Band 9 essay sample | Watching TV or playing video games affect the intellectual development of children

Essay topic

Spending several hours in front of a TV or computer affect the intellectual development of children. Do you agree or disagree with the given statement?

Sample response

New media such as computers, tablets, television and smart phones occupy too much space in our lives and consume a lot of time. Children as well as adults are hooked to their screens. A lot of people believe that spending several hours in front of the computer affects the mental abilities of children. In my opinion, screen time can be both good and bad.

The first thing that we need to consider is the amount of time spent in front of the TV or computer. Too many hours are certainly bad for the intellectual and physical development of a child. Excessive screen time will result in physical inactivity and various health problems.

The age of the child is another thing that should be considered. Babies and toddlers need interaction to learn. When they smile they need someone who will smile in return. They need to touch, feel and manipulate in order to learn about forms, dimensions, consistency etc. A computer is completely unable to offer them that sort of learning environment. For older children I think this is different. School going children should learn how to use a computer, do research on the internet and choose a TV program or game.

The last thing that needs to be considered is the quality of the content. Not all TV programs or computer games are of bad quality. Actually, some do have educational value and children should learn to tell the good from the bad.

To conclude, my belief is that spending time watching television, on the internet or playing computer games can be beneficial for children if it is supervised by parents. They should oversee the quality and set a time frame.  Moreover, I believe that parents should share interesting content with their children. Children will inevitably have to use these devices a few years later and learning how to use them in their childhood will only help their intellectual development.