IELTS WRITING TASK 2

Most countries want to improve the standard of living through economic development, however, others think the social value is lost as a result. Do you think the advantages of economic development outweigh the disadvantages?

Answer

In recent years, the life quality of residents in many countries has been significantly improved by many economic policies of governments. While I accept that boosting the economy has both benefits and drawbacks, I would argue that the advantages more than compensate for any disadvantages.

On the one hand, there are two major drawbacks which involve the loss of social merits when developing economy is high on the agenda of authorities. Firstly, people are so caught up in the pressures of work that they become workaholics. Spending more and more hours at workplaces will result in the isolation of social contacts. As a result, the family’s bond is no longer secure and will suffer discrepancies. For example, the people majoring in Information Technology must work for more hours to meet their deadlines, thus they will arrive late at night and lose family gatherings. Secondly, the community will be dramatically changed since most people tend to be more greedy and selfish that moral values like honesty, kindness and sincerity are adverse influenced. The younger generation, for instance, might forget all the core values and thus no longer respect the elderly people.

On the other hand, I support the view of those who believe that the living standard could be raised through economic development. One reason for this view is that with a developed economy, people have the chance to buy more goods with prices which are lower than ever before. Thus, for example, more people could afford to own a smart TV, a laptop or even a private vehicle, and therefore enjoy a better standard of living. Another reason is that, by boosting the growth of economy, production will increase in order to meet the rising demand for such commodities. More jobs will be created as local and international companies will expand their sales and the range of services, reducing the unemployment figures and enabling more people to share in the increasing prosperity.

In conclusion, I would argue that the advantages of economic development are more significant than the disadvantages.

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