Here are three essay prompts suitable for a 9-paragraph college composition essay. Each prompt asks students to analyze Lacie Pound’s breakdown in “Nosedive” and Bing’s unraveling in “Fifteen Million Merits” as metaphors for human fragility in a world dominated by social media. The prompts also integrate required readings/viewings for synthesis.
Prompt 1: The Performance Trap
Essay Prompt:
In both Black Mirror episodes “Nosedive” and “Fifteen Million Merits,” the protagonists—Lacie Pound and Bing—descend into psychological breakdowns as they chase social validation in environments governed by artificial approval systems. In an essay, argue how these episodes critique the emotional costs of performative identity on social media platforms. Use examples from the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, Jonathan Haidt’s essay “Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid”, and Sherry Turkle’s TED Talk “Connected But Not Alone” to support your argument.
Prompt 2: The Loneliness of the Digitally Obsessed
Essay Prompt:
Lacie and Bing both inhabit worlds where constant connectivity and digital feedback loops result not in stronger relationships, but in alienation, anxiety, and emotional collapse. In a 9-paragraph essay, analyze how these characters’ breakdowns illustrate the loneliness, anxiety, and social dysfunction that emerge when technology replaces genuine connection. Reference The Social Dilemma, Jonathan Haidt’s critique of social fragmentation, and Sherry Turkle’s warning about the illusion of digital intimacy to enrich your argument.
Prompt 3: Digital Status and the Death of Authenticity
Essay Prompt:
In “Nosedive” and “Fifteen Million Merits,” social capital is earned through artificial behavior, self-censorship, and shallow conformity—leading the protagonists to lose their sense of identity and eventually unravel. Write a 9-paragraph essay in which you argue that these emotional and psychological breakdowns reveal how social media erodes authenticity and amplifies human vulnerability. Incorporate evidence from The Social Dilemma, Jonathan Haidt’s discussion of outrage culture, and Sherry Turkle’s insights on authenticity and selfhood in the digital age.
Here are 9-paragraph essay outlines for the three prompts above. Each outline follows a classic structure: Introduction, 3 body paragraphs (for the main argument), 1 counterargument with rebuttal, 3 synthesis/body paragraphs incorporating outside sources, and a conclusion.
Prompt 1 Outline: The Performance Trap
Thesis:
In Nosedive and Fifteen Million Merits, Lacie Pound and Bing unravel under the pressure of performative digital identities, illustrating how social media compels people to trade authenticity for approval—often at the cost of their mental health.
1. Introduction
- Hook: The rise of social media has turned human interaction into theater.
- Background on both episodes: Lacie’s obsession with ratings; Bing’s conformity and disillusionment.
- Thesis statement (see above).
2. Body Paragraph 1 – Lacie’s Breakdown
- Lacie’s desperation to raise her score.
- Her descent into chaos after a series of “bad ratings.”
- Final breakdown as a liberation from the performance trap.
3. Body Paragraph 2 – Bing’s Rebellion
- Bing’s robotic routine in the merit economy.
- His explosion during the talent show—a cry against the inauthentic system.
- Irony of his rebellion being monetized into a show.
4. Body Paragraph 3 – Shared Theme: Social Performance
- Performative identity dominates both dystopias.
- Both characters lose themselves in artificial roles.
- Psychological toll of constant judgment.
5. Counterargument & Rebuttal
- Counterargument: Social media lets us curate better versions of ourselves—what’s the harm?
- Rebuttal: These curated versions become prisons, eroding self-worth and authenticity.
6. Body Paragraph 4 – The Social Dilemma
- Algorithms drive behavior and reward extremes.
- Tech addiction and its effect on self-image and attention.
- Parallels to the rating economy in Nosedive.
7. Body Paragraph 5 – Haidt’s “Uniquely Stupid”
- Polarization and moral outrage amplified by social platforms.
- Pressure to conform and perform within ideological bubbles.
- Connection to Bing’s scripted world.
8. Body Paragraph 6 – Turkle’s “Connected But Not Alone”
- Illusion of connection in digital spaces.
- Empathy and deep communication are lost.
- Lacie’s friendships are transactional, not real.
9. Conclusion
- Reaffirm thesis: Performance culture online leads to emotional ruin.
- Lacie and Bing show us the dangers of constructing identity around approval.
- Final thought: Only authenticity can break the loop.
Prompt 2 Outline: The Loneliness of the Digitally Obsessed
Thesis:
The emotional collapse of Lacie Pound and Bing in Black Mirror reveals the paradox of digital life: constant connection breeds deeper loneliness, not community.
1. Introduction
- Hook: More “likes,” less love—social media’s cruel trick.
- Set up both characters’ digital environments.
- Thesis (see above).
2. Body Paragraph 1 – Lacie’s Isolation
- Her neediness disguised as friendliness.
- Friendships based on score, not connection.
- Humiliation at the wedding—no one truly cares for her.
3. Body Paragraph 2 – Bing’s Disconnection
- No family, no friends—just screens and routine.
- His only emotional bond is with Abi, which is commodified.
- His scream is a plea for meaning, not fame.
4. Body Paragraph 3 – Loneliness as the Real Villain
- Technology promises intimacy but delivers alienation.
- Both Lacie and Bing are surrounded by people but utterly alone.
- Their breakdowns are silent indictments of a social system that dehumanizes.
5. Counterargument & Rebuttal
- Counterargument: Social media helps people stay connected and make friends.
- Rebuttal: Superficial “likes” and follows can’t replace real relationships. The deeper the platform, the shallower the intimacy.
6. Body Paragraph 4 – The Social Dilemma
- Engineers of these platforms admit they’re designed for addiction.
- Dopamine loops make people lonelier despite constant scrolling.
- Lacie’s smile is a twitch, not joy.
7. Body Paragraph 5 – Haidt’s Argument
- Young people more anxious, depressed post-2010.
- Social media accelerates isolation and tribalism.
- Bing’s world is an algorithmic hellscape.
8. Body Paragraph 6 – Turkle’s Warnings
- “Alone together”: people are never truly present.
- Loss of empathy, emotional shallowness.
- Both episodes echo Turkle’s warning—connection isn’t communion.
9. Conclusion
- Reaffirm thesis: Digital connection is a poor substitute for emotional intimacy.
- Lacie and Bing didn’t fail—they were failed by a system that glorifies empty interaction.
- Final thought: If we don’t reclaim solitude and real connection, we’re next.
Prompt 3 Outline: Digital Status and the Death of Authenticity
Thesis:
Lacie Pound and Bing’s emotional breakdowns show how social media culture kills authenticity by forcing users into roles that prioritize appearance over integrity—and the result is emotional collapse.
1. Introduction
- Hook: “Be yourself” is the biggest lie on the internet.
- Introduce Nosedive and Fifteen Million Merits.
- Thesis (see above).
2. Body Paragraph 1 – Lacie’s Fake Persona
- Her voice, smile, and entire existence are curated.
- She rehearses jokes and compliments for likes.
- Meltdown at the wedding is her only authentic moment.
3. Body Paragraph 2 – Bing’s Fake Rebellion
- Bing seems to break free with his speech.
- But he trades rebellion for comfort—a fake freedom.
- His window views are illusions, not liberation.
4. Body Paragraph 3 – The Cost of Inauthenticity
- Characters who play the game are rewarded—but spiritually dead.
- Both Lacie and Bing suffer because they pretend too long.
- Authenticity becomes a threat to the system.
5. Counterargument & Rebuttal
- Counterargument: Curation isn’t inauthentic—it’s just smart self-presentation.
- Rebuttal: The line between curation and deception is thin—and soul-eroding. When your self is always for sale, it stops being yours.
6. Body Paragraph 4 – The Social Dilemma
- Platforms pressure users to constantly perform.
- “Likes” become currency.
- Lacie is the product—packaged, polished, and miserable.
7. Body Paragraph 5 – Haidt’s Argument
- Users curate tribal identities that suppress individual thought.
- Emotional fragility results when self-worth depends on feedback.
- Bing’s rage is born from a system that sells authenticity back as a brand.
8. Body Paragraph 6 – Turkle’s Idea of the “Edited Self”
- Real selves are messy; platforms demand polish.
- Turkle warns that over-curation kills growth.
- Lacie and Bing both show what happens when your online persona becomes your prison.
9. Conclusion
- Reaffirm thesis: Digital culture flattens us into caricatures.
- Lacie and Bing tried to survive by faking it—and paid the price.
- Final thought: In a world that sells identity, being real is the most rebellious act.
Cinemorphosis 
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