"Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology"
IELTS Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic:
Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology. In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships people make? Has this become a positive or negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Opinion Essay
In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships people make?
Throughout history, we have seen how changes in technology have affected how people form and maintain personal relationships. It is nothing new; however, recent technology has had a deeper impact on our society due to its focus on communication technology and the pace at which it has been introduced.
Consider for a moment the impact the invention of the telephone made when it was introduced. It was a marvel that allowed people to simply dial a number and speak to another person in another city or country. Before, you would have probably had to write a letter. Of course, nowadays we can not only speak to people all over the world but also see them at the same time through video calls.
Communication has certainly become easier and faster thanks to the internet, email, social media, and similar applications, but we could also question if the quality of relationships based on this technology is any better than it was before. Many people believe that the lack of ‘personal contact’ in many relationships today leaves a lot to be desired. Physical proximity, the effort of visiting someone at their home and sitting with them are aspects removed from many relationships now by simply tapping a screen or clicking a mouse and connecting instantly with the person in question.
Are the bonds as strong as they used to be? Are we being overwhelmed with shallow and superficial virtual relationships rather than deep, long-lasting ones? Does easier communication mean better relationships? It remains to be seen what the long-term effects of the recent boom in technology, which allows us to connect with anyone in the world, will be.
In my opinion, it is neither a positive nor negative thing. It is simply the way of our world today. We have all heard our grandparents, and even parents at times, lament the good old days that they miss, as they describe how things used to be in their day. However, technology is driving the world nowadays, and we cannot stop it. We can only choose wisely how to use it, and it may well be that we choose to value a wider mix of relationships based on both personal contact and technology.
Discussion Questions
Yes, my relationship with my grandmother is better because of technology.
Text messages and phone calls are faster than writing letters or making a long-distance call.
My grandma sends me text messages when she has time off work (she's retired) but can't find anything to do and I can feel like it reconnects us in some way.
Face-to-face conversations have become more personal and face-to-text conversations have become robotic.
Technology has increased the emotional attachment between my grandma and me.
We stay in touch as often as possible as most families do via text messages, social media, or phone calls along with meeting up once every couple of months for real face-time.
The answer to this question will most likely vary depending on the type of relationships you have and what that relationship entails.
Technology has a way of making it easier for humans to connect in new ways, which can be good or bad depending on the situation.
For those of us who are single but looking for a significant other online - it's great because you save time by not going out trying to find them in person.
For those of us that are in an established relationship and still feel tempted by technology - it has become more difficult (we'll save this discussion for another day).
But, overall, I think technology has been a positive development for realtionships.
Essay #2
Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology
Is this a positive or negative development?
Technology has changed the world in many ways, and one of these changes is the way people interact with each other in life. The internet has made it possible for us to stay connected with friends that we may not know well enough to call or even have them be a part of our lives on a day-to-day basis. While technology can make positive things happen, it also has some negative implications for relationships. This essay will go into detail about how technology affects relationship types and what these effects are.
Let's discuss positive and negative development. It is possible that technology can cause a positive or negative impact on relationships, but this largely depends on the type of relationship involved. For example, some people believe social media could be causing more personal relationships to deteriorate because people no longer talk face-to-face. On the other hand, others may say that communicating through various forms of technology affected them positively. Maybe they could search old acquaintances online, make new friends and connect with people they otherwise might not have. If they had not made a comment using their Facebook account, a dating website, or another site at their disposal, they may have never connected with those people.
When looking at how technology can impact a relationship, one instance would be when a person might be able to stay in touch with family or make new friends even when they are unable to leave their home, for example, due to illness or disability. However, a negative development would involve relationships people have in which technology might replace communication between people; for instance, talking on the phone or meeting up with each other face-to-face.
In conclusion, it seems possible that there can be positive and negative developments in how technology affects our social interaction with others, depending on the type of relationship. It's essential to be aware that people in different countries and cultures have different needs and wants from their relationships, so there will always be another perspective out there somewhere.
What do you think? How has technology affected the way many people interact with each other? Have you experienced this personally?