(IELTS ESSAY)Research has shown that overeating is as harmful as smoking, Shopping habits depend more on your age group than anything else

 Q: Research has shown that overeating is as harmful as smoking. Therefore, the advertising of certain food products should be banned in the same way as the advertising of cigarettes in some countries.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Answer:

Excessive consumption of certain types of food products is demonstrated to be detrimental to health as smoking. While a school of thought holds that governments should prohibit promotions of these certain food products as cigarettes in many nations, I believe that there are more viable measures to alleviate the overeating phenomenon.

The idea that forbidding advertising campaigns of some types of food is of necessity to deal with overeating is not unfounded. The key rationale is that if these commodities are hindered from promoting on some social platforms such as Facebook or Instagram as well as on TV, they cannot be prevalently publicized to their target audience. Therefore, the number of consumers of these foods may reduce. However, this view is valid to some extent. Given that banning advertisements of foods may be futile to decrease the number of people eating them. Cigarettes are a case in point. There are more and more citizens in a lot of countries who addict this product, regardless of forbidding policies from authorities.

On the other hand, I would argue that there are superior ways to diminish this phenomenon. To begin with, new education projects should be adopted in schools to help children understand about adverse effects of overeating to their well-being. To be specific, some curriculums such as obesity or other health-related problems should be added in these classes. Another method to tackle this problem is that governments should levy a higher tax on these kinds of food, hence increasing costs of these food products. By this way, people may be discouraged from consuming them due to their high prices.

In conclusion, while overeating issue can be effectively mitigated by banning their commercial campaigns, there are some more feasible methods to reserve this phenomenon.

Q: Shopping habits depend more on your age group than anything else.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Answer:

Many would argue that an individual’s shopping habits depend more on age demographics than other factors. In my opinion, age is relevant in terms of a person’s tastes, however social class is a greater determiner.

Those who would argue in favor of age point out how a person’s preferences are largely fixed. The past several decades have witnessed seismic changes in culture, particularly related to technology. A person who grew up before the digital age is more inclined to spend money on books, holidays, furniture, and other non-digital items. The style of these items is also likely to be more traditional and less modern. However, someone under the age of 40, is more likely to spend on a new phone, electronic vehicle such as a Tesla, or clothing and furniture that is more modern and minimalist. These disparities widen when considering the youngest generations who are even more inclined to value the virtual world through purchases such as NFTs and cryptocurrencies.

However, for the majority of major purchases, wealth determines what a person can afford and therefore buy. This is evident for a variety of products ranging from food and wellness items to technology and fashion. For instance, most individuals would love to buy the newest smartphone when it is released, drive in a luxury car and shop for expensive and healthy organic products at the supermarket. However, one’s financial status will either allow a person to express these desires or force them to live frugally. The best evidence for this is the lack of discretion children show when it comes to shopping. They are uninhibited by financial concerns and therefore attempt to buy whatever they like.

In conclusion, despite the clear differences in taste present in individuals or different generations, financial flexibility is the clearest factor influencing a person’s shopping habits. This has been true for most of history and still remains the case today.

Q: Some people think that newspapers are the best way to learn about current events. However, others believe that they can learn news better through other media.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Answer:

Many are of the view that news is best received through traditional newspapers while others feel that more modern media is preferable. In my opinion, despite the better habits engendered by reading the newspaper, it is impossible to argue convincingly against the convenience of newer mediums.

On the one hand, reading the newspaper allows for a healthy, distraction-free environment. This relates to both the content and the presentation of newspapers. Newspapers undergo rigorous editing and articles are necessarily published more slowly, allowing for better writing and fewer sensationalist headlines. An individual reading the newspaper can be compared to someone eating healthy foods or doing exercise. Similarly, newspapers are not vulnerable to the wide array of potential distractions on digital devices. There is less chance a newspaper reader will be distracted by social media or their personal communications.

On the other hand, there are a wide variety of functions only provided by more recent forms of media. Newspapers are primarily based on text, with images adding slight variety. In contrast, online media enables an individual to watch videos, listen to audio, cross-reference sources, consult primary sources, and generally take full advantage of the digital world. For example, a person who reads an article about a politician’s remarks can then check for the video in order to hear their words in context and later visit a site such as Twitter to analyze reactions from the general public, journalists, experts, and the politician. This information can then be easily shared through online messaging services or social media.

In conclusion, there are definite advantages to non-digital news sources, however, these are overshadowed by the versatility of modern media. It is the duty of individuals to ensure they enjoy the positives without the drawbacks of spending too much time online.