You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic:
Over the past few decades, with the help of the internet, an unimaginable amount of information has become widely available to the general public. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer
With the rapid development of internet technology, people have access to various kinds of information these days. Some people believe that it brings so many benefits for the public, while others disagree with it. The following essay will discuss the pros and the cons but I believe that it has more advantages than the disadvantages.
It is true that with the existence of online technology, a vast amount of information has been connected together and this information is open to the public. A group of people believe that this development has negative effects on individuals and societies. As the internet could provide any information to anyone, people could misuse it. One of the examples, a terrorist could learn how to make bombs through the web, as some websites provide this kind of information. Consequently, the number of terrorist attacks has increased rapidly in the past few years. Another example is that some websites are providing illicit videos or violence scenes to public, which would have physiological effects on children and teenagers.
On the other hand, another group of people believe that the Internet and open information technology have brought many benefits for human kinds. Firstly, with the easy access to information, it helps students and scholars in doing their paper works and assignments. With the existence of various search engines such as Bing and Google, they could search any data that are correlated to their tasks. Secondly, people could use the online technology for learning. Many educational institutions are providing online courses these days, which help people who are busy or live in remote areas but enthusiastic in learning. Again, the internet also provides job postings which are available for the public. It is a fact that websites such as indeed or jobsdb have helped millions of job seekers in finding a job. Finally, internet technology not only provides information to public but also bring them together. Thus social websites help people learn new information and protest any event they do not like. Information is power and when people are connected with it, they will become more educated, informed and cautious and an educated and informed generation would be able to build a better world.
In conclusion, with the existence of internet technology, people could have access to various kinds of information these days. It is undeniable that the development has some of its advantages and disadvantages to our life and society. I personally believe that it has more benefits for us rather than the drawbacks, as long as we use it for positive activities.