topic proposal

1. What is your topic and how does it relate to the overall theme of trends and culture?

The overmedication of America. This relates to the theme in that prescriptions for Americans to drugs like Ritalin, Prozac, and Zoloft are at the highest levels they have ever been at in American history.

2. What is the main controversy? Who are the participants in the debate?

The main controversy is that Americas are turning more and more to prescription pills to solve their problems when in some cases the prescription pills might not be needed. Also that parents are starting to overmedicate their children for things that 20 years ago would have seemed as normal childhood behavior. Doctors every day Americans and parents of children are the participants.

3. Please list all the causes/effects you intend to explore in your essay. Obviously, you might come up with other causes/effects based on your research, but it is useful to know what you have to start with.

Causes of this problem would be the glut of marketing that pharmaceutical companies give for every single specific problem a person might have and the pill that will cure it. Parents who choose to give their children medication because they feel it will help them in school, or are scared that society will view their children differently and want to remedy the "defect". The effects being many children are taking drugs they don't need, and even some adults are taken unnecessary medications. Another effect is the breakdown of the American family due to everyone in the family being on his or her own drug, and no longer talking to each other about problems that the family might be facing.

4. What approach will you be using? Please explain if you plan to combine approaches.

I will be using the approach of explaining this controversy through identifying the causes first and then looking at them through the context of the effects they have caused.

5. What information will you be looking for as you start researching the topic?

I will be looking for research on what doctors think about this rising trend of medication, and data on the growing number of medications for children and the general public as well.