25 Discussion Topics (Interesting and Controversial)

Debates are a resource that allows us to generate discussions and exchange different opinions on the same topic, as well as broadening our vision about current issues that generate controversy.

In this article we propose 25 examples of hot topics, which can be used both for academics and for conversations with friends.

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What is a debate and what is its function?

Debates are discussions between two or more people on the same topic, in which each party exposes and argues her ideas and opinions to defend her point of view. These discussions allow approach the same topic of debate from different points of view and they help us to broaden our vision of reality, thanks to the exchange of ideas and differentiated opinions.

They are a very interesting educational resource to use in educational centers, since they serve to work on aspects such as mental flexibility, critical thinking and putting oneself in the place of other. They also allow working on reasoning skills, critical listening, verbal and dialectical expression.

Discussion topics are usually controversial issues on which widely differing opinions may exist, often opposed, which end up generating controversy and long discussions. Here we propose a selection of 25 discussion topics, which you can use to start interesting and controversial conversations.

25 current and controversial topics of debate

This list of topics for discussion is made up of different topics from different fields, which can be approached from different points of view and allow the exchange of reasoning.

They are ideal topics to start a discussion both in the classroom and in meetings with friends, favoring the knowledge of other points of view.

1. Social media

One of the most popular topics of debate in recent times is the great impact that social networks have had on our society. For many it is a great technological advance without which they could no longer live; for others it has become a form of slavery of the human being.

Some most controversial opinions that can be debated are the advantages or disadvantages of social networks, if they have affected the way we interact for the worse or if they help us to be informed or rather uninformed.

2. Privacy

Another interesting topic of debate is that of the right to privacy and intimacy, which can also arise as a result of the conversation about social networks. Without going any further, the latest scandals about the sale of private user information by Facebook have generated a controversy in the media that can lead to many discussions.

Some interesting questions to ask in a debate are: To what extent are we willing to give up our privacy? What are the implications of publishing our life on social networks? What consequences can the exposure of our private information have?

3. Freedom of expression

Another topic of current debate is related to freedom of expression and censorship. Some ways of thinking or opinion contrary to the established power are censored in many countries, with more or less repression, and expressing certain ideas on the internet or joking about certain topics is persecuted and punished as crime.

Likewise, it also generates controversy how far you can joke about certain topics sensitivity, such as terrorist attacks, diseases, religions or figures considered to be of authority.

Where are the limits of freedom of expression? Can you express any kind of opinion? Should opinions written on social media be punished? Where are the limits of humor?

4. Equal rights

Equal rights for many historically discriminated groups is another controversial topic of debate. Equal rights in the LGTB community is an example of the diversity of opinions that can be confronted in a debate, specifically on issues such as same-sex marriage or their right to adoption.

Every day a little more progress is made in tolerance and non-discrimination based on the sexual orientation of each person, but there is still a long way to go when the debate is still so current.

5. Feminism

The fight for women's rights is another hot topic of debate today, as new questions arise every day and new ways of understanding what feminism is that seek to break with the established imaginary to achieve a true equality.

This diversity of opinions has generated controversy around what we understand by feminism or machismo, what attitudes are considered machista, to what extent the full equality or to what extent can we get rid of the beliefs so ingrained in our society that violate the image of the woman.

6. Gender violence

Gender-based violence is another topic for debate that can be approached from different points of view, from discuss what attitudes are considered gender-based violence to the discussion about how it can be avoided as a society.

• Related article: "41 powerful phrases against gender violence”

7. Legality of abortion

Another of the most controversial and current topics of debate is the one that revolves around the legality of abortion. The different ethical aspects that are controversial are mainly the consideration of the fetus as a human being, the mother's right to choose over her own body and the consequences it has for the person.

8. Surrogate motherhood

Maternity or surrogacy is another topic of recent interest which has generated a lot of debate. Better known as surrogacy, this practice is one by which a woman becomes pregnant with a baby that at birth will be adopted by another person or partner.

This issue is controversial because many consider it a commodification of pregnancy. Surrogacy can put the health of many mothers at risk, especially those of the poorest sectors of the population, who could see in this practice a way to enrich themselves.

Also has other ethical implications, such as the bond that is formed between mother and child while it is gestating and that can pose a problem after childbirth for both.

• Related article: "This is the best age to have children, according to science”

9. Euthanasia

Euthanasia is the name given to assisted suicide, another classic topic of debate. The right to a dignified death in certain irreversible circumstances, such as some diseases degenerative or that cause suffering, it is a right that many people fight for and that still generates much controversy.

Does the suffering of the patient justify an assisted suicide? In what cases can this option be considered? Who decides if the patient cannot express her will? These are some questions that can be debated.

10. Death penalty

Although it is not applied in all countries, the death penalty is a subject of easy debate. Opinions are diverse. Some believe that it is a fair way to punish certain crimes, while others see it as an “eye for an eye” that does not serve as a deterrent punishment. It's fair? Is it ethical? What if it applies to someone innocent?

The same debate can be extrapolated to the relevance of life imprisonment, as well as other debates on the possibility or not of the prisoners' rehabilitation.

11. Weapons legalization

Another popular debate is that of the legality of weapons in some countries. Every year the same controversy is repeated, as a result of a shooting that happened in countries like the United States. Should firearms be legalized and regulated in our country? Who should be able to have access to those weapons?

12. Illegal immigration

Illegal immigration is another issue that generates controversial opinions. Some of the issues that can be discussed are the regulations that should exist in this regard, the treatment that illegal immigrants receive or what is it that leads these people to so desperately emigrate to others countries.

13. Globalization

Thanks to globalization we can more easily enjoy what other cultures offer us, we can communicate more easily and understand better what is happening in the world. But at what cost? Different cultures are increasingly mimicking a single global model of society, affecting many peoples and ethnic groups that see their customs and identities degraded. What are the benefits and drawbacks?

14. Climate change

Climate change is real and it's affecting us, but many people still doubt its existence. What consequences can it have? What measures can we take? You can debate about its effects, about who has responsibility and about the ways of life that are affecting the planet, such as the abusive use of plastic or the use of water.

15. Hacking

Illegal content downloads on the internet are a widespread crime and normalized in our society, but they are still a copyright infringement. It can be debated why the use of watching movies or series online has become so widespread, about the consequences that this has on the culture and about what measures could be taken to avoid it.

16. Drug legalization

The use of psychoactive substances or drugs is already a subject of debate in itself, due to the effects it has on the health of the person who uses it as well as the serious addictions they produce. However, often there is talk of a possible legalization of certain types of drugs to control and regularize their consumption. What effects would it have on our society? What advantages or disadvantages could it have?

17. Artificial intelligence

The advancement of technology allows us to start having the first creations of artificial intelligenceFrom the simplest, such as Siri or Google Assistant, to those robotic human-looking creations that are already beginning to think for themselves.

How far will we be able to go? What problems can these advances bring? What implications would it have on jobs that can be robotized?

18. Animal abuse

This is a very broad topic of debate, from which several issues will be extracted to discuss. One of them may be the legislation that exists on the subject and the punishments that should be imposed on those who mistreat an animal.

Another hottest is that of the prohibition or maintenance of festivities and traditions such as bullfighting. You can also discuss the experimentation with animals or the treatment they receive in certain food industries.

19. Transgenic foods

Altering food through genetic techniques it is very widespread in the food industry. GM foods allow the creation of more resistant and durable plants, but it also has serious effects on the environment and can pose a health hazard.

20. Childhood obesity

Obesity is a health problem that is affecting more and more people, to the point where it can be considered an epidemic in the most developed countries. Poor diet and a sedentary life are the main causes of this problem, which reaches worrying figures in childhood. What responsibility do parents have? Should processed foods or junk food be prohibited?

21. Prostitution

The activity of prostitution and its illegality is another controversial topic of debate in recent years. ¿What ethical problems does the commercialization of sex present? What responsibilities do clients have? What benefits would its legality have?

22. Religions

Religions are one of the millennial topics of debate, but the impositions or customs that derive from them are topics that can arouse controversy on a day-to-day basis, due to the different cultures with which we live.

Some topics that can provoke debate are the use of Islamic veils or burqa in some areas, the obligatory nature of the study of religion in some schools or the separation of the Church and the Condition.

23. Stigmatization of mental disorder

There have always been all kinds of prejudices against people who suffer from some type of mental disorder, this being one of the most stigmatized groups. Culturally, it is a subject that has been treated very little, so there is still much ignorance about it.

This topic allows us to debate what is understood by mental disorder, what prejudices exist, how it is seen in society and how it is represented in the different media.

24. Video game

Video games have always been the subject of debate, either because of the violent content of some of them or because of the addictions that they could generate. The debate continues, but more and more emphasis is being placed on its educational facet and the possibilities it may have in this area. Some of the questions to discuss may be whether they actually encourage violence, what should be their use in the home or what benefits they can have.

25. Love

Does love exist? What do we understand by love? What is romantic love, what types of love exist or what types of romantic relationships exist today are some of the discussion topics that can be used to discuss this very widespread term but at the same time misunderstood.

• Related article: "Types of love relationships: love in millennial times”