IELTS WRITING TASK 2

The Internet is often harmful, especially to young people, due to the amount and type of information people can access. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Nowadays, almost all houses have at least a computer or a technology device so that their children can get access to the Internet for many different purposes, including learning and entertaining. However, it also gives rise to a set of concerns that the Internet contains a host of inappropriate content, which is not strictly controlled, and that youngsters can easily watch them and adopt those bad behaviors. In my opinion, I totally concur with this and suggest that those contents should be restricted at all costs.
Firstly and most obviously, inappropriate videos and games, such as adult videos and online gambling, usually have a detrimental effect on adolescents' physical and mental development. It is because these types of bad information appear in every corner of the Internet, normally in the form of sexy advertisements, which lead youngsters, who always try to fulfill their curiosity, to click on them. It is immensely dangerous since they are more likely to be addicted to those types of contents, leading them to neglect doing physical activities and even become more aggressive. There is evidence showing that every 10 adolescents, there are 5 to 6 being addicted to pornography, while the rest saying that they see these kinds of advertisements every time they are online. Therefore, measures should be taken to control what is suitable to appear on teenagers' screens.
Additionally, with the merge of a large number of entertainment-based videos, teenagers tend to spend more time online to find joys. Those kinds of videos are usually short and hilarious which can instantly make us feel pleasure; thus, the young are likely to watch those videos until they realize tons of their time has passed meaninglessly. Not only is it a waste of time, they are also distracted from work and study, which potentially leads to several consequences later on, such as unemployment, peer pressure and self-doubt. Amazingly, the top three most downloaded appliances ranked by CH Play are different social media apps, respectively Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook. That means the popularity and influence of these apps on people's lives, especially youngsters', are immensely huge. Therefore, in order for those social media not to damage teenagers' development, the amount of time they spend on those apps should be limited and they can only use those under parents' supervision.
In my opinion, the Internet is hindering teenagers' physical and mental growth, as inappropriate content is so tempting that those with high curiosity cannot resist getting access to them. For such a reason, I highly recommend that teenagers should be educated about those potential online risks.