If you’re a student trying to find the ideal discursive essay topics, you probably want something original, interesting and appropriate for scholarly discussion. Selecting the appropriate topic can make or break your essay, whether you’re writing it for a class assignment, competing, or getting ready for a college application. To help you stand out, we’ll go over the top, most captivating, and genuinely original discursive essay topics in this post.
What Is a Discursive Essay?
A discursive essay examines various viewpoints on a subject in an organized and fair way. Discursive essays let you present several viewpoints before coming to a well-reasoned conclusion, in contrast to argumentative essays that support a particular viewpoint. This format sharpens your ability to logically argue for and against a topic, promotes research, and fosters critical thinking.
Best Discursive Essay Topics for Students
- Is AI making creativity obsolete?
- Should college tuition be free?
- Do influencers shape modern consumer behavior?
- Should homework be banned in schools?
- Can online education replace traditional classrooms?
- Is climate activism effective or performative?
- Should voting be mandatory?
- Is school ranking harmful to student well-being?
- Do grades measure intelligence or conformity?
- Is celebrity culture toxic to young minds?
Unique Discursive Essay Prompts
- Should time travel be regulated if invented?
- Are fictional books better than self-help books?
- Is silence an effective form of protest?
- Should memes be archived as cultural records?
- Is walking underrated in urban planning?
- Is space tourism a waste of resources?
- Should sleep be included in school health curriculums?
- Can virtual pets replace real ones for busy people?
- Should workplaces have introvert-friendly policies?
- Is minimalism a privilege?
Debate Topics for College Students
- Should universal healthcare be a human right?
- Can capitalism be ethical?
- Is nationalism a threat or strength?
- Should all public transport be free?
- Are student loans a form of exploitation?
- Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
- Should performance-enhancing drugs be legalized in sports?
- Is social media activism real activism?
- Should public universities eliminate grades?
- Can ethical hacking be justified?
Interesting Discursive Essay Topics
- Is boredom necessary for creativity?
- Are introverts better leaders?
- Should everyone take a gap year after high school?
- Do uniforms help or hinder student expression?
- Should internet access be a basic right?
- Are ghost towns a warning or a curiosity?
- Can video games improve emotional intelligence?
- Is handwriting still relevant in the digital age?
- Should there be laws against wasting food?
- Do fictional characters shape real personalities?
Trending & Tech-Focused Topics
- Should AI be allowed in hiring decisions?
- Is crypto mining worth the energy cost?
- Should governments regulate social media algorithms?
- Is remote work the future of employment?
- Should online identity be protected by law?
- Are NFTs a legitimate form of art?
- Is the metaverse just a buzzword?
- Can wearable tech lead to data exploitation?
- Should AI-created content be labeled?
- Is screen addiction a public health crisis?
Trending & Tech-Focused Topics
- Should governments regulate social media algorithms?
- Is remote work the future of employment?
- Should online privacy be a basic human right?
- Are NFTs a legitimate form of art?
- Is the metaverse just a buzzword or the future?
- Can wearable tech lead to data exploitation?
- Should AI-generated content be labeled accordingly?
- Is screen addiction a public health crisis?
- Should autonomous vehicles be allowed on public roads?
- Is facial recognition technology ethical?
- Can virtual reality revolutionize education?
- Should influencers disclose paid partnerships transparently?
- Are cryptocurrency and blockchain overrated?
- Should governments intervene in digital currency markets?
- Are smart homes a privacy nightmare?
- Is tech increasing the digital divide in society?
- Should AI replace human judges in courts?
- Is cloud computing safe for national security?
- Does social media censorship threaten democracy?
- Is biometric authentication better than passwords?
- Should drones replace delivery services?
- Is telemedicine as effective as in-person doctors?
- Should wearable fitness trackers be regulated for accuracy?
- Are self-driving trucks safer than human drivers?
- Should parents have access to student online data?
- Is robot companionship acceptable in elder care?
- Should online trolls be legally prosecuted?
- Is smart city surveillance too intrusive?
- Should governments subsidize green technology startups?
- Is contactless payment a step too far in giver control?
Social & Cultural Issues
- Is universal basic income a feasible economic policy?
- Should cultural appropriation be criminalized?
- Is gender reveal harmful to cultural norms?
- Are beauty pageants sexist relics or platforms for empowerment?
- Should men be allowed on women-only college programs?
- Is cancel culture an effective tool for accountability?
- Should public schools include sex positivity in their curriculum?
- Is homeschooling better than traditional education?
- Are single-sex schools outdated?
- Should citizenship be based on principle rather than birthright?
- Is gentrification an inevitable part of urban growth?
- Should plastic surgery be normalized?
- Is the concept of soul migration pseudoscience or valid belief?
- Should romantic love be taught in relationship education?
- Is the gender pay gap overstated or understated?
- Should religious diets be accommodated in public schools?
- Is intrapersonal intelligence more important than IQ?
- Are mascots rooted in historical prejudice?
- Should refugee athletes be allowed in national teams?
- Is ethic of care as important as ethics of justice?
- Should parents enforce digital literacy at home?
- Is forced labor reparations necessary for guilt reduction?
- Should pets be allowed in workplace environments?
- Is censorship in art ever justified?
- Should artificial wombs be encouraged as reproductive options?
- Is universal digital ID beneficial or risky?
- Is ethical consumerism achievable or an illusion?
- Should the 15-hour workweek become standard?
- Is mentorship better than formal education?
- Should volunteer work be mandatory in high school?
Education & Youth
- Should students learn financial literacy in schools?
- Is teaching CRT in schools necessary for history?
- Should college degrees be competency-based?
- Is summer break harming youth productivity?
- Should physical education be daily in schools?
- Are homework-free weekends more effective?
- Should schools ban energy drinks?
- Is multilingual education essential for global citizens?
- Should peer grading be adopted in colleges?
- Is corporal punishment ever defensible in discipline?
- Should schools teach climate change solutions?
- Are standardized tests discriminatory?
- Should students be allowed to design school curriculums?
- Is field-trip learning more impactful than classroom learning?
- Should universities ban AI-based writing tools?
- Is college admissions using cultural fit discriminatory?
- Should student voting centers be on campus?
- Are class rankings detrimental to student morale?
- Should tech companies sponsor educational programs?
- Is creative subjects more important than core subjects?
- Should schools regulate student behavior on social media?
- Is awarding certificates for non-academic achievements necessary?
- Should all schools offer mindfulness classes?
- Are open-book exams better learning tools?
- Should religious attire be allowed in schools?
- Is phasing out school uniforms a good idea?
- Should teachers have right to be politically neutral?
- Are school grants better than loans?
- Should career counseling be mandatory in schools?
- Is digitizing all textbooks viable for low-income students?
Health & Ethics
- Should assisted suicide be legalized everywhere?
- Is universal healthcare financially feasible?
- Should vaccination ever be mandatory?
- Is genetic testing ethical in children?
- Should sports gambling be made illegal?
- Is over-medication in mental health a crisis?
- Should enhancement drugs be allowed in athletics?
- Is religious fasting healthy or harmful?
- Should pet cloning be permitted?
- Are humane slaughterhouses possible?
- Should organ selling be legalized?
- Is medical data privacy adequately protected?
- Should there be limits to cosmetic procedures?
- Is antibiotic resistance a man-made threat?
- Should health apps report user data to insurance?
- Is euthanasia simply mercy or premature death?
- Should junk food advertising be banned?
- Is fitness tracking for children ethical?
- Should mental health days become standard leave?
- Is religious medical exemption acceptable?
- Should parental consent limit teen health services?
- Is performance-based healthcare fair?
- Should fertility treatments be state-funded?
- Is hospital privatization ethical?
- Should health campaigns target obesity or spread body positivity?
- Is animal testing ever justified for medical research?
- Should psychedelics be used in psychiatric treatment?
- Is telepsychiatry as effective as in-person care?
- Should alternative therapies be integrated into public systems?
- Is public health surveillance justified during pandemics?
Environment, Economy & Global Issues
- Should offshore drilling be banned permanently?
- Is fracking more harmful than beneficial?
- Should carbon credits be sold to developing nations?
- Is palm oil production morally unacceptable?
- Should single-use plastics be globally banned?
- Are plant-based diets necessary for climate goals?
- Should rich nations pay climate reparations?
- Is geoengineering necessary to save the planet?
- Should endangered species be revived through de-extinction?
- Is nuclear energy a clean power source?
- Should governments ban meat consumption?
- Is urban farming scalable globally?
- Should drones be used for wildlife monitoring?
- Is space debris a threat to humanity’s future?
- Should water be privatized or public?
- Can blockchain sustainably track supply chains?
- Is economic growth compatible with environmental protection?
- Should fossil fuel subsidies be removed immediately?
- Is universal basic income a climate adaptation strategy?
- Should indigenous lands be used for mining?
- Is international aid harmful to local economies?
- Should labor rights be globalized?
- Is GDP obsolete as a development measure?
- Should trade unions be mandatory?
- Are government bailouts justifiable in private crises?
- Should automation be taxed to fund social welfare?
- Is over-tourism damaging global heritage sites?
- Should wildlife tourism be banned to protect animals?
- Is space mining just a modern colonialism?
- Should the global debt of poor countries be forgiven?
Choosing the right topic can transform a good discursive essay into a great one. Whether you prefer to challenge societal norms or explore modern dilemmas the topics listed above will help you develop an essay that is informative and thought-provoking.
If you’re looking for inspiration beyond unique discursive essay topics, you might find it helpful to explore a variety of related resources. For instance, our collections of argumentative essay examples for middle school and high school provide clear models to understand different writing styles. For those interested in refining their persuasive skills, check out our curated lists of good argumentative essay topics and current argumentative essay topics.
College students can benefit from our argumentative topics specifically for college, while anyone can explore a wide range of persuasive essay topics and Rogerian argumentative topics to diversify their essay choices. These resources complement the unique discursive essay topics covered here and can help you sharpen your argumentative writing skills across different levels and styles.
