Some people say that parents have the most important role in a child’s development. However, others argue that other things like television or friends have the most significant influence. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

People hold different opinions about how different factors affect

children

’s development. While some people believe that

television

or

friends

are the most important part of shaping a child’s personality, I strongly hold that

children

are more influenced by their

parents

. On the one hand, it is understandable why

television

and

friends

are thought to play a vital role in

children

’s formative years.

To begin

with, when

children

are bored, they tend to resort to some entertainment mediums

such

as

television

or peers to look for fun, which is likely to keep them jubilant and provide them with positive mental conditions. Should it not be for

television

and

friends

,

children

will suffer from some mental diseases

such

as loneliness and depression.

However

, when they want to ask for knowledgeable information,

television

which lacks interaction, and

friends

who have limited knowledge cannot satisfy

children

’s curiosity.

On the other hand

, I vehemently believe the aforementioned advantages of

television

and

friends

pale in comparison with that of

parents

.

Firstly

,

parents

, who are financially stable and academically qualified, are able to create an optimum plan that suits their

children

’s cognitive development, which can potentially support

children

’s academic background and prevent them from falling behind with their studies. In fact, a series of well-reviewed research conducted by the universities of Cambridge and Oxford indicates that there is a strong correlation between parental involvement and

children

’s academic performance.

Secondly

,

children

can develop their physical condition and have fun at the same time thanks to extracurricular courses

such

as swimming lessons or martial art classes that their

parents

register them in. If it had not been for

parents

’ attention,

children

would not have had a chance to develop comprehensively. In conclusion,

although

television

and

friends

can bring about benefits in terms of mental health,

parents

’ impacts on

children

are more significant.