Instructions
WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Nowadays, a large majority of individuals all over the world rely on various social media platforms to keep themselves informed about current events throughout the world.
Do the benefits of this trend outweigh the drawbacks?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Top rated answers
Here are the 5 highest scoring answers by real-users for this IELTS Writing Task 2 Advantage and Disadvantage topic.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 day ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 day ago
Dependency on social media platforms for latest news and events has become prominent these days. Although it is belived to be more efficient and convienent than the traditional news channels, its reliability and accuracy remains highly questionable. Social media applications have provided users with a faster and more innovative ways to get access to the events occuring world wide. However, there are major concerns regarding its being authentic, as most of these news come for untrusted source throughout the world, the chance of it being a rumor are very high. Moreover, these kind of fake news can spread misinformation, resulting in economical losses and social issues, which might later get convered into conflicts due to disagreement between individuals. There are many cases where fake companies tries to lure people in there trap. For example, in 2012 a company named freedom 251 promised its customers to deliver them a smart phone for just rupees 251, which was to good to be true, still thousands of people fell for the scheme and paid the token amount and got scammed. Till date, no refund has been generated, neither the product has been delivered. Nowadays, there are cases reported regarding scams and frauds occuring via social media, where users are provided with an sms links and emails, which upon clicking, deducts huge amount of funds from their ban accounts. Therefore, one should be cautious while surving through such websites. In conclusion, people should look up to these social media platforms to get current news and updates, but should not blindly trust every thing they see online. One should authenticate the source of information and beware of the scams going on.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 day ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 day ago
Ever since the inception of social media, it has gone and replaced most of the other services with it's own, including news and information oabout current events. In this essay I will discuss the benifits and drawbacks of the same. The biggest benifet of keeping tabs with current affairs through social media is the seemless accessibility with which one can do so. You can check news simply with a few taps on your mobile phone while youre travelling, waiting in a que or while multi-tasking. Keeping up with current affairs has never been easier. Additionally the free for all nature of social media allows us to have a more well rounded opinion of any event that might have taken place as people of different opinions can post their views on the same platform. However the free for all nature of social media also poses it's biggest drawback; The authenticity of the news that you're watching. As anyone can post on social media there have been many instances of people posting cpmpletely fake news or propaganda in order to influence the people towards one specific opinion. And in such a volatile society that we Indians live in, it can be a big issue. Another problem that news on social media poses is that if you read your news from just one source then it is very easy to be polarised towards the opinion that the source has. Also a lot of people use social media just to spew their hate and bigotory which is also very dangerous. There are pro's and con's of everything including today's topic of discussion, hence the best way to use social media to keep up with current affairs would be to do it carefully and to read about multiple opinions rather than just one.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 day ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 day ago
Today our world is exceptionally modernised and advanced, especially when it comes to social media and other such technological applications. We human beings are extremely well connected and get information about each others lives in the real time and we can communicate with each other effortlessly accross borders, countries and different time zones. Social media platforms are used as a poppular means of keeping ourselves informed on the current events throughout the world, this has its drawbacks and benefits as most modernised inventions do, however in my opinion its advanatges definately outweigh the possible disadvantages. Social media is something that is easily accesible to every individual who can afford any kind of a cellphone or computer, and with access to social media a person is automatically a more powerful and resourceful version of themselves as they can use the tool to learn and educate themselves about anything under the sun and keep themselves informed about up to date news articles and happenings not only in their own city or country but globally, this makes a person more empowered and wise. Additionally, news and current events that take place globally are only relevant if they are known to a people in real time, and again without social media such information would not be able to reach the global general public in time with minimal to no effort. With the presence of social media there is a significant amount of awareness that is prevelant in the world today, incase there is a problem or a certain kind of mishappening in a city or country, instant awareness and support can be brought around the topic and several government bodies would need to take action while keeping the general publics views in consideration. In conclusion, the flow of current events throughout the world via various social media applications has several noteworthy benefits that can not be ignored and are bound to help our world raise awareness and a sense of inclusivity on a global scale.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 days ago
In recent times, a mass of people are depending on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for current updates and phenomena occuring throughout the world. Sometimes, these platforms are beneficial in getting updates quickly and being really helpful, but however not everything that has been shown on social media is truly reliable or original. With the growing trends among people, social media have become a staple for getting any information. These platforms show all kinds of news or updates from all over the world. It comes really hand to get all the current updates at just one place. Besides, these news are represented visually through videos and photographs which reaches to a person's mind quickly and are evident enough. Additionally, there are many big public figures and celebrities who provide their life updates through social media to keep in touch with their fans. Moreover, these applications provide a great environment for communication and to put one's opinions forward. Furthermore, it gets really helpful because people can raise funds and donations when there is a need. For instance, a fundraiser is run by Selena Gomez, a singer in support for mental health. On the other hand, the news or updates that an individual posts on the social media platorms are not always reliable and genuine. The influencers or content creators sometimes create a false scandal about something in order to gain views and popularity. Also, some articles and posts are highly misleading and causes stir among the people. Moreover, for making their story plausible and real, people hire some actors to act with them with the help of some props and make it look original. For example, content creators shows two lifestlye, one to show to their audience on social media and other which is their real life. In conclusion, the benefits does outweigh the drawbacks as the news can be really helpful when there is adverse calamities that have occured somewhere and people join in globally to support. However, the updates and content should be genuine.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 days ago
In the midst of this technology driven world, social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. In recent years, a trend has been observed that a vast majority of people worldwide depend on various social media platforms to stay updated with current world updates. This trend has raised serious ethical concerns. This essay will explore the advantages and drawbacks of relying on social media platforms for news, before concluding with an opinion. One of the major advantages of relying on social media is that it has democratised access to news. Social media apps such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook provide quick updates about the current developments worldwide. For instance, social media accounts of digital newspapers like The Scroll.in and The Wire provide accurate description of the events including links to the editorials. Another significant advantage is the provision of news in short and concise manner. Readers no longer have to read 300 word long descriptions, thereby increasing convenience. A study conducted by Statistia, reports that the 'reading with focus' has diminshed significantly, it further states that an average reader now only reads about 40-50 words in a minute. Despite the benefits, this trend presents serious challenges including spread of fake news. This leads to violence being incited between communities, which in turn harms social harmony . The recent violence in Manipur, India, between two two ethnic groups have been attributed to the spread of misinformation. Additionally, this development can lead to shutdown of paper based journalism, leading to loss of employment and legacy media. In conclusion, while relying on social media platforms for news has benefits like increased accessibility its drawbacks cannot be ignored. In my opinion, the drawbacks weigh more than the benefits. A balanced approach is the way forward. At an individual level, people should check the credibility of the article by verifying across other news platforms. Moreover, policymakers and governments worldwide must design and implement policies like deploying fact-checking units to curb the spread of fake news and bring about censorship laws for these platforms. Given the evidence provided in this essay it is evident that the drawbacks outweigh the advantages.
All Answers
Here are all the answers by real-users practicing writing for IELTS writing Task 2 Advantage and Disadvantage on our IELTS Prep App.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 17 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 17 days ago
The advent of social media has made the global population dependent rather than self-efficient. In today's era, a significant amount of the population is resting on the shoulders of social media to gain knowledge of the latest events happening across the globe. Social media handles have merits and demerit their way while every individual has different opinions, the benefits and drawbacks shall be discussed in this essay. On the one hand, social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are capable enough to spread any news at lightning-fast speed. Moreover, any individual with access to the internet can follow the latest updates happening anywhere in the world and can share. Additionally, everyone must keep themselves informed about the events happening around them and it makes them knowledgeable and smart. Furthermore, with a variety of features provided by the social media website, it enables any individual to show the live telecast of a particular event as well can record it and post it on their feed to broadcast that information to the rest of the world. On the other hand, the accountability and credibility of the information provided by these social media platforms should be questioned. Traditional methods of spreading information were believed to be the best as the authenticity of the News never went under investigation. On top of that, the misinformation that escalates can be a thing to worry about. Nowadays, even live telecasts are hacked by professional hackers which likewise becomes an activity to keep an eye on. To summarise, from my viewpoint, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits as it is very crucial to pass on authenticated information rather than spreading a plethora of misinformation so that every individual is acclimatized by the truth and not blinded by the rumor they see.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 18 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 18 days ago
Nowadays, social media platforms have been used widely by all the age groups. A vast majority of humans around the globe are using different social media to gather world wide information about the current affairs. I agree that the advantages of this ongoing trend are at par of disadvantages. This essay will highlight the merits of using social media platforms to get the current news of the world and how this overshadows the drawbacks. To commence with, the major benefits of using various media platforms as a source of information is that people get themselves updated with the current information which helps them to stay ahead in this fast-paced world. Moreover, it helps them to survive in the cut-throat competition with their peer group. For instance, my friend's family voraciously uses instagram, facebook, and google news to collect and learn about what is going on around the world and because of this habit, they are all so much ahead of everyone who takes the information from newspaper. Newspaper readers tend to get the news late. Hence, social media is a great way to know the recent news. On the other hand, the distinct viewpoint of this trend is that people tend to ignore the news that appears in newspaper. Furthermore, the information printed in newspapers generally comes from reliable source. For example, a friend of mine who used to read newspaper everyday loved the fact that the information provided to him comes from a definite source. Therefore, reliable source of information is greatly appreciated by many individuals. In conclusion, there are wide range of merits of this trend and very less demerits. In my opinion, advantages of this trend outweigh the drawbacks.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 19 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 19 days ago
To start with, it is an undeniable fact that social media has revolutionized all the aspects of our lives. These days, most of the people across the globe depend on it in order to keep themselves up to date about trending events. The advantages of this overtakes the disadvantages and this essay will provide the reasons for the same. Firstly, the social media platforms are free to use and do not require any subscription to operate which makes it very acessable to anyone who has a provision of internet. Secondly, these applications fecilitate live news. In simpler words they broadcast the on going news in real time with zero latency. For example Facebook and Instagram have a dedicated section called live news which will give the information about the trending events. Additionally, they also give international news , which means anyone for anywhere around the world can get information about any place remotely. On the other hand, the social media platforms are prone to spread fake or unauthorized news which can cause a lot of problems. For instance, last week a fake post went viral which mentioned that friday was a holiday which was not issued by the government due to which many students did not go to school on a working day assuming that its a holiday. However such posts can be avoided using software filtering which will mitigate such issues. In conclusion, majority of individuals internatinally rely on different social media platforms to get information about the on going events and the pros of this ouweights its cons.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 14 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 14 days ago
In today's fast forward world each of us are always occupied with something or the other and do not find the leisure to sit at one place and grasp the knowledge from reading newspaper. This is where social media platforms pitch-in and helps us keep udated regarding the ongoing trends in almost every field from different parts of the world. Social Media usage has a lot of perks if used in the right manner at right time. The first and most important one being the immediate flow of information as it gets public for instance news of any mergers happening between two rival companies or results of elections as the counting is happening live etc. These can be even utilized by even people of remote areas where news papers might not be easily accesible. The best part of these social media platforms is unlike local news papers we can get the information about global events at our finger tips as and when it occures. Though these have a lot of benifits it comes at a cost of inaccurate data being published without doing the thorough background verification and different social media pages competing against each other in a rat race to get the most engagement on their posts which gets us concerned on the fact if we can trust them with the news that they post blindly. Instead of covering the news promptly these media platforms engage in manipulating facts, stalking and morphing which is a direct attack on journalism these needs to be under strict supervision of governement with severe laws to govern them and their functioning. In my personal experience I have been using social media platforms to consume news and stay updated since last 5 years and it has immensly proven to be useful as I am in sync with all the events in all the major fields in comparision to my peers who consume the same content through traditional approach like newspapers, magazines. At the end as we all know social media gives us many distractions to keep us away from the facts we desire to consume. A mindful choice has to be made to choose one to go ahead for staying updated with relevant information.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 14 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 14 days ago
These days, majority of the world population depends on various social media sites to remain up to date in current affairs of the whole world. This essay will discuss both the merits and demerits of this trend . To begin with, with the ongoing popularity of social media, a news now has the potential to become a sensation and get viral within seconds. People nowdays are becoming more dependant on their phones to get latest updates in news as compared to newspapers. This has many plus points, like for instance reading news has become less time consuming and less cumbersome with the modernization of technology. Now people can watch news anywhere or everywhere just with a click of a button as opposed to before where they had to carry papers or magazines. On the other hand the downsides of this trend outweighs its benefits. Social media has become a platform where people likes to fake things .They paint the picture in the minds of the reader, according to their preferrence, completely concealing the truth. Hence, spread of false news or fake stories on social platforms is also a trend which cannot be ignored. For instance, once a news became viral on SNS that the world would end in 2012, many people believed it and were trulyshaken by it. To their surprise it eventually turned out to be false rumour. Moreover, over dependancy of individuals on phones for news would ultimately lead to increasing screen times and health issues like poor eyesight, stress and headache. In conclusion, although reading news from social media is a good alternative to remain updated about the current affairs, its authenticity has to be checked before completely believing it.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 14 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 14 days ago
The modern era of social media presents a great opportunity for individuals to gain knowledge and insight about global trends and occurences. There's a shift in the society where digital platforms are preferred to gain information and reviews at all times, from anywhere in the world. This has made a strong impact on politics around the world. Moreover, this growing trend comes with greater risks than anticipated. With the advent of technology and easier access to internet, people started shifting towards social media platforms and websites for information. Almost every individual in today's world owns a social media account. This makes the platform the best tool to access people's mind and thoughts. In the 21st century, a signifcant number of polls and events are initiated and held digitally, wherein people can be a part sitting at their homes. This has also been useful to educate those who were previously unaware of global situations. Therefore, a positive impact is highly anticipated by this change. Apparently, this doesn't hold true in the real life. Quite often, these platforms are misused to issue false statements and spread misinformation. There are negative elements in the society that tend to utilize this medium to instill hatred and resentment into people. Although there are tools to verify such information, there is still no filter on certain type of media that is easily available online. For example, threatening videos, abusive terms, graphic images often surface online which shows that these platforms can be greatly misused. In the present world, wars and crimes can be motivated via social media. The lack of any regulation or filteration on these platforms allowed people to misdirect the youth and sensitive individuals on a darker path. The disadvantages of this technology already exceed the advantages, hence, there should be a significant correction in its term of use to bring about reform and a positive impact.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 14 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 14 days ago
In modern world people of all age groups are using social media applications like facebook and instagram inorder to get all the news and updates that are happening across the globe. i personally believe that these platforms have accurate and precise information than traditional news channels There are numerous benefits of using social media applications like facebook,whatsapp and instagram because the access to information is easy and we get short and clearn info so that we can understand the issuse in a better way. Now a days young people aged between 16-29 are addicted to social media platforms and they do not have time to see what is happening across the world so social media is the only way that they can acess this kind of information. The cons of this excess usage of social media applications is huge because there is high chance of passing fasle information for their personal gains and due to more screen times we get certain kind of health issues like head ache and eyes strain, So we need to minimize the usage of this platforms To sumup this i want to say that use social media platforms like facebook, X, instagram and whatsapp for good cause and try to spread real and useful information to people so that they can get benefitted from that and stop hate and spreading of false information for personal gains and social media has a lot of simps this kind of incidents happen more frequently. Always try to share good content to others and avoid negativity
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 15 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 15 days ago
In recent times, huge population depend upon social media application to keep them upto date with present events happening throughout the world. While there is disadvantage, there are many positve reasons. This essay will discuss about why there are more advantages than disadvantages of such platform. On the one hand, depending on social media has some drawback, one major reason is reliablity. Social media influencers tend to make viral vidoes without a complete or proper fact checks just to gather more views, as more views help them to make more money or more followers. For example, In times of recent election, there were lot of fake news rolling into social media platform for a elected candidate when some one mentioned in media that elected candidate has some connection with underword. Hence such news just cannot be believe without proper investigation. Reliablity is one the mazor reason society should not depend on social media. On the other hand, Instant delivery of news is one of the significant advantage of such platforms. Social media platforms like Facebook, linkdin and Instagram are part of daily life of general public. People tend to spend there daily mazor time over them. Thus, incase if anything happening over other side of world it can be known or news can be deliver in no time. For instance, the ongoing war in Gaza, people who were staying in that place statred making videos and post over platform, in no time other local people from different nation got to know what is happening there. Furthermore, another reason is cost. These platform are free to use, so one doesnot has to pay anything for it. Which make it very cost effective and easy accessable for larger public as compared to suscribing news channels or pay for newspaper. Thats why many people depends on it. In conclusion, social media platforms have more advantages than disadvantages beacuse of its Instant delivery of news and cost effectiveness.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 19 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 19 days ago
Increasing number of people around the earth are relying on numerious social media in order to keep themselves updated on current news outlets happening in the world.Although these form form of informations content have both pros and cons,I believe that advantages are more than disadvantages. There are several reasons why people choose social media as a source of information.One of them being is fast.For example,many platforms have excess to live updates through youtube or instagram which makes the consumer update in real time and gives the incident different prespective from different angles. Another reason why I agree with internet media more beneficial is that large number of audiences do not speak the same language nor many can read or write ,making it harder for them to read the news paper,thus social media like youtube on the one hand make it easier for the viewer in terms of providing subtitles and even language change can be done in one click making it easier and convinient than tradition news reading. Despite the above arguments,there are downfall to the news heard from the internet as many of the sources are unreliable and not fact check properly.As a result,it may give impact of fake resources and hard to believe upon. To conclude,with advancement of information technology across the globe throughout the span of decaded there is no doubt that majority of individuals rely on social mediafor keeping up to date with their surrounding as it is more convenient and fast,although it has some cons like unreliable and fake sorces,I believe that advantages are more than the disadvantages.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 16 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 16 days ago
In today's digital age people prefer to consume news through social media apps rather than conventional newspapers and news channels. This implores us to debate whether the benefits of this trend outweigh its risks. Firstly, let us consider the conventional modes of disseminating news and information, which chiefly include newspapers and news channels. The oldest form of mass media, newspapers, are also the least cost effective for both the service providers and consumers. They require to be printed individually for each consumer and also need a vast logistical network for their distribution. Moreover, they are also the least eco-friendly as they require paper for their production and once used thouroughly only increase the already excess amounts of human waste on the planet. News channels, on the other hand, are highly expensive for their viewers as they require one to have a television and a cable subscription. Even after fulfilling these prerequisites one has to adhere to the rigid schedules of the news channels, each broadcasting diiferent categories of news at different times of the day. Thus, the entire experience of recieving information via traditional modalities is highly inconvenient. In contrast, social media platform deliver information in a much quicker, cheaper and efficient manner. The only requirements for social media platforms being a smartphone and an internet connection, they allow people to access the information they desire, anywhere in the world. The omipresence of smartphones is the major factor that has resulted in social media platforms becoming ubiquitous. But, like human invention they have certain limitations as well. The major issue these platforms face is the rise of misinformation or fake news. This is largely due to the lack of regulations and accounatbility that these platforms enjoy. Thus, users must exercise caution while consuming content via social media networks. In conclusion, social media platforms have become indispensible in the modern era chiefly because of their accessibility, affordability and promptness in delivering information. However, certain issues like reliability and authenticity must be resolved in order for them to completely replace the traditional modes of broadcasting information.


Explore
47 Writing Topics
Latest Latest Writing Task 2 Topics
Get the IELTS Prep App
4.2
1M+ Installs


Get the IELTS Prep App
4.2
1M+ Installs
Get the app link on your phone
Or download app from
