Question: Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Band 8+ Sample Answer:
(Intro) Many politicians have argued that we have ‘never had it so good’, with an abundance in every aspect of life. However some people have observed that is becoming a problem and that in fact we now have too much choice. I agree with this notion to some extent, especially with regard to entertainment and the internet in rich developed countries. However some poorer parts of the world have an extreme lack of basic necessities.
(Body 1) To begin with, in my opinion developments in communication and entertainment have created too many choices. In their daily lives people are bombarded with never-ending content, whether it is on Facebook, Youtube, Netflix or 24 hour rolling news channels. As a result people are spoilt for choice when it comes to news, movies or just pictures of cats. However this technological revolution has led to problems for mental health. Recent studies have shown decreasing attention spans, reduced ability to focus, and increased sleeplessness with the rise in smartphones, smart TVs and the internet being contributing factors.
(Body 2) Nevertheless, many countries which are not fully developed experience a lack of choice, even with regard to food and shelter. Many fast developing countries such as Vietnam have megacities that show an incredible pace of change but in the rural areas communities may still lack access to electricity, safe shelter and a high standard of education and healthcare. Globally recent studies show that billions of people struggle to maintain access to safe drinking water and a basic level of nutrition. School and healthcare is but a dream, and subsequently the concept of ‘too many choices’ would seem absurd to these people.
(Conclusion) To conclude, I only partially agree with the idea that we have too many choices. In richer parts of the world society is coming to terms with the effects of too much content and its impact on mental health, whereas in poorer areas people are struggling just to feed themselves. Therefore much more needs to be done to equalise the global distribution of resources while at the same time being aware of the potential consequences of overabundance. (348 words).
Words: Nick Kemp, former IELTS examiner.
Images: Andrés Rodríguez / Pixabay.