Because a pros and cons essay involves equal treatment of both sides, topics are usually controversial and debatable. This type of essay works well for these topics because the structure encourages readers to carefully weigh both positions as they read. One way to brainstorm topics is to think about issues you face in your daily life. For example, you might choose to write about the advantages and disadvantages of the growth of cell phones in society. Then, you can make a list of the issue's positive and negative aspects to reference as you write.