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Social media does more harm than good to public discourse. It spreads misinformation and makes people argue instead of listen. This is a big problem in today's society.
Social media is bad because people believe fake news. They see something online and think it is true without checking. This causes a lot of confusion and arguments between people who believe different things.
Also, social media makes people mean. People say things online they would never say in person because they are behind a screen. This ruins conversations and makes everyone angry.
In conclusion, social media does more harm than good because of fake news and because it makes people mean. Society would be better if people used it less.
How it scores, row by row
Row A — Thesis
1/1The essay does state a defensible position in the first sentence, so it earns the thesis point. That is the one thing it does on the rubric.
Row B — Evidence & Commentary
1/4Only a 1. The claims stay general — 'fake news,' 'makes people mean' — with no specific evidence (no example, study, event, or case) and commentary that merely restates the claim. Row B rewards specific evidence plus commentary that reasons about it; this essay has neither.
Row C — Sophistication
0/1No sophistication point. The argument is one-sided and general, with no counterargument, nuance, or wider context.
The takeaway
The gap here is entirely Row B. To climb from a 2 to a 4, replace generalities with concrete evidence — a specific platform, event, or study — and add commentary that explains why each example proves the claim. Then concede the other side (social media also widens who gets heard) to reach for Row C.
Want this on your own writing? Paste a draft into the AP Lang essay grader for a score on every rubric row, review how the points are awarded on the AP Lang rubric, or read the guide to the argument essay.
This is an original sample written for rubricfy to illustrate each score band, not an official College Board essay. rubricfy is not affiliated with or endorsed by the College Board.