Controversial Essay Topics

by Simon White Essay Topics To Write About

Last modified on May 6th, 2022

One of the bravest things you could ever do today to stir someone’s thinking is to write a controversial argumentative essay. Topics for essays like this would encompass the many highly-arguable discussions people have been having for a long time without finding any clear resolution.

Looking for controversial topics to write an argumentative essay on? Here are is a roundup of topics for teenagers and topics for essays in general.

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Controversial Topics For Persuasive Essays

Argumentative essays aim to persuade the reader to embrace a specific point of view or get educated on both sides of the story. A good argumentative essay topic explores a hotly-debated topic and all of its nuances, presents the evidence to support each side, and comes to a firm and informed conclusion. For some controversial subjects to write about, check out this initial list.

  • Is Nursing Really The Noblest Profession In The Healthcare Industry?
  • Is Healthcare Mostly White Privilege?
  • Can Designer Tattoos Be Considered Genuine Art?
  • Should Gun Control Be Enforced In Every State?
  • Is Pollution A Primarily Individual Or Corporate Doing?
  • Is A Nursing Career A Thankless, Dead-End Job?
  • Did The Northerners Really Win The Civil War?
  • Should Sex Education Start In Middle School?
  • Do Violent Video Games Effectively Teach Conflict Resolution?
  • Are Middle Schoolers Ready For Their Own Social Media Accounts?
  • Is Choosing College Majors Really Crucial In Career Success?
  • Is The Death Penalty Effective In Reducing Future Crime Rates?
  • Should High School Students Be Required To Go On An Internship Before Graduation?

Controversial Topics For Evaluation Essays

With an evaluation essay, you will be required to present your own opinion on a body of data, a subject, or a piece of work. We’ve got some interesting topics that you can write about! Check them out below.

  • Is Titanic A Historically Accurate Movie?
  • Is Gone With The Wind An Example Of A Healthy Romantic Relationship?
  • Has Tinder Really Changed The Dynamics Of Today’S Dating Game?
  • Is The United States’ Covid Response Effective In Containing The Virus And Preserving The Economy?
  • Should Awards Shows Be Less Lavish?
  • Is Buying Designer Items Tone-Deaf In A Season Of Tightening Economy?
  • Is Facebook’s Name Change To Meta A Good Branding Decision?
  • Will Delivery Apps Still Fare Well Even After The Pandemic?
  • Is It Better To Get A Government- Or Bank-Sponsored Mortgage For A House?
  • Is The Myers-Briggs Personality Test Really The Best Gauge Of Individual Temperament?
  • Are Personality Tests Effective In Distinguishing Good From Bad Hires?
  • Have Coca-Cola’s Ad Campaigns Over The Past Decade Been Effective In Connecting To Its Audience?
  • Is Traditional Media As Relevant Today As It Was A Decade Ago?

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Controversial Essay Topic Series For Research Papers

As with all research papers, a great argumentative essay topic will require you to explore reliable data in order for you to come to a conclusion. You must be able to present solid facts from all perspectives and circle back to your thesis statement at the end of the paper. Here are some topic examples that you can take inspiration from.

  • Is The Mental Health Card Becoming An Excuse To Stop Growing?
  • Are Young Girls In Elementary School Old Enough To Enter The Pageantry World?
  • Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Homework, Or Are We Just Being Too Whiny?
  • Is Having An Electoral College Really Necessary, Or Can We Do Without It?
  • Is The Notorious School Lunch High In Nutritional Value, Or Do We Need To Change The Menu?
  • Is Online College At Par With Traditional University Educations?
  • Are Women Equally Emotional As Men, Or Do They Have More Sensitivities?
  • Should High School Students Work A Gap Year As A Requirement For College Admission?
  • Does The United States Have The Best Economic System In The World?
  • Should Parents Treat Their Teenage Kids As Their Friends?
  • Should Make-Up Companies Continue To Do Animal Testing For Product Development?
  • Should Parents Limit Screen Time For Toddlers Below Two Years?
  • Is It Beneficial For Students To Have The Same Teacher Their Entire High School Life?

Controversial Essay Topic Ideas For Middle School

Even middle schoolers will be required to tackle a persuasive writing exercise based on a topic that’s more suited to their level of difficulty. For some great argumentative essay topics that are appropriate for their level of learning, go through the list below.

  • What Major Historical Events Were Actually Failures Instead Of The Successes They Were Presented To Be?
  • Is Playing Violent Video Games Bad If You Are Still In Middle School?
  • Are Art Courses A Worthwhile Investment For The Summer?
  • Is Studying A Foreign Language Going To Make You A Smarter Person?
  • Should The School Year Be Shorter Or Longer?
  • Does A College Education Guarantee Success In Life?
  • Do We Have Appropriate Sanctions For In-Person Bullying In Elementary Schools?
  • Should Students Be Able To Help Shape Their School Curriculum?
  • Should Every Tv Channel Produce Family-Friendly Programming?
  • Do Kids Learn Things In Different Ways?
  • Are Parents Responsible For Making Sure Kids Become Good Eaters?
  • Should All Students Take Gym Class, Regardless Of Their Physical Limitations?
  • Should Students Have The Choice To Switch Teachers At Every Enrollment?

Controversial Ideas For College-Level Essays

At the college level, there are so many great ideas that you can use to showcase your writing skills. Here are some of the best argumentative essay topics to help you get started on your persuasive essay.

  • Is Choosing To Get Vaccinated An Individual Or Societal Responsibility?
  • Should Hospitals Have The Right To Withhold Medical Treatment From Financially Incompetent Patients?
  • Should Terminally Ill Patients Be Legally Allowed To Request Medically-Assisted Suicide?
  • Are Lower Socio-Economic Classes In America Getting The Help That They Need From The Government?
  • How Does Social Media Contribute To Gen Z’s Perception Of Beauty, Self-Worth, And Success?
  • Should Every Citizen In The World Be Entitled To Free Health Care?
  • Is The American Educational System Fully Primed To Embrace Diversity?
  • Should Illegal Immigrants Be Allowed To Stay In A New Country When Their Reasons Are Valid?
  • Should College Tuition Be Charged To The Student Or To The Government?
  • Is Distance Learning Equally Capable Of Creating The Same Camaraderie As A Face-To-Face Class?
  • Should International Students Be Granted Residency Based On Their School Performance?
  • Does The Civil Rights Movement Have Any Real-Life Impact On Culture Today?
  • Are Printed Books Still Necessary In The Digital Age?

Good Controversial Ideas for Your Essay Assignment

Need some quick and easy argumentative essay topics for one of your classes? A good way to source inspiration for the writing process is to think about prominent conversations and dialogues in your sphere. What are people talking or arguing about? What has yet to find a clear way forward? Below are some great prompts for your argumentative paper.

  • Should Age-Appropriate Books Be A Requirement For Homeschooled Students?
  • Is It Okay That High School Students Are Allowed To Read Grown-Up Books Outside Parental Supervision?
  • What Valid Moral Concerns Arise Out Of Legalizing Lgbt Marriages?
  • Is Human Cloning The Way To A More Efficient And Controlled Future?
  • Is The Modern Perspective On Dating Able To Honor The Ideals Of Both Past And Present Generations?
  • Should We Be Overly Concerned About Childhood Obesity?
  • Is Procrastination Is A Valid And Legitimate Productivity Tactic?
  • Is Productivity The Best Measure Of Employee Contribution?
  • Are Current Evaluation Systems For Employee Performance Outdated?
  • Should We Still Offer Art Courses To Students Who Are Not Gifted In This Area?
  • Are Today’S Creatives Being Paid Fairly?
  • Is Creative Copyrighting Currently Effective In Preventing Creative Crime?
  • Are Targeted Ads Good Or Bad For Business?

Controversial Essay Topics On Immigration

There are a lot of interesting and relevant conversations these days on the subject of immigration, making it a good argumentative topic for a controversial argumentative essay. To kick off your brainstorming and ideation, here are several writing prompts that may fuel your creative tank.

  • Is The Death Penalty A Justifiable Sentence For A Crime-Committing Illegal Immigrant?
  • Should The United States Tighten Border Controls For Nations That Are Heavily Affected By The Pandemic?
  • Should International Students Have A Fast Track To Residency?
  • Is Immigration More Beneficial To Home Countries Or Host Countries?
  • Should All Illegal Immigrants Be Immediately Deported And Blacklisted?
  • Should Those Who Got Spousal Visas Under Fake Marriages Be Criminalized?
  • Should Families Of Overseas Workers Be Immediately Allowed To Join Their Family Member Abroad?
  • Should Illegal Aliens Be Entitled To Free Health Care In Their Host Nations?
  • Should Productive Illegal Aliens Be Pardoned For Breaking The Law?
  • Should The Government Sponsor The Traveling Expenses Of The Family Of A Deceased Illegal Immigrant?
  • Are Current Immigration Laws Fair To All Ethnicities And Backgrounds?
  • Should Illegal Aliens Have The Right To Appeal?

Technology Controversial Essay Topic Ideas

Technology is always either a boon or a bane. There are so many discussions to be had about how technology has led to the rapid progress of modern lifestyles, as well as how it is the root of many of our human downfalls. Want to tackle this subject area for your argumentative writing exercise? You can give these sample topics a try.

  • The Final Verdict On Technology: Helpful Or Harmful To Humans And Society?
  • Has Technology Definitively Killed Our Attention Span And Ability To Focus?
  • Can Gen-Z Live Without Technology?
  • Is There Hope For The Elderly To Master Technology?
  • Does Technology Aid Or Hinder Military Tactics?
  • Does Technology Elevate Or Dampen The Quality Of Life?
  • Are Human Relationships All The Better With Technology?
  • Will Kids Learn To Love The Playground While Surrounded By Technology?
  • The Future Of Learning And Robotics
  • Do Online Fitness Classes Fare Better Than Face-To-Face Classes?
  • Travel And Technology: Does Seamless Travel Take The Fun Out Of Exploration?
  • Can E-Books Finally Replace Classic Paper Books?
  • Navigating Life Without The Search Engine: Is This Still Possible Today?

Controversial Essay Topics On Psychology

The study of the human mind is filled with debate-worthy topics that would be great food for thought for any reader. In this section are topics for essays about the field of psychology. Check them out below and see if there are any that interest you.

  • Are We Shaped By Genetics Or By External Experiences And Input?
  • Can Ex-Military Ptsd Sufferers Make A Full Recovery?
  • The Brain Chemistry Of Romance: Does Biology Determine Who We Fall In Love With?
  • Pheromones: Scientific Fact Or A Figment Of Our Imagination?
  • Is The Third Eye Real?
  • Does Hypnosis Cause More Harm Than Good?
  • Should Counseling Be Part Of Palliative Care?
  • Which Is More Effective, Biblical Counseling Or Psychotherapy?
  • Is Mental Health The Next Pandemic Or Health Crisis?
  • Is There A Place For Bipolar Individuals In The Workplace?
  • Does A Child With Sociopathic Tendencies Have A Chance Of Full Recovery?
  • Will People Immediately Recover From The Collective Trauma Of Covid?
  • Is Reverse Psychology Actually Effective?

Controversial Topic Ideas for a Rebuttal Essay

One type of controversial argumentative essay is the rebuttal essay, where the writer would refute or rebut a specific argument or stance. To do this successfully, one would need to highlight the flaws and imperfections in the topic. If this is the kind of argumentative essay you are working on and have yet to finalize your topic, here are a few topic suggestions.

  • Did All Of Life Really Originate From The Big Bang?
  • Can History Really Prove The Life, Death, And Resurrection Of Jesus Christ?
  • Is Donald Trump Really A Bad President?
  • Should Trans Women Be Part Of International Beauty Pageants?
  • Has Obamacare Really Helped A Lot Of Americans?
  • Is Biden Truly Fit To Lead The United States Of America?
  • Is North Korea A Truly Backward Country?
  • Is Covid Man-Made?
  • Is The Book Of Revelation In The Bible A True Prophecy About The End Of Days, Or A Parable To Be Interpreted Figuratively?
  • Are We Being Spied On Through Social Media?
  • Are We Being Too Lenient On Corrupt Politicians?
  • Is Marriage A Civil Right Or A Biblical Mandate?
  • Does Supporting The Marcos Regime Imply Supporting Historical Revisionism?

Controversial Essay Topic Ideas Post Civil War

Writing about life during and after the war and running out of ideas for your argumentative essays? Here are a few ideas that may give you the inspiration you need to nail down that topic.

  • Are There Parallelisms Between The War And The Tension And Conflict We Are Experiencing Today?
  • Was The Secession Of The 11 States The True Dealbreaker In The Events Leading Up To The War?
  • Was Lincoln Really The Best Presidential Candidate For The Time?
  • Would Lincoln’S Public Proclamation To End Slavery Be Considered A Public Relations Crisis Today?
  • Would Slavery Still Exist Today If The Southern States Had Won The War?
  • Did The War Aid In The Progression Of America As A Society?
  • Have Americans Truly Learned From The Consequences Of The War?
  • Was The War Necessary, Or Was There Something Else That Could Have Been Done?
  • Was The Small Number Of Southerners A Justifiable Reason For Losing In The War?
  • Was The War Essentially A Leadership Crisis?
  • Would The War Have Still Happened If Northerners Were Not As Opposed To Slavery?
  • Was The Reconstruction Era Successful In Its Attempt To Make Amends From The War?
  • Would We Be The America We Are Today If The Reconstruction Era Was To Be Eliminated From Our History Timeline?

Sports Controversial Essay Ideas

In the sphere of sports, there are also plenty of ideas for a good argumentative essay topic. To help jumpstart your writing process, allow us to share the topics we have in mind.

  • Should Straight Women Be Allowed To Compete In Men’S Sports If They So Desire?
  • Should Trans People Be Afforded The Same Opportunities In Competitive Sports As Straight People?
  • Is The Olympic Code Of Conduct Fairly Skewed To Accommodate People Of Color And The Trans Community?
  • Are People Of Color Fairly Represented In American Sports?
  • Should Mixed-Gender Sports Competitions Exist In The Olympics?
  • Should A College Education Be A Requirement In Competing For The Nba Or Nfl?
  • Is The Instant Replay Really Necessary?
  • Should We Ban The Existence Of Designated Hitters?
  • Are Scholarships Sufficient As Compensation For Collegiate Players?
  • Should Aging Players Take A Pay Cut?
  • Should Well-Known Athletes Be Obliged To Deal With The Media?
  • Should International Competitions Require Players To Undergo Mandatory Covid Vaccination?
  • Should Talented Athletes Be Required To Step Down After Being Part Of A Scandal?

Health Related Controversial Essay Ideas and Topics

Last, but not least, we present you with ideas for topics for health-related articles. Again, this is an industry ripe with plenty of hot topics, so we are sure that you will find a suggestion here that you can use for your argumentative essay.

  • Does Gene Editing Break A Moral Code?
  • Does Life Really Begin When It Is Conceived, Or At A Certain Period Of Viability?
  • Is Big Pharma Bullying Ivermectin Doctors, Or Are They Telling The Truth?
  • Are We Doing Well In Our Vaccine Education And Awareness Efforts?
  • Is Long-Term Intermittent Fasting Truly Beneficial To Human Health?
  • Should Children Participate In Clinical Trials?
  • Should All American Citizens Benefit From Free Healthcare?
  • Is The Cohen Diet A Scam?
  • Is Long-Term Organic Eating Financially Sustainable?
  • Should Family Members Be Legally Part Of A Euthanasia Decision?
  • Did Obamacare Cause The Demise Of Many Insurance Companies?
  • Should Mental Health Services Be Covered By Healthcare Insurance?
  • Is Childhood Obesity The Fault Of The Parents?

Conclusion

We hope that you’ve been able to select a topic from this roundup of ideas for an argumentative essay! Once you’ve determined your topic, come up with a thesis statement or a stance, and present all the facts to support your position. End with a strong conclusion to impress your teacher.

At the end of the day, these argumentative essays will help refine your critical and logical thinking skills and solidify your thought process. If anything, it will help you understand and form your own convictions, especially if you don’t have a particular stand yet in the matter.

Should you need any further assistance in actually writing your paper, we can also be of help. We offer affordable essay writing services through our pool of professional writers. We will match you with one based on their familiarity with and expertise on your topic.

We wish you well in your writing process!

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