Writing Feedback / GRE; Blogosphere & Social media Vs Quality of political discoure in the US [2]

CLAIM:The emergence of the online "blogosphere" and social media has significantly weakened the quality of political discourse in the United States.
REASON: When anyone can publish political opinions easily, standards for covering news and political opinions will inevitably decline.
Write a response in which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which the claim is based.

ISSUE ESSAY
With the advent of information technology into human civilization, there has been a constant evolvement of information dissemination and social networking and media is a very apt example of the same. But it is imperative to recognize it as a boon and a bane.

While social media tools like Facebook and Twitter have helped in bringing the global community closer, there is also the question of the amount of information that should be put on it and the requisite security and privacy guidelines. Moreover, with the development of a new culture of 'blogging' everyone feels the urge to express themselves on everything. They see it as a way of showcasing their creative talents to the world which would otherwise be difficult given their demanding lives and careers.

On the onset, this culture needs to be appreciated as it increases the awareness among global readers and also could be a constructive way to utilize their mental faculties. But it is also true that the quality and content of most of these blogs is questionable. Often, these blogs and networking sites has people offering bombastic opinions on a varied of topics of which they have little knowledge. These issues are also often of a political nature which may be harmful to the society.

An example of this is the recent growth of terrorist activities in the United States and the rest of the world. These largely extremist groups tend to use social media to express radical opinions about governments and people and this creates unrest in people's minds. They are made to question their identity and often end up on the wrong side of the law.

To conclude, it is essential to realize the extreme impact of writing or publishing anything online and people and institutions need to be vigilant for peace and tranquility to prevail. Also,it should be left to the experienced news agencies and government organisation to be the harbingers of sensitive information.

Writing Feedback / ARGUMENT ESSAY ON IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AMONG STUDENTS AT PLEASANTVILLE [NEW]

Q- Several charitable organizations in Pleasant-ville provide opportunities for teenagers to engage in community service.

Write a response in which you examine the stated/unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain the argument and what are the implications if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

PLEASANTVILLE - ARGUMENT ESSAY

The Pleasant-ville School Board wishes to imbibe the importance of community service among its students and believes that a making a 40 hour compulsory service for the student would help them in achieving that goal. Moreover, this would provide the much needed assistance to the local charities.

This argument, however, does not take into account some assumptions which may or may not deter them towards their goal. They also have not tried to understand the real reason why children evade from community service in Pleasant-ville.

Firstly, the school should try and understand the kind of work that is required by the charities and whether this work is teemed fit for high school students. Also, they may have some workshops inculcating the importance of being involved in community service for the students. They could involve the charities in the same who could explain to he students why they need their help and how they could bring about a change by spending just a few hours at their establishments.

Secondly, imposing a strict 40 hour service guideline could prove to be detrimental as lazy and uninformed students may not look at it in a positive manner. They might go about it as a ritual and not learn or contribute anything in the process. They might also try and cheat on the no. of hours by resorting to all sorts of chicanery which would hamper their personality.

Instead the board should encourage a sense of empathy towards the downtrodden among their students. For this they could take the help of conscious students who could imbibe the same attitude among their peer group. The school authoritie could also have camps,visits and fundraisers in association with the charity that would help the students to help and also have fun at the same time.

The student with a keen sense of service towards the community could be awarded at the end of their graduation.

Finally, keeping all these recommendations and guidelines in mind the school board must come up with a well-thought out strategy that does not become a burden on the students but should help them to involve into holistic individuals.