Researching for Debates on Technology

Hello Everyone!

We are going to be doing formal class debates on technology. Our two statements for debate will be the following:

  • Playing video games is a beneficial activity for young children.
  • Digital technology tools have a negative impact on young children. 

You will be choosing one of the statements above to research in detail, finding information about both sides of the debate, for and against.

As you look for information, be aware of finding evidence that:

  • is from a reputable source
  • has real-life examples of how technology is being used
  • is new (last three years is preferable) and updated, current
  • is in books as well as the web
  • involves facts not just opinions

Use websites:

  • that end in .edu, as it is an education website
  • that end in .gov as it comes from a government website
  • that end in .org, as it is a non-profit (but be aware of a biased perspective)
  • that are news websites we know to be reputable and local (Vancouver Sun, Globe and Mail, BBC, CBC, Associated Press, CTV, Global, NY Times, NPR, and more)
  • that show current information (search in Google News)
  • that show research and come from people who are reputable and know about the topic
  • TED Talks, especially from TED Ed

Avoid websites:

  • like wikipedia – which is great for quick facts but not for research
  • You Tube — great for entertainment or informational videos, but not necessarily research, unless you can tell where the video is coming from directly
  • that end in .com, as these are often businesses
  • that have lots of ads or sponsored content
  • that have a reading level you can’t understand
  • like Huffington Post that have news articles with very little information in them
  • that are blogs, which focus on giving out someone’s opinions
  • editorials in newspapers, which focus on opinions

Here are some websites or articles to consider. I am not posting these because I believe in their points of view, but rather so we have research on both sides of the debate. (Please visit as I add to this list.):

NPR Teen Depression and Smartphones

TED 3 Fears About Screen Time and why they are not true

Salon How the Smartphone affects a whole generation

Mindshift A Textbook dilemna: Paper or Digital

NPR Attention Students: Put Your Laptops Away