<p>Like the title says, how would I write this type of essay? For example last month, the prompt was “Are advertisements harmful to teenagers?” I have a universal essay template, but I can’t find any concrete examples for a topic like this that isn’t personal</p>
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<p>Your question proves that there’s no such thing as a “universal essay template.”</p>
<p>I think he means those templates that have like 50 historical/lit. resources to use as examples.</p>
<p>I don’t think this prompt is exclusively contemporary and impersonal. You could always write about trends and hipsters (in a more professional way lol!), or books about censorship (F451 though I’d say that’s overused…) and connect it to teens…I see lots of possibilities here.</p>
<p>Actually there is a way where you can convert such a contemporary and impersonal prompt into a personal one that be supported by historical facts. For example, to tackle with this prompt, you should not define ads just as commercials. It can be a announcement. Therefore, you can use example like civil rights movement to support you viewpoint.</p>
<p>I tried writing about this and wrote about Catcher In the Rye as my lit example</p>
<p>It’s pretty easy if you know how to tweak the prompt a little bit. You can say that “teenagers” represent “impressionable people” and define “advertisements” as “a kind of public pronouncement” and then put your essay in a larger context. </p>