’s time to get started on an outline to guide you. Your outline is a skeleton you will later flesh out as you begin writing your essay. Some students may find this time-consuming; however, your outline will help you list your main ideas and organise them.
For example, the outline for an essay discussing the impact of social networking sites on teenagers would look like this:
Intro: Social networking sites can be beneficial to teenagers if they use these sites responsibly.
Body 1: Social networking sites give teenagers a platform to share their ideas creatively.
Body 2: Social networking sites create an environment for teenagers to discover themselves.
Body 3: Teenagers can connect with new people and cultures from all over the world.
Conclusion: Teenagers can really reap the benefits of social networking sites given they are aware of their security and privacy settings online.
Once your outline is done and dusted, it’s time to start filling in your paragraphs with smaller ideas that relate to the key ideas you’ve just outlined.
Social Networking Sites Essay Tip #3: Write An Interesting Intro
When introducing the main topic, you always want to start strong to keep your reader interested.
Set the scene by providing some background information on social media and what it means today. We’d also suggest memorising some researched statistics or data to include in your intro - as we did earlier by stating that people spend 2.5 hours on average on social media.
Once you’ve done this, you can include your strong thesis statement here. From our previous example, the statement would be:
Social networking sites can be beneficial to teenagers if they use these sites responsibly.
Just remember that the last sentence in your intro should relate to the main points you are going to put forward in your essay.
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Social Networking Sites Essay Tip #4: Conclude With Confidence
The final paragraph of your essay on social media should be logical but creative. Using different wording, you should restate your main points with your stand. In other words, try not to introduce new ideas in your conclusion.
For example, a conclusion for our essay about the impact of social networking sites on teenagers might look like this:
Overall, social media does not have to be scary. These platforms help teenagers connect with people, cultures and ideas across the globe; allowing them to creatively discover themselves and express their ideas. If teenagers used social networking sites productively, we’d be amazed to see all that they can achieve.
A great conclusion will invite readers to question the use of social media in their everyday lives.