Band 6+: Some people believe that people living in the twenty-first century have a better standard of living as compared to previous centuries. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer and include relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

The standard of living in the twenty-first century is deemed to be much higher than years that came before. While I agree that there are certain aspects that make life in the modern day more superior, there are some aspects that only the previous centuries can offer.

People in the twenty-first century have accessibility to cutting-edge technology that makes their life safer and more convenient. In the 19th century, if one wishes to travel from Europe to Asia, his or her only choice is to board a ship, spend months at seam before arriving at the destination. Nowadays, they can simply browse the internet for air tickets and fly across the globe in less than a day. This gives people additional time to do tasks higher level of importance that require more time, increasing their overall productivity. Moreover, the continuous growth of technology leads to the advancement of medical care. People can have a longer life expectancy due to accessibility to hospitals, effective treatments and safer medicines. Thus, these factors make the twenty-first century seem more preferrable.

However, modernity causes life to move at an unreasonably faster pace. Present day people are in a constant rush, always feeling that they should be doing more both at home and at work. On the other hand, our predecessors’ time allowed for more laid-back lifestyles with more opportunity to enjoy the smaller moments in life such as cooking dinner after work or spending quality time with their children on weekends. This also enabled the people back then to form close-knitted communities, as they could spend more time doing recreational activities, bonding with others rather than being at work for extended hours. Consequently, people back in the days were more satisfied, less stressed, and at reduced risk of developing mental illnesses that accompany the fast-paced way of life.

In conclusion, although the standard of living in centuries prior is lower in terms of convenience and accessibility, the slower lifestyle provided a greater sense of satisfaction and a more balanced well-being; therefore, it is up to each person’s preference as to which way of life is better suited for them.