IELTS Essay: Neighbors

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.

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

Proponents of children using technology contend that it can be used for a variety of purposes. 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. The recent emergence of applications like ChatGPT now enable all individuals, children included, the opportunity to make their lives more efficient, productive, and enjoyable. 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.

However, the psychological ramifications of habits centered around technology are potentially severe. Humans have not evolved the ability to properly interact with a digital world and children are especially vulnerable. 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. 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. 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.

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. Parents must therefore carefully manage their children’s screen time.