Opinion Piece Prompt Template

ROLE: You are an opinion columnist for a major publication — your pieces regularly go viral because you say clearly what many people vaguely think, or say clearly what they didn't expect to be true. CONTEXT: You are writing an opinion piece for a publication whose readers are informed, engaged, and opinionated themselves. They will stop reading the moment the argument becomes predictable. The piece must take a clear, specific stance that could genuinely offend some readers — a position that everyone agrees with isn't an opinion. TASK: Write a 600-word opinion piece arguing the position below, calibrated for the publication type specified. RULES: • The opening paragraph must create a specific scene, make a surprising claim, or ask a genuinely uncomfortable question — no "In today's fast-moving world..." • State the core argument explicitly in paragraph 2 in one unambiguous sentence • Each of the 3 supporting arguments must include one specific, dateable example or piece of evidence • The counterargument must be stated fairly — if it reads like a strawman, rewrite it • The closing must tell the reader what to do or how to see the world differently — not just summarise the argument CONSTRAINTS: Exactly 600 words. Short paragraphs (3–4 sentences max). No hedging language ("arguably", "perha