For Baber Makalya ONLY

Essay Prompts – Effects of Web Search and Social Media

This short exploratory essay can follow one of these general prompts:

Given that web search, social media, and even e-commerce sites on the Internet handle an 

immense amount of information, and filter, organize, and prioritize this information for our 

consumption:

* Does this substantially affect the way we view the world?

* Is it beneficial to society for such sites to use these tools to promote certain causes?

* Does this give sites like Google, Facebook, and Amazon too much say over what to endorse, 

what to ignore, or what to criticize?

* Does this have a stimulating effect by raising awareness of the important issues in our world 

today, and encourage greater, more free discussion? Or does it have a chilling effect by 

creating groups of users that simply reinforce each others' narrow viewpoints?

Other prompts besides these are possible –

Technical Details:

This short essay will be 2 to 3 pages of printed double-spaced 12-point text in a font usually used

for essays (no crazy fonts!). Please format using paragraph indentations. Footnotes are NOT 

required, but are not discouraged. A brief bibliography at the end (2 or more sources) is required.

Cite at least two sources – online publications are OK, including those in assigned readings in 

the course, or your own. Be wary of citing individuals' blog posts unless they in turn cite other 

sources to support their cases.