Band 6+: Write about the following topic: The internet has changed the way we communicate. Much communication today happens through social media. Some people support this and think it is a positive development. Others believe that social media have negative effects. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Our way to communicate has been transformed by the web and online hubs. Thus, the majority of interactions occur within social media. This is supported by some people, perceiving it as a good development, while others underline the negative consequences of social media. In my opinion, while I acknowledge the potential negative impact of social media in isolation, these tools help people to stay in contact with their relatives and friends.

On the one hand, some others claim the potential negative effects of this trend which are related to the paradoxical isolation of some people. Since the majority of interactions occur online, people who are not into the usage of social media may be left behind. Take, for example, elderly population coming from distant generations. They may find hard learning digital tools and being involved into social media, exacerbating their isolation. However, even greyer segments of society are rapidly learning to use social media, as they are very intuitive, so I believe that the potential negative effects of isolation do not have a relevant impact.

On the other hand, people argue that social media communication is a positive development as throughout them people can easily interact with their loved ones. Thanks to messaging application such as WhatsApp and Telegram, people have the possibility to constantly interact with their friends and their family. People who live far away from their relatives, can video-call them through Microsoft Teams or Google Meet and chatting, even if they are in different parts of the world. For this reason, I believe that people using social media as a tool for communicating with each other is a positive development, because interaction with the people you love is quickly and easily accessible.

In conclusion, while I acknowledge that some people may feel isolated because of today’s interactions happening online, social media employed as a tool for interacting with people serves as a medium for people who are far away from each other and want to keep contact, thus I consider it as a positive development.