Pros and Cons Essay

Description

Technology has always been a highlight of human existence. From fire to the firearms and farming tools to computers, as a species, we constantly look for ways to use tools to extend our own capabilities. Today, one of the most universal tools we have is the smartphone. It can do a lot for us — calculations, reminders, communication, information retrieval, information storage, entertainment.

For this assignment, you are going to go into your phone and look to see what the top three apps are that you use (there are different ways of doing this; just spend a few minutes with Google if you are not sure how) and pick one. Your paper will be a pro/con essay about the positives and negatives about the app and its uses. Your writing must include at least two outside sources. This is not an argumentative paper, which means that we are not looking for your opinion about whether the app itself is a good thing or a bad thing. Think about it like a news report: Just provide the facts about what is positive and negative and leave it up to the reader.

At a minimum, your writing will:

Focus on a single app (see note below).
Detail the positive aspects of the app (the “pro” side).
Detail the negative aspects of the app (the “con” side).
Be at least 1,000 words in length (roughly three pages with proper formatting).
Include at least two sources from the Library’s databases.
Follow the basic essay format.
Introduction with a developed controlling idea
body with supporting details
conclusion
Follow expected MLA and formal writing standards, including:
Times New Roman, 12 point font
Double spaced
1-inch margins on all sides
A proper heading on the first page (not in the header)
Avoid the use of first-person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our)
Avoid the use of second-person pronouns (you)
Avoid the use of contractions (say “cannot” instead of “can’t”)