BEST IELTS Writing Task 2, 11th November

IELTS WRITING TASK 2

New technologies have changed the way children spend their free time. Do advantages outweigh disadvantages?

SAMPLE ANSWER

Currently, the way children spend their leisure time has indeed been changed by new technology. While this has several benefits, the drawbacks far outweigh them. On the one side, there are some benefits to children utilizing their leisure time on advanced technologies.

Firstly, many children enjoy playing computer games, which might help improve their cognitive development. For example, strategic games demand players to be skilful at problem-solving and handling unexpected situations, so children who play these games can better their logical thinking and problem-solving skills. Secondly, since the source of online information is vast and readily available, young people might benefit from early exposure to the Internet. If people can browse the Internet at a young age, they can start their learning process earlier and, as a result, advance their knowledge as they grow up.

However, the advantages discussed above outweigh the disadvantages. One main drawback is that children who enjoy spending time in front of the computer screen are often reluctant to exercise. Low physical activity levels are likely to result in children becoming overweight and, in turn, obese. Moreover, few games allure people to carry on playing for hours, which ultimately leads to gaming addiction. In role-playing games, for instance, people might need to stay in front of the computer for several hours to progress to higher levels, and therefore children may spend an excessive amount of time on games.

In conclusion, while there are some advantages to children spending time on advanced technologies, the disadvantages are more significant.