According to a recent study, the more time people use the Internet, the less time they spend with real human beings. Some people say that instead of seeing the Internet as a way of opening up new communication possibilities world- wide, we should be concerned about the effect this is having on social interaction. How far do you agree with this opinion?

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It is evident that, at present, people are spending a considerable amount of
time
on the Internet, and
thus
spending less
time
with real people. I strongly agree that
although
this
use of the Internet has greatly increased the level of
communication
available, it has
also
had detrimental effects on the amount and type of social
interaction
that takes place. The benefits of the Internet in terms of increased
communication
are clear, with people connected across the globe. In the past,
communication
was only possible by phone or mail, which entailed
time
and expense. It
also
usually meant just keeping in contact with those people already known to you. With the internet,
this
has changed dramatically. Email and social networking sites
such
as Facebook and MSN have created online communities that are global in scale, and they have fostered
communication
between people and countries that we would not have thought possible in the not too distant past. That said, there is no doubt in my mind that
this
has had negative impacts on social
interaction
. People, especially the younger generation, spend hours of their
time
online, chatting and on forums.
Although
this
can be beneficial, it is certainly not the same as real
interaction
with human beings and does not involve the same skills. It is important that children have and maintain real friendships in order to develop their own interpersonal skills. Not only
this
, it can
also
have negative effects on local communities if people are spending most of their
time
communicating online and not mixing in their neighbourhoods, and possibly lead to feelings of isolation for those individuals who do not have a ‘real’ person to turn to in times of need. To conclude, I believe that the internet has undoubtedly been beneficial, but there are good reasons to be concerned about social
interaction
in our societies. It is
therefore
important that we maintain a balance between our online life and our contact with real human beings.
Submitted by mjadesuyi on

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Use cohesive linking words accurately and appropriately

Linking words are very important in your essay.

To score effectively on your IELTS exam, you should make an effort to implement short concise sentences coupled with linking words.

Almost every sentence in your essay should have a linking word of some sort.

In fact, the only sentences that can omit linking words are your background sentence and thesis.

Linking word examples:

  • firstly
  • secondly
  • thirdly
  • in additional
  • moreover
  • also
  • for example
  • for instance
  • therefore
  • however
  • although
  • even though
  • despite

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Topic Vocabulary:
  • Digital era
  • Social isolation
  • Cyberspace
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Face-to-face communication
  • Global village
  • Virtual reality
  • Remote connections
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Digital divide
  • Cyber-socialization
  • Screen time
  • Online networking
  • Physical disconnection
  • Social dynamics
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