Need Debate Topics For High School Students? Get 125+ Controversial Topics For Teenagers

Adolescence is a time of crucial decisions that echo with the resonance of their future. That is so because the pursuit of the ideal college and the elusive career path cast shadows on their choices, painting the canvas of uncertainty. Amidst this confusion, the art of debate emerges as a guiding light, illuminating their journey with enthusiasm, discussion, as well as a touch of controversy. 

With this in mind, controversial topics for teens, brimming with relevance, serve as the stage where the voices of these young minds yearn to be heard and taken seriously. Yet, as they step into the arena of debate, a question lingers—how do they wield their words with impact and conviction? But fear not, for here unfolds a tapestry of 125+ Controversial Topics for Teenagers in 2024 tailored for the discerning minds of middle school students, inviting them to step into the spotlight of discourse and discovery.

A few key considerations must be made when selecting solid debate topics. Thus, here are some recommendations to help you in choosing a concrete subject for your discussion:

Investigation

Before you participate in a dispute, you should be aware of the benefits and drawbacks of your issue. In fact, you can persuade the audience by contrasting your position with the opponents.

Argumentative Possibilities

In the meantime, choose a subject that has the potential for a compelling argument. Because you will have difficulty developing a solid argument if only one correct side or little material is available.

Passion

You must be interested since you will be writing and presenting your topic to your audience. Additionally, there is no chance that your debate topics will be persuasive enough to persuade your listeners if you are not interested in the subject. Thus, choose the right capstone project ideas that inspire you. You can create a project on this topic if you are great at chemical process intricacies. 

Intended Audience

This is the most important thing to consider while selecting a debate topic for public speaking. Nevertheless, your topic should be appropriate for your audience’s level of education; otherwise, they won’t be able to comprehend what you are trying to argue.

You can also explore Compare and Contrast Essay Topics here in this post.

Controversial Debate Topics for Teenagers

The ideal debate topics for teenagers will mostly depend on the age and maturity of the participants as well as the purpose of the discussion or argument.

Sometimes, it can also be challenging to talk about contentious issues. You can do this with a friend who will converse or discuss with you in good faith and won’t try to embroil you in unfair conflicts.

Learning about expository essay topics is also crucial, which you will know by reading this entire article.

Most Controversial Topics To Discuss With Teens

1. Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
2. Should the drinking age be lowered to 16?
3. What should the appropriate dating age be for teens?
4. Can cyberbullying be compared to real-life bullying in terms of severity?
5. Is peer pressure viewed as a positive or negative force?
6. Whether social media actively contributes to the rise in youth suicide rates.
7. Teens must not be allowed to consume energy drinks.
8. Mobile devices must not be permitted in classrooms.

Good Debate Topics For High School Students

9. Encouragement of teen book reading: Are the results positive?
10. Has technology altered the way that adolescents get sex education?
11. Has social media replaced our downtime?
12. Can daily leisure time be a substitute for a yearly vacation?
13. Is leisure time essential for workplace effectiveness?
14. Playing violent video games: pros and cons.
15. Has work-life balance changed with the advent of technology?
16. Has globalization and our increased mobility altered the way we view vacations?
17. Women spend their leisure time differently than men.

Controversial Political Debate Topics for Teenagers

18. Political campaigns shouldn’t accept money from outside sources.
19. The ideal form of government is democracy.
20. Should the government restrict the freedom of expression?
21. Are taxes that rise at ever-increasing rates?
22. Senator and representative term limits for the United States do more harm than good.
23. Voting rights should remain intact for ex-offenders.
24. Racial disparity in the US results from contemporary incarceration patterns that disproportionately harm blacks compared to whites.
25. Is social media activity a requirement for a political leader?
26. Is the US Constitution still relevant today?
27. Should Supreme Court judges be chosen for fixed, predetermined terms?

Controversial Religious Topics for Teenagers

28. Does modern American policing of underrepresented groups contribute to the criminalization of youth?
29. Should the United States eliminate the death penalty?
30. Is it moral to abort a child in the first few months of pregnancy?
31. Peer pressure: Does it exonerate delinquent youth from responsibility?
32. Will physical libraries ever wholly be replaced by computer databases?
33. Is cloning morally permissible?
34. Is the death penalty a form of cruel and unusual punishment?
35. Is it a good idea to make marijuana legal?
36. Is legalizing euthanasia a good idea?
37. Is it necessary to increase the minimum wage?
38. Do drug addicts require treatment or punishment?
39. In the age of globalization, is nationalism advantageous or harmful?

Controversial Science And Technology Debate Topics For High Schoolers

40. Will technology increase human intelligence?
41. Is artificial intelligence dangerous?
42. Will robots improve people’s quality of life?
43. What impact do technical advancements have on us?
44. Will we soon settle on another planet?
45. Can all automobiles eventually be electric?
46. Can we say that technology enhances human communication?
47. Do you think that recent technological advancements are changing people’s interests?
48. Can technology protect (or damage) the environment?
49. Does legislation appropriately adapt to advances in technology?

Controversial Education Debate Topics For High School Teenagers

Do you think private schools are superior to public ones?

51. Should all aspects of a college education be privatized?
52. Are student loans abused?
53. Does the traditional classroom meet the needs of modern society?
54. Is it a good idea to let instructors carry weapons on campuses?
55. Does the contemporary grading system function?
56. Should college be required for all students?
57. Is sex education in schools a good idea?
58. Is a private or public school education superior to one received at home?
59. Is it appropriate to mandate that every student study at least one foreign language?

Controversial Healthcare Topics For Teenagers

60. Does it make sense to legalize marijuana for curing mental illness?
61. Is the vaccine mandate constitutional?
62. Future of healthcare and the influence of alternative medicine.
63. Does technology advance our well-being?
64. Contemporary medical care and antibiotics.
65. Is it a good idea to legalize drugs?
66. Does globalization support public health initiatives?
67. Should the government provide total funding for all citizens’ access to healthcare?
68. Should parents be required by the government to bring sick children to the hospital?
69. Can competition raise the standard of medical care?

Controversial Sports Topics For Teenagers

70. Drugs that improve performance ought to be permitted in sports. Do you concur or disagree?
71. Are athletes in the industry overpaid?
72. Professional sportspeople provide excellent examples. False or true?
73. Should collegiate athletes be paid in addition to receiving scholarships?
74. College players should undergo drug testing similar to what professionals do.
75. Can dance be considered a legitimate sport?
76. Actual sports against esports?
77. If so, is it a legitimate sport?
78. Should dangerous sports like mixed martial arts be outlawed?
79. Should female athletes take part in sports competitions with male athletes?

Controversial Environment Topics For Teenagers

80. Is there already irreversible climate change?
81. Is it appropriate to outlaw plastic packaging and bags?
82. Are foods that have been genetically engineered a good option?
83. Should zoos be outlawed?
84. How does tourism impact the environment?
85. Should the United States have more national parks?
86. Is it a wise idea to ban fracking?
87. Everyone should adopt a vegetarian diet.
88. What part does organic farming play in the future of agriculture?
89. Is it ethical to export living animals?

Controversial Parenting Topics For Teenagers

90. Should parents allow their kids to use smartphones unsupervised?
91. Is it acceptable for teenage girls to use birth control outside their parents’ presence?
92. Should parents choose the profession that their kids will pursue?
93. Is it true that parents always treat their kids fairly?
94. Do parents have the ethical right to decide on the genders of their future offspring?
95. Pros and drawbacks of gay couples adopting children.
96. Should parents monitor their children’s social media usage?
97. Does parental control equate to parental supervision?
98. Should parents permit teenagers to make fully independent decisions?
99. Is parental assistance necessary for children to succeed in the future?

Controversial Food And Nutrition Debate Topics For Teenagers

100. Foods using genetic engineering should be labeled. Do you concur or disagree?
101. Manufactured food versus organic food.
102. Is fast food mostly to blame for obesity? Do you agree or disagree?
103. Can we reduce food waste?
104. Farming organically is sustainable.
105. Better than corn-fed beef is grass-fed beef.
106. Deforestation is one of the main effects of the production of palm oil. False or true?
107. Can biotechnological foods end world hunger?
108. Should nutrition lessons be taught in schools?

Controversial Science Topics For Teenagers

109. Scientists must constantly maintain objectivity. False or True?
110. Businesses should support numerous types of scientific research.
111. Should science in schools be made optional?
112. Why don’t we see more women in science?
113. Humanities training is less critical than STEM cell research. Do you concur or disagree?
114. Should laws be passed to govern cryptocurrencies?
115. Robots ought to be given rights. Do you agree or disagree?
116. Should people be afraid of AI’s power?
117. Is AI the subsequent evolution?
118. Is modern technology suitable for the planet or bad for it?

Funny Debate Topics

119. Are males stronger than females?
120. Which is preferable—daydreaming or nighttime dreaming?
121. Healthy vs delectable pizza toppings: which is best?
122. Do children’s perceptions of reality change as they grow up?
123. Is it acceptable today to live together before getting married?
124. Should adolescents work after school?
125. What variables account for the differences in life expectancy between men and women?
126. Are women historically more intelligent than men?

What Kinds Of High School Debates Exist?

There are four different categories of debate topics. Each type is utilized for a certain kind of argument. All of them are conducted differently and may be held for various objectives. The four categories of debates are listed below:

Oregon-Oxford Debate

A thought-provoking planned remark or motion is used to launch this kind of great debate. The action is the subject of the discussion between the two parties.

Rebuttal Debate

In this kind of discussion, one side exposes the weaknesses of the other’s arguments. 

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

There are typically time limits for research and presenting your views in this one-on-one discussion. It is called after the speeches made by Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln during the 1858 US elections.

Team Policy Debate

This is one of the earliest and most well-liked discussion formats. Each team may present a few speeches based on their arguments on these debate topics. Therefore, do your homework properly and know what you are getting into.

Dos and Don’ts When Debating Controversial Issues!

Fiery debates occasionally tend to spiral out of control. This is the fundamental justification for why professors should act as debate moderators and provide some ground rules. The debates must encourage high school students to develop critical thinking skills and communication skills. But no student must forget ethics. Students must oppose or defend keeping in the line of modesty. Therefore, check out the list of College Essay Topics To Avoid while reading the dos and don’ts of participating in debates.

You can stay with us on this post to learn about research paper topics.

Conclusion

We hope you will find it easy to select your debate topic and captivate your audience quickly. Be it fun debate topics, pop culture debate topics, controversial political topics, or any topic for standardized tests, you must always be prepared to ace it. Remember, debates and essays build confidence and give you a platform to put forward your ideas and stand without being judged. Therefore, break free of the shackles and get ready. But always respect others’ ideas and multiple perspectives, even if they do not match yours.