Essay 199 – The internet has brought people closer together

GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 199

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people think that the internet has brought people closer together while others think that people and communities have become more isolated due to the use of the internet.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer:

The internet has radically changed the way we communicate. Many believe it has enabled people to achieve closure on their relationship, while others refute claiming that people and communities have become more alienated with the advent of the internet. This essay will expound on both notions. In my opinion, due to our over-reliance on internet technology, our relationship has deteriorated.

The internet brings people closer, especially, by the exponential increase in the use of social media platforms. People are able to communicate from miles apart, anywhere in the globe through the internet. They can share ideas, experiences and cultures, and even make online friends through social networking sites like Facebook. Even people can be more cognizant of others’ crisis and can respond almost immediately. A case in point is the Egyptian revolution of 2011. The social media sites contributed substantially by uniting citizens to succeed in the uprising. Thus, the internet brings us together in an unprecedented way.

However, many put forward the view that people live in almost complete seclusion these days with the emergence of the internet. With the burgeoning popularity of the internet, people spend hours in the virtual world. In fact, they withdraw themselves from physical dealings with each other and thus get socially isolated. Besides, many social pieces of research show that people tend to maintain their online network of like-minded friends only. This means that if someone expresses a different opinion, one may strike him out from his network. Consequently, it does not develop camaraderie. Moreover, social media awareness does not translate into real change. People press a like button only rather than actively engage with campaigns in real life.

To reiterate, although the internet offers amazing opportunities than any time in history to expand our network and reach out to people we may otherwise never meet, it seems to me that the internet leads to seclusion. Therefore, we should emphasize the real-world relationship rather than the friends we make in a virtual world.