Student sample answer: Many people believe that social networking sites have had a huge…
A real student answer to this IELTS prompt, with its band score — useful to see what each level actually looks like.
Band 5.5
Prompt: Many people believe that social networking sites have had a huge negative impact on both individuals and society. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Social networking sites such as Instagram and Facebook are used by millions of people every day. Some people believe these sites are very harmful for individuals and society. I partly agree with this opinion but i think there are also some benefits.
Firstly, it is true that social media can have negative effects. Many young people spend too many hours scrolling their phone instead of studying or doing exercise. This can damage their eyes and also their mental health, because they always compare their life with other people who look perfect online. In addition, fake news spread very quickly on these platforms and can create problems in society.
However, we should not forget the positive side. Social networking helps people to stay in contact with friends and family who live far away. For students, there are many educational pages where they can learn new things for free. Also small businesses use these sites to advertise their products without paying a lot of money, which is good for the economy.
In conclusion, although i agree that social media has some serious disadvantages especially for young generation, i do not think the impact is completely negative. The most important thing is to use these sites in a balanced way and not become addicted to them.