IELTS TASK 2 (PROBLEM-SOLUTION): Historical figures vs international celebrities

Many young people presently know more about international celebrities than famous people from their history. What are the causes? Give solutions to increase awareness of impactful people in history.

These days, youngsters are said to be more attracted to prominent pop stars or well-known actors than to their own countries’ forefathers and historical figures. There are many reasons for this phenomenon as well as various solutions to alleviate this problem.

Young people pay more attention to celebrities because of several factors. Firstly, celebrities are often widely promoted and cherished in the press as opposed to historical figures almost exclusively mentioned in history books and academic articles. Every day, young people are so exposed to these international personalities through magazines and newspapers that it is exceedingly difficult to put them out of their minds. This is exacerbated by the fact that multinationals and corporations often join up with famous personas to heavily advertise their products, making celebrities’ presence all the more ubiquitous. Furthermore, important people from history require a great depth of historical knowledge and perseverance to appreciate their significance fully. In other words, those wanting to gain insight from them would need to plow through various books and biographies, a process that is both arduous and tedious. This is perhaps the main reason why many seem uninterested in their countries’ historical figures.

Numerous actions can be taken to put an end to this phenomenon. First and foremost, learning history should start at an early age in order to instill a sense of historical pride and enthusiasm for historical figures in today’s youth. This can be achieved by producing cartoons with history-centered themes and historical characters recounting the stories of past events. Moreover, more emphasis should be placed on history knowledge in university entrance exams. Most countries prioritize certain subjects such as math, science, and language over history. As such, if history matters more in the curriculum, students will have the incentive to study it more and cultivate a deep appreciation for historical figures.

To recapitulate, some people believe that the popularity of world-renowned celebrities has eclipsed that of their countries’ historical figures. This happens because of the mass promotion of celebrities as well as the burden of history learning. To solve this, more weight should be placed on history as a subject, and exposure to history should be encouraged during childhood.