Some people think that the main factors influencing a child’s development these days are things such as television, friends, and music. Others believe that the family still remains more important. Discuss both opinions and give your opinion.

As our modern lives become increasingly busier and complex, we seem to have less
time
to spend with family. Some among us are of the belief that
television
, friends and music have stepped in to fill the primary
influencer
Suggestion
influence
influential
influencing
role traditionally occupied by parents. Others,
however
, believe that family still has the greatest impact on a
child
's
development
. While both views will be discussed below, I am of the opinion that parents, siblings and relatives still exert a greater influence on a
child
's personal growth than media and friends. Some people believe the main factors influencing a
child
's
development
are
television
Suggestion
televised
, friends, and music.
This
belief stems from correctly observing that parents have increasingly less
time
to spend with their children due to work requirements. The
time
which children previously would have spent with their parents and siblings is now occupied by varying forms of media and socialising with friends.
For example
, when I was growing up, I would have dinner with my parents and siblings nearly every evening. It would seem that nightly family dinners are much less common nowadays.
Further
, even when a family is together at the dinner table, it is not uncommon for some to be engaging with their digital devices, rather than with one another. Since it seems that
time
with family is increasingly being substituted with other forms of socialisation and entertainment, it is understandable that some would conclude that the importance of family in a
child
's
development
has decreased.
On the other hand
, others believe that family is still
exerts
Suggestion
exerted
exerting
the strongest influence
in
Suggestion
on
a young person's
development
. In most cases, immediate family members are the people a
child
will see most frequency, and as
such
are their main source of examples on how to live life. Even if a
child
's parents or siblings do not interact with them as often as in prior generations, through observing relatives' actions a
child
develops their understanding of how to live.
For example
, if a
child
is exposed to healthy cooking at home, they will likely understand how to select and prepare healthy meals once they leave the home. The same can be said for how a
child
sees their parents manage finances, how they treat other adults, and even the language which they use. While a
child
may try to emulate some of the people they see on
television
or on social media, what they learn at home will likely be much more deeply ingrained in their minds. In summary, even though children are increasingly substituting family
time
with friends and
television
, the role of family in a
child
's upbringing remains paramount. I believe that the lessons a
child
learns from observing and interacting with their family members are far more important in shaping the adult they will eventually become.
Submitted by marcin.malek on

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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

Discover more tips in The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ »— a book that's free for 🚀 Premium users.

What to do next:
Look at other essays: