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.