Essay 4
ENG 101
ENG 101 200/400 Summer 2025 Essay #4 Prompt
Final Draft DUE: 8/19 @ 11:59 PM (at least 4.5 full pages. Via BB submission process. IT CANNOT BE LATE). In her essay “Growing Up Tethered,” Sherry Turkle explores how people are completely bound to their devices (to the point of isolation, apathy, and even danger). Similarly, the essays/articles “I Had a Nice Time with You Tonight. On the App.,” “The Internet is Obsessed with Parasocial Relationships,” “Celebrity Parasocial Relationships,” and “Just How Harmful is Social Media?” discuss how social media can be harmful to our well-being in various ways (including our relationships with others and how we see ourselves).
In an MLA format essay of at least 4.5 pages, draw upon Turkle, at least one of these other sources, and at least one reputable outside source (see below for *specific directions*) to develop an argumentative essay in which you discuss the extent to which social media and/or smart phones are detrimental and/or beneficial to our relationships (friends, family, romantic, etc.) and sense of self. Personal narration should not play a role in your response.
*For your outside source, you must choose a book, magazine, or newspaper article (popular or scholarly) found via the library by using either the catalog or a database (ProQuest Central, Academic Search Premier, or another suitable choice). As we’ve discussed, this final ENG 101 paper is meant not only to assess your critical reading and writing skills thus far, but also to prepare you for the advanced research methods learned found in ENG 102. Our Library Day session on 8/12 will certainly help you with this, and as always, you should feel free to reach out to the MCCC library along the way, too!*
*Lastly, be sure to follow general assignment and draft guidelines (all of which can be found in the syllabus), including proper in-text citations and a proper Works Cited page at the end. (Failure to include a proper Works Cited page will result in a deduction of 5 pts. from the final essay grade. Please don’t do that to yourself.)
"Cell Phones" AND connection
"Cell phones" AND distraction
"social media" AND identity
"celebrity parasocial relationship"
Doomscrolling AND "social media"
Clickbait AND Internet
"Face-to-face conversation" AND "social media"