We live in the age of influencers and followers, reposts and reactions, when creating something unique may seem difficult or even useless. It may be true from the point of view of consumerism, but the situation takes 180º turn when we get to the academic field.
Nevertheless, if you ask students why plagiarism should be avoided, the majority will say, “It is cheating that is easy to detect.” There is a lot of ways to check for plagiarism. Most of these tools are available online; a simple click on this link: https://phdessay.com/online-plagiarism-checker/ allows you to check for plagiarism free any of your pieces in just a few seconds. But is easy access to an online plagiarism checker a solid argument? Does this check matter only because you cannot get away with it? According to writers’ comments on BidForWriting, every student essay or any other assignment is required to be 100% unique. If you stick to this point of view, there is some bad news – six more reasons why plagiarism matters.
1. Plagiarism is cheating
Stealing someone’s ideas, words, or results of any other work and passing off as yours is unfair to fellow students. Yes, it is just as simple as this. Some people who work hard to achieve something, to seize a rear opportunity. Meanwhile, you do nothing and expect to get the same privileges.
2. It is disrespectful
Pursuing the ethic aspect, you should respect the work of others. The details and circumstances don’t matter. Whether you choose to plagiarize a scholar from another continent in an essay that isn’t important or use an idea of someone dead for a long time, it is still disrespectful. You take the result of someone’s hard work for granted without any gratitude.
3. It subverts academic values
Plagiarism in college is a breach of academic integrity. Every assignment is supposed to reflect the progress you’ve made as a student. A plagiarized paper doesn’t show what you know, think, or have learned. A professor cannot evaluate you simply because you have nothing to do with the work.
4. It destroys trust and reputation
There is a small chance you can cheat and get away with it. But if someone finds out, however, neither professor nor students will treat you the same way. It is not even “the boy who cried wolf” situation – it is enough to submit a plagiarized paper once. Speaking about plagiarism in a scholar’s paper (articles, dissertations, etc.), it can damage the reputation of an entire academic institution. After all, it takes almost no time to run your paper through a checker to make sure everything is tip-top.
5. It affects your creativity
The concepts of borrowing and stealing function the same way in the academic field as they do in real life. When you choose student plagiarism instead of making an original paper, you give up the necessity to think, imagine, or analyze. You just copy and paste – that doesn’t require much intellectual effort. Borrowing, however, makes you reconsider the things and experiences you’ve learned about. As a result, you prepare a background for your ideas. If you are stuck with new ideas, try writing helpers like Coolessay. They can assist you to come up with something new.
6. It affects your critical thinking
If you believe that creativity is important only for people involved in art or related spheres, how about critical thinking? Brands and even governments lead information wars. Bloggers keep sharing online tips and advice on things they aren’t professional at. Celebrities fill their social profiles with advertising. To remain reasonable, keep a clear mind, and avoid manipulations, you need to think critically. And every college essay is an investment in this skill.
7. It has consequences
If punishment is the only thing about plagiarism that bothers you, there are some other outcomes to be aware of. Sometimes it gets much worse than a low grade and a second chance. So what are the consequences of plagiarism?
- Lawsuits. Stealing someone’s words/ideas can bring you to court. The copyright is outlined quite well in modern legislation.
- Destroyed reputation. This one was already mentioned but think again about the consequences of press coverage of your case.
- Monetary penalties. The price you’ll need to pay may be different – from symbolic compensation to millions of dollars when it comes to corporations.
- Getting too big for your boots. You pass someone’s work for your own, then you are expected to maintain this level and come up with the next decent work. But you haven’t got any, remember?
Bottom line
Why is plagiarism wrong? Let’s wrap it up with the word’s history: it originates from the Latin “plagiarius,” which means “kidnapper.” No need for an expanded explanation here. We live in times when an original idea can bring you fortune, recognition, even power. Unique ideas are like children to scholars, inventors, and artists. In some sci-fi movies, ideas and skills replace currency, which becomes needless for the evolving society. You can cheat, or you can evolve, and you are free to decide on this one.
