I'm seriously disappointed in the future if people spent their lives stuck in a weird cult-like middle ground between fantasy and reality.

I'm a high school English teacher and I'm writing my class's first paper for this grading period. My students need to write a persuasive essay, but they can take on any topic, audience, tone, and occupying any position they like. I've been giving them a few prompts to get them in the mindset.<br><br>Normally, they'd throw out a bunch of middle school level topics like "Should we have recess" or "Should school start later" or whatever.<br><br>But now the topics they're coming up with just all sound like me-too parroting of twitter takes. One kid was occupying the position of an "animal rights activist," but it turns out he wants to start a war with China to save the pandas.<br><br>Another one is writing from the perspective of a politician arguing to "abolish plastic." This is real high school level, but I can't imagine someone who had an actual job as a senator saying that in a hearing.<br><br>I'm seriously disappointed in the future if people spent their lives stuck in a weird cult-like middle ground between fantasy and reality.<br><br>Forgive me, I don't have a deer-in-headlights look on my face to the onslaught of new tech yet.