IELTS essay sample: The advantages and disadvantages of the internet

Essay topic

The Internet has brought many changes into our day to day life. Nowadays we can do things such as mailing, contacting, banking and communication much faster. Is this a positive or negative development?

Sample essay

The internet has revolutionized our lives. It has changed the way we connect with our friends and family. It has changed the way we access information and buy things. It has enabled people to work from their home. In my opinion, the internet has more positive impacts than negative impacts on our lives.

The internet has made information accessible to everyone. Much of the content on the internet is free. Anyone who has an internet connection can access it from any part of the world. Having an internet connection is a bit like having access to all the books in the world. In my opinion, this is the biggest advantage of the internet. Because of it, people can now get medical and financial advice online. Students can prepare for their tests online.

Internet also allows us to buy and sell things online from the comfort of our home. Online transactions save time and money. Another advantage of the internet is its ability to facilitate communication. Thanks to technologies such as video conferencing, people living in different parts of the world can now participate in online conferences at the same time. This eliminates the need for them to travel to another country just for the sake of attending a conference.

The internet has its fair share of disadvantages too. Plenty of obscene and offensive content is available online. While surfing the internet, children might stumble upon this content accidentally. In recent times, anti-social elements have started using the internet to recruit youngsters. This has become a major threat to the security of nations.

To conclude, the internet has both positive and negative impacts; however, in my opinion the positives outweigh the negatives. It has connected the world and made opportunities available to everyone. In fact, today, it is impossible for us to imagine a life without the internet.