Plagiarism is described by some as wrongful appropriation. Some people would even say that “wrongful appropriation" is a harsh term when describing plagiarism. But is it really? Writing is a very time consuming and trying process. The writing process, for most people, is stressful and requires a lot of thought. Some authors spend their lives working on one piece of literature. With that being said giving credit or acknowledging an author when using pieces of their work is very important. A lot of times students blindly plagiarize, but for the most part it is a conscious decision. In student writing plagiarism is forbidden, as it should be because it stumps critical thinking, discredits authors, and shows dishonesty.
The purpose of most beginning level English classes is to teach students the fundamentals of writing. As the student advances to higher level education they are supposed to find their voices as writers. Plagiarism cripples writers in a sense. It definitely defeats the purpose of writing. Students never really come to understand who they are as writers. Plagiarizing will never help the student form ideas of their own or see where they stand on certain topics. Therefore the students will never progress in their writing. Students should not be allowed to plagiarize because it is a misrepresentation of what they are actually capable of in their writing. Students will never come to know the strengths and weaknesses in their writing.
More than anything plagiarism is looked down upon because it is stealing. The people who suffer the most in plagiarism are the authors. They spend a substantial amount of time on their work and it is discredited by lazy students who do not want to think for themselves. If students were allowed to plagiarize it would be sending the message that it doesn’t take hard work to get rewarded. If students could simply use another author’s work as their own it wouldn’t really sit well with the author. Authors don’t write for the advancement of students’ papers, they want to get published and recognized for their work. Therefore it isn’t fair to an author for a student to use the author’s thoughts in their own writing.
Plagiarism shows dishonesty. When committing plagiarism a student is showcasing to their university and their professors that they possess certain skills. When entering future work colleagues or bosses may believe that the plagiarizer is a skilled writer but will have a rude awakening if they are asked to do for. No one wants a liar to represent them or their company. Students who plagiarize really only hurt themselves in the long run.
Although some people believe that plagiarism is not such a bad thing. In reality it is not okay. Ultimately the student and author get hurt in the act of it.