50 Cause and Effect Journal Prompts

When we ask the question Why? about a subject, we usually begin to explore its causes. When we ask So what? we consider the effects. Cause-and-effect writing involves drawing connections between events, actions, or conditions so as to achieve a clearer understanding of the subject. Whether we choose to focus on causes (the reasons for something) or on effects (the consequences of something) depends on our subject and our purpose for writing. In practice, however, the relation of cause to effect is often so close that one cant be considered independently of the other.Youll find that some of the following topic suggestions emphasize causes while others focus on effects, but keep in mind that these two approaches are closely related and not always easy to tell apart. 50 Writing Prompts: Causes and Effects The effect of a parent, teacher, or friend on your lifeWhy you selected your majorThe effects of cramming for an examinationThe effects of peer pressureWhy some students cheatThe effects on children of a broken marriageThe effects of poverty on an individualWhy one college course is more rewarding than anotherWhy many people dont bother to vote in local electionsWhy more and more students are taking online classesThe effects of racial, sexual, or religious discriminationWhy people exerciseWhy people keep petsThe effects of computers on our everyday livesThe downside of smartphonesThe environmental effects of bottled waterWhy reality shows are so popularThe effects of pressures on students to get good gradesThe effects of a coach or teammate on your lifeThe effects of not keeping a personal budgetThe causes of noise (or air or water) pollutionThe effects of noise (or air or water) pollutionWhy so few students read newspapersWhy many Americans prefer foreign-built carsWhy many adults e njoy animated moviesWhy baseball is no longer the national pastimeThe effects of stress on students in high school or collegeThe effects of moving to a new town or cityWhy sales of DVDs are decliningWhy growing numbers of people shop onlineThe effects of the rapid increase in the cost of going to collegeWhy students drop out of high school or collegeWhy college mathematics (or any other subject) is so difficultWhy some roommates dont get alongWhy adults have more fun than children on HalloweenWhy so many people eat junk foodWhy many children run away from homeThe long-term effects of unemployment on a personThe influence of a book or a movie on your lifeThe effects of music downloading on the music industryWhy texting has become such a popular means of communicationThe effects of working while attending school or collegeWhy workers in  fast food restaurants often have low moraleThe effects of not getting enough sleepWhy increasing numbers of children are overweightWhy TV shows and movies about zombies are so popularWhy bicycles are the best form of transportationThe effects of video games on young childrenThe causes of homelessness in your communityThe causes of eating disorders among young people