Some people think that secondary school children should study international news as one of the school subjects. Other people think that it is a waste of valuable school time. What do you think? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

The potential for the global media to shape the views of today’s youth is considerable.
However
, while some commentators think that the media has no place within secondary
education
, other analysts defend the idea that international news should be studied at
school
. In
this
essay, I shall examine a number of studies which show that both viewpoints are, to some degree, justified.
To begin
with, the global media undoubtedly enriches
teenagers
Suggestion
teenager's
understanding of contemporary affairs.
This
is because television reports provide concise summaries of international affairs.
For example
, a study run by Oxford sociologists showed that the media heavily influenced teenagers’ knowledge of contemporary affairs. Since any secondary
school
education
would be incomplete without an awareness of
such
events, it is
therefore
clear that the media can play a vital role in assisting
education
.
On the other hand
, many critics argue that teenagers are negatively affected by the global media’s focus on wars and civil unrest.
This
is because exposure to violence often leads to depression.
For example
, recent surveys have discovered that depressed teenagers usually cite the dismal state of the world as a source of their depression. Since mental health is an important objective of secondary
education
, it is
therefore
questionable whether the study of international news wouldn’t be a destructive and wasteful use of
school
resource. In conclusion, it should be clear that there are reasons for and against the study of news at
school
.
Thus if
Accept comma addition
Thus, if
media studies are to enter
schools
Suggestion
school
in the future, schools will have to think about how negative aspects of the news can be decreased, and positive aspects maximized.
Submitted by Sal on

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Topic Vocabulary:
  • global perspectives
  • cultural understanding
  • interconnected world
  • critical thinking skills
  • discern biases
  • global citizenship
  • curriculum
  • academic development
  • sensitive content
  • news cycles
  • structured curriculum
  • positive developments
  • fostering hope
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