Read the attached article "Social Media Can't Replace Social Infrastructure" by Eric Klinenberg and consider the issues it raises. Then write a well-reasoned and well-supported essay that addresses one of the questions below. Length: approx. 500 words.
No matter which topic you choose, state your thesis clearly, develop it fully, and illustrate it with specific examples. Be sure to give your essay a title. As you write your essay, think of your readers as well-educated and open-minded adults who may or may not agree with your main idea but who (in either case) are interested in following your line of thought and in understanding the evidence, reasons, and logic you use to support your ideas.
- “The human connections we need,” argues Klinenberg, “require recurrent social interaction in physical places, not pokes and likes with ‘friends’ online.” Write an essay in which you analyze the ways that online interaction can actually strengthen human connections.
- Klinenberg highlights the importance of “vital gathering places.” Drawing on your experiences, analyze the ways in which a physical place fostered a community of which you were a part.
- According to Klinenberg, social media are replacing libraries as a primary means of accessing information. How do students benefit from maintaining a strong connection with physical spaces like libraries as opposed to digital spaces?
- Klinenberg remarks that, “in libraries, ordinary people with different backgrounds and interests can take part in a living democratic culture.” Consider a public space other than a library that promotes interaction among people with different backgrounds and interests and argue for its significance in a democratic culture.