Band 5+: In many countries today, people in cities either live alone or in small family units, rather than in large, extended family groups. Is this a positive or negative trend?

In this day and age , in light of human’s pursuit of personal freedom and privacy , there has been a trend that residents in urban cities either lead a solitary life or in nuclear families rather than living in extended families . From my standpoint, I advocate with those who believe it is a negative trend though the opposite pattern brings some basic merits.

On the one hand , it is undeniable that living in a small family group can potentially bring many remarkable benefits . First and foremost , it grants them freedom and flexibility ,meaning that individuals can have more opportunities to pursue their life passions and personal hobbies . Without contributing much time to other family members or taking care of them , they have more time for themselves . This scenario could do whatever they want without acceptance and supervision . Secondly , it also poses significant challenges such as generation gap and misunderstanding while family relationships can understandably be strained during these unprecedented times .Therefore, it is better to live on one’s own that directly reduce conflicts and boost quality of life .

On the other hand , the drawbacks of the trend towards leading a solitary life are indeed evident. After a hectic day, they have no chance to confide in, share something with other people , which leads to depression . Additionally , living alone could result in lacking of grandparental support and children will have less interaction and influence from grandparents . Unless grandparents assist in taking care of them and babysitting , they will lower quality of life and work performance . Living in one-person household can lead to poor family bonds between generations and may also be lost traditions and customs from generation to generation , which can be taught from grandparents who have a lot of valuable life experience.

In conclusion , while the trend of living alone brings people some fundamental benefits such as freedom and flexibility , I also point out the drawbacks in terms of isolation and family bond .