Good Debate Topics

As a student, one topic which I remember always making the rounds of the debating circuit was, does violence in television and movies influence the way children behave? By the end of my learning years, I was sure that I had heard every argument that could have been made about the topic. After all, how many examples can you give from television and how many instances of juvenile delinquency can you cite that resulted from watching a violent film? Yes, violence has permeated the media but can we for once stop making it the staple fodder for all debate contests. I am sure that there is no lack of good debate topics that organizers and teachers can come up with and if there is, then here are some options that may be a welcome break from citing Mark Anthony's oft quoted, Friends, Romans, Countrymen... speech.

A good debate topic does not necessarily need to be a political topic. It can be funny, informative, contemplative, social, economical - the categories are endless. Debate topics for students need to be chosen keeping in mind the maturity level and understanding that they may be expected to have about the speech topic at hand. Always make a shortlist of topics that will seem interesting to the target audience. Ask for suggestions and if possible conduct a poll on which topic would be preferred by the students. This way you will sustain the interest of the audience.When you finalize a debate topic ensure that it has a focus area. With some topics the area to cover can be too wide making it an unsuitable topic for a debate with time restrictions.Try to avoid topics that are too controversial, at least for debate competitions at school level. At a younger age it may not be possible for the kids to understand the gravity and seriousness of certain issues and while they need the exposure, they also need proper understanding of the topic. The debate topics given below have been divided into three categories - topics for middle school students, high school students and college students.

Good Debate Topics for Middle School Students
The speech topics for middle school students that have been listed below are debate topics about which the students will have some knowledge and opinion. There are a few political topics but most topics are those that affect their daily life.

• Superman, Spiderman, Batman - superheros or misleading idols?
• Should homework be banned?
• Do video games really cause bad behavior in children?
• Free travel and trade with Cuba: should it be allowed?
• The 51st state in the US should be Washington D.C.
• Are there aliens?
• Bottled water: more harmful than good.
• Single sex education system is better than a co-ed system.
• Mobile phones in school - should we ban them?
• Reading - is it the new style trend?
• Does detention actually serve a purpose?
• Are vampires real?
• Junk food should be banned from public schools.
• Thanks to social networking, there is no face-to-face interaction.
• Is there life after death?
• Are mermaids real?
• Are Barbie dolls affecting the mental image we create for our appearance?

Good Debate Topics for High School Students
Persuasive speech ideas that will interest a high school student can be a little difficult to decide. But the topics listed below may be good idea generators.

• Which came first? Chicken or egg?
• Is animal testing humane?
• Euthanasia: Should the right to die be granted?
• Paparazzi livelihood vs privacy of celebrities: what is important?
• Pros and cons of the No Child Left Behind act.
• Marijuana - legalize it for medicinal purposes.
• Global warming is a figment of our imagination.
• Should the death penalty be repealed?
• Is the law easier on celebrities?
• Should parental consent be made mandatory for underage pregnancy abortion?
• Are school uniforms a good or a bad idea?
• Recycling should be compulsory.
• God: myth or reality?
• Sex education - when is the right time to start it?
• Media censorship - a necessary change?
• Should the legal age allowing consumption of alcohol be raised?
• Abortion - should it be banned.

Good Debate Topics for College Students
College students are young adults who have informed opinions and the wherewithal to express themselves in a concise and intelligent manner. Given below are a few informative speech topics for college students.

• Evolution or creation: how did human beings come about?
• Nuclear proliferation: will development of nuclear weapons fuel a third world war?
• Quarter life crisis is the new midlife crisis?
• Is the world going to end in 2012?
• US military involvement in Iraq has done more good than harm.
• Is co-habitation the replacement for marriage?
• Human cloning should be allowed.
• Will there be another Holocaust?
• Do newborn babies remembers their past life?
• Media consolidation: pros and cons.
• Should same-sex partners have the same rights as heterosexuals?
• Are we overworking ourselves?
• The United States should eliminate its own weapons of mass destruction - do you agree or disagree?
• Is the American dream overrated?
• Is it justified to give a dictator a tit-for-tat treatment?
• The Roman Catholic Church policy forbidding the use of contraception should be changed.
• Should we encourage the belief that kids have in Santa Claus?

Hope these good debate topics for students serve the purpose the next time you are organizing a debate contest and do not want your audience (or competitors) to react with a loud groan as soon as the topic is announced.