10 Best Topics for Persuasive Essays
1. Extracurricular school activities
Should extracurricular activities be made mandatory for high school students? Do such programs help develop character and teamwork skills? Should students have the right to choose whether they want to be involved in extracurricular activities?
2. Abstinence-only programs , Teen Pregnancies and Abortions
Do abstinence-only programs help reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, or are the programs a waste of time and money?
3. Felon voting rights
After serving their jail sentences, should felons have the right to vote, or should they lose the right to vote due to their crimes?
4. Soda and Beverages tax
Will taxing soda help reduce obesity in children and adults? Does adding a tax to soda help raise much needed revenue to help pay for healthcare costs? Will people still buy the same amount of soda even if it is taxed? Would you even care that you had to pay a few more pennies for a Coke?
5. Body image and plastic surgery
Are more people facing body image concerns and having plastic surgery due to media influences? Do women watch TV and want to look like a Kardashian?
6. Social Media activity and employment
Many people feel they should be able to say what they want on their private Social media accounts. Do employers have the right to monitor their employees’ Social media accounts? Should an employer be able to hire or fire someone based on what is posted on a personal account?
Would you feel it was an invasion of privacy if employers (or potential employers) monitored your personal Social media accounts?
7. Cell phones in schools
Raise your hand if you ever brought your phone to class. Did you ever text or surf the web when you should have been listening to a lecture? Should phones be banned in classrooms because they can be so distracting?
Is it okay for elementary kids to bring phones to school? Should cell phones be banned for younger students, allowed in emergencies only, or are they a necessary form of communication for students?
8. Parents shaming children for bad behavior
Does disciplining children by shaming them on social media help, or does it simply encourage more destructive behavior? Should teens be forced to hold signs saying things such as, “I stole from my mother. Don’t trust me. I’m a thief.” Does this form of discipline teach a lesson, or is it a form a bullying that damages children’s self-image and creates more bad behavior?
9. Persuasion in advertising
Have you ever seen an ad for fast-food and suddenly felt an urge to make a late-night run for a burger? How does media and advertising persuade people to buy products? What effect does advertising have on people? Can advertising harm a person’s self-image?
10. Teens and plastic surgery
How young is too young to get plastic surgery? Should a 17 year old be allowed to alter her appearance if she hates her nose or the size of her breasts? Can plastic surgery help teens be accepted socially and improve self-image?
