IELTS essay: Is internet good or bad?

Essay topic

Apart from many advantages, people think the internet has created some disadvantages too. To what intent do you agree or disagree?

Sample response

Ever since the advent of the internet people have wondered whether it is a boon or a curse to the society. There is no denying the fact that the internet has benefited our society. In my opinion, it has caused several problems as well.

Over the last decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people who use the internet. People now shop online; they perform banking transactions on the go. Unfortunately, there has also been a dramatic increase in cyber-crime. Each year, cybercrime causes losses amounting to billions of dollars. This has made people wary of online banking.

Social media addiction is another problem. Almost all of us are active on social media these days. Excessive use of social media is known to cause several psychological problems. Cyber bullying is also on the rise. People’s privacy often gets violated on the internet. The internet has also wreaked havoc with people’s lives. There have been several cases where victims of cyber bullying committed suicide. Social media has also caused alienation. In addition to this, anti-social elements sell pirated e-Books, movies and CDs on the internet and cause huge losses to the industry.

The internet provides limitless access to obscene or violent content. While surfing the web, children may access them unwittingly. When kids get exposed to inappropriate content, it can have far reaching negative consequences. Worse still, nowadays terrorist organizations use the internet to recruit youngsters and propagate their agenda.

To conclude, the internet has both positive and negative aspects. It has benefited our society in countless ways. It has also caused numerous problems. If we really want to take advantage of its potential, we should learn to use it more responsibly. In addition, there should be stringent laws to deal with cybercrime.