Sample IELTS Task 2 essay: violence on TV and in computer games

Nowadays, violence is very common on television and in computer games. Some people think this has a bad effect on society, while others do not agree. In my opinion, these things do have some negative influence, especially on young people.

On the one hand, there are people who say that violent images do not change behaviour. They argue that most people can tell the difference between a game and real life. For example, millions of people play action games every day, but they do not become criminals. So these people believe that the real causes of violence are things like poverty, family problems and unemployment, not the media.

On the other hand, I believe that violent content can be harmful, particularly for children. Children often copy what they see, and if they watch fighting and killing many hours every day, they may think this behaviour is normal. Also, spending too much time playing violent games can make young people more aggressive and less able to feel sympathy for others. This is a serious problem for society in the future.

In addition, there is another point which is important. When violence is shown again and again, people become used to it and they are not shocked anymore. This is not good because society should always think that hurting people is wrong.

In conclusion, although some people deny it, I think violence on television and in computer games does have a damaging effect, mainly on children and teenagers. For this reason, parents and governments should control this content more carefully so that young people are protected.

The proliferation of violent imagery in films, television dramas and video games has prompted an enduring debate about its impact on society. While some commentators dismiss these media as harmless entertainment, I believe they can exert a measurable, if limited, influence on behaviour, especially among impressionable young people.

Those who downplay the issue make a reasonable case. They point out that the vast majority of people who watch crime thrillers or play combat-based games never act on what they see, which suggests that audiences are perfectly capable of distinguishing fiction from reality. From this perspective, antisocial behaviour stems far more from underlying factors such as economic deprivation, poor parenting and untreated mental illness than from any screen. Blaming the media, the argument goes, conveniently distracts attention from these deeper social causes.

Nevertheless, I am persuaded that constant exposure to graphic violence is not entirely without consequence. Children, whose moral judgement is still forming, are particularly prone to imitating aggressive role models and may gradually come to regard force as a legitimate way of resolving conflict. Equally worrying is the desensitising effect on viewers of all ages: when brutality is presented repeatedly as routine or even glamorous, audiences can become numb to genuine suffering and less inclined towards empathy.

In conclusion, although violent media are clearly not the primary driver of crime, I do not accept that they are wholly insignificant. The most sensible response is a balanced one, combining sensible age restrictions and attentive parental supervision with sustained efforts to tackle the deeper social conditions in which real-world violence truly takes root.