The Loneliness Hypothesis: Is Social Isolation Making America Mean? (college essay prompt)

Read “How America Got Mean” by David Brooks and “The Anti-Social Century” by Derek Thompson. Then watch the comedy special Lonely Flowers by Roy Wood Jr..

In Lonely Flowers, Roy Wood Jr. argues that increasing loneliness and social disconnection are contributing to a rise in anger, hostility, and violence in American society. Brooks and Thompson also describe a culture that is becoming more fragmented, isolated, and socially brittle.

Write a 1,000-word argumentative essay that develops a thesis responding to Roy Wood Jr.’s claim. Using the ideas from Brooks and Thompson, argue whether social isolation is a convincing explanation for the rise in cultural hostility and violence. Your essay may support, refute, or complicate Wood’s claim.

Thesis + Mapping Requirement

Your introduction must include a thesis that does two things:

1. Takes a clear position on Wood’s claim about loneliness and violence.
2. Maps the major reasons that will organize your body paragraphs.

Example thesis with mapping

Roy Wood Jr.’s claim that loneliness is fueling violence in America is persuasive because, as David Brooks and Derek Thompson show, the collapse of community institutions, the rise of hyper-individualism, and the retreat into private digital life have produced a society that is increasingly disconnected and emotionally volatile.

In this thesis, the mapping components are:

• collapse of community institutions 
• retreat into private digital life
• loss of meaningful language
• loss of intuition to connect with others

Each of those becomes a body paragraph.

Essay Requirements

Your essay should include:

• a clear thesis with mapping components
• analysis of key ideas from Brooks and Thompson
• references to Roy Wood Jr.’s argument in Lonely Flowers
• a counterargument that challenges your thesis
• a rebuttal defending your position
• a concluding paragraph that reflects on what these ideas suggest about modern American culture

Possible directions for your argument

You might argue that:

• loneliness and isolation are making Americans angrier and more volatile
• loneliness explains some hostility but not actual violence
• digital life is replacing real community and increasing resentment
• other forces (economic anxiety, media outrage, politics) are stronger causes of violence