IELTS Essay: Neighbors

New technologies have changed the way children spend their free time.

Do you think the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

Analysis

1. There is little doubt that technological advances have greatly altered the free time activities of children around the world. 2. In my opinion, this is a decidedly negative phenomenon since the far-reaching effects of technology on the human psyche are still largely unknown.

1. Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
2. Write a clear opinion.

1. Proponents of children using technology contend that it can be used for a variety of purposes. 2. This applies not only to traditional usages such as sending emails, doing research online, and watching educational videos but also burgeoning innovations like artificial intelligence. 3. The recent emergence of applications like ChatGPT now enable all individuals, children included, the opportunity to make their lives more efficient, productive, and enjoyable. 4. If children are taught responsible usage habits, then they can take advantage of the many benefits and become more well-rounded learners and future members of society.

1. Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
2. Explain your main idea.
3. Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
4. Keep developing it fully.

1. However, the psychological ramifications of habits centered around technology are potentially severe. 2. Humans have not evolved the ability to properly interact with a digital world and children are especially vulnerable. 3. A child who becomes addicted to a social media application such as TikTok might be less physically active and start to see the world through a virtual perspective. 4. This can lead to the development of mild mental conditions related to anxiety and self-esteem, or more extreme ones related to disassociation and depression. 5. The evidence for this is clearly expressed in the often-cited statistics on the rising number of suicide attempts among teenagers and children since the introduction of social media platforms.

1. Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
2. Explain your new main idea.
3. Include specific details and examples.
4. Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
5. Keep adding in the result to develop your ideas more.

1. In conclusion, regardless of how technology can be used as a tool, its drawbacks in terms of general mental health make it a negative overall. 2. Parents must therefore carefully manage their children’s screen time.

1. Summarise your main ideas.
2. Include a final thought.