materialism ielts essay

IELTS Common Essay Topic- Consumerism and Materialism

Consumerism is consuming more and more product or things rather than repairing and reusing. In other words, it can be defined as USE AND THROW, even if the product is in good condition.

In simple words, consumerism is buying more and more things, even if they are not needed. It can be because of show offs, to prove yourself superior to others, etc. For example, people are buying new version of iPhones, though their previous iPhones are in good condition.

Materialism is finding happiness in materialistic things, rather than spending time with family.

In simple words, people find happiness in materialistic things like branded clothes, foot wears, accessories, electronic gadgets etc. People get satisfaction and inner happiness in these things. This directly promotes consumerism. When people get happiness in materialistic things, they get away from their families and other relations. For example, people are too consumed in finding happiness in branded clothes and not really bothering about their families.

How it all did started?

Companies work for profit, to increase their profit, companies promote consumerism and materialism.

They manipulate the consumers by providing them single time use products. Companies make product superior by exaggerating its feature and increase sales.

Moreover, nowadays people are buying more and more things due to peer pressure. They are becoming the part of rat race. The reasons can be, being trendier, fashionable, or to show off, maintaining the so called society status etc.

Furthermore, companies target the famous celebrities and give them their new products as gifts. So that can be their free advertisers. People how follow those celebrities on social medium get influenced and buy those products. This again promotes consumerism.

Is it good?

Yes, it is good for the companies and factories but not for the individuals. Consumerism and Materialism can easily shift individual’s focus from life to products.

Why it is not good for individuals?

• a) Individuals are not able to define their needs.
• b) Individuals get confused as there are numerous products in the market.

Positives of Consumerism:

• Consumerism creates employment
• It helps to reduce poverty
• It encourages innovation and creativity in business
• We live in a global economy
• We have a better quality of life

Negatives of Consumerism:

• Consumerist societies create more waste
• They use more natural resources
• They cause damage to the environment
• Consumerism creates a throw-away culture
• Advertisers tell us who we are and what we want
• Wealth does not lead to happiness
• Materialism causes greed and crime
• We should return to traditional values like sharing

Solution – Spiritualism

Individuals feel trapped in consumerism and materialism the only solution to overcome this situation is spiritualism.

Spiritualism: – It is all about finding happiness within the mind and soul. It celebrates the inner happiness rather than searching happiness outside. A person can find happiness by spending more and more time with friends and family. By this a person can understand the value of relations and can get control on consumerism and materialism. He can focus on life rather than on products.

Role of Digitalization- New kind of Consumerism

Nowadays, people spent more time on the virtual world. On Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat etc. Individuals see other people with their new cars, clothes, watches and many more things. And try to copy them. They are living a virtual life. This indeed promotes consumerism and materialism. Individuals think that there is no life out social media and without materialistic things. Due to this, people get away more their friends and family too.

Moreover, as many people are spending more time on internet. There are many people on the internet who are trapping other individuals with help of fake links and applications. They steal the valuable personal information from individual’s phone. And can misuse it and even blackmail individuals. This promotes Money extortion.

To Sum Up: New consumerism through online social apps like Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat has increased more confusion and it has amplified the choices. It has also increased the online fraud as well as debt trap.

Sample Topics:

• Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices. To what extend do you agree or disagree with this statement?
• Some people say that advertising is extremely successful at persuading us to buy things. Other people think that advertising is so common that we no longer pay attention to it. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
• In their advertising, business nowadays usually emphasize that their products are new in some way. Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or a negative development?

PHYSICAL HEALTH AND ISSUES RELATED TO IT

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IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

People are becoming more materialistic than ever. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

😩 Feeling stuck? View sample answers below ⬇️ or get another random Task 2 topic.

🤩 Sample answers

Model essay #1:, people are becoming more materialistic than ever. to what extent do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint.

In today's world, many people seem to be placing a greater emphasis on material possessions. I strongly agree with this viewpoint due to the increasing focus on consumerism and the impact it has on individuals and society.

Firstly, the rise of consumer culture has led to a growing preoccupation with owning the latest gadgets, fashion items, and luxurious goods. People often measure their success and happiness based on the things they own, rather than on their personal relationships and well-being. For example, many individuals prioritize buying expensive cars or designer clothes over spending quality time with their family and friends, leading to a superficial and materialistic mindset.

Secondly, the influence of advertising and social media further promotes materialism. Companies use persuasive marketing strategies to create a desire for their products, leading people to believe that their lives would be better if they owned certain items. Social media platforms also contribute to this by showcasing a glamorous and materialistic lifestyle, influencing individuals to pursue similar possessions to gain social status and acceptance.

Moreover, materialism has detrimental effects on the environment and society. The excessive production and consumption of goods contribute to environmental degradation and resource depletion. Additionally, the pursuit of material wealth often leads to a sense of dissatisfaction and inequality within communities, as people constantly compare their possessions and financial status, leading to social tensions and divisions.

In conclusion, the growing materialism in today's society is evident through the emphasis on consumer culture, the influence of advertising, and the negative impact on the environment and social relationships. It is crucial for individuals to reassess their values and priorities, focusing on meaningful experiences and relationships rather than material possessions.

Model Essay #2:

In today's society, there is a prevalent belief that people are increasingly focused on material possessions. However, I hold the viewpoint that while materialism exists, it is not as pervasive as it is often portrayed.

To begin with, it is important to acknowledge that material possessions can serve as a source of comfort, convenience, and even inspiration for individuals. For instance, owning a reliable vehicle can provide a sense of security and freedom, while a well-equipped home office can enhance productivity and creativity. In this way, material goods can contribute positively to people's lives, rather than solely representing a superficial pursuit of wealth.

Furthermore, the desire for material possessions can be a driving force for innovation and economic growth. When individuals aspire to acquire new products, it creates demand in the market, leading to the development of new technologies and advancements. This cycle of consumption and production can lead to job creation and economic prosperity, benefiting society as a whole.

However, it is crucial to strike a balance between materialism and other aspects of life. While material possessions can bring temporary satisfaction, true happiness and fulfillment often stem from meaningful relationships, personal growth, and experiences. Therefore, individuals should prioritize their well-being and connection with others alongside their material pursuits.

In conclusion, while there is a visible focus on material possessions in today's world, it is important to recognize the positive impact they can have on individuals and society. By acknowledging the value of material goods in enhancing lives and driving progress, while also prioritizing non-material aspects of well-being, individuals can achieve a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle.

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IELTS Writing Task 2/ Essay Topics with sample answer.

Ielts essay # 1338 - some people say that material possessions bring happiness in life, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, some people say that material possessions bring happiness in life, but others suggest that they are useless in terms of providing happiness. , discuss both these views and give your own opinion..

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IELTS Task2: Comfortable lifestyle i.e. Materialism Vs Traditional Values

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People are becoming more materialistic than ever. v.1

Ielts essay people are becoming more materialistic than ever. v. 1.

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• 6.5 band Today's society is considered as materialistic. What are the reasons behind it? Give example. v. 1 Today's world is reeling under the materialism. It seems that trying to pursue material things over the personal values like love and friendships has become the new noun of today's company. Although materialism is associated with spending more money and debt problems yet people believe that owning a ...
• 7 band Many people think that many youngsters today are too materialistic, money-oriented and not charitable. Agree/Disagree v. 1 Unemployment, illiteracy and corruption are the root cause of poverty in any country. It is not the money, but a good infrastructure that can mitigate the suffering of poor’s. Therefore, I firmly believe that it is an erroneous assumption that poor countries can overcome poverty by financial support ...
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People Nowadays work hard to Buy More Things- IELTS Writing Task 2

Updated On Jan 17, 2022

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People nowadays work hard to buy more things. This has made our life generally more comfortable but it is a pity many traditional values have been lost on the way to such materialism. To what extent agree or disagree with the statement?

Opinion Essay

Introduction

Sentences 1&2 – Paraphrase the topic with the use of synonyms. Create a base understanding for the reader, something to expand on in the essay.

Sentence 3 – State that the essay will understand how materialism leading to the loss of traditional values isn’t as bad as it seems.

Body Paragraphs

Paragraph 1 – Implore on materialism and how it affects an individual’s life. Suggest an example.

Paragraph 2 – Suggest that materialism makes lives easier in a sense, and losing out on certain traditional values shouldn’t be considered harmful.

Paragraph 3 – Acknowledge that extreme materialism is bad, but re-emphasize on the fact that materialism has made lives easier.

Restate your views.

Sample Essay

People nowadays are working hard to buy more things. Even though this trend has made life simpler, people are imploring that it has hindered traditional values while promoting materialism. This essay will emphasize that the said statement is incorrect.

In its truest sense, materialism is detrimental for any person. But from what has been observed, people are happy once they get what they want. Moreover, they feel like they’ve accomplished a goal, which gives them and their efforts further gratification. When an individual accomplishes a target that he sets, for instance, a car, he feels good about himself.

Suppose walking as a traditional value is substituted in the midst. In that case, there is no harm in that because a car allows the person to travel with ease and safety, makes him punctual and gives him the leisure to go the extra mile if his workplace is located far from his home. Materialism is, therefore, an evolutionary aspect of human culture as it allows redirection of focus from menial tasks to other important ones.

On the other hand, being avaricious can cause unhappiness as there is no upper limit to either satisfaction or greed. But, such cases are far too few, and in general, people’s functionality is increased. Furthermore, materialism doesn’t directly affect traditional values, rather makes lives easier and more comfortable.

Hence, people working hard to buy things has definitely made life more comfortable. So, if traditional values have been lost in the process, one has to realise it as an progressive aspect and nothing else.

Meaning – a general direction in which something is developing or changing. Example – The fashion trend changes very frequently.

Meaning – making an earnest or desperate appeal. Example – His face suggested an imploring look.

• Materialism  

Meaning – a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values. Example – Materialism is bad if you cannot control your spendings.

• Detrimental  

Meaning – tending to cause harm. Example – Smoking is detrimental to our health.

• Gratification  

Meaning – pleasure, especially when gained from the satisfaction of a desire. Example – I wish to learn how to delay gratification, so that I can focus on the task at hand.

Meaning – (of work) not requiring much skill and lacking prestige. Example – I asked my boss to stop assigning me menial tasks.

• Evolutionary  

Meaning – relating to the gradual development of something. Example – The evolutionary aspect of lifestyle corresponds to how comfortable everything is becoming.

Meaning – opportunity afforded by free time to do something. Example – In his leisure time, Jaspreet learns the piano.

• Functionality 

Meaning – the quality of being suited to serve a purpose well; practicality. Example – With laptops, the functionality of every employee improved.

• Necessarily 

Meaning – as a necessary result; inevitably. Example – Consuming Vitamin C tablets doesn’t necessarily means a person is deficient in it.

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Soon after graduating with a Master’s in Literature from Southern Arkansas University, she joined an institute as an English language trainer. She has had innumerous student interactions and has produced a couple of research papers on English language teaching. She soon found that non-native speakers struggled to meet the English language requirements set by foreign universities. It was when she decided to jump ship into IELTS training. From then on, she has been mentoring IELTS aspirants. She joined IELTSMaterial about a year ago, and her contributions have been exceptional. Her essay ideas and vocabulary have taken many students to a band 9.

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100 Band 7, 8 + 9 IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Samples

Are you preparing for the IELTS Writing Task 2 exam and looking for some inspiration and guidance? Look no further! In this blog post, we have compiled a list of 100 Band 7, 8, and 9 IELTS Writing Task 2 essay samples to help you improve your writing skills and boost your chances of achieving a high score on the exam. These sample essays cover a wide range of topics, from education and technology to health and environment, and are a valuable resource for students at all levels of proficiency. Whether you’re just starting to prepare for the IELTS or are looking to fine-tune your writing skills, this blog post is an essential guide to acing your next Writing Task 2 test. So, please check out our IELTS sample essays and start preparing for the test today! Please note that these are real student samples. They contain mistakes because mistakes are totally normal for Band 7, 8, and even 9 students. All of the essays below have been checked by more than one former examiner, and all of the students achieved a Band 7, 8, or 9 in their real IELTS test.

Task 2 Samples

Some people think that parents should teach their children how to be good members of society. Others, however, believe that school is the best place to learn this. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Some people believe that children should be taught by their parents about how to function as useful members of society, while others believe that sending children to educational institutions is the best way for them to study this. Although the latter opinion can be beneficial in some cases, I believe that family upbringing plays a more important role in educating children to be good parts of the community.

Schools can be considered suitable places for children to learn to be good citizens. With standardized educational methods, schools can foster children’s cognitive development so that they are able to contribute to society in the future. For example, Trung Vuong school and Vinschool are well known for having nurtured successful alumni such as Professor Ngo Bao, Professor Nguyen Hung who have devoted their talents to the development of the country. However, these people only represent a small fraction of the total number of students attending schools, and thus sending children to schools cannot be the best method of educating them to be good members of society. 

I believe that parents play a more important role in teaching them how to be good citizens. In Vietnam, the average class size is 20 students, which makes it difficult for educators to provide proper schooling for each student. One to one lessons at home, on the other hand, allow children to progress faster. Furthermore, parents form stronger bonds with their offspring and thus, it is easier for them to shape children’s personalities at an early age. For example, by telling stories such as Robin Hood, Cinderella before bedtime, parents can instil a sense of compassion and integrity into them. These children are likely to become good members of society when they grow up.

In conclusion, although sending children to schools can be seen as a way of teaching them how to be good citizens, I believe that domestic upbringing has a bigger impact on determining who they are in the future.

There is an increasing trend around the world of married couples deciding not to have children. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for couples who decide to do this.

An increasing number of married couples around the world choosing to remain childless. The main benefits of not having a child for couples are that they can focus on their careers and have more time for themselves. The main drawbacks are that they could not fit into their peers’ group and have no one to look after them when they get old. 

One primary advantage of remaining childless for married couples is that they can focus on their work. This is because they have less responsibility and distractions in their lives compared to the couples that have a child. Another advantage of this is that they have more spare time. Looking after a child is a full-time job for parents and taking most of their time, while child-free couples have lots of free time after work. For example, many couples stop going out late with their friends after having a child as they have to stay at home for looking after their children. 

One disadvantage of couples deciding not to have children is that they can struggle to hang with their peers after most of them have children. Most parents prefer to spend more time with other couples that have children as well. Moreover, do not have anyone to look after them in their elderliness is another disadvantage. Children are the ones who take care of their parents when they get old because their parents did the same for them when they were young. For instance, the vast majority of the people who live in care homes have no child. 

In conclusion, the main benefits of staying child-free for couples are that they can be more career-oriented and have more free time for themselves, and the main drawbacks are that they could have problems about fitting into their friends’ group and having no one to take care of them when they become older.

Some would say that parents should teach their offspring how to be good members of society, while others are of the opinion that school is the best in this regard. This essay agrees with the latter point and will show that, despite the practical experiences that parents give their children, school lessons can give deep insights into what it takes to be good citizens.

Some believe that parents can educate their children about being good members of society based on their life experiences. This is because the life experiences that parents can give their children are straightforward, down-to-earth, and so they can easily apply what their parents teach them in reality. For example, many children in Thailand become more polite, honest, and caring to everyone as a direct result of the practical lessons that their parents give them at home. However, I believe that parents now are so busy and do not spend much time with their children teaching them.

Lessons at school can provide children with valuable insights into being good members of society. In class, students can receive lessons about different traits of a truly good person that society needs, and then they put what they learn into practice by creating real-life problems and solving them together. For instance, after receiving lessons in civic education at school, many Vietnamese students are more willing to help their neighbors and even strangers, and they feel extremely happy after doing something good for others. For this reason, I believe that school lessons are more influential to young children. 

In conclusion, despite the practical experiences that parents can give their children at home, this essay believes that school lessons can help students deepen their understanding of being good members of society.

In many professional sports, there is an increase in the number of athletes using banned substances to improve their performance.

What are the causes of the phenomenon and what are some of the possible solutions?

In many professional sports, it is becoming commonplace for athletes to abuse prohibited substances to boost their overall performance. This essay will discuss how stiff competition and lax testing systems are the main cause of this problem, and the most suitable solutions are imposing heavier punishments on violators and revamping testing facilities.

The main cause of this problem is the fierce competition that exists in any sports. In other words, most many professional athletes feel that they have to take substances like steroids to give themselves an advantage over other strong opponents. Another reason is the lack of strictness in testing procedures. Many athletes who take advantage of banned substances can still get off scot-free due to the holes in testing systems. For example, a high-profile mix martial artist named Jon John who is notorious for using PED described how easy it was to get away with cheating in an interview in 2015.

A viable solution is to heavily punish lawbreakers. If sports clubs and establishments raise the fine for using banned substances, many athletes will think twice before making attempt to cheat. Another the way to deal with this issue is to upgrade testing amenities. This will eradicate any holes existing in the system and ensure that the test result is highly accurate. For instance, after the UFC had made major investments to provide their staff with the latest testing equipment, many fighters in their organization got caught.

In conclusion, strong competition and ineffective testing systems are the main cause of this problem, and the most suitable solutions are enforcing harsher punishments on violators and reforming testing facilities.

Details of politicians’ private lives should not be published in newspapers. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is thought that the information regarding politicians’ personal lives should not be shared in print media. This essay strongly agrees with this suggestion because publishing these details could be harmful to their families, and obtaining this type of information might require breaking the law.

First and foremost, what makes that the details related to private aspects of politicians’ lives should not be shared in newspapers is that it could be harmful not only to these individuals but also to their families. This is because revealing some details from their personal lives could expose them to unwanted comments or allegations, which might lead to a great deal of distress. In Poland, for instance, in 2015, the vice-prime minister committed suicide due to not handling the pressure caused by the paparazzi invading his and his family’s private life.

Furthermore, obtaining this type of information, in most cases, means breaking the law. This is because the right to privacy is one of the most fundamental policies in society, and anyone who wants to access the lives of politicians must obtain their consent. However, not only are paparazzi hired to invade properties belonging to politicians to take photos without their permission, but also politicians’ colleagues and relatives are bribed to share confidential facts from their lives. For instance, an accident in which Princess Diana was killed was partly caused by the paparazzi who followed her car, trying to take photos of her and her boyfriend against their will.

In conclusion, I strongly support the suggestion that politicians’ lives should not be subject to the interest of newspapers because revealing personal facts from politicians lives could destroy their family life and the process of obtaining these details often required wrongdoing.

Some say that music, art and drama are as important as other school subjects, especially at the primary level. Do you agree or disagree? Some people believe that arts-related subjects are as important as other school subjects, especially for primary school children. I totally agree with this statement because this can help children to discover their talents from an early age and can increase their confidence. 

One of the reasons I agree that creative subjects have the same importance as other school courses in primary school is that it allows students to find out their potential talents early on. That is to say, school-age is the most convenient time for students to learn more about their interests by trying different activities as they are young enough to pursue their hobbies. They will probably not have any other chance later in their lives to discover that because they will be busy with difficult exams when they get older. For example, most famous singers were discovered by their music teachers at school from a young age, and they claimed that they could not be that successful if their teachers did not find out their talents when they were young.

Moreover, music, art and drama subjects help students to boost their confidence. That is because creative lessons teach students how to perform in front of lots of people and give them a chance to socialise with other students. As a result, students can realise their real potential and act more confidently. For instance, many psychologists suggest to students who are struggling with social anxiety to take drama lessons as it helps to enhance confidence. 

In conclusion, this essay completely agrees that music, art and drama have the same value as other subjects in primary school because it allows children to discover their hidden talents early on and increases their self-confidence.

Some individuals believe that the right place to teach children how to become good citizens is the school, while others argue that parents should be the ones responsible for that. Although parents might influence their children more than anyone else, I believe that educational institutions are more trained and equipped to teach children how to become successful members of the community. 

Parents influence their children more than anyone else. This is due to the fact that mothers and fathers are the ones who raise and spend most of the time with their children which dramatically influences the way children act and think. If parents act in a good manner, their children will indirectly imitate them. This fortifies the fact that no one might exert such a strong influence on their children. For example, a study in Britain showed that children are two times more influenced by their parents than their teachers. However, I believe that this is not enough and that school should be the place teaching children to become good people in society.

Schools are trained to build good citizens. Teachers spent their undergraduate years studying how to deal with children and train them to become better individuals in their communities. For this reason, educational institutions should be the place where children can safely acquire the needed behaviors to become better individuals in the future. For example, a recent study in the USA showed that 90% of schools train teachers how to help students to become better citizens. For this reason, I believe that the best place to do this is the school.

In conclusion, although parents have a strong influence on their children, I believe that the best place to create better citizens is the school because tutors are trained to do that.

It is argued that newspapers ought not to publish the details of private lives of politicians. This essay strongly disagrees with this view because politicians build a public image through such news and they could be held accountable for any wrongdoings.

On the one hand, politicians can gain public trust by building a positive image through newspapers. Being the focus of media, sometimes details of their personal interests end up on the front pages of newspapers, which allows them to gain popularity among masses, especially when their interests match with the general public. Recently, the pictures of a famous politician of Milan, while playing football with local school children were published in many newspapers, and he instantly became famous among school and college students. Hence, it helps them gain popularity by depicting themselves in a positive way. 

On the other hand, publishing details of private affairs disclose the corruption of politicians and make them accountable. Many politicians usually hold a public office and are entrusted with managing public funds. If they do not spend the money on the wellbeing of people and are involved in corruption, newspapers expose their private life and put them under accountability. For example, when details of the lavish spending of the Mayor of London, while on a vacation, were revealed in the SUN, it prompted questions from many sections of the society, eventually exposing his corruption with the public money. Therefore, it is important that newspapers publish these details.

In conclusion, private matters of politicians should be published in newspaper because it allows them to gain popularity and expose their corrupt affairs.

Some say that music, art and drama are as important as other school subjects, especially at the primary level. Do you agree or disagree?

Some people believe that arts education is as significant as the study of other subjects, especially for primary students. I completely agree with this viewpoint because some educational content could be better illustrated in the forms of arts, and the study of arts is one key consideration which fosters all-rounded growth of young students.

The arts could deliver information to students, especially to those attending primary schools, in a way that words in textbooks sometimes cannot. Children may become bored and tired if they have to read or listen to too much educational content in textbooks. A colorful painting or a catchy song, on the other hand, can be much more appealing and thus more effective in conveying information to these children. For example, the Ghen Covy song has been taught at most schools in Vietnam and has become one of children’s favorite songs. This song has effectively highlighted the importance of hand washing as a means of disease prevention, and has made it easier for many children to remember every step of hand sanitization for its catchy melody and appealing dancing moves.

Furthermore, the study of arts is one factor that contributes to a comprehensive development of young students. While academic subjects focus on children’s cognitive development, arts education help children to develop their social-emotional skills. By singing a song or drawing a picture, these children are likely to express their feelings and nurture their sense of community. For example, thousands of Vietnamese children, who were encouraged by their teaching staff, drew pictures of sunflowers to deliver messages of love and support for pediatric cancer patients.

In conclusion, the arts can sometimes be better at transmitting knowledge than textbooks, and the provision of both academic and arts education is necessary for an all-rounded growth of young students. I firmly believe that the study of arts should never be underestimated in any child educational institution.

Some people think that all university students should study whatever they like. Others believe that they should only be allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, such as those related to science and technology. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Some would argue that all students in universities have to study the subject they like, while others think that they have to only study something useful for their future, for example, those related to science and technology sectors. Although learning about the latter subjects is crucial to secure a good job and salary, I believe that enrollment in whatever subject they favor leads to students being successful in their fields.

Studying science and technology during third-level education makes students able to easily find a job that pays high wages. That is to say, working in the majority of modern workplaces requires up-to-date technological information aiming to improve the quality of work and to compete with others, and, in turn, those employees will earn good remuneration. For instance, many IT graduates from the University of Toronto were able to have high positions and good wages in many renowned business companies. However, I think that the passion for what students study is more important than how much their earnings are in the future.

It is very important for university students to study the subjects they like because this is the reason behind a successful career. That is because the love for this particular subject allows them to go beyond their limits, be creative, and be eager to improve, and, thus, they might be promoted. For instance, many well-known musicians decided to study music because they were passionate about it and this positive spirit helps them climb their professional ladder. Therefore, I support this school of thought because studying a favorite subject is more important.

To conclude, despite the fact that a course in science and technology can provide postgraduates with a good future career and enough income, in my view, studying whatever they prefer is better because this leads to success in their field.

In some countries, younger people are neglecting their right to vote.

What problems does this cause and what are some of the possible solutions?

It is argued that in certain nations youth are not using their right to vote. This would hinder the political change, and it would also result in policies made that are not beneficial for these young people. The most viable solutions would be to create awareness among the younger generation and promote them to participate in politics. 

Not participating in elections would mean that it would be difficult to change the government which is necessary for some countries across the globe. This is because, in any functional democracy, the only way to change the ruling party is by casting votes in the electoral process. Furthermore, if young individuals forge their right to vote, it would result in policies made that do not benefit them. As a result, they would feel that the state is not addressing their concerns and end up leaving the country. For instance, every year thousands of young adults from developing countries immigrate to Europe and North America because they are unhappy with their government’s performance.

One way to tackle these issues is to inform these people about the power of vote. Campaigns should be held in universities, and colleges to educate youth about their political rights. Another solution is to promote these young people to come into politics. Doing this it would ensure their representation and their voices being heard. For example, Nelson Mandela was a young political activist who successfully fought against racism and became the first black President of South Africa.

In conclusion, neglecting to vote by the young generation would delay the necessary government change, and laws made that are not in their favor. However, encouraging youth participation in politics and awareness campaigns can be possible solutions to tackle these problems.

In certain parts of the world, the younger generation is not using their right to vote.

This phenomenon may result in younger people being apathetic toward politics and election results that do not reflect public opinion, and the most viable solutions are to educate younger people about the importance of voting and incentivize them to vote.

One major problem of this is that younger people may adopt an uncaring attitude toward politics. If younger people do not take part in the election, which is the most significant political event, they are unlikely to pay heed to anything related to politics later on. Another issue is that the result of the election might be undermined. Since only older people give their votes, the winner may not be the one that the majority want to put in charge. For example, it is commonly seen in my country that politicians with older supporters tend to win again candidates that appeal to the young since most of them do not give their votes.

One suitable solution for this is to run a public awareness campaign to emphasize to younger people the significance of voting. Once they realize that if they abandon their right to vote, the consequences will be immense, they will change their minds and begin to vote. Another way to overcome this is to provide them with certain incentives to start voting. Many younger people find voting a waste of time and, therefore, if they are given incentives, they are more likely to take the time to vote. For instance, younger people in my country are often given a small amount of money as a way of motivating them to vote.

In conclusion, the problems that may stem from this are younger people’s indifferent attitude toward political matters and an ineffective election, and some ways to deal with them are educating and incentivizing younger people to vote.

Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities. Others, however, say that this would have little effect on public health and that other measures are required. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

It is argued that the sports facilities should be increased in number to improve citizens’ health, while others claim that other initiatives are more essential to be conducted. While I support the idea that installing more sports facilities would help ordinary people to enhance their general health, I am more convinced that other effective measures should be taken. 

On the one hand, people’s general health status could have been improved greatly via exercising. It is proven that working out fastens the amount of oxygen to the brain, helping people be more concentrative and optimistic. Therefore, lack of physical exercise or insufficient physical movements one’s working performance may be impacted and less productive. For example, Hanoi citizens are reported to be healthier than they were because of the availability of exercise equipment right at the local parts. However, I believe that this measure just improves partially not whole the public’s health. 

On the other hand, there is a wide range of conducts to prevents poor health conditions. Improving diet quality is one of the effective measures that should not be neglected. A good physical health is indeed contributed by many elements, and a full nutrient meal makes consumers stronger and strongly resistant to some diseases. In Vietnam, there used to be a program of introducing milk into daily meals to deter malnutrition for children. After 2 years of conducting this campaign, the number of underweight children was minimised noticeably. Therefore, I completely advocate other solutions to implement to warrant the public’s general health. 

In conclusion, although launching more sports facilities would benefit the overall health of citizens, I think that this matter could be addressed better by other methods.

Some people think that it is better to educate boys and girls in separate schools. Others, however, believe that boys and girls benefit more from attending mixed schools. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

A number of people argue that it is better for boys and girls to get an education from different schools, while others believe that it is more beneficial for children if they attend combined schools. Although studying in separate schools will help boys and girls to focus more on their studies, I believe learning from co-educational institutions will help them to become more social in society. 

On the one hand, when boys and girls attend separate schools, they will spend more time focusing on their studies. This is because there will not be any opposite gender to be attracted to and to get involved in any affairs. The schooling hours will be fully utilised to learn something rather than being diverted from studies and spending time with the ones they might have affair with in the school. For example, in Nepal, students from St. Mary’s Girls School showed a better academic performance than the girls who completed their school years from a co-educational institution. However, I believe that children attending mixed school will learn to be more social in the future.

On the other hand, co-education is more beneficial for children because they will learn some social skills during their school years. This is to say that children of both genders will be allowed to have combined studies and will learn how to deal politely with a person of the opposite sex, an important skill which is highly accepted by society. For example, boys who finished their studies at co-educational schools showed more courtesy towards ladies by offering some help when required. For this reason, it is better for children to attend mixed schools as it helps them to learn essential social skills.

In conclusion, although educating children in separate schools will help them to focus on their studies, I believe that co-education is much better for girls and boys as they will learn essential social skills in school.

Being a celebrity, such as a famous film star or sports personality, brings problems as well as benefits. Do you think that being a celebrity brings more benefits or more problems?

Lives of celebrities, like famous movie stars or sports people, bring benefits as well as problems. Although earning huge amounts of money is an advantage for celebrities, I believe the lack of privacy in their lives is a major problem that outweighs the benefit. 

The main advantage for celebrities is that they receive a huge remuneration. That is to say, such people are paid large amounts of money for their efforts or performance. Celebrities usually decide how much they should be paid, and the people who pay them do not negotiate as they are confident in their star value. For example, Avengers star casts were paid in high amounts even before they read the script of the film series because of their previous performances in the older series. However, I think celebrities are also human beings and money cannot replace the happiness or freedom they need in their lives.

One of the downsides of being a celebrity is that it is not possible for them to lead a private life. This means that because of their fame and popularity, they are continuously followed by the media, and by their fans who eagerly wait to know what is happening in their favorite stars’ lives. As such, celebrities lose their freedom and cannot enjoy their personal time with their families or friends. For instance, when Sachin Tendulkar became famous after his remarkable performance in cricket, he claimed that he could not walk down the streets of Mumbai as he used to do in the past. Thus, I believe celebrities cannot be carefree, and they always have to face the media in one or the other way.

To conclude, I think the problem of being a celebrity is that their privacy is interrupted, and this overshadows the benefit of making large amounts of money as a celebrity.

Being a famous person, such as a movie star or sports athlete, has many disadvantages and advantages. Although famous people will earn more money, I believe that there are more drawbacks because famous people will not be safe in public places. 

The biggest advantage is that well-known individuals will earn loads of money. This is because they will get colossal amounts of money from their sponsors for promoting their products, such as mobile phones, laptops or cars. As a result, notable individuals will become affluent around the nation. Floyd Mayweather, for instance, is a famous boxer as well as a wealthy person in the United States of America. Each year he gets around millions of dollars from Burger Kings and Rolls Royal sponsors for promoting their products during boxing matches. However, I believe that famous celebrities face huge problems whenever they go out because their frenzied fans will annoy them.

The major drawback is that famous individuals’ lives will be in danger in common places. This is because their foes will try to harm them whenever they go out either alone or with their family members, such as in parks or malls. As a result, they will have to hire some security guards to protect themselves against vicious-minded individuals. Jennifer Lopez, for instance, always goes out with five bodyguards. The reason is that in the past, some deranged fans attacked her in New York park and broke her left arm. Therefore, I believe that celebrities always face difficulties in common places because someone will assault them. 

In conclusion, although well-known individuals earn big amounts of money from sponsors, notable people’s lives will be in danger because evil-minded people will harm them. For these reasons, I believe that drawbacks are more than benefits.

It is being argued that media houses should not disclose the personal lives of statesmen. I completely agree with this statement because it will not only violate their right to privacy, but also they should focus their resources on more pressing issues that need immediate attention such as poverty.

It is the fundamental right of every human being to have their privacy. Even though they are public figures, their private lives should be away from the eyes of the media. They should only be judged against the service towards their countries and not for what is happening in their day-to-day affairs. The prime example of this can be seen in the Constitution of the USA, which gives its citizens the right to privacy.

In addition to this, it is the responsibility of newspapers to address important matters including poverty. Media can be a very powerful medium, so rather than talking about other people’s life, resources should be diverted towards putting pressure on public officials to engage them in solving real-life problems. Using their influence to the benefit of the general public should be the main focus of newspapers. For example, during the Great Depression, The Guardian was the main voice of people in protesting against the poor living conditions. 

In conclusion, I do not support the argument of newspapers publishing the personal information of government officials. This is because it will result in the violation of their privacy and also the primary focus of news agencies should be to highlight key issues concerning the nation.

Some people say that television is useful for education, while others say it is useful only for entertainment. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Television is considered useful for education by some, while others claim that it only serves entertainment purposes. While certain people believe television is only for entertainment as it steals time, this essay claims that it is valuable as educational programs on television can help a child’s intellect.

Some believe television is only useful for entertainment since it takes away time. This is because they feel that children who spend too much time in front of the television may miss out on life’s opportunities and that it is much more productive to spend time with friends, to work on homework, to go outside, or to relax instead of watching television. For example, kids who watch too much television tend to work less on their homework, which results in poor performance in school. However, I would argue that television is important as education programs can aid in boosting children’s intellect.

Educational programs on television can help children become more intelligent. Kids who watch informative and educational shows learn to solve problems and develop strong mental maths skills. For instance, several studies have shown that kids are more likely to outperform their peers on tests when they watch educational shows. Additionally, studies have shown that children who watch cartoons most of the time score less than those who watch educational shows. Therefore, I strongly believe educational shows on television encourage intellectual development in children.

In conclusion, while television is seen as only useful for entertainment because it eats up time, watching informative educational shows on television can develop a child’s intellectual skills.

Being a famous person, for example a popular actor or a sports star, is problematic as well as beneficial. This essay believes that fame has more negative effects because it comes with the cost of being a burden to the star’s family, and it can threaten the star’s mental health.

The first negative effect fame has on the star’s life is the burden it puts on his family. That is not only because of the paparazzi that keep chasing them everywhere they go and eventually putting them at physical risk, but also because of the pink media which posts news about them that completely breach privacy and are often related to intimate relationships. For example, it is very well known how much detrimental the role of paparazzi and pink media was on Princess Diana’s sons and they report that those publications and breaking news scarred them for a lifetime just because they come from a famous family.

The second reason behind the negativity of being a star is that it creates an unsafe environment that may endanger the star’s mental health. Being constantly under the spotlights and lacking the minimum amount of privacy in the person’s life is documented to be detrimental to this latter’s mental health. For instance, the famous movie star Marilyn Monroe is known to have committed suicide because she could not cope with a life with no privacy at all, and the same applies to the famous Egyptian star Souad Husni and many others.

In conclusion, in my opinion, the negative aspects of fame outweigh the positive ones especially because it puts a burden on the star’s family and puts their mental health in danger.

Multinational companies are becoming increasingly common in developing countries. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

It is becoming more popular in developing nations to see multinational corporations. There are some benefits for this trend such as the progress in the economy they create in these countries and the availability of jobs, however, the shut down of some small local businesses and the lower selling rate of local products can be its drawbacks.

The main advantage of the increasing number of these types of companies is the economic progress. That is to say, if multinational organizations operate in less-developed nations, this can bring wealth which boosts industries, trade, and other aspects of the economy. Moreover, more jobs will be available for the local people. That is because more workers and managers are needed to work for these companies which can be a good opportunity for locals to find a job. For instance, after opening a branch of Apple company in Dubai, many local graduates were thrilled by the good news of being accepted to work under this renowned company. 

However, one of the main disadvantages of this trend is the drop in the selling rate of the local products. That is because of the good reputations and qualities of international items, and, thus, citizens might refrain from buying their local products. Another disadvantage is that some small local shops could be closed. That is due to the unfair competition with these huge strong establishments, and as a result, some might be shut down or go bankrupt. For example, many amateur Syrian entrepreneurs, and after the harsh competition they had with international textile corporation, were forced to close their fabric factories. 

In conclusion, although the advantages of the popularity of multinational organizations in developing countries are the economic progress and the improvement in the job market, nonetheless, its downsides are the drop in the average selling of local products and the closure of some small businesses.

A number of individuals believe that television can help with education, while others feel it is only used for entertaining people. Although entertainment television programs are the most popular programs on TV, this essay argues that television is helpful in education if people utilize it properly.

On the one hand, nowadays, entertainment television programs have become the most well-liked TV programs. That is because those programs give people an escape from their home lives or occupations, and it is also a great way to spend time with. For example, in the United States of America the Ellen Show is one of the most popular shows which has lasted almost twenty years. However, I believe that entertainment television programs are people’s favorite television programs does not mean television cannot be useful for education.

On the other hand, television can be a helpful tool in education if people use it in a proper way. Television can help people to study through informative videos, TV shows, or documents, and those videos can help people form a visual representation of their thoughts. For instance, it can be commonly seen in many schools that teachers introduce TVs in their lectures to help students understand complicated and difficult subjects. For this reason, this essay believes that television is a useful tool for education.

In conclusion, although programs for entertaining people are the most well-liked television programs, I maintain that television is useful for education because it is a helpful tool for education if it is utilized properly.

In many countries, the government prioritises economic growth above all other concerns. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this.

Economic growth is a sphere that receives more attention than any other national domain in many states all over the world. The principal benefits of this phenomenon are lower unemployment and wealthier citizens, and the main downsides are higher costs of living for most and insufficient support for the poorest. 

On the one hand, what makes that prioritizing economic expansion is beneficial for the public is the fact that fever residents remain unemployed. This is because governments boost establishing various businesses, which will require many workers to operate. In addition, not only does a country become more powerful economically, but also many residents have an opportunity to become affluent. When companies generate more profit, it reflects how much money employees can make. In Poland, for example, 30 years after communism collapsed, average salaries offered for a middle-management position have tripled.

On the other hand, as a country’s economy thrives, costs of living increase. The most compelling reason for that could be the fact that since workers are paid more , their services become more expensive, which results in higher prices of many products. Moreover, in many cases, a state whose main priority is its economy offers little support for those who need it. If authorities believe that a strong economy is of the greatest importance, they are rather reluctant to offer help to those who do not contribute to the nation’s prosperity. To illustrate, when Donald Trump, who was a big advocate of a strong economy, became the president of the USA, the funds for jobless migrants were caught. 

In conclusion, as with anything in life, prioritizing economic growth by authorities has its pros and cons. While more have jobs that allow them to become wealthy, costs of living are going up, and those who need to rely on the social care system are marginalized.

It is argued that parents should be the ones to familiarise their children with basic teachings of morals and ethics and how to implement them to become better individuals in the society, while many believe educational institutes are the best places to learn them from. While parents can pay individual attention to their kids, I believe that schools provide an ideal environment in learning and grooming.

On the one hand, parents serve as role models and they are perfectly capable of paying undivided attention to their kids. That is to say that they can tell their kids stories containing lessons about differentiating right from wrong and good from bad. Furthermore, by demonstrating responsible behaviour, elders are instilling good habits in their young. As a result, children follow their elders and grow up to be better human beings. For example, on the dining table parents should tell their kids to eat quietly and not make unnecessary noises which can develop into a good habit. However , I believe that parents cannot consistently teach and monitor their kids’ behaviour patterns due to lack of time.

On the other hand, educational centres provide a specialised environment for minors in both academic and moral fields. That is to say that a child is more keen to learn and grow when one steps outside the comfort zone. By interacting with fellow students and actively participating in multiple social activities youngsters are able to perform to the best of their abilities. For instance, primary schools around the world include social activities and role plays in their curriculum to teach students how to become model citizens. Therefore, this option is preferable because it benefits the child in the long run as well as the society..

In conclusion, although parents can demonstrate moral teachings to their children in an effective manner, learning them at schools would make them rather more confident and productive members for the community.

In some countries, even though the rates of serious crimes are decreasing, people feel less safe than ever before. What do you think are the causes of this problem and what measures could be taken to solve it?

Although grievous offences are reducing, some people feel more insecure than they used to. The main reason behind this is the increase of cyber bullying and hate-crimes, and the solution would be to raise the general awareness among the masses and by promulgating new laws.

The primary cause of people not feeling safe than they used to is because the arena of crime has changed. More people are interacting virtually over the internet, which is mostly unregulated. Therefore, people are easily subject to harassment and bullying on social medias. Moreover, people are also subject to hate-crimes which is a consequence of constant portrayal of a certain group of people as evil by the media. For example, labeling the activities of criminals, who professes the Islamic faith, as terrorists has resulted in an increase in hate-crimes against Muslims across America. 

The solution to such problems would be in educating the general people so that they are more aware. This will allow them to act more responsibly. Also, the government can play their part by enacting new laws that addresses the needs of time. This will make their citizens feel more secure because they can have their problems redressed. For instance, the government of Bangladesh recently enacted Digital Security Act, 2018 and Digital Security Rules, 2020 in order to penalize offences that take place in the cyberspace, as crimes like online harassment and cyber bullying was not previously defined as an offence. 

In conclusion, insecurity among some section of the population is still prevailing due to the change in the nature of crimes that are being committed nowadays. However, this can easily be addressed by making people aware and also by making new laws.

Most high-level positions in companies are filled by men even though the workforce in many developed countries is more than 50 per cent female. Companies should be required to allocate a certain percentage of these positions to women. To what extent do you agree?

Although women account for more than 50 per cent of the workforce in developed nations, a number of managerial positions are still occupied by men. Some believe that a certain proportion of these vacancies should be allocated to females. This essay, however, strongly disagrees with this statement because this can discourage qualified men to work hard, and such a policy can encourage organisations to find some wrong ways to outsmart the system.

Reserving a certain proportion of high-level positions for women because of their gender may prevent educated males from making a contribution to the progress of a company. This is because any employee naturally wants to have equal opportunities for promotion irrespective of gender. If males at workplace are deprived of it, they are not motivated to work hard. For example, psychologists claim that the motivation and hard work of subordinates directly hinge on the promotional system of a company. 

Furthermore, imposing a quota will make companies seek for some illegal ways to outwit this regulation since the priority of most companies is to reward employees with high-level positions according to their knowledge and experience, not their genders. Hence, if any law contradicts the policy of a company based on gender, the owners of that company are more likely to make modifications to outsmart the system, which benefits neither of them. For example, not to compulsively hire female employees to the top management of a company, owners can change the tittle of a position to just to fill a vacancy. 

In conclusion, I strongly disagree with the idea of allocation of certain high-level posts to females because of their gender since this can discourage qualified males to work hard and make companies find alternative ways to outwit the law.

Some people think that the teenage years are the happiest time of most people’s lives. Others think that adult life brings more happiness, in spite of greater responsibility. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

It is argued that adolescence years are the happiest years in one’s life, while others believe that adulthood is the most joyful phase to live despite having bigger responsibilities. This essay believes that, although adolescents are free of responsibilities, adults enjoy their life more because they are free to make their own choices.

On the one hand, adolescents are thought to live the happiest moments of their life because they are not asked to be responsible. Basically, a teenager lives with his parents, who not only provide him shelter, food, and education, but also, in some cases, would try to meet his fantasies. For instance, in my country, teenagers make a great example of spoiled people who spend their money carelessly and always ask for more, though they do not seem to be happy.However, I believe that not being obliged to worry about any responsibility is not what happiness is all about, and consequently adolescents do not live their happiest days.

On the other hand, others see that adulthood is a happier phase because adults are free to make the choices that fit their aspirations. Having the freedom of choice will eventually be followed by achievements and a sense of self-accomplishment, which is a primary source of joy. For example, many adults in my country are happy because of the choice of career or commitment they took on their own, and they see themselves happier than when they were teenagers. Therefore, I believe adulthood is the most enjoyable time because one can not be happy if they have to follow others’ plans even it comes with no responsibilities.

In conclusion, despite having no responsibilities on their shoulders, adolescents do not live the happiest moments of their life. This essay believes that it is adulthood which is the most enjoyable in light of the fact that adults are free to make their own choices.

In some countries, it is becoming increasingly common for people to follow a vegetarian diet. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

In a number of countries, following a vegetarian diet has become very popular. Although being a vegetarian can limit the options when eating, I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages because it allows the body to work properly. 

For vegetarian people it is difficult to find varied options to eat. Since the majority of the worldwide population have a diet that includes animal products, these type of food is the one that is normally available at food businesses. Therefore, people with a vegetarian diet have to choose between a limited number of plates or products when buying food or eating out. For example, in many popular restaurants in Colombia, the menu has only a short vegetarian section which includes only two or three plates that are completely vegetarian. However, I believe that those options that are offered are healthier than plates that are sold in large quantities.

Following a vegetarian diet allows the body to work better. This is because science has shown that when our human system digests animal products, such as meat, it has to work harder to process the food that it is not designed to receive. Thus, people that have a diet based on plants and seeds are more prone to have a healthier life because they allow their bodies to focus their energy in its normal processes. For instance, people who become vegetarian are less prone to get sick because their immune system has all the energy focused on fighting bacteria and not causing chronic inflammation because of the food. That is why I consider that following a vegetarian diet can have more benefits in the long term. 

In conclusion, although vegetarian people have fewer options when buying products without animal ingredients, it is my belief that following a vegetarian diet has a positive impact in the body functions.

Some claim that families should educate their offspring on being good members of community, while others say that school is the most suitable place to do that. Although school has professional ways to teach children about being good in society, I believe that teaching them by parents is more appropriate because parents have more influence on children. 

On the one hand, school should tech children how to interact in good way in society because it has academic methods to better educate children on that. Any school curriculum is examined by experts before being used, so it contains no mistakes or unsuitable context. For example, to design a school national curriculum, governments hire the most experienced and knowledgeable teachers nationwide. However, I believe that children follow parent’s instructions better than school’s instructions. 

On the other hand, parents are more influent in teaching children about being good in society. That is because parents are close to children, so children are more likely to believe in them. As a result, children are effectively learn how is it important to behave well in society. For instance, the vast majority of children gain their good habits from their parents as they eager to transmit the good attitude to their children. Therefore, I believe that families are the most suitable teacher for children when it comes to be good in society. 

In conclusion, despite the fact that school has professional methods to educate children on being good in society, I believe that parents are more successful doing that because they have better influence on children.

It is thought by some that their happiest years were during their teenage years. Others, however, believe that happiness comes during adult life later on, despite the great deal of responsibilities. Although being an adult means having enough money to enjoy many life activities, teenagers have an enormous amount of time to spend on leisure activities, and for this reason, I stand with the latter view.

Undoubtedly, adults usually have the money to spend on entertaining activities and create joyful moments. Due to the fact that adults usually have the financial means to travel somewhere far, attend a concert, or even rent an expensive car, many express their happiest moments to be during their thirties and the years after while their health is still perfect and they enough money to spend. For example, a 35-year-old man can always travel to Spain during summer time and be able to create an unforgettable moments. However, in my opinion, most adults are so engaged mentally with work and family responsibilities that they do not have the time to spend or travel but rarely.

On the other hand, during adolescence, teenagers have all the time they need to have fun. Having no serious tasks or long working hours, teenagers often spend their time partying with their cool friends throughout the week while having absolutely no responsibility on their shoulders. As a result, people usually remember these days as their happiest. For example, teenagers usually have their own party places that open during week days, especially when they become university students, they become happier as their social network also expands. Personally, I believe that having no responsibilties is the key to create happy moments to remember. 

To conclude, while being an adult means having more money to spend on entertaining events, teenagers have all the time in the world to be with their firends and party, and that, in my view, is the reason why people remember these days as their happiest.

Global companies are gaining more popularity among third-world countries. The main advantages of this are that they generate more employment in a country and provide good benefits to employees. However, the major drawbacks are long working hours and unsecured jobs.

One benefit of multinational companies is that they employ a large workforce. This is because these big companies have more than two or three branches around the country, thereby, increasing the employment rate within the country. Moreover, these companies have good benefits for their staff, as compared to local companies, such as yearly travel compensation and full coverage family insurance. For instance, Amazon provides a yearly international trip to the employee and their family, covering accommodation and return tickets.

On the other hand, having to work extremely long hours is the major disadvantage of being in such companies. This is because these companies handle clients who work in different time zone. Hence, the employees have to work in their local time zone as well as per client time zone, which can be several hours apart. Furthermore, losing a job at any time is the biggest fear of employees working for such organizations, unlike government sector, where an employee cannot be fired from the job easily. For example, in Apple Inc., it is reported several times that the employees are fired due to their grudges with their boss.

In conclusion, multinational organizations have benefitted developing countries by increasing the employment rate and making the lives of employees better by providing good benefits. However, it does not have strict policies for their staff as they have to work long hours and fear of losing their job at any time.

In modern times, children are spending less time with their families and more time with their friends. Why has this change occurred? Do you think parents should force their children to spend more time at home?

Nowadays, children spend more time with their friends than with their families. This change has occurred because children do not want to feel left out amongst their peers and parents should not force children to stay home because they will resent their parents for it.

Young ones do not want to miss out on social activities with their friends. Since the invention of technology, many activities that people carry out, especially teenagers, are now being posted online. As a result, children want to engage more in activities with their peers so they would also have fun stories to post on their social media pages and not be the odd one among their peers. For example, many young people in South Korea are known to shop and visit fun places with their friends rather than their parents, so as to show off the fun activities they engage in on Wechat, a popular social media platform.

Children whose parents mandate spending more time at home might hold a grudge towards their parents. This is because if children are forced by their parents to spend more time at home, they may interpret this as a form of punishment and develop a negative attitude towards their parents, which defeats the goal of family time. However, if they are encouraged to play with their siblings and bond with the family, children will be more willing to stay at home. For example, most children in Nigeria, even though they spend time with their friends, look forward to family time because parents in Nigeria emphasize the benefits of spending more time with family. 

In conclusion, children want to engage in activities with their friends and not be left out, and parents should encourage their children to stay at home more, rather than force them so that their children will not resent them.

It is believed by some that adolescent years are the happiest period of most people’s lives, while others believe that adulthood brings more content, despite having more responsibilities. Although teenagers obtain new experiences in their teenage years, I believe that adults can enjoy in the things they have accomplished.

On the one hand, experiences that adolescents gain before their reach adulthood make them happy. This is because many teenagers get more freedom to do the things that they like without being controlled by their parents. A sense of freedom gives them opportunity to socialise with their contemporaries and many of them fall in love for the first time. These are unprecedented experiences that makes them feel very happy. For example, many dwellers of Sarajevo have said that teenage years were the happiest years of their lives. However, I think that adolescents do not know what a real happiness is at such a young age. 

On the other hand, adults can appreciate the things they have achieved. This is to say that many adults set goals when they were younger, such as having prosperous careers, because they knew achieving their goals would make them content. They worked hard to get closer to their goals, and when they finally achieved their targets, they felt contentment. For instance, many Bosnians dreamed about owning a property, and after purchasing housing they were ecstatic. Therefore, I believe that adults can value happiness at a greater level.

In conclusion, although pre-adulthood brings new experiences, I believe that adults enjoy the perks of their hard work.

In many professional sports, there is an increase in the number of athletes using banned substances to improve their performance. What are the causes of the phenomenon and what are some of the possible solutions?

The number of sportspeople using illegal substances to improve their performance has increased in many sporting events. This essay believes that many athletes are taking banned substances to win the competition and exceed capabilities beyond their limits. This can be prevented by requiring athletes to take drug tests before the competition and punish them if they have violated the rules.

Some sportsmen are taking banned substances because they want to be the best athlete in the competition. It is in their nature to be on top among other competitors, and winning is their main goal. In addition, using illegal substances help exceed their abilities by boosting their physical strength. They are tempted to do this because it helps them to handle such excruciating trainings needed to achieve their goals. For instance, Michael Phelps, a professional swimmer, confessed that the use of an illegal substance has helped him become an Olympic Gold medallist.

One solution to eradicate this problem is to test all athletes before the competition so that they will be discouraged from using banned substances, allowing fair competition among athletes. Moreover, sports organizations should also punish athletes who are taking performance-enhancing drugs, such as banning them from playing any sports event. This will give them lessons and take away the temptations of using illegal substances. For example, the Tour de France organization has banned Edward Armstrong from entering the bike racing competition and stripped down all his trophies because of his drug violations. 

In conclusion, many athletes nowadays use illegal substances to win the competition and exceed their physical capabilities. However, it is vital to have fair competition, and this can be eradicated by requiring the athletes to do drug tests and ban them if found guilty.

Some people argue that television helps in learning while others believe that its only purpose is to entertain us. Although television is widely used for enjoyment and leisure, in my opinion, it also helps in other ways like getting news and information from all over the world.

For decades, people have been watching television for fun and leisure because it is the most common entertainment product in every household. Furthermore, it offers a variety of channels and programs with just clicks of some buttons which help children and adults to relax and enjoy when they feel tired after studies or work. Entertainment programs such as The Kapil Sharma Show have always been the most popular programs because they spread laughter and joy among the people and help them unwind the day. However, I think that other than entertainment, people have many reasons to watch television such as getting educated about major events around the world.

On the other side, many people argue that beyond the entertainment, there are various news and educational programs aired on television that are watched by a large number of people. Many shows on television play a vital role in educating citizens about various issues and current affairs and help them increase their knowledge. Many news programs, for example, Prime-Time with Ravish Kumar on NDTV pick one of the events happened during the day and discuss different perspectives about it in details and educate people on how it affects their lives. Moreover, these types of shows have become more interesting and entertaining due to the use of advanced technology and presentation methods.

In conclusion, while the most people watch television for pleasure and relax, I believe that it is not fair to tag it as an entertainment tool because it is still a main source of news and information for the majority people around the world.

Some argue that newspaper journalists should not report on the personal lives of the people in politics. This essay emphatically disagrees with this view because citizens are entitled to be informed about their politicians’ lives before they elect them, and because politicians need to be kept in check to stop them from misusing their powers.

Politicians are public servants who have taken an oath to serve the citizens of a nation. In a democracy, politicians are elected on the basis of two important factors – their vision and their values. While the vision is communicated by politicians during their campaign, the values can only be depicted through the way the way they have lived their personal lives. Journalists are trained to investigate all kinds of information. Hence, for a well-rounded evaluation, it is essential that newspapers give a complete account of the values of a politician through a coverage of their personal lives. For instance, in 2016, many supporters of Donald Trump lost their trust in him after newspapers uncovered the story of the sexual harassment allegations against him.

Furthermore, politicians hold great power because of their ranks. It would be very easy for politicians to misuse this power to benefit their own personal lives. On behalf of the public, journalists own the authority to keep politicians’ personal lives in check. For example, President Bill Clinton wrongly took advantage his position by having an affair with an intern. The American citizens were informed of this through newspapers and other media platforms.

In conclusion, it is extremely important that newspaper publishers cover the private lives of politicians so that they can be fairly evaluated before elections, and to ensure that their power is kept in check while they’re serving the public.

During the course of history, crime term is viewed as a negative blow on both society and each individual. Although a reducing crime statistic in some particular countries has been publicly recognized in recent decades, other kinds of crime might cause local residents a sense of less safety than previous times, especially juvenile crime, so some policies need to be implemented to ensure tackle this phenomenon.

There is several compelling evidence that crime under the age of 18 has been a contributor to unsafe feelings. With the aid of technological advancement, teenagers nowadays are frequently exposed to violence in the media and mimic violent acts whose brains are not fully developed and can not tell the difference between right and wrong. Violent scenes on Youtube, for example, are usually starred by adults who are likely to become negative role models, leading to the growth of juvenile crime after watching those videos, especially turning to bullies in school. Thus, parents will have a fear of their offspring not only befriending these bullies but also becoming a potential crime if they can not control the information absorbed by their children due to hectic working schedules.

With regard to the responsibility of the government to assure residents do not feel unsafe, banning violence-related contents on the Internet should be adopted. This policy required producer companies to minimize scenes containing violence before publicizing final products. In addition, adults also are in charge by teaching their infants to identify wrongdoings to avoid. By spending time with those, parents could either diminish unsafe feelings or intervene at the right time whether friends of their youngsters are good or not.

In conclusion, juvenile crime is a major indicator of increasing fearness of society despite a drop in serious crime rate. Government must take immediate action by passing violence- content restriction on stakeholders on a national scale and parents should dedicate more time to their children to help authorities to address these issues.

It is generally believed that some people are born with certain talents, for instance for sport or music, and others are not. However, it is sometimes claimed that any child can be taught to become a good sports person or musician. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

While some think that people can not succeed in sports or music unless they have some natural talents that a few people have, others reckon that any child can be educated to become successful in those areas. This essay agrees with the former view because, although children are able to get access to many professional training programs, natural gifts enable owners to excel at their subjects such as music or sports.

Some argue that all children can become good at music and sports as soon as they receive the appropriate learning programs. This is because now children are taught by many professional teachers, and the programs that they are involved in are far more modern and systematic. Therefore, they do not need talents to become successful. For instance, many renowned musicians and sports athletes in Vietnam admit that they are not talented, but they can thrive in their areas mainly because of their hard work in many years and the intensive training programs that their tutors gave them. However, I think that some subjects like music or sports have some unique features that require learners some talents to master them.

Gifted people can thrive because their natural gifts help them quickly master knowledge. The immense level of their innate skills enables them to completely grasp anything they learn in a short amount of time, and they can creatively and successfully put them into practice. Let’s take Mozart as a musical genius of all ages, with an extraordinary memory, he could remember any details of music like melodies and lyrics and composed thousands of famous songs of all time. For this reason, I believe that some inborn qualities play a crucial part for people to thrive in some areas like music or sports. 

In conclusion, despite any professional programs that schools now offer, this essay thinks that children need to have some talents to become professional athletes or skilled musicians.

Some say that educating boys and girls in a single-gender school is more beneficial, while others feel that mixing both genders is a better idea. I believe that while separation can reduce the amount of classroom disruption, mixed schools have a better impact on both genders because it prepares them for their future in the real world.

On the one hand, a single gender educational environment can reduce distraction between peers during the class. Children try to impress or get the attention of the opposite gender by talking or showing off, which leads to lack of focus in the class and causes interruptions to other students. For instance, girls and boys tend to find their first crushes at school. It distracts them because instead of paying attention to studying, they are focused on getting into relationships. Despite this, I would argue that both boys and girls can benefit more from being mixed because it helps them to be prepared for the future life.

On the other hand, mixed-sex schools where boys and girls are not separated, can prepare children for their future life. When young males and females attend co-educational school, they can develop relationships with other people. In their future they will work with opposite sex so educating students in single-sex schools limits their opportunity to work cooperatively with the opposite gender. For example, if children are used to have contact with many peers from their childhood, they will not have a problem to adjust to a mixed-sex environment in their future such as work area or daily life. I therefore believe that this method is better as it helps to interact with the opposite sex.

In conclusion, while separating boys and girls at school can help them to be more focused during their classes, I think that mixing both genders gives them the ability to learn how to build relationships with different genders, which is valuable later in life.

Following a vegetarian diet is becoming very popular in some nations. Although without meat it is hard to get the required amount of protein, I believe that the benefits of consuming high fibre and low saturated fat while on this diet far outweigh any drawbacks.

The main disadvantage of the vegetarian diet is that without meat people may have a protein deficiency. That is to say, people by nature are omnivorous more than herbivorous, and by avoiding consuming animal products, protein levels will decrease, and this deficiency can have consequences on muscles, bones and immunity system. By following this type of strict diet in certain religious groups in India, for instance, people might suffer not only from fatigue and bone fractures, but also from disturbance in their immune system. However, I think that a well-planned diet provides people with all nutrients including enough protein.

The positive feature of this diet is that it contains high fibre and low saturated fat, which can help decrease heart problems. In other words, high amounts of fats are found in animal products, this can accumulate on blood vessels causing clots and predisposing to certain heart diseases, and by controlling fat levels and consuming more fibre as in vegetarian diet, the risk of heart disease can be reduced. That is why many physicians, for instance, advise their patients to go on this healthy diet which plays a major role in decreasing their risk of suffering from heart problems. Therefore, in my view, protecting people from this type of illness by recommending such a regimen is very beneficial.

To conclude, while it is difficult to have enough protein from a vegetarian diet, in my opinion, the advantages of protecting people from heart disease with its high level of fibre and low saturated fat far outweigh any disadvantages.

Nowadays more and more people have to compete with young people for the same jobs. What problems does this cause? What are some possible solutions?

These days the competition for the same job has increased, as more young people apply for it. The main problems this causes are high competition for one job and an increased unemployment rate. The most viable solutions are creating special programs for young people and expanding the job market by introducing special positions for others. 

Having a high number of people applying for the same job creates high competition for one position, among younger and older people. As a result, for one position apply hundreds of people, and only one, mainly young people, is hired. Additionally, this leads to unemployment, as there are not many positions available to people and not everyone finds a job. In Ukraine, for example, every year many people in their forties or fifties file for unemployment insurance, as they were not able to find a job due to the companies prefer hiring younger candidates rather them. 

One way for governments to overcome this difficulty is to create special positions for the elder and senior people, like to be trainers. In such a way, they will not lose their jobs and will be able to pass their knowledge to the younger generations. Another solution is for organizations to introduce more internships or traineeships. Creating such opportunities will assist people in having at least temporary jobs. For example, every year a well-known Ukrainian mobile company Life hires the younger for one year program with a future potential full-time employment, as they want to retain their current employees and provide future job opportunities for younger generations. 

In conclusion, having more young people applying for the same job creates high competition and unemployment. In order to overcome this, the government should introduce more positions, like trainers for elderly and current employees, and offer more internships for the younger generation.

Some companies have uniforms for their staff which must be worn at all times. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this.

Employees of some companies must wear their uniforms all the time. The main advantages of this are that wearing uniforms can be a source for advertising their products and helps to bring a sense of belonging, while the disadvantages are that wearing inappropriate clothing for work and hampering employee’s performance.

Employees who wear uniforms can be a source of marketing for their own products. This is because when employees step out from their company, then people will notice their logos and make a good impression of them, as a result, they might end up buying their items. Moreover, staff wearing uniforms can also help to grow a sense of belonging. That is to say that if staff wear the same clothes every time, this would lead to a feeling of team spirit and better production in the company. To illustrate this, the workers of Lux company always dress up in the same uniforms; thus, they become an inevitable part of the marketing team of Lux in Bangladesh.

On the other hand, employees who always wear uniforms might end up wearing inappropriate clothes for their work. This is because they do not have any idea of the specific material or right sizes of the clothes that they should wear at the workplace. Wearing uniforms by employees can also hamper their better performance. This is mainly because of making poorly designed work clothes and, this might cause difficulties in work since they find the uniforms constricting their work output. For instance, flight stewardesses wearing pencil skirts and high heels may look good, but at the same time, it also causes discomfort to them and the passengers.

To conclude, the main advantages of wearing uniforms are that it can be a key element of marketing and helps to grow a sense of belonging; however, the disadvantages are the inappropriacy of wearing uniforms and restricted performance.

Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology. In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships people make? Is this a positive or negative development?

Because of developments in technology, the way we communicate with each other has changed. As a result of this, people are making friends and even started to find themselves a partner through the internet. I believe that it is a negative trend because people try to take advantage of us after they know about our personal life.

Many have started making friends and dating online. Social media users follow individuals whom they do not know and interact with them by commenting on their posts or texting to each other from these platforms. Some teenagers and even adults use dating websites to find themselves a date. In such platforms internet normally pair them up with a random person and they make conversation with each other. For example, the dating website called Omegle is getting popular among individuals.

People often get threatened by their online friends. After they earn their friend’s trust, and get familiar with their personal life, they start demanding money, and if a person refuses to give them what they want they begin threatening them telling them that they will hurt their loved ones. For instance, more than thousands of social media users in Uzbekistan are becoming the victims of such crimes every year.

In conclusion, as a result of improvements in technology the way we interact with each other has changed. Because of this people are dating and making friends online. I am of the opinion that it is a negative development because people often get threatened by their online friends.

Today people are travelling more than ever before. Why is this the case? What are the benefits of travelling for the traveller?

People are travelling more than ever before in recent times. Achieving quality education from abroad is the main reason for this, and the major benefits of travelling for the traveller are they will be entertained by watching exciting things around them and personality development.

The main reason of people travelling more today is to achieve quality education from abroad. This is because, degrees from their own countries may not have more value. Instead, if they have degrees from abroad, people can compete with other individuals for amazing jobs, and by having such jobs, people’s standard of living improves. For example, many engineers in India are travelling abroad in order to complete their higher education and by achieving quality education from abroad, they can get a phenomenal job anywhere across the world.

One benefit of travelling for the traveller is that they are ammused by watching exciting things while travelling.This is because, usually people at home have a hectic life style and they do their normal routine work. While travelling, travellers observe mesmerizing lights and new things on their way and get entertained. Moreover, travelling helps in personality development of a traveller. This is because, in an airbus they have to wait for a long time for their destination to come, which develops the quality of patience in travellers. For example, while travelling from Melbourne to Hyderabad, travellers have to wait for 16 hours in an aircraft which develops patience and overall personality development in them.

In conclusion, today people are travelling more than ever before, to achieve quality education from abroad is the main reason of travelling, and the main benefits of travelling for the traveller are getting entertained by watching exciting things while travelling and personality development.

It is the view of some people that individuals who have talents in certain areas such as sports or music are born with it, while others believe that a child can learn to be good at these skills. Although, it is true that people are talented in these fields because they can achieve great feats with no training or with minimal effort, I believe that any child can learn to become good at certain skills if they work hard.

People who are naturally talented at sports or music can perform excellently well in these areas without training. Some people who perform very well in sports or music do not need to learn or practice to become proficient at these skills because it comes naturally to them, unlike others who have to train for a long time to reach the same level. For example, Michael Jackson, a musical legend, is widely known to be talented in singing and dancing because he displayed these skills from childhood without training. However, I believe that even those who are talented in certain fields need to learn and practice in other to perform at maximum capacity.

Children can be taught to become good sportsmen and women and outstanding musicians if they work hard at it. It is possible to teach someone different skills, especially a young child, because they learn faster and with practice they too can become very good in music and sports. For example, Dwayne Johnson, popularly known as the rock, was taught how to wrestle from an early age and now holds many wrestling titles. For this reason, I believe that children can be learn to be good at these skills by working hard even if they were not born with such talents.

In conclusion, even though some people can perform well in sports or music because they are talented, I believe that young people who are not talented can learn to be skilled at sports or music if they work hard.

Many people are now opting to provide technology companies with their personal data in exchange for access to software. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

These days many individuals are choosing to give tech companies their personal information to gain access to software. Although using this software makes people’s life easier, I believe that the benefits do not outweigh the drawbacks because companies are able to constantly influence consumers’ choices.

The main advantage of sharing your private data with tech companies is that the software they provide you makes your life simpler. This is because this software offers users personalized help in their daily matters so that they can avoid wasting time and energy doing things that they can easily do with the aid of technology. For example, Google Drive offers you a free cloud-based storage where all your documents and pictures are automatically saved and you can access them from any device at any time, without worrying about saving them on a pen drive that you might lose. However, I believe that this argument is weaker because people should prioritize their privacy.

One of the disadvantages is that once they have access to your data, tech corporations can use them to control your choices at all times. This is to say that tech companies harvest the data you agreed to share with them, and through an in-depth analysis performed by artificial intelligence and through complex algorithms, they create profiles based on your interests, likes and dislikes. These profiles are then sold to third-party companies for advertising purposes. For example, Google records all your google searches and all the videos you watch on YouTube and then decides what type of advertisement you would be more susceptible to. This targeted marketing has proven extremely successful. I believe this argument is stronger because people are deceived from these companies to generate revenues. 

In conclusion, although providing confidential information to tech firms in order to use software simplifies your life, I believe that being continuously influenced in your decisions is a major drawback. For these reasons, I think that the negatives far outweigh the positives.

While some argue that building more sports facilities is the best possible method of improving public health, others believe that this approach is not very effective, and other actions are needed. I agree with the latter opinion as although doing sports plays a key role in leading a healthy way of life, mass educational activities about different ways of health improvement are a better option because they can target more people. 

On the one hand, doing sports influences people’s health and well-being enormously. Not only does it make us stronger and more resilient, but it also trains our cardiovascular systems and, thus, reduces the chances to die earlier than we could have. In contrast, those who lead a sedentary lifestyle deprive themselves of these benefits. Hence, the more sports facilities will be available to the public, the more people could do sports and, thus, stay healthy. However, I do not agree that this is the best way to improve public health as the majority of people either just do not want to or can not go in for sports because of different reasons. 

On the other hand, informing and educating people about different ways of improving their health is a foundation of health and well-being. If people knew the consequences of drinking too much alcohol and why they need to eat healthy food and avoid ultra-processed food, for example, then they would take a more sensible approach to their health and would have more motivation. Hence, I am convinced that this approach is much better than just opening more sports facilities as it targets all people and not just a small part of them. 

To conclude, although opening more sports facilities will make some people healthier, I believe that educating people is more important as it will target more people overall.

In few countries, the population of vegetarians is increasing rapidly. Although this trend might be a cause of unemployment among a particular group whose livelihood is dependent on the meat business; this essay thinks that the advantages like the positive effect on the environment outweigh the disadvantages.

The drawback of a large population of a country turning vegetarian is that some people lose their business. That is to say that there are thousands of farmers whose livelihood depends on the livestock business, they farm animals like cows and pigs, and sell the meat in local meat markets. These markets might close if a large population turns vegetarian resulting in these people losing their livelihood. For example, in India, there are thousands of individuals, especially in coastal cities like Mumbai or Chennai, who earn their living through huge meet markets established in these cities, these people will get unemployed if the markets close. However, this essay believes that individuals would find an alternative source of income if these markets close.

The major advantage of people choosing a vegetarian lifestyle is that it is eco-friendly. In other words, livestock requires vast areas of land to live in; they eat a huge quantity of food which would be enough for multiple people to survive; they produce double the carbon dioxide in a day than an average human. Due to these reasons farming livestock is takes a heavy toll on the environment. For example, according to research at the University of California, farm animals are the number one cause of global warming, greater than emissions from cars and gasses released from industries. This essay believes that the environmental impact of the vegetarian lifestyle outweighs the drawbacks.

In conclusion, if a large population of a country turns vegetarian, a certain group might lose their income, but this essay believes that the advantages of positive environmental impact outweigh the drawbacks.

Most high-ranking positions in companies are being filled by men, despite that more than 50 per cent of the employees are women in a lot of high-income countries. Companies should be forced to dispense a certain proportion of these posts to women. This essay totally agrees with this statement because, by doing this, the relative level of competence in the company as well as the ability to cooperate would increase. 

By allocating a certain per cent of high-level positions to women, companies would reach a higher competence level. This is because a lot of women with the right competence are overlooked, since the tradition of male executives are very strong. Allocated recruitment would result in women with high competence rather than mediocre men in those high-level positions. For example, an audit of the relative competence level in one of the biggest investment banks in Sweden showed a significant increase after they decided to allocate at least 40 per cent of their leading positions to women. 

Companies with gender equality show better cooperation. In other words, both male and female leaders are needed in a company because men and women contribute with different aspects to the group dynamics. For example, in space shuttles the crew is always formed with a certain per cent of both female and male crewmembers, since cooperation is so vital. 

In conclusion, this essay totally agrees with the statement that companies should be obliged to recruit women for a certain percentage of the leading positions because this is a way of increasing both the level of competence and the cooperation in the company.

There is an increasing trend for people in some nations to have vegetarian foods for their meals. This essay thinks that the benefits do not outweigh the drawbacks because although vegetarian diets can reduce carbon footprints, consuming vegetables only may lead to nutritional deficiencies.

The main advantage of having a vegetarian diet is that carbon emissions can be reduced. Animal agriculture accounts for a significant portion of carbon footprints because animal feed has to be transported a long way to farmers, and animals release a large amount of carbon dioxide after they eat the feed. For example, a research by the University of Australia found that around 35% of carbon emissions around the world is from animal agriculture, and if everyone eats vegetables, carbon footprint in animal agriculture can be reduced by one third. However, this essay argues that people may not be able to get nutrients which is available only in meats if they solely consume vegetables.

One disadvantage is that vegetarian diets may cause nutritional deficiencies. That is because vegetables do not contain nutrients or minerals that are available in meats, and in the long run vegetarian may suffer from diseases caused by nutritional deficiencies. For instance, meats provide minerals such as iron to strengthen the red blood cells. If people do not gain enough iron, their immune systems will be weakened, and in most serious case, brain functions will be impaired. Therefore, this essay believes that a balanced diet with meats and vegetables should be followed.

In conclusion, although eating vegetables solely can reduce carbon emissions, unbalanced diets with only vegetables may lead to nutritional deficiency.

Nowadays, people are travelling more than at any time in the past. The main reason for this is that it is cheaper to travel now, and the main benefits of travelling for the traveller are that they can expose to different cultures and expand their social network. 

One of the main reasons people are travelling more now is that it is not as expensive as before. That is to say that there are many new travel transportation companies exist now, such as flight and bus companies, while there were only a few of them in the past. As a result, there is a big competition between these companies to attract more customers, which results in massive price reduction. For example, Ryanair, a famous flight company in Europe, sells tickets starting from $15 during the sale, from London to European countries. 

One of the main benefits of travelling for the traveller is that they can understand different cultures better. This is because when people travel to a new country, they have a chance to spend time with locals and experience their traditions. Also, museums and monuments are mainly visited by tourists to learn more about the country’s culture. Furthermore, being able to enlarge their social circle is another benefit of travelling. Visitors can meet a plethora of people from different nations while travelling. For instance, people who are using Couchsurfing app, which allows people to stay at locals’ houses when travelling, are making friends from all around the globe. 

In conclusion, the principal reason why people are travelling more than ever before is that it is less costly now, and the main advantages of this are that travellers can learn about different cultures and can meet with people from all around the world.

Some would argue that certain fields, such as sport or music are meant only for naturally talented children, while others believe that it is something which can be learned by anyone. While kids with the aptitude for certain skills are given a head start in life, this essay argues that such skill sets can be mastered by working hard.

On the one hand, children who are gifted with a particular inborn talent often achieve their goal early in their lives. This is because when someone is very good at what they are doing, it usually does not take much effort for them to strive for excellence in that specific area. For instance, there are many talented singers who have already established a successful singing career before they even become teenagers. However, I believe that talent alone does not guarantee success in the long-run, and that a person can only reach the highest level in their profession if they combine their innate ability with hard work.

On the other hand, many people think that anything is achievable in this life through practice and training. That is to say that it may take extra time and energy for an individual with average potential to harness a skill, but success is possible as long as one has the will, determination and the passion to work for it. For example, the world is filled with many star athletes who start off as a mediocre in the beginning, but they challenge and push themselves to their limit, which ultimately help them to attain the greatest version of themselves. I believe this view point is more practical because majority of the people are born average, and hard work beats talent in many cases. 

In conclusion, although it is easier for children with extraordinary ability to accomplish their dreams at the beginning of their lives, this essay finds that hard skills, even though time taking to master, can be earned by coaching and experience.

The multinational type of companies is increasing in the developed nations. While the advantages of such phenomenon are economical as these companies create large number of jobs and invest significant capitals for their operations, the effects on the environment and the over exploitation of natural resources are the disadvantages.

The advantages of these companies are economical, and one of the benefits is creating job vacancies. Owing to the nature of these companies and their high standard, their operations are carried out under certain standards that require significant number of employees. As a result, they tend to employ many people from local communities. In addition, those Firms usually invest huge capital in order to establish their local presence and facilities such as headquarters and accommodation for their staff. For example, IBM, a computer manufacturer, invested hugely in China as part of their plan to establish their manufacturing plants there.

On the other hand, one of the disadvantages of these companies are their bad effects on the environment. For those multinational firms, in most cases, making profit precedence over any other consideration including the nature and the environment. Their activities usually produce enormous amount of toxic chemicals and gases that cause global warming. In addition, in order to meet their large production capacity, they consume the natural resources in a sustainable way, cause irreversible damage to the nature. For instance, mutlinational mining companies seeking marble in the mountains of Italy have severely devastated the area and these highlands.

To conclude, the benefits of multinational companies are economical as they create job vacancies and invest significant liquidity, whereas the effects on the environment and the exhaustion of natural resources are the disadvantages resulting from such companies.

Music, art, and drama are deemed by some to be of the same importance as other subjects, particularly in primary school. This essay agrees with the statement because these subjects have a tremendous impact on students’ creativity at this age, and they might help some to choose a career path.

The inclusion of fine art in the primary school curriculum positively affects pupils creative thinking. During these classes, not only do students have an opportunity to paint, sing or act, but also their creativity is challenged. This is because one correct outcome does not exist when painting or playing an instrument; thus, students discover that engagement in music, art, and drama offers them a plethora of ways of expressing themselves. In Scandinavia, for example, where primary schools offer a sound number of these types of classes, young people demonstrate outstanding ability to be creative, which reflects in a number of designers and architects coming from this region. 

Having an opportunity to participate in music, art, and drama classes could potentially help some youngsters figure out what they are really passionate about. As a result, this passion could turn into a career path. Should primary school offer frequent exposure to fine art, then it could create empowering atmosphere, where pupils feel encouraged to believe that they can become artists. To illustrate, most of the famous artists decided to pursue this type of career due to a primary school teacher who awoke this interest in them. 

In conclusion, I personally agree with a belief that the importance of fine art in the primary level of education is equal to other subjects because it stimulates creativity, and in some cases, empowers youth to become painters, sculptresses, or actors.

While some people argue that watching TV is beneficial for learning new things, others are convinced that it is only a source of entertainment. This essay believes that television can do both as it helps people to unwind, but it also presents complicated information in an easily digestible form. 

For many people watching TV programmes is the easiest way to distract from the everyday routine and relax after a hard-working day. This is because one just needs to switch on the TV, and he or she will have immediate access to the programmes that could easily spark the brightest emotions, forcing them to laugh out loud or have a good cry. Besides, entertainment programmes account for the largest portion of the content on television. For these reasons, some people use it only for relaxation. However, I disagree that this is the only way that people use it as, in the modern world, television is much more than that. 

Television provides not only plain information but also audio and video content that helps to remember information in an easier way. For instance, if one watches a documentary about the history of London, sound and picture will help to engross a viewer into the atmosphere of the city and the way people behaved themselves. This might contribute to remembering the information for a longer time than if one just reads an article about it. For this reason, I believe that television can foster the learning process.

To conclude, even though for some people television is just a source of amusement, I believe that it is not the only useful way to use it. This is because through television people can also learn new things about the world in a way that is easy to comprehend.

Details of politicians’ private lives should not be publicized in the media. This essay completely agrees with this statement because keeping the private lives of politicians away from the media helps them to maintain a sound mental health and also helps to protect them from danger.

Keeping the private lives of politicians away from the public helps their mental health. Politicians are usually stressed mentally as a result of the pressure that comes with their jobs. Making their private lives open to the public adds to the level of pressure they experience because it is during their private times that they engage in activities that help to relieve them of stress. Therefore, making this important time of their life open to the public is dangerous to their mental health. For instance, in Nigeria, in order to maintain a sound mind, politicians keep their occasions private so that they can be themselves without being pressured to behave in a certain way.

Protection from danger is another reason why private lives of politicians should not be made public. Due to the high rate of insecurity in some countries, activities of politicians which are not for the service of the people should not be disclosed. This is because these individuals have opponents who are ready to harm them when given an opportunity therefore giving out information about their private lives is an easy way to expose them to danger. For instance, in Nigeria a governor’s house was burnt and it was discovered that the criminals who did this got his home address from social media.

In conclusion, the details of politicians’ private life should be kept away from the media because it benefits their mental health and helps to secure them from danger.

Because of technology, many men and women today interact with each other in new ways. This essay will suggest that people have more regular contact, and that the interaction has changed from physical to digital due to technology. I believe this is a negative development because humans need physical contact as part of their interaction to stay healthy.

Technology has made it possible for people to have more regular contact with each other through social media. This is because smartphones have applications, like Facebook and WhatsApp, which are designed to make it easy to talk, write messages and send pictures to other people. As a result of this, the interaction between humans has also changed from mainly physical to mostly digital. For example, an average Swedish person interacts with 15 friends every day through social media but only have physical contact with two. 

This development must be seen as negative, because physical meetings are needed for human health. It is important to meet other humans in person, because it creates an environment where people can interact in a more complex way. This is because all senses can be used, making it is possible to touch, smell and hear things that would be impossible through an application. For example, during the Corona-pandemic, many people work from home and Swedish doctors have noticed an increase in the number of patients with mental illness due to the lack of physical contact with friends and colleagues.

In conclusion, people´s interactions have changed because of technology and the relationships nowadays are more regular but less physical. I believe this is a negative development because humans need physical meetings to feel good.

Some people prefer to live in a house, while others feel that there are more advantages to living in an apartment. Are there more advantages than disadvantages of living in a house compared with living in an apartment?

Some people feel that it is better to live in a house, while it is the view of others that living in an apartment is more advantageous. Although it is more expensive to live in a house, I believe that there are more advantages than disadvantages of living in a house because houses are bigger in size.

Living in a house is less cost-effective in comparison to living in an apartment. This is because houses are usually bigger in size and offer more privacy to its inhabitants, as a result, the cost of owing or renting and maintaining a house is usually higher than for an apartment. For example, in Nigeria, people who live in houses spend on average three times more money than those who live in apartments because of the higher cost of mortgages and maintenance, such as utility bills, involved in living in houses. However, I believe that with appropriate planning and financial discipline, this extra expense can easily be paid off. 

An advantage of living in a house is that houses are more spacious. Houses are usually built to be more accommodating than apartments, and this is an important factor to consider, especially for large families who require playgrounds and gardens for their children. To illustrate, in Nairobi, the average size of a house measures around 700 square meters, which is large enough to accommodate a private car park, a garden and children’s playground, as compared to an apartment, which does not have enough space for these amenities. Therefore, I believe that there are more advantages than there are disadvantages of residing in a house than in an apartment.

In conclusion, even though it costs more to live in houses than in apartments, I believe that there are more benefits than drawbacks to living in a house because houses are more accommodating.

At present, travelling is more popular than it was in the past. This essay will discuss that this is because nowadays flying is cheaper and that the benefits of travelling are learning about new cultures and experiencing new adventures. 

People are travelling more than ever because flying has become more economic. This is because now there are many low-cost airline companies that offer cheap flight tickets to visit several countries, and this did not exist two decades ago. As a result, more people have the opportunity to travel to new places without spending a huge amount of money, while in the past flying was only affordable for rich people. For example, Ryanair is a low-cost company that provides extremely cheap flight tickets to visit countries around Europe, sometimes for the cost of 10 euros. 

One benefit of travelling is that people can learn about other countries’ culture. That is to say, when people visit a new nation, they go to local shops, eat typical food and visit museums where they can learn about the history of that country. Another advantage that travelling has is that travellers can live new adventures. This is because people who travel often choose to do activities that they cannot do in their own country. For example, is very common for travellers that visit South Africa to do a safari in Kruger, one of the biggest national parks to visit wild animals in the world, since this is an activity that most countries do not offer. 

In conclusion, travelling has become more popular because flying is cheaper than it was in the past and the advantages that this gives to travellers is the possibility to learn about new cultures and experience new adventures.

Some companies require their employees to wear uniforms at all times. The advantages of this are, it helps promote the company and helps customers distinguish the roles of staffs. However, employees may find it difficult to wear uniforms at all times and most company do not provide enough sets of uniforms.

Having staff wear uniforms at all times helps distinguish a company. It promotes a company’s identity to help customers differentiate it from other entities. Another benefit is that companies can better classify their services by the type or color of uniforms they wear which helps improve the customer experience. For example, in my hospital workplace, all patients are able to better distinguish which is a nurse or a doctor, because all nurses are only required to wear a blue scrub suit, meanwhile all doctors wear maroon scrub suits.

On the other hand, employees may find it uncomfortable to wear a uniform. Some uniforms are uncomfortable and poorly fitted that it adds to an employee’s unhappiness. Another disadvantage is that most companies do not provide enough uniforms for their employees. It becomes a financial burden for the employee because he may need to purchase a new set of uniform. For example, my brother who works twelve hours a day and six days a week, paid two thousand pesos to a local tailor just to make him three sets of custom fit uniforms because his employer only gave him two sets.

In conclusion, having a staff to wear uniforms at all times is a great way to promote a company and helps their customers distinguish their employees. On the other hand, employees may find it distracting to wear a uniform and companies may pass the burden of expense to their staff to buy extra uniforms.

Newspapers should not issue stories of politicians’ private lives. I totally disagree with the statement because it is in the public interests to publish, and some readers get interested in politics after reading the stories.

Printing the details of politicians’ private lives in newspapers is in the public interests. Readers can understand more on politicians’ values through the stories, and it gives voters information who have the same values with them. For example, some lawmakers put their families in first priority and they often do volunteer work with their children. If voters see these stories in newspapers and if they have the same values with them, they are likely to vote them in the next election because the politicians may propose laws that protect the values of family. Therefore, I completely disagree that stories of politicians’ private lives should not be published.

After reading stories of politicians’ private lives in newspapers, some readers become more interested in politics. Readers who get interested in stories of politicians will read further on things that are related to the politicians, and this leads them to become more interests in politics. For example, the former US President Donald Trump appeared in newspapers several time during his presidency, and the stories covered his relationship with the First Lady. Some readers found these stories interesting and they started following policy that Trump proposed to make, and later on demonstrations of support were held by them. Therefore, I totally disagree with the statement that newspapers should not issue the stories of politicians’ private lives.

In conclusion, I completely disagree that stories of politicians’ private lives should not be printed because it is in the public interests, and some readers become more interested in politics after reading the stories.

Economic growth is prioritized above all other concerns by the state, in many nations. The advantages of this are, improved quality of life of people and good infrastructure. The disadvantages of prioritizing economic growth above all other concerns are unaffordable cost of living and more environmental damage.

The main advantage of giving importance to economic growth is, it improves the quality if life of people. This is because with economic progress, states generate lots of revenue which can be used to provide high quality services such as free education, good public transportation and sophisticated health care system. Another advantage is developing good infrastructure. When a government prioritizes economic growth, they would build a good infrastructure to attract both domestic and foreign investments. So infrastructure in a nation is usually developed when economic growth is prioritized. For example, in India many highways and an international airport is built in the National Capital Region which attracted thousands of companies to establish a branch in that region.

One of the main disadvantages of prioritizing economic growth is unaffordable cost of living. That is to say, with economic growth, prices of consumer products and real estate increases rapidly making it difficult for low-income families to afford the cost of living. Another disadvantage is more environmental damage. This is because, to develop the industries and to get maximum profits, nations tend to use the most accessible and locally available sources of energy. This leads to more and more use of fossil fuels and thus causing more environmental damage. For example, coal is widely used in China to supply energy to its industries because it is cheap and can be mined within the country. 

In conclusion, the advantages of the prioritizing economic growth above all other concerns are improved quality of life of people and good infrastructure. The disadvantages are unaffordable cost of living and more environmental damage.

In many places around the world, people are choosing to follow a vegetarian diet. The disadvantages are that meat related businesses are being badly impacted and it causes protein deficiency in people. The advantages are that fewer animals are being butchered and it protects people from meat related deceases. This essay argues that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

On the one hand, meat related businesses are badly impacted. When people follow a vegetarian diet, it decreases the demand of meat, which forces the businesses to lower the meat prices. Another disadvantage is that vegetarian people develop protein deficiency. That is to say that meat has significantly more protein than vegetables, and it is difficult to consume a sufficient amount of protein just from vegetables. For example, in Mumbai, people eat only vegetarian food and consume less protein, and this is the primary reason for their lethargy. However, this essay believes that people can fulfil their daily protein needs from vegetables if they consume more nutritious vegetables everyday. 

On the other hand, lesser number of animals are being killed. When people decide not to consume meat, it plummets the demand, which results in lesser number of animals killed. Another advantage is that vegetarian people are less prone to the meat related deceases. A vegetarian diet prevents people from any meat related virus going inside the body and develop any sickness. For example, in Sudan, people don’t consume meat and the country has the lowest number of people with medical conditions. In my opinion, a vegetarian diet should be preferred because it prevents a person from many deceases in the long run. 

In conclusion, while vegetarian diet is not good for meat related businesses and people tend to develop protein deficiency, lesser number of animals are being killed and prevents people from meat related deceases. This essay believes that advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

The majority of the chief positions in business organizations are occupied by males, despite the fact that more than half of the workforce in numerous developed nations is made up of women. It is believed that corporations should be asked to designate a certain portion of high-level roles for females. This essay completely disagrees with this statement because selecting employees should be based on merit, and companies need to focus on profit. 

The main reason is that candidates should be selected according to meritocracy. This is to say that employees should be recruited for their work experience, their qualifications and their soft skills, rather than their gender. In other words, the high-profile positions should be given to the candidates who deserve them the most. For example, if a man and a woman apply for the same position, a woman should not have a priority over a man, but a fair selection on merit should be conducted to find out who is the most suitable person for the advertised role, considering skills, abilities and knowledge.

Another reason why I disagree is that the main goal for companies is profit. This is to say that if a company wants to thrive, it needs to have the best possible employees which are not necessarily one gender or the other. If companies were to select staff members on gender, they could end up putting at risk the smooth running of the business and causing financial losses. Therefore, choices should be made by the human resources team only by bearing in mind which candidate would be an asset for the business. For example, in Italy soccer teams are almost exclusively run by men because they usually know more about this business.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that companies should not be asked to allocate a certain number of executive positions to women because candidates should be selected considering merit, and profit is the top priority for a business.

In recent years, there has been a rise in the popularity of second-hand clothing amongst the younger generation. Why is this happening? Do you think it’s a positive or negative development?

In recent years, buying used clothes has become popular among youngsters. This is because many adolescents try to be like famous people, and I think it is a positive development because teenagers can save money for other useful things. 

Many adolescents buy used clothes because they want to be like famous people. That is to say that they need different outfits for any occasion and that is expensive. That is because they cannot cope with the financial burden of buying new clothes from stores, such as Prada or Gucci. As a result, many youngsters buy second-hand clothes. For example, in the United States, many teenagers buy used Gucci products in order to wear them and be like their idols. 

I think it is a positive development because teenagers who buy used shirts or pants can save money for other useful things, such as a computer or a car. That is to say that, if these adolescents have a computer, they could use it for the school or even to work in computer related jobs. For example, many teenagers can work as a freelancer in many jobs that do not require high skills to do it, such as making presentations or translating works from other language and as a result earn money and save it. 

In conclusion, many adolescents are buying used clothes because they want to be like their idols, and I think it is a positive development because they can use the money they do not spend in useful things.

In many countries today, more and more people are following a vegetarian diet. Although it causes a deficiency of important nutrients in the body, I believe that the advantage of a reduction in the number of obese people due to this outweighs any disadvantage it may have.

Following a vegetarian diet leads to a lack of vital nutrients. Many vitamins, especially vitamins B12 and B6, are sourced majorly from meat, which is not part of the vegetarian diet. As a result of this, vegetarians will be deficient in these nutrients, thereby predisposing themselves to illnesses associated with the deficiency of these nutrients. For example, according to a report by the health ministry of Brazil, vegetarians in the country account for the highest percentage of pernicious anemia and sensory nervous disorders due to a deficiency of vitamin B12 in their diet. However, I believe that these vitamins and many other nutrients which are absent in vegetarian diets can be gotten from supplements in vitamin tablets.

Vegetarian diet causes a decrease in the prevalence of obesity. As obesity is a risk factor for many cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, following a vegetarian diet, which is low in calories and fat, will mean that there will be a decline in the weight of people, which therefore reduces the risk of these diseases in people. To illustrate, in Japan, where a large number of people abstain from meat and eat mostly vegetables, the rate of obesity related illnesses is one of the lowest globally. Therefore, I believe that it is of greater advantage for more people to follow a vegetarian diet.

To conclude, even though adhering to a vegetarian diet leads to a lack of vital nutrients in the body, I believe that the advantage of reducing the problem of obesity outweighs any advantage this may have.

In some corporations, it is mandatory for employees to wear a uniform. The main benefits of wearing a uniform are that it brings uniformity to the workplace and helps to increase the output of companies; however, the increase in the expenditure of organizations and monotony among employees are the main drawbacks of compulsory uniforms.

The first main positive of a mandatory uniform is that it creates equality among workers. When employees wear uniforms, they do not know each other’s socio-economic background because they all look the same, and as a result, they treat each other equally. Furthermore, uniforms help companies to enhance their overall sales. This is because uniforms help people to develop good relationships with others, and when people have a good bonding with others, they usually help each other, and it increases the output of corporations. For example, In India, the sales of those automobile companies are higher where uniforms are mandatory because, in these corporations, people have good relationships with others.

The main disadvantage of the compulsory uniform is that it creates monotony among workers. When employees have to wear the same clothes regularly, they feel bored and sometimes, it has a negative impact on their productivity. Furthermore, the obligation to wear a uniform also increases the expenses of organizations. This is to say that in those corporations, where uniforms are mandatory, companies have to allocate some money for new and worn-out uniforms. For instance, the spending of the famous footwear company, Bata, is around 5% more than its rival companies because in this company a uniform is mandatory, and the company allocates some money for uniforms. 

In conclusion, the main advantages of the compulsory uniform are that it brings uniformity among employees and increases companies’ overall sales, and the main disadvantages are boredom among workers and an increase in the expenditure of corporations.

Some think that in most people’s lives the happiest moment are the time when they were teenagers while other people think that, despite taking up more responsibilities, adult life is happier. I agree with the latter statement that, although teenagers generally do not need to worry about their finances, adults can do everything they want legitimately.

Most people in the teenage years do not need to take care of their finances. That is because teenagers are usually supported by their families financially, and their parents pay all kinds of expenses for them. For example, most parents in Hong Kong give their teenage children US$20 a week pocket money. Their parents also buy new video games they want or they pay for tuition fees of interest classes. Despite the fact that most people do not need to worry about their finances when they were teenagers, I consider that, in spite of more responsibilities, adult life is happier because adults can do legally whatever they want.

Adults can do anything they like as allowed by law. They can get married and have their own families, and they can create their own childhood joys. Of course, the adults have greater responsibility as they need to support themselves and their families, and they need to take care of their spouses and children. For instance, people work so hard to make a living and they are usually exhausted when they leave the office. But when they come home, their cheerful spouse and children are there to support them and they feel loved and cared for. Therefore, I think that there is more happiness in adult life.

In conclusion, although teenagers generally do not need to worry about their finances, being adults are happier even though they have greater responsibility, because they can do anything they want legally.

Some would argue that people are happiest during adolescence, while others believe that adulthood offers more happiness, irrespective of the numerous responsibilities. Although some people think that teenagers are because of the care and support from their family members, I feel that adult life avails people the most happiness, regardless of having multiple roles due to an immense sense of accomplishment.

On the one hand, some believe that people are happiest during the teenage years because adolescents enjoy family support. Parents and relatives are so concerned about teenagers’ welfare, and they do not have to think about how to eat or wear clothing because their parents provide for their needs, which makes them happy with little or no responsibilities. For example, a group of teenagers in my community responded that they were full of happiness because of the family support. However, I believe that one can still be happy during adulthood because of a sense of accomplishment.

On the other hand, some feel that adult life enables people to be full of happiness because of achievement, despite responsibility. That is to say that when people realize what they achieve in life, like higher qualifications, good partners, and children, and as a result, they are pleased. For example, many married couples in my school club confirmed that they are happier because of their fulfillment, even though they have many roles. For this reason, I believe that individuals are more contented during adulthood than in adolescence.

In conclusion, although adolescents tend to be happier because they enjoy support from their families, I believe that adult life brings more joy because of life fulfillment, irrespective of more responsibilities.

Nowadays, many people are commuting more than past. This is because people now can afford travel expenses. There are two main benefits of traveling such as people can gain knowledge and embrace other cultures.

One of the main reasons why the number of tourism has increased is that travel is much more affordable than it used to be. This is partly because of salary rises and partly because the price for essential goods such as food and clothing has fallen. Many families now have two income earners rather than one, they have fewer kids and often have a car. All of these factors increase the likelihood of people becoming tourists. For example, in the past, it might have cost the average person a year’s salary to travel from India to Singapore, but these days it is possible for Indian tourists to enjoy their holidays in another country for the cost of half a month’s pay. 

This growth in travel means that many people can now enjoy the benefits of traveling, Firstly, traveling can help to broaden people’s horizons and adds upon knowledge. People can travel to different places and can gain knowledge of other religions, cultures, and western lifestyles. Meeting different people from vast cultures and societies provides an education that is impossible to get in a traditional school, college, or a university. Secondly, one can explore and embrace the good qualities of other cultures through traveling. For example, foreigners visiting India are often fascinated by Indian customs and traditions and always try to imitate these valuable traditions.

In conclusion, greater affordability is the main reason for increased travel, and the benefits for travelers include enhanced knowledge and increased appreciation of other cultures.

While some think that adding more and and more sport centers is the most beneficial way to improve people’s health, others think that there are better ways to do this. Although increasing the the number of gyms would motivate people to exercise more and become healthier, educating them about health is far more effective. 

On the one hand, building more sport centers would encourage people to start doing physical activities. People will have no excuse if there is a gym next to their work place or house. That is why increasing the number of sports facilities will ensure that the vast majority of people have easy access to sport centers and this would eventually improve their health. For example, in 2016, fifty new gyms were opened in Baghdad and a large number of people started exercising for the first time in their lives and they became healthier. However, I think that this is a temporary fix and better steps should be taken. 

On the other hand, educating people about the importance of health is a better, long-lasting solution. The media should focus more on encouraging people to take good care about their health and warn them about the possible health diseases such as heart failure and diabetes. Even in schools, young children should be educated about health from a young age in order to grow as healthy adults. For example, people in Japan are one of the healthiest people in the world because they teach their students about the importance of health. I therefore believe that this is the best way to maintain and improve health. 

In conclusion, while increasing the number of sports facilities can encourage people to exercise more and improve their health, educating them about health is better because it lasts longer.

In some nations, despite declining rates of dangerous crimes, people tend to feel less secure compared to the past. The most obvious causes are previously committed crimes and detailed description of such scenes on news can make people feel less safe, and the most viable solutions are more safety measures in place and detailed description of any serious crimes should be banned on news channels.

Sometimes, previously committed crimes can make people feel less protected. This is because they still have memories of horrible crimes in their minds and make them feel frightened. As a result, they find it difficult to trust anyone and feel less secure in strengers’ presence. In addition, watching detailed descriptions of any dangerous crimes on television can have a destructive effect on people’s mental health. In other words, a negative visualization of such crimes can result in crime happening in people’s heads and making them feel less safe. For example, 1 in every 30 adults in the UK feel frightened after watching detailed news of serious crimes on television, and not wanting to go out.

A possible solution to this issue is to put more safety measures in place in order for people to feel safe. This gives them a sense of security and a way to seek help if in any danger. Another possible solution is a ban on a detailed description of any serious crimes on television. This will help people keep away from a negative visualisation and their damaging effects on their mental health to make them feel unsafe. For example, recently in India a show called ‘crime patrol’ was prohibited on news channels because it had a negative psychological impact on people after watching it.

In conclusion, previously committed crimes and detailed news on any serious crimes can lead to people feeling less safe. However, this can simply be prevented by putting extra safety measures in place and compelling news channels to stop showing comprehensive details of dangerous crimes.

Some companies make their workers always wearing uniforms. The main benefits of this is that companies are shown as reliable for their clients and their workers feel safe wearing them. However, the key drawbacks are that their staff can feel uncomfortable on hot days and demotivated by wearing the same every day.

Companies in which uniforms are always worn show their clients that they can trust them. When employees look neat wearing their uniforms, clients trust in the services that are provided by a company because it shows professionalism and order. Another advantage is that workers feel protected. In some types of jobs, employees who work with dangerous products can feel safe wearing their uniforms all day because they prevent them from getting hurt. For example, builders demand their uniforms as a basic element for their protection before starting a construction. 

However, employees can feel uncomfortable in days with high temperatures. On hot days, wearing uniforms can reduce worker’s comfort because they cannot change their clothes to avoid the heat. Another key drawback is that repeating the same clothing can demotivate workers. Employees can feel tired of always looking the same because they cannot choose what they want to wear. For instance, a recent survey showed that 60.3% of people who wear uniforms do not like to wear them, and they would like to make decisions about their outfit at work. 

In conclusion, although having uniforms for staff makes a company looks reliable for its clients and provides safety for its workers, they can feel uncomfortable on hot days and unmotivated due to the fact that they constantly have to wear the same clothing.

In some nations, following a vegetarian diet is becoming more popular. Although having a vegetarian diet can help to protect animals, I believe that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages because they do not incorporate all the nutrients they need. 

One benefit of not eating meat is that animals are being protected. That is to say, if more people start opting to eat meals that do not include meat, fewer animals will be tortured and killed. This is because animals are reproduced, kept in small and uncomfortable places, and then killed and sold to supermarkets and butchers for human consumption. For example, cow’s meat in Argentina is the basis of people’s nutrition, so thousands of cows are reproduced and killed every year just for human consumption. However, I believe that avoiding eating meat will not make a significant difference on animals’ protection. 

One drawback of having a vegetarian diet is that the nutrients incorporated through this diet are insufficient. This is because meat has several vitamins and other important components, such as iron, that are very difficult to replace with fruits and vegetables. If people are not aware of this and do not visit a specialist, it can be dangerous and lead to several diseases. For example, many vegetarian people are anemic because of the lack of iron in their diet, so they need to be supplemented with iron tablets. Therefore, I believe that having a healthy and complete diet is more important than any other thing. 

In conclusion, although animals can be protected if more people start following a vegetarian diet, I believe that having a balanced diet with all the nutrients and vitamins that a person needs is far more important. Therefore, I consider that the drawbacks of a vegetarian diet outweigh the benefits.

In many nations, governments give precedence to economic growth over other issues. The advantages of this are that numbers of employed residents will increase and residents’ standards of living will be improved. However, this can cause serious environmental problems and health problems.

One major benefit of prioritising economic development is that numbers of employed citizens will significantly increase. In other words, countries, where their economies are growing, require substantial workforces to produce sufficient supplies of goods in order to meet markets’ demand. As a result, more and more citizens are in employment. Moreover, this will also offer citizens a better quality of life. This is because, when economies are growing, governments will gain more taxes from trading and can spend them on people’s welfare. For example, Singapore has been improved its economy for the last 40 years. As a result, Singaporeans have excellent public transports and the well-organised health care system. 

On the other hand, focusing only on economic development results in serious environmental damage. This is because, manufacturing processes generate CO2 and other fumes, sewage, and industrial waste which are released to environments and cause air, water and soil pollution. Furthermore, industrial pollution will negatively affect people’s health by precipitating respiratory diseases as well as some types of cancer. For example, Beijing, a big city in China, is facing smog which comes from manufacturing and incomplete combustion of logistic vehicles. This leads to an increase in the number of asthma-exacerbated patients.

To conclude, while prioritisng economic development will result in an increase in employment and a better quality of life, the serious downsides that come with this are environmental pollution and residents’ health issues.

Some organizations force their employees to wear uniforms whenever they are at work. The advantages of this approach are creating a sense of discipline and displaying their professionalism. The disadvantages are that it may hurt employees’ confidence and cause them to feel stressed.

One benefit of this measure is that it would result in them being more disciplined. Every time they put on that suit or dress, they would be reminded that they are working as part of the company and that they have a job to take care of, making them more responsible. Moreover, these employees will come across as more professional when they meet clients. This is because uniforms are often designed to be more suitable for business than casual clothes. For example, how appropriate staff members’ outfits are is often cited by clients as one of the reasons they choose to do or not do business with a company.

One drawback of this policy is that it tends to make each individual feel less confident. This is because they all have their own styles of fashion, so they may feel uncomfortable putting on something that had been chosen for them. This is compounded by the fact that they must wear these outfits daily, which can be highly stressful. In other words, it is terribly frustrating having to wear the same thing in a long period of time. For instance, many major companies in Vietnam have a scheme to change the design of their uniforms every six months to slightly reduce the frustration caused by wearing the same outfit repeatedly.

In conclusion, while having a dress code can instill a sense of discipline in the workforce and make them appear more professional in the eyes of customers, this may also come with a drop in employees’ self-esteem and an increase in their levels of frustration.

In many nations, governments put more focus on improving their economies than improving other sectors. Although, residents’ earnings will increase, I personally believe that the main drawback outweighs the main benefit as this will cause environmental pollution.

The main benefit of prioritising economic growth rather than other issues by governments is that people will earn higher income. This is because governments will support companies to run their businesses more effectively. As a result, companies will gain more profits and consequentially pay their employees bigger bonuses or higher wages. For instance, In China, businesses make huge revenue due to its strong economy. Therefore, Chinese citizens are paid higher and can spend money on luxuary products and travelling abroad. However, I personally believe that earning more money cannot offset pollution problems that happen after economic growth prioritisation.

The primary downside of putting more focus on economic development than other concerns by governments is that environments will be polluted. This is because there will be far more new-built factories for supporting the economic expansion. Without ecological concerns, the air will be polluted from carbon dioxide and fumes which are emitted from these factories, and rivers will be polluted by industrial sewage from manufacturing and chemical processes. For example, Beijing, China, is facing a hazardous level of the air pollution caused by fuel burning and chemical reactions from industrial areas. As a clean environment is extremely vital for a human life, I therefore think that the main drawback outweighs its key benefit.

To conclude, although people will earn higher income if the government prioritises the economic sector rather than other sectors, the serious drawback as pollution problems far outweighs the advantage.

In recent years, advancements in technology have changed how people connect with each other. This has turned people into making much more friends but has also reduced the depth of those relationships. In my opinion, this is a harmful change due to the fact that it makes human less able to communicate their personal feelings.

Technology’s influence has enabled people to make much more friends than they possibly could in the past. This is largely owing to social media, which revolutionizes communication and helps people to keep touch with each other regardless of their geographical locations. Another change in human relationships caused by modern technology is that the number of intimate relationships made has been substantially less significant. With so many people to care about, social media deters users from strengthening bonds. For instance, a stark difference can be observed in Vietnam, where most young adults 20 years ago – when the internet was underdeveloped, had much deeper connections than their modern counterparts.

The changes made to the types of relationships people make nowadays is largely a disadvantageous one, for it deters people from having deep connections. Lacking valuable bonds means that they have almost no one to confide during depressive episodes that are inevitable for most humans, and thereby increase the possibility of making unwise decisions. Examples of this can be found all over the world, where the cases of depression that cause suicidal behaviors are becoming more and more common, and one of the primary contributing factors is victims having no one to share their burdens with. 

In conclusion, despite having much more ability to connect, people are making less meaningful relationships; thus, the quality of relationships diminishes and harms their wellbeing.

Nowadays, passion for a journey from one place to another has been increasing among people. This essay will first discuss that an increasing number of tour packages is the prominent reason behind this, and it will then explain that cultural awareness and being healthy are the two prime advantages of this.

Many tour companies around the world are enticing people to travel more than ever before. That is to say, people are being offered appealing and discounted tour packages, especially during the holiday season, to explore other places. Whereas in the past travelling was very expensive and people could not afford it; however, these companies have made it possible to visit one place to another by spending a small chunk of money. For example, Travel Magazine estimated that more than 40% of Australian people travelled nationally and internationally, in the year 2019, because of cheap tour deals they grabbed from the Flight centre.

The first major benefit of travelling is that it allows a traveller to know about different cultures. By visiting other parts of the world, people get an opportunity to experience the various culture, cuisines and languages. The other significant advantage is stress relaxation through holidays. This is especially true for a significant number of people who are working many hours a week to earn their livings. During holidays, they choose to travel to different destinations around the world, and this greatly helps them to relieve their stress and keep their health in a sound condition. For example, a recent study by the Indian Medical Institute concluded that frequent travellers are happier and more satisfied with their life than those who do not.

In conclusion, people travel more often than in the past because of the tour deals they are being offered, and travelling does not only provide a traveller with knowledge about a different culture, but it also helps them to stay away from a hectic schedule

In recent years, the operation of big corporations is ubiquitous in developing nations. The essay will first suggest that economic growth is the prime benefit, while the excessive use of emergent nations’ natural resources is the main drawback.

One evident benefit of the operation of transitional companies in less developed countries is the prosperity of the local economy. That is to say, multination companies provide an inflow of capital into developing countries. This investment not only creates job opportunities for the people in developing nations, but it also helps to build better infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, and transportation facilities, for them. For example, the role of Foreign Direct Investment in the year 2010 was undeniable because it uplifted the Indian economy so fast and increased GDP and created so many jobs for locals. 

The prime disadvantage is that these companies use the natural resources of developing nations recklessly, which affects the environment. In other words, Smaller, less developed governments often trade an increase in revenue for access to natural resources. This extraction of raw materials, such as oil, diamond, rubber and fuel, can cause environmental externalities- polluted rivers and loss of natural landscape. For instance, many Chinese private enterprises have been heavily criticised for using the resources of countries like Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippine and for polluting the environment.

In conclusion, huge global companies benefit less developed nation economically is the prime advantage of this, and the extraction of raw materials for the sake of profit is the main disadvantage.

How To Use IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Essays

IELTS Writing Task 2 sample essays can be a great resource for students preparing for the test. However, it’s important to use them correctly in order to get the most out of them. Here are some steps students can take to make the most of these samples:

• Understand the question: Before looking at any sample essays, make sure you understand the question you’ll be answering on the test. This will help you focus on the relevant parts of the sample essays and understand how to apply the strategies used in them to your own writing.
• Analyze the structure: Look at the structure of the sample essays, paying close attention to how the writer has organized their ideas. Make note of the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion and how they are linked.
• Study the vocabulary: Take note of the vocabulary used in the sample essays and try to incorporate similar words and phrases into your own writing.
• Practice with different topics: Use sample essays on different topics to get a feel for the different types of questions you might encounter on the test.
• Don’t copy: It is important to remember that you must not copy the sample essays word for word. This will lead to plagiarism and can result in a low score. Instead, use the sample essays as inspiration and practice for your own writing.

In conclusion, IELTS Writing Task 2 sample essays can be a valuable resource for students preparing for the test. However, it’s important to use them correctly in order to improve your score. Use them as a guide, not as a final answer key. Remember to stay original, use them to understand the question and structure, analyze vocabulary and practice different topics. Remember, you will be marked on your ability to clearly communicate in English, not on your ability to memorise answers.

IELTS Task 2 Sample Essays Next Steps

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Do Material Possessions Bring Happiness in Life, or Are They Useless in Terms of Providing Happiness? (IELTS Band 9 Essay)

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Model Essay 1

The debate over whether material possessions contribute to happiness is complex, with some advocating their importance and others dismissing their value. This essay will argue that while possessions can provide transient satisfaction, enduring happiness derives from non-material aspects of life. The discussion will examine both the temporary joy material goods can offer and the deeper, lasting contentment found through emotional and spiritual fulfillment.

Proponents of material wealth posit that possessions, such as luxury cars, sophisticated technology, and opulent homes, bring joy and substantially improve quality of life. They argue that the tangible benefits of owning a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing home, for example, provide not only security and comfort but also a sanctuary from the stresses of the outside world, thereby promoting mental well-being. Additionally, the excitement of acquiring new gadgets or fashionable apparel can trigger a dopamine release in the brain, offering a temporary euphoria akin to happiness. These tangible assets are not just tools of convenience but also powerful symbols of success that can elevate one’s social status, fostering a sense of achievement and enhancing personal worth by visibly marking economic and social milestones.

Conversely, critics argue that happiness derived from material goods is fleeting and superficial. True contentment, they suggest, stems from deeper, more meaningful sources such as relationships, achievements, and personal growth—elements that material wealth cannot secure. Psychological studies support this viewpoint, often showing that once basic needs are satisfied, the impact of additional wealth on happiness is minimal and diminishing. Moreover, a life focused on the relentless accumulation of possessions can lead to increased feelings of anxiety, envy, and dissatisfaction, as individuals find themselves trapped in a perpetual cycle of desire and discontent. For example, individuals who prioritize enriching experiences over possessions—like travel, learning new skills, or engaging in artistic pursuits—report higher levels of sustained happiness and fulfillment, highlighting the limited role that material goods play in achieving genuine life satisfaction.

In conclusion, while material possessions can offer temporary pleasure and symbols of success, they do not guarantee lasting happiness. True contentment is more reliably found in life’s immaterial aspects—relationships, personal achievements, and experiences. This understanding encourages a deeper pursuit of fulfillment beyond the material.

Model Essay 2

The pursuit of happiness often centres on the debate between the value of material possessions and the importance of immaterial factors. While some argue that tangible assets enhance well-being by providing comfort and security, others believe that true happiness is achieved through intangible means like personal relationships and self-fulfilment. This essay will explore both perspectives, ultimately advocating for a balance between material gains and spiritual enrichment.

Those in favour of material wealth argue that possessions enhance life by offering measurable improvements in living standards. For instance, owning a reliable vehicle can increase one’s mobility and open up opportunities for employment and social engagements, which are essential for a fulfilling life. Similarly, technological devices like smartphones and computers connect us with knowledge and communities across the globe, enhancing our understanding and interaction with the world. The comfort provided by material goods can thus not only simplify daily tasks but also enrich our experiences and interactions, suggesting that material possessions have a significant role in fostering a contented and productive life.

However, detractors maintain that the satisfaction derived from material accumulation is inherently transient. They argue that long-term happiness is cultivated through emotional and spiritual avenues such as deep personal relationships, a sense of community, and personal achievements. These non-materialistic aspects offer a form of happiness that is more profound and enduring because it is rooted in meaningful human connections and personal growth. Moreover, engaging in activities that promote personal development, such as volunteering, arts, or meditation, provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment that material goods cannot match, reinforcing the idea that the most significant sources of happiness are often intangible.

In conclusion, while material possessions can provide immediate comfort and convenience, they do not sustain deep, long-lasting happiness. True well-being is more effectively achieved through enriching personal and communal ties and self-development. Emphasizing a balance between material acquisitions and investment in emotional and spiritual growth is essential for achieving a more holistic and enduring sense of happiness.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer: Discussion on the pros and cons of consumer goods as most important part of people’s lives.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 essay with model answer

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic

Consumer goods have become the most important part of people's lives. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer :

In today's world, possession of materialistic goods has become an Integral part of a person's life. Consumerism has its own benefits and perils. This essay will critically analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the habit of possessioning more and more consumer goods. 

Undoubtedly, consumerism has its own advantages. Firstly, to cater to the ever-increasing demand of consumer products, the production and supply of these goods like mobiles, computers, and designer clothes have increased. So multinational companies manufacturing these goods are making huge profits, a share of which is helping the economy of the country. For instance, the sales of an Indian mobile company with a public-private company partnership has crossed the 100 crave mark, which has helped the Indian economy in the global market. Moreover, increased demand for these goods has led to a stiffer competition among manufacturers, thereby resulting in a significant decrease in the cost price of the products. To illustrate, over the last decade, the price of mobile phones has decreased steadily by about 5%. Finally, increased demand for materialistic products has given rise to various shopping malls, supermarkets, and online stores leading to increased jobs prospects for the local people. For example, our line shopping services have given employment opportunities to over 30% of the youth in urban India.

Moreover, just as a coin has two sides, consumerism has its own perils. To begin with, people often end up buying unnecessary products after being lured by attractive advertisements. This has led to a dangerous hoarding mentality. For example, a recently conducted survey showed that in an average household in the United Kingdom, 35% of the products purchased are never used! In addition, possession of these goods has become a status symbol for the consumers who are willing to run into debts in order to purchase these consumer items. A survey shows that the credit card debts have risen by 60% in urban India, and the inability of repaying often leads to total consequences like suicide and bank forgery. 

To conclude, I firmly believe that the advantages of consumerism clearly outweigh the disadvantages. Instead of criticising this trend, people should curb their mentality of buying more goods than necessary so that a balance can be struck.

Total Words: 360

Task Achievement: 9

Coherence & cohesion: 9, lexical resources: 9, overall score: band 9.

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• IELTS Sample Essay 8 – Consumerism

It is widely believed that consumerism is vital for the economy well-being of a country. However others feel that consumerism has unacceptable social consequences on a society. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion

There have been many studies on how some economies are so successful while others are still struggling to survive. Many economists advocate consumerism on the grounds that it is the prime factor of a wealthy economy. However, socialists argue that consumerism would also cause adverse effects on a society. I am of the mixed opinion.

Regarding the economic benefits, consumerism would help an economy to be more sustainable. Lessons learnt from recent financial crises such as the collapse of the Lehman Brothers’ bank or Greek debt crisis have shown that countries with a large domestic buying force would recover better. Nowadays, many governments have chosen to boost the internal spending as an important strategy to stimulate their economy. China, Japan and the United States are good examples. On the other hand, countries such as Singapore have a relatively small pool of local consumers and have to rely much on international trading. Those countries are more vulnerable to the health of the world economy.

However, in terms of social impact, consumerism would create societies that value commercial contributions over social contributions. In such societies, people who spend more money such as the rich would be considered to be more important than scientists or artists. As a result, despite some short-term economic success, the well-being of the society will suffer in the long term due to social issues such as the gap between the rich and the poor or lack of science and cultural development. People who live in those societies would have a more stressful life.

In conclusion, although consumerism has some economic advantages, it has negative effects on the society that should not be overlooked. Therefore, a balanced socioeconomic development strategy would be of great importance.

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Discuss effect of Materialism and Consumerism in the individuals and society

It is common knowledge that we live in a consumerist world whereby people lie to own and consume. This habit of buying without reason is causing many problems for both individuals and society. The following paragraphs will discuss this this in further details and provide a reasoned conclusion. Consumerism is one of the strongest forces affecting our lives in the modern day world. It does not simply driven with advertising, but it also contributed by idea in our society that to be happier, better and more successful people will have to project their status with expensive products. For instance, wearing a luxury brand of Rolex or Omega wristwatch is believe to exhibit a person’s status symbol. Thus, people tend to associate happiness for false material needs over functional needs. Admittedly, this trend is leading to massive personal and social problems. People tend to stretch beyond their earning capacity for false prestige, thus, they lose focus on priority spending. Furthermore, due to peer pressure in school parents tend to buy specific product to fulfil child’s demand. This often results in spending for momentary happiness instead real value of the product. As a result of that, an unwanted psychological pressure and stress may create among parents to manage funds or find means to earn more. In conclusion, society and the world we live in is sufferings at the hands of materialism and consumerism, in example, rise in corruption levels for increasing needs, stress to excel and earn more to spend. In my opinion, an understanding of the need for real value spending can negate some of these rising social problems and bring healthy balance in both individual’s life and society as whole.

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Essay evaluations by e-grader

Grammar and spelling errors: Line 1, column 232, Rule ID: ENGLISH_WORD_REPEAT_RULE Message: Possible typo: you repeated a word Suggestion: this .... The following paragraphs will discuss this this in further details and provide a reason... ^^^^^^^^^ Line 2, column 361, Rule ID: BEEN_PART_AGREEMENT[1] Message: Consider using a past participle here: 'believed'. Suggestion: believed ...y brand of Rolex or Omega wristwatch is believe to exhibit a person's status symbo... ^^^^^^^

Transition Words or Phrases used: also, but, furthermore, if, may, so, thus, for instance, in conclusion, as a result, in my opinion

Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments

Performance on Part of Speech: To be verbs : 7.0 13.1623246493 53% => More to be verbs wanted. Auxiliary verbs: 5.0 7.85571142285 64% => OK Conjunction : 14.0 10.4138276553 134% => OK Relative clauses : 3.0 7.30460921844 41% => More relative clauses wanted. Pronoun: 20.0 24.0651302605 83% => OK Preposition: 43.0 41.998997996 102% => OK Nominalization: 3.0 8.3376753507 36% => More nominalizations (nouns with a suffix like: tion ment ence ance) wanted.

Performance on vocabulary words: No of characters: 1455.0 1615.20841683 90% => OK No of words: 280.0 315.596192385 89% => More content wanted. Chars per words: 5.19642857143 5.12529762239 101% => OK Fourth root words length: 4.09062348924 4.20363070211 97% => OK Word Length SD: 2.86176189129 2.80592935109 102% => OK Unique words: 179.0 176.041082164 102% => OK Unique words percentage: 0.639285714286 0.561755894193 114% => OK syllable_count: 442.8 506.74238477 87% => OK avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.60771543086 100% => OK

A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by: Pronoun: 6.0 5.43587174349 110% => OK Article: 3.0 2.52805611222 119% => OK Subordination: 1.0 2.10420841683 48% => OK Conjunction: 1.0 0.809619238477 124% => OK Preposition: 3.0 4.76152304609 63% => OK

Performance on sentences: How many sentences: 14.0 16.0721442886 87% => OK Sentence length: 20.0 20.2975951904 99% => OK Sentence length SD: 43.7241468803 49.4020404114 89% => OK Chars per sentence: 103.928571429 106.682146367 97% => OK Words per sentence: 20.0 20.7667163134 96% => OK Discourse Markers: 7.0 7.06120827912 99% => OK Paragraphs: 4.0 4.38176352705 91% => OK Language errors: 2.0 5.01903807615 40% => OK Sentences with positive sentiment : 6.0 8.67935871743 69% => OK Sentences with negative sentiment : 5.0 3.9879759519 125% => OK Sentences with neutral sentiment: 3.0 3.4128256513 88% => OK What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?

Coherence and Cohesion: Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.124770893437 0.244688304435 51% => OK Sentence topic coherence: 0.0351315925256 0.084324248473 42% => OK Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.037324595504 0.0667982634062 56% => OK Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0722455803647 0.151304729494 48% => OK Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0474263731574 0.056905535591 83% => OK

Essay readability: automated_readability_index: 13.1 13.0946893788 100% => OK flesch_reading_ease: 51.18 50.2224549098 102% => OK smog_index: 8.8 7.44779559118 118% => OK flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.1 11.3001002004 98% => OK coleman_liau_index: 12.88 12.4159519038 104% => OK dale_chall_readability_score: 9.48 8.58950901804 110% => OK difficult_words: 86.0 78.4519038076 110% => OK linsear_write_formula: 8.0 9.78957915832 82% => OK gunning_fog: 10.0 10.1190380762 99% => OK text_standard: 10.0 10.7795591182 93% => OK What are above readability scores?

--------------------- Rates: 89.8876404494 out of 100 Scores by essay e-grader: 8.0 Out of 9 --------------------- Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.

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Consumerism

by Tam (Vietnam)

These days many of us prefer to throw damaged things away, whereas in the past people used to repair damaged items and keep them for a long time. Why you think this change has happened? What are the effects of this change in attitude? Advancement in technology has changed the perspective of people. In these modern days, people choose to replace the broken items by new one instead of repairing those and make them long lasting. This essay will discuss the reasons for this change to happen and the consequences of this change in people’s perspective. In recent days the changes in daily consumable products occurs swiftly that used to be slow and costlier in past generations. Televisions and computers for example would last for a generation in the past. However, recent developments in technology have enhanced the quality and reliability of such products on the other hand making those look more attractive which encourages people to throw decrepit products and purchase novel items instead. Another reason of this change is perception of people is growing advertisements. Most of the company products rely on the buying capacity of the consumer to which they would prefer to reach out with good marketing strategies to influence them. Thus, people are highly encouraged in buying the new goods that are available in the market. This change in attitude has affected severely in the environment. The deteriorated items could be bio-degradable or non-biodegradable that are thrown away by people. It was reported that the pollution in Kunthi river increased by more than 50% in just a decade because of the wastage thrown by people into it. Moreover, people are now becoming more materialistic. They tend to buy new product just to show their quality life despite they may not need to. This has created the competition between individual people in a community. In conclusion, in the course of growing in modern generation we have changed our attitude of re-using the broken items by repairing those to buying the new products. The technological advancement has caused new products readily available in short period of time and could influence people by promoting those. This has caused serious impact on the environment as well as human behaviour.

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IELTS Agree/Disagree Essay Sample 4 – Consumerism

In this post, we will look at an agree/disagree essay  example from the IELTS writing task 2 test. Students often ask if the questions are repeated year after year and the answer is no, but the topics are. There are so many questions written each year, you may find your practice answering various questions on different topics. For example, you could write essays to answer questions about education or the environment, which benefits you because you learn vocabulary associated with those topics and develop ideas that can help you in your writing test.

Practising writing IELTS task 2 essays  on a range of topics is a great way to learn new vocabulary for those topics, but also to practice your essay structures . You begin to develop your ideas around those topics, thinking of examples and giving your opinions. 

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It is believed by some that the price of a service or an item is an essential factor to consider before deciding to purchase it.  This essay believes that people should take into consideration the cost before deciding to buy or not.  Firstly, this essay will discuss the benefits of considering the price before making a purchase and secondly, how wanting expensive items can lead to crippling debts.

On the one hand, people should be given enough time to think about the price of something before acquiring it. They need to consider if they can afford it as this can give them problems in the future. They need to think about their monthly expenses as well as their overall salary, to see if they can afford what they want, and making sure they do not get into debt. For example, a survey by the Business Mirror Philippines in 2010 revealed that 8 out of 10 Filipinos preferred to save the money needed before buying a new cellphone, rather than using a credit card because they were afraid of having monthly debts.

On the other hand, over the last few decades, the rise of credit card debt has been escalating.  More and more people are tempted to buy products without considering the price due to the pressure from advertisements, peer pressures and the ready access to credit cards. There are a lot of luxury items that have been purchased using credit cards, which in return has lured many individuals into debt. For instance, a study by the Metrobank of the Philippines reported that 99% of credit card applications came from minimum wage earners who wanted a credit card to purchase high-end products.

In conclusion, I agree that people should plan first before making a decision to buy expensive products or services for this could only give them problems in the future if they cannot afford it.

(Word count – 314 / Band score – 8)

Instructor Feedback on IELTS Agree/Disagree Essay Sample: Consumerism

• Task Achievement  – The essay provides an answer to the question asked, supported by relevant examples.
• Coherence and Cohesion  – The answer has been divided into clear logical paragraphs and each main body paragraph only has one main idea. There are cohesive links between the main body paragraphs .
• Lexical Resource  – There is evidence of a wide range of vocabulary, with no errors in the text.
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy  – The answer has no grammatical errors. The sentences have a wide range of structures. 

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Materialism and Well-Being Revisited: The Impact of Personality

• Research Paper
• Open access
• Published: 12 February 2019
• Volume 21 , pages 305–326, ( 2020 )

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• Małgorzata E. Górnik-Durose   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3395-5324 1  

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Although the negative link between materialism and well-being has been confirmed by results from many empirical studies, mechanisms underlying this association still remain partially unexplained. The issue is addressed in this article in two ways. Firstly, the nature of the components of materialism is examined, and secondly—the article demonstrates that personality (particularly neuroticism and narcissism) is one of the important factors linking materialism and well-being. The article presents the results of three empirical studies, in which three main assumptions were verified—that the components of materialism, i.e. acquisition centrality, acquisition as a pursuit of happiness and possession-defined success, have dissimilar impacts on well-being, that materialists with high and low levels of neuroticism and narcissism differ with regard to well-being, and that neuroticism and narcissism mediate the relationship between materialism and well-being. The studies were based on self-reports and utilized well-known, established questionnaire measures of materialism, personality and well-being. The results showed that each component of materialism was associated with well-being in a slightly different way. Of the three possession-defined happiness was the strongest predictor of all aspects of well-being examined and the centrality component was not associated with any of them. Materialists with a high level of neuroticism and low level of grandiose narcissism experienced diminished well-being in comparison to materialism with a low level of neuroticism and high level of grandiose narcissism. Neuroticism and grandiose narcissism were both significant mediators, acting contrary to each other—neuroticism lowered well-being, whereas grandiose narcissism elevated it.

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1 Introduction

The negative association between materialism and well-being is currently almost an axiom in psychology and consumer research. In their extensive meta-analysis Dittmar et al. ( 2014 ) showed that the results of empirical studies concerning this association are consistent and indicate modest negative correlations between various measures of materialism and various aspects of well-being (the average effect is − .19). Some moderating factors (i.e. age, gender, a nation’s rate of economic growth, level of inequality, cultural and value orientations) weaken the connection somewhat, although do not eliminate it. None of them reverses the association and causes it to be positive.

Although the link between materialism and well-being seems to be evident, mechanisms underlying this association still remain partially unexplained, despite many attempts to shed light on it. In this article I would like to address the issue in two ways. Firstly, I intend to examine more closely the domains of materialism. Secondly, I aim to demonstrate that one of the major factors that bring materialism and well-being together is personality, particularly neuroticism and narcissism. Such an approach is relatively novel. Although the domains of materialism were incidentally examined in relation to well-being, there is no systematic study addressing this issue. Despite the abundance of separate empirical findings that show simple connections between materialism and well-being, materialism and personality, and personality and well-being, the connection between the three is a field of empirical investigation which has been neglected thus far. I am convinced that both matters mentioned above deserve more attention from scholars.

1.1 Materialism and Its Domains in Relation to Well-Being

The term “materialism” in psychology relates to people’s desire to acquire and possess material assets. Materialism is understood as the importance people attach to worldly possessions which take a central place in their lives and are expected to be the greatest source of satisfaction or dissatisfaction (Belk 1985 ), or as a high valuation of material goods, that are perceived as a measure of a successful and happy life (Richins and Dawson 1992 ) and a warrant of high status, power, and popularity (Kasser 2002 ).

The conceptualization of materialism, which has been most widely used in psychological studies, was proposed by Richins and Dawson ( 1992 ). They defined materialism in terms of values that direct people’s choices and behaviours in various situations and influence the way people structure their lives and relate to the external world. According to them, overall materialism incorporates three components: acquisition centrality, i.e. placing possessions and their acquisition in the center of one’s life, acquisition as a pursuit of happiness, i.e. believing that possessions and their acquisition are essential to one’s happiness, and possession-defined success, i.e. considering possession as a criterion for judging one’s own and other people’s success.

These three domains are usually combined and the overall materialism index is commonly used in various studies, including those related to materialism and well-being. Very few researchers made an effort to look at the three components of materialism separately. The exception was Ahuvia and Wong ( 1995 ), who showed that of the three the belief that possession can bring happiness was most strongly associated with life dissatisfaction; possession-defined success was also related to life dissatisfaction, but only in some areas, whereas the connection between possession centrality and life (dis)satisfaction was fairly weak and not significant. The same authors demonstrated later that the negative relationship between materialism and needs satisfaction was driven exclusively by the belief related to happiness (Ahuvia and Wong 2002 ). The similar effect of the happiness component was also revealed by Swinyard et al. ( 2001 ) and Roberts and Clement ( 2007 ). Furthermore Pieters ( 2013 ) showed that the vicious cycle of materialism and loneliness was mostly vested in the belief that possession brings happiness and in possession-defined success. Acquisition centrality played a positive role in the cycle decreasing loneliness over time. Also Segev et al. ( 2015 ) found a weak positive correlation between acquisition centrality and life satisfaction alongside a strong negative association between life satisfaction and the happiness component. Such results suggest that it is worth exploring separately the three domains of materialism in relation to well-being.

Over the years researchers were proposing various explanation of the negative relationship between overall materialism and well-being. For example, Burroughs and Rindfleisch ( 2002 ) showed that materialists experience less happiness and more negative affect than others because of the inherent conflict between material and collective values. Solberg et al. ( 2003 ) pointed to materialists’ poor social life as a source of lower well-being. They also claimed that striving for material goals provides less emotional gratification than striving for others and that people are more distant from their material goals than from others and least satisfied with what they achieve in the material realm. Shrum et al. ( 2013 ) suggested that materialism is centered on constructing identity through symbolic consumption, and because the process requires reliance on others to validate the results, it causes vulnerability and psychological instability. Dittmar et al. ( 2014 ) tested two explanations of the negative effect of overall materialism on psychological well-being. In relation to the first explanation—that materialists develop unrealistic expectations in the financial realm, which set the stage for disappointment that negatively influences other domains of well-being—the results were not conclusive. The second assumption—that materialism is connected with low needs satisfaction—was verified positively. Recently Donnelly et al. ( 2016 ) suggested that the possible processes that cause unsuccessful pursuits of happiness and satisfaction through the possession of tangible objects are driven by the urge to escape from aversive self-awareness.

Solberg et al. ( 2003 ) referred also to a different explanation of the association between materialism and low well-being—a potential link between materialism and neuroticism, i.e. the personality factor which is highly responsible for negative emotions and low well-being. They finally rejected this hypothesis, but in a later study by Górnik-Durose and Boroń ( 2018 ) the hypothesis was supported. In the current article the way of thinking, which connects materialism with well-being through personality, is continued.

1.2 Materialism and Personality

Investigating relationships between materialism and various personality traits is not a novelty in psychological research. In studies based on the Five–Factor Model of personality (cf. Costa and McCrae 1992 ) positive correlations have been found between materialism and neuroticism and negative between materialism and agreeableness. Data concerning the connections between materialism and extraversion, openness to experience and conscientiousness were not consistent across studies (see Ashton and Lee 2008 ; Otero-López and Villardefrancos 2013 ; Watson 2015 ).

Many malevolent personality traits were also examined in connection with materialism (see Hong et al. 2012 ; Pilch and Górnik-Durose 2016 ), but the personality feature which has received most attention was narcissism. Researchers point out that there are two separate forms of narcissism: grandiose and vulnerable, which share some similarities, but also differ in many ways (Wink 1991 ; Miller et al. 2011 ).They overlap in relation to a sense of personal entitlement, egocentrism, self-absorption, grandiose self-relevant fantasies, callousness, manipulativeness, willingness to exploit others and arrogance. But only grandiose narcissism embraces traits related to magnificence, dominance and aggression, whereas vulnerable narcissism is allied with defensiveness, and its illusory grandiosity disguises feelings of insecurity, inadequacy, incompetence, and negative affect (Miller et al. 2011 ). Data from various studies showed that they are both associated positively with materialism (Bergman et al. 2013 ; Rose 2007 ; Pilch and Górnik-Durose 2017 ).

The configuration of personality features related to materialism, although explicable at first sight, is de facto internally incoherent, incorporating features that are not likely to coexist. The associations between narcissism and low agreeableness and other malevolent features are understandable and supported by results of many empirical studies (e.g. Watson 2012 ; Houlcroft et al. 2012 ), but it is rather difficult to incorporate high neuroticism and high grandiose narcissism into one personality structure. The empirical data show clearly that high grandiose narcissism is accompanied by low neuroticism, or they are not connected at all (see Houlcroft et al. 2012 ; Lee et al. 2013 ; Miller et al. 2011 ). On the other hand vulnerable narcissism correlates positively and quite strongly with neuroticism (Miller et al. 2011 , Houlcroft et al. 2012 ). It is unlikely then that materialists would be both neurotic and narcissistic in a grandiose way; although it could happen in the case of vulnerable narcissism.

Such contradictions in the personality depiction of materialists inspired Górnik-Durose and Pilch ( 2016 ) to look more closely at the associations between materialism and personality traits (within the HEXACO framework). They separated two types of materialists. They both displayed relatively low levels of honesty–humility and agreeableness, but in one case the emotionality level was significantly lower and the extraversion level significantly higher than in the other. The first materialistic type was named the Peacocks, the second, the Mice. The Peacocks were also significantly more narcissistic than the Mice, but only in the grandiose way; no difference was found in vulnerable narcissism. Moreover the Peacocks and Mice had different attitudes towards money and different spending preferences. The Peacocks were prone to seek immediate financial gain, whereas the Mice were anxious and insecure in their money attitudes. Their declared spending was directed toward self-protection, whereas the Peacocks were oriented toward self-aggrandizing. The Peacocks were also more prone to ostentatious consumption than the Mice.

This short description of the Mice and Peacocks suggests that for each type being materialistic fulfills different functions. The Mice, who are rather emotionally unstable and vulnerable, with a tendency to feel anxious, fearful, insecure, use material possessions as reassurance—a “security blanket”, a means to create relatively sheltered life conditions that may protects against deprivation, hostile environmental and social threats (cf. Kasser 2002 ). Their inherent difficulties in gaining support and safe attachment to people results in turning toward more tangible resources that are easily controlled and manipulated (cf. Richins 2017 ). The Peacocks on the other hand possess highly inflated, positive views of the self, accompanied by strong self–focus, feelings of entitlement, seeking admiration and lack of regard for others. To maintain their disproportionately positive self–beliefs, narcissistic Peacocks engage in grandiose self–displays, using appropriate material possessions (Campbell and Foster 2007 ). Displaying the proper material possessions is a self–presentation tactic, which is plainly effective in consumption–oriented societies. In a culture which uses material goods extensively as a communication code, material things of proper brands and varieties—scarce, unique, exclusive, often customizable– are able to deliver appropriate messages, showing desirable personal and societal characteristics of their owner (Lee et al. 2013 ). Thus, proper material goods sustain, validate, and nurture the narcissistic self.

These two strategies—both utilizing material goods—not only serve different purpose, but also may have different consequences in relation to well-being. I assume then that the deceptively simple associations between materialism and well-being may be altered by their connections with personality.

1.3 Neuroticism, Narcissism and Well-Being

The empirical evidence that personality accurately predicts well-being was summarized by DeNeve and Cooper ( 1998 ) and Steel et al. ( 2008 ) in their meta-analyses. They also showed that among personality traits neuroticism is the most prominent factor influencing various aspects of well-being. The same was revealed by Anglim and Grant ( 2016 ). The association is indisputably negative, i.e. rising neuroticism is followed by diminishing well-being. This effect is strong and fundamental and—as Steel et al. ( 2008 ) suggest—involves common biological mechanisms or neural substrates. Neuroticism also influences behaviors and predisposes people to have more negative life experiences that have an impact on their well-being.

In the case of narcissism the empirical evidence is also quite plain—narcissism in its grandiose version elevates well-being, whereas vulnerable narcissism lowers it significantly. It was also demonstrated that narcissism is associated with well-being due to its overlap with self-esteem (Rose 2002 ; Sedikides et al. 2004 ; Zuckerman and O’Loughlin 2009 ).

The impact of personality on well-being means that any relationship between phenomena, which are connected with personality, and well-being may be shaped and transformed by personality, because personality relates to basic regulatory mechanisms and represents fundamental and relatively stable characteristics of a person that underlie individual behavior, beliefs and attitudes and are to some extent biologically determined. Haslam et al. ( 2009 ) showed that associations between values and well-being are due to the variance they both share with personality traits. This may be also the case for materialism. This is why I assumed that neuroticism and narcissism may be powerful factors mediating the relationship between materialism and well-being.

2 Current Investigation

Until now the results of empirical studies related to materialism, personality and well- being showed that:

Materialism is connected with poorer well-being and the effect seems to be mainly due to the belief that acquiring and possessing material goods is essential for happiness and that possessed assets are the best indication of achieving success in life.

Materialism is also associated with certain personality traits—particularly neuroticism and narcissism (positively). These traits distinguish types of materialists. One materialistic type—the Peacocks—is marked by low neuroticism and high grandiose narcissism, the second—the Mice—by high neuroticism and low grandiose narcissism.

Both neuroticism and narcissism correlate significantly with well-being, hence, it would be expected that they may shape well-being also in materialists. Thus far the evidence was found for a mediating role of neuroticism in the relationship between materialism and attitudes towards money and well-being (Górnik-Durose and Boron 2018 ).

The current research is embedded in the findings listed above, but its aim is to extend the investigation and clarify the associations further. It encompasses three separate studies. The objectives of Study I are to verify the assumption that materialists with different levels of neuroticism (i.e. the Mice and Peacocks) would differ in relation to well-being, and to examine further the mediating effect of neuroticism on the relationship between materialism and well-being revealed in previous research. Study II concentrates on the impact of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism on the relationship between materialism and well-being. Its first aim is to examine differences in well-being between the Mice and Peacocks that are due to the level of grandiose narcissism, the second—to test for a mediating effect of narcissism on the relationship between materialism and well-being. Study III consolidates the two aspects of personality connected with materialism analyzed in the two previous studies, i.e. neuroticism and both types of narcissism. The objective is to check how strong these traits are alongside materialism in relation to well-being. In all three studies materialism is deconstructed and the associations of its three dimensions, i.e. possession centrality, possession-defined happiness and possession-defined success, with life satisfaction and well-being is examined. In the concurrent studies different measures of well-being are utilized.

The main hypotheses tested in the three studies were as follows:

Three domains of materialism relate differently to well-being. The possession-defined happiness (MAT/Hap) and possession-defined success (MAT/Suc) are relatively strongly and negatively associated with various aspects of well-being, whereas the centrality component (MAT/Cent) correlates with well-being modestly or not at all

The Mice and Peacocks, identified on the basis of the level of neuroticism (NE) or grandiose narcissism (GN), differ in regard to various aspects of well-being. The low neurotic and high narcissistic Peacocks experience a higher level of well-being than high neurotic and low narcissistic Mice

Personality traits—neuroticism (NE), as well as grandiose (GN) and vulnerable narcissism (VN), mediate the relationship between materialism (MAT) and its two domains, i.e. possession-defined happiness (MAT/Hap) and possession-defined success (MAT/Suc) and various aspects of well-being

2.1 Study I

2.1.1 participants.

The participants were 286 adults from Upper Silesia in Poland (72.4% women) aged 17–59 (M = 25.48; SD = 7.15); 70% of the sample were younger than 26, merely students. The remaining 30% were educated on the higher (54.1%) and secondary (30.6%) levels. The information about the material situation of the participants was gathered by asking them to assess on a scale from 1 (low) to 7 (very high) their monthly income in relation to the subjectively perceived national average. In the younger group the mean score was 2.52 (SD = 1.65), whereas in the older group 3.6 (SD = 1.72).

The participants were recruited by cooperating students via their private social networks on Facebook. No incentives were given for the participation.

2.1.2 Measures

Materialism The 9-item Material Values Scale—as recommended by Richins ( 2004 ), in the Polish version by Górnik-Durose ( 2016 ) was used to measure materialism. Items were rated from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The three subscale scores (i.e. centrality, e.g. “I like a lot of luxury in my life” ; happiness, e.g. “My life would be better if I owned certain things I don’t have” ; success, e.g. “I like to own things that impress people” ) as well as the overall materialism score were computed.

Neuroticism The neuroticism scale (EPQ-N) from the revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire EPQ-R(S) in Polish adaptation (Jaworska 2012 ) was used to measure neuroticism. It consists of 12 items with a response scale of 1 (yes) and 0 (no). Positive responses were summed to yield a total score.

Well - being Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF; Keyes 2002 ) in Polish adaptation by Karaś et al. ( 2014 ) was applied to assess well-being. MHC-SF consists of 14 items that represent hedonic (emotional—e.g. ‘‘How often did you feel happy?’’ ) and eudaimonic (psychological—e.g. ‘‘How often did you feel good at managing the responsibilities of your daily life?’’ and social—e.g. ‘‘How often did you feel that you belonged to a community?’’ ) facets of well-being. The 6-point answering scale (ranging from 1—“never” to 6—“everyday”) relates to the frequency of experiencing various symptoms of well-being during the past month. The overall (general) score of well-being (GWB) was computed and used in the analyses.

2.1.3 Results

Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations between study variables are displayed in Table  1 .

2.1.3.1 Well-Being in Groups Differentiated by Materialism and Neuroticism

In the first step participants were divided into subgroups according to MAT and NE scores. The scores below average placed participants to the low MAT or low NE subgroups, the scores equal and above average placed them to the high MAT or high NE subgroups. Finally four subgroups were separated: high_MAT/high_NE (i.e. the Mice), high_MAT/low_NE (i.e. the Peacocks), low_MAT/low_NE and low_MAT/high_NE. The mean scores of well-being (GWB) were compared in those subgroups in one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s tests (see Table  2 ).

The tests revealed statistically significant differences between the subgroups. First of all the two highly materialistic subgroups—the Mice and Peacocks—differed significantly, with the Mice having the lowest level of GWB among participants and the Peacocks having GWB comparable to the highest well-being of the low_MAT/low_NE subgroup. The Mice on the other hand did not differ significantly from the low_MAT/high_NE subgroup.

2.1.3.2 The Mediating Effect of Neuroticism on the Relationship Between Materialism and Well-Being

In the next step the assumption about the mediating role of neuroticism in the relationship between materialism and its domains and well-being was tested. The mediation analyses were run using the bootstrapping method with bias-corrected confidence estimates. The PROCESS macro model 4 for SPSS developed by Hayes ( 2013 ) was utilized. The 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the indirect effects were obtained with 5000 bootstrap resamples. The intervals that do not contain zero indicate a significant indirect effect. Only those components of MAT that were initially significantly correlated with NE and GWB were taken into consideration (see Table  1 ). Accordingly, two separate mediation analyses were conducted: for MAT and for MAT/Hap as predictors of well-being. The results are presented in Table  3 .

Both total effects of MAT and MAT/Hap on GWB were significant. After controlling for NE the direct effects of MAT became insignificant (full mediation) and the direct effect of MAT/Hap became considerably lower, but still significant (partial mediation). Both indirect effects via NE were significant.

2.1.3.3 Summary of the Results

The results obtained in Study I were consistent with previous findings related to a simple association between MAT, NE and well-being (see Sect.  1 of this article). The differences in NE among materialists were reflected in their GWB. A salient detrimental effect of MAT and NE on GWB was revealed, with NE playing the leading role. MAT not accompanied by NE did not appear to affect GWB very much. The mediation analyses confirmed that the relationship between MAT and GWB was fully mediated by NE, whereas in the case of MAT/Hap the mediation was partial—the belief that material possessions bring happiness hold its unique negative impact on GWB alongside NE. The remaining two components of materialism did not have any significant impact on GWB.

2.2 Study II

2.2.1 participants.

A Polish sample of 123 adults (73.2% women), aged 22–70 ( M  = 35.07; SD  = 10.37) was used in Study II. 88.6% of the participants were educated on the higher level, 11.4%—on the secondary level. As in Study I they were asked to assess their income in relation to the national average. On the scale from 1 to 7 the mean score was 4.22 (SD = 1.49), whereas the mean of the declared monthly income was 2951 PLN (SD = 849), which was slightly above the median of income in Poland at the time of data collection, i.e. in 2016).

The participants were recruited by a cooperating student via Facebook using his social network. No incentives were given for the participation.

2.2.2 Measures

Materialism As in Study I the Polish version of the 9-item Material Values Scale was used to assess materialism.

Narcissism The Polish version of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI; Raskin and Hall 1979 ; Bazińska and Drat-Ruszczak 2000 ) was applied to measure grandiose narcissism. It consists of 34 items (e.g. “I really like to be the center of attention”, “I think I am a special person”) with the answers on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (it’s not me) to 5 (it’s me). Scores were summed to create an overall index. As a measure of vulnerable narcissism the Polish version of Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale (HSNS; Hendin and Cheek 1997 ; Czarna et al. 2014 ) was used. It consists of 10 items (e.g. “My feelings are easily hurt by ridicule or the slighting remarks of others”, “When I enter a room I often become self - conscious and feel that the eyes of others are upon me” ) answered on a 5-point scale from 1 (“very uncharacteristic or untrue/strongly disagree”) to 5 (“very characteristic or true/strongly agree”). Scores were summed to create an overall index.

Subjective Well - being In study II two aspects of subjective well-being (SWB) were assessed as suggested by Pavot and Diener ( 1993 )—satisfaction with life (SWL) and positive (PA) and negative (NA) affects. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) developed by Diener et al. ( 1985 ) in Polish adaptation by Juczyński ( 2001 ) was used to measure the first aspect. The scale is composed of five items (e.g. “ In most ways my life is close to my ideal“ ) measuring global life satisfaction on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The total score is a sum of the participants’ responses.

The affective component of SWB was measured with the Polish version of Brief Measures of Positive and Negative Affect Scales (PANAS; Watson et al. 1988 ) in Polish adaptation (Brzozowski 2010 ). It consists of 20 adjectives, 10 denoting positive affect (e.g. “excited” ) and 10 denoting negative affect (e.g. “upset” ). Respondents indicated the extent to which each adjective described them in general, using a 1 (hardly at all) to 5 (extremely) range. Separate scores (sums) were computed for positive and negative affect.

2.2.3 Results

Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations between variables are displayed in Table  4 .

2.2.3.1 Well-Being in Groups Differentiated by Materialism and Narcissism

As in Study I the participants were divided into subgroups according to MAT and—this time—GN, because—as Górnik-Durose and Pilch ( 2016 ) demonstrated—the Peacocks differ from the Mice only in relation to GN; no differences were found in VN. The scores below average placed participants in the low MAT or low GN subgroups, the scores equal and above average placed them in the high MAT or high GN subgroups. Four groups were created: high_MAT/high_GN, high_MAT/low_GN, low_MAT/low_GN and low_MAT/high_GN. The members of the high_MAT/high_GN subgroup were the equivalent of the Peacocks, and high_MAT/low_GN were the Mice. The mean scores of well-being (SWL, PA and NA) were compared in those subgroups in one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s test. The tests revealed statistically significant differences between the subgroups in relation to SWL and both PA and NA (see Table  2 ).

The two high MAT subgroups distinguished by the level of GN did not differ significantly in relation to any aspect of SWB. Yet the high_MAT/low_GN subgroup (the Mice) reported the lowest levels of SWL and PA in the sample. The highest level of SWL and PA was identified in the low_MAT/high_GN subgroup, which experienced also the lowest level of NA. High materialism in highly narcissistic individuals (high_MAT/high_GN subgroup) resulted in the highest level of NA, significantly higher than in the case of narcissists with low materialism.

2.2.3.2 The Mediating Effect of Narcissism on the Relationship Between Materialism and Well-Being

Finally the assumption about the mediating role of both types of narcissism in the relationship between materialism and SWB was tested. As in the previous study the PROCESS macro model 4 was utilized. The macro estimated bootstrapped bias-corrected 95% confidence intervals (CI) for indirect effects in 5000 bootstrap resamples. This time the parallel multiple mediator model was applied. The estimation of indirect effects in such a model allows for a simultaneous test of each mediator while accounting for the shared associations between them (cf. Preacher and Hayes 2008 ). As in Study I only those domains of materialism that were initially significantly correlated with at least one type of narcissism and relevant aspects of well-being were taken into consideration (see Table  4 ). Three separate mediation analyses were conducted for MAT, MAT/Hap and MAT/Suc as predictors of SWL and NA, and one for MAT/Hap as a predictor of PA. In all cases GN and VN were included in the models as parallel mediators. The results are presented in Table  3 .

The results show that total effects of materialism and its two domains on SWL and PA were significant, in the case of NA—marginally. After controlling for GN and VN the associations between MAT and SWB changed. In the case of SWL direct effects remained significant, but the coefficients were altered. For MAT and MAT/Hap the coefficients become lower due to the indirect effect of VN only (the indirect effect of GN was not significant). It suggests a partial mediation. For HAP/Suc both indirect effects were significant, but contrary to each other—the indirect effect of GN was positive, whereas the indirect effect of VN was negative. The GN effect was significantly stronger. In addition the direct effect coefficient for MAT/Suc was higher than the total effect coefficient. It indicates that the impact of MAT/Suc was suppressed by the impact of GN and VN.

In the case of both PA and NA after controlling for GN and VN all direct effects became insignificant (full mediation) mainly due to the indirect effect of VN. The indirect effect of GN was significant, but weaker than the effect of VN only in the case of MAT/Suc and NA.

2.2.3.3 Summary of the Results

The simple associations between MAT, GN, VN and SWB were more or less as expected (see Sects.  1.2 and 1.3 of this article), although the associations between materialism and its domains and affective aspects of SWB were weaker than in other studies. The MAT/Cent correlated significantly neither with GN and VN nor with SWB. The group comparison showed that SWB in materialistic groups differentiated by the level of narcissism was similar. The best combination for high SWL and PA was low MAT accompanied by high GN, the worst—high MAT associated with low GN. Generally GN elevated SWB despite MAT, except for NA, which paradoxically was the highest among materialists with a high level of GN.

The results of the mediation analyses indicate that mainly VN mediated significantly the relationship between all aspects of materialism and SWB. The indirect effect of GN appeared only incidentally. VN and all aspects of materialism were detrimental to SWB, acting synergistically. In the case of GN, MAT and MAT/Suc lowered SWL and elevated NA, whereas GN—acting antagonistically—pushed SWL up and lowered NA. GN and VN slightly suppressed the effect of MAT/Suc on SWL.

2.3 Study III

2.3.1 participants.

The participants were 360 adults (67.5% women), aged 18–76 (M = 35.68; SD = 14.94) from Upper Silesia in Poland. The participants were educated mainly on the secondary (52.5%) and higher (44.4%) level. They were asked to assess their financial situation on a 5-point scale from 1—very poor (not enough to satisfy basic needs) to 5—very good (able to afford a comfortable life). The average score was 3.45 (SD = 0.66) with 54.4% claiming that their material standard of living is mediocre (they have enough to fulfill their needs, but they have to save to cover bigger expenses), and 36.1% claiming that their standard of living is good (they are able to cover most expenses without saving).

The participants were recruited via cooperating students using their social network. Once recruited the participants distributed the set of questionnaires further. No incentives were given for participation.

2.3.2 Measures

Materialism As in in the study I and II the Polish version of the 9-item Material Values Scale was used to measure materialism.

Neuroticism Neuroticism was assessed using the appropriate scale from the Polish version of NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI; Costa and McCrae 1992 ; Zawadzki et al. 1998 ). The NEO-FFI provides a measure of the five basic personality factors, with 12 items for each factor. Each of the items was assessed on a Likert-based scale ranging from 0 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). The total score was computed as a sum of the 12 items.

Narcissism As in study II the Polish version of the NPI was used to assess grandiose narcissism and the Polish version of HSNS to assess vulnerable narcissism.

Well - being Two aspects of well-being were assessed—general well-being with MHC-SH as in Study I and Satisfaction with Life with the Polish version of SWLS as in Study II.

2.3.3 Results

Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations between variables are displayed in Table  5 .

2.3.3.1 Well-Being in Groups Differentiated by Materialism, Neuroticism and Narcissism

As in Study I and II the participants were divided into subgroups according to materialism and either neuroticism or grandiose narcissism scores. The mean scores of well-being (SWL and GWB) were compared in those subgroups in one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s test. The tests revealed statistically significant differences between the subgroups in relation to both measures of well-being (see Table  2 ). The Mice and Peacocks when distinguished on the base of NE level differed significantly with respect to both SWL and GWB; the Mice displayed diminished well-being, but not different from the non-materialistic subgroup with high NE, whereas the Peacock who displayed elevated well-being did not differ from non-materialists with low NE. A similar pattern was observed in the case of the Mice and Peacocks when distinguished on the base of GN—the Mice had the lowest SWL and GWB in the sample (in the case of GWB not different from non-materialistic group with low GN), whereas the Peacocks had significantly higher SWL and GWB.

2.3.3.2 The Mediating Effect of Neuroticism and Narcissism on the Relationship of Materialism with Life Satisfaction and Well-Being

Mediation analyses were conducted in order to reveal relationships between predictors of SWL and GWB. As in the previous studies the PROCESS macro model 4 (Hayes 2013 ) was utilized to test for parallel multiple mediator models. As before the bias-corrected 95% confidence intervals (CI) for indirect effects were estimated in 5000 bootstrap resamples. Neuroticism and both types of narcissism were assumed to be parallel mediators for the relationships between MAT/Hap and MAT/Suc and SWL as well as for the relationships between MAT/Hap and GWB. The results are presented in the bottom part of Table  3 . As in previous studies, all total effects of materialism dimensions on both SWL and GWB were initially significant. After controlling for all three mediators—NE, GN and VN—the coefficients became lower or not significant. The indirect effects of NE and GN were significant and contrary to each other—NE lowered SWL and GWB, whereas GN elevated them. In all cases NE was the stronger mediator than GN. The effect of VN was not significant. In the case of MAT/Hap and SWL the mediation was partial. In the case of MAT/Suc NE and GN fully mediated its relationship with SWL. The same was true for MAT/Hap and GWB.

2.3.3.3 Summary of the Results

The simple associations between variables were as expected. MAT/Hap was negatively associated with both measures of well-being, MAT/Suc correlated significantly only with SWL. MAT/Cent did not correlate with well-being measures. Materialism in all its aspects was positively associated with NE and both GN and VN, which in turn correlated with SWB—NE and VN negatively, GN positively. There was also an association between NE and VN (positive) and NE and GN (negative). The Mice differed significantly from the Peacocks in relation to both SWL and GWB.

The mediation analyses showed that NE and GN were competing mediators in the relationship between materialism and well-being. The effect of MAT/Suc was fully mediated by NE and GN, whereas MAT/Hap remained its unique impact on SWL after controlling for all three personality features.

3 Discussion

The results of the three reported studies generally confirmed the initial hypotheses. The domains of materialism differed with regard to their connections with well-being. Of the three the possession-defined happiness was the strongest predictor of all aspects of well-being, followed by the possession-defined success, which predicted mainly life satisfaction and negative affect. The centrality dimension was not associated with any of the examined aspects of well-being. These results are consistent with the previous findings reported by Ahuvia and Wong ( 1995 , 2002 ), Swinyard et al. ( 2001 ), Roberts and Clement ( 2007 ), Pieters ( 2013 ) and Segev et al. ( 2015 ). They are also in line with Srivastava et al.’s ( 2001 ) claim that motives for having money, not money per se, are important for well-being, and the findings of Garðarsdóttir et al. ( 2009 ) demonstrating that the belief that money and material possessions are essential in the quest for a happier self is a strong negative predictor of well-being. Though Garðarsdóttir et al. ( 2009 ) showed also that the desire for money and material goods to indicate personal success was a positive predictor of well-being.; the findings from the current studies are not consistent with this result—they showed that possession-defined success was a negative predictor of well-being.

The results obtained also confirmed the previous findings showing that materialism is connected with neuroticism and both types of narcissism—grandiose and vulnerable. Both types of narcissism correlated positively with materialism, but only grandiose narcissism was associated positively with well-being as revealed before (e.g. Miller and Campbell 2008 ; Sedikides et al. 2004 ; Rose 2002 ). Vulnerable narcissism generally had a destructive impact on various aspects of well-being, similar to the effect of neuroticism. This similarity is not surprising, because the two are correlated (r = .49; see also Wink 1991 ; Rose 2002 ) and there are overlapping features of both traits, such as anxiety, insecurity, inferiority, inadequacy, defensiveness, and negative affect (Miller et al. 2011 ; Rose 2002 ).

However the results obtained in the current research go far beyond these simple associations reported in previous studies. The novelty of this research resides in examining relations between all three phenomena. This issue was approached from two angles. First, the well-being of the two types of materialists identified previously by Górnik-Durose and Pilch ( 2016 )—the Mice and Peacocks—was compared. The Mice and Peacocks, when distinguished on the basis of neuroticism, differed significantly with regard to general well-being. As expected, the Peacocks (with the low neuroticism level) experienced a higher level of well-being than the Mice (with the high neuroticism level). The same was true when the Mice and Peacocks were differentiated by the level of grandiose narcissism. The Peacocks (with high grandiose narcissism) displayed higher well-being than the Mice (with low grandiose narcissism), but the differences were statistically significant only in one study.

The second approach involved testing for mediating effects of personality traits on the relationship between materialism and well-being. All the personality traits (i.e. neuroticism and grandiose and vulnerable narcissism) mediated the relationship between materialism and its two domains (i.e. the possession-defined happiness and the possession-defined success) and various aspects of well-being. The strongest mediator was neuroticism, which eliminated vulnerable narcissism from the equation, when they both were entered into the mediation model. Neuroticism and grandiose narcissism acted against each other, the former lowered life satisfaction and well-being, whereas the latter elevated them.

The current research revealed clearly that materialistic well-being is affected by personality-driven needs and goals. The reason for this might be—as suggested in the introductory section of this article—that materialism is merely a functional strategy applied in an attempt to solve various problems encountered by people with different personality traits.

Individuals with a high level of neuroticism (hyper-reactive, anxious, fearful and tense, with negative expectations, perceiving what happens to them in negative terms) have problems with finding effective ways of coping or they use them unsuccessfully (cf. Suls and Martin 2005 ). The concentration on material possessions as a source of comfort and security and the belief that this is the way to achieve happiness is an example of such an ineffective strategy. Unfortunately such a strategy is easily adopted, because the promise of finding happiness and comfort in material assets is wide-spread in the contemporary consumer culture and supported by its norms and standards (Kasser et al. 2003 ; Dittmar 2008 ).

Materialism as a misleading tactic of coping with fears, insecurity and self-doubt was described by Donnelly et al. ( 2016 ). The authors presented a theoretical model of materialism as a consumption-based strategy for escaping aversive self-awareness. The model assumes that materialists tend to fall short of standards, and they blame themselves for the shortfalls. These self-attributions of responsibility for failure create a focus on self which is aversive and induces distress and negative emotions resulting in cognitive deconstruction. Finally the cognitive deconstruction leads to impulsive and disinhibited behavior, e.g. excessive shopping and spending, which in turn lead to many psychological problems, including diminished well-being.

The core elements of this model, i.e. falling short of one’s own standards, self-blame, feeling of inadequacy, low self-esteem, maladaptive self-awareness and being prone to negative emotions, refer to core problems experienced by individuals with high level of neuroticism (cf. Suls and Martin 2005 ). Thus, it would be argued that the model refers mainly to one type of materialists, i.e. the Mice, and depicts how neuroticism incorporated in materialism impairs the ability to experience happiness and life satisfaction.

However, Donnelly et al. ( 2016 ) also describe materialists as people aiming at self-aggrandizement, highly concerned with their public image and viewing consumption as strategic image management, thus buying goods that are highly visible to others and symbolize high status. This brings to mind the narcissistic consumption pattern (Sedikides et al. 2007 ; Lee et al. 2013 ; Górnik-Durose and Pilch 2016 ). Campbell and Foster ( 2007 ) suggest that materialism is inherent in narcissism as one of the self–regulatory strategies to enhance self-worth. At the same time narcissists are not prone to self-blame, feeling of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and consequently aversive self-awareness, even if we accept that high self-esteem, demonstrated by narcissists, may be—as traditionally viewed—a “false mask” hiding their fragile self (e.g., Morf and Rhodewalt 2001 ). As chronic self-enhancers, narcissists need material goods more for self-promotion than self-protection (cf. Campbell and Foster 2007 ). This is a different strategy, used by the second type of materialists—the Peacocks.

The Peacocks’ materialism fits better into a different model, which was proposed by Shrum et al. ( 2013 ). The authors present materialism through its functions in the construction and maintenance of the individual identity. According to this model, materialism is a means for meeting or bolstering particular self-related needs, such as self-esteem, distinctiveness and efficacy. In addition—as the authors suggest—materialism understood in terms of an identity pursuit may result in a more positive self-view and even increase happiness and well-being. Therefore the self-oriented narcissistic materialists promoting themselves through the acquisition and possession of material goods have a chance to achieve a satisfactory level of well-being. Their strategy may be effective, because the “language” of material goods as convenient and easily accessible is socially approved and understandable within the consumer culture (Dittmar 2008 ).

Consequently, materialism in connection with neuroticism and narcissism seems to fulfill different functions. In the first case, materialism is a strategy aiming at protection, defense, safety and comfort. In the second it is a strategy aiming at promotion, assertion, self-presentation and self-affirmation. The first type of materialism is defensive and withdrawn, the second—offensive and ostentatious. The first is not successful, thus leads to disappointment and low well-being. The second uses appropriate—from the cultural point of view—means, thus may bring positive outcomes, also in relation to well-being.

4 Limitations of the Current Research and Directions for the Future Investigations

The results of the three studies are quite conclusive—personality does matter in the relationship between materialism and well-being. However the current studies have some limitations that should be overcome in future research. For instance, in the present studies only one approach to materialism was applied, according to which materialism is a value influencing the way people behave and make decisions (Richins and Dawson 1992 ; Richins 2004 ). Future research should consider other conceptualizations of this phenomenon. Would the concentration on extrinsic goals as a sign of materialism (cf. Kasser 2002 ) in connection with neuroticism and narcissism have similar effects on well-being? Other researchers also pointed out other mechanisms responsible for diminished well-being among materialists, such as a conflict between values, poor social relationships, perception of the fulfillment of material goals and need satisfaction (see Sect.  1.1 of this article). How strong would the mediating effects of narcissism and neuroticism remain alongside these factors?

There are also some methodological issues of the present studies. First of all the data were obtained via self-report. Personality constructs, values and attitudes are commonly measured in this way, thus the assumption was made that the respondents’ self-reports are an adequate indicator of their internal states and that the respondents are able to report them accurately. However usually self-report measures are overburdened with common method biases. In the present studies some design techniques, suggested by Podsakoff et al. ( 2003 ) were applied to minimize them. For instance, to reduce the potential for social desirability bias the procedure allowed the protection of respondents’ anonymity, to decrease evaluation apprehension the participants were reminded that there are no wrong answers, to reduce statement ambiguity well-established and valid measures were utilized. Also the unwanted measurement context effects, which would produce artefactual covariation, were minimalized by placing the statements relating to dependent, independent and mediating variables in a proper order. Nonetheless all these techniques can only minimalize, but not eliminate, the limitations of the self-report studies. Thus, experimental or longitudinal designs are needed to verify the preliminary findings presented in this article.

The next limitation of the present studies is connected with the nature of the research samples. All three studies were based on convenience samples (relatively small in the case of Study II), drawn from one metropolitan area (Upper Silesia in Poland). The participants were predominantly female, well-educated and relatively wealthy members of the middle-class (with the exception of students in Study I who reported having rather low financial resources). This raises the issue of generalizability. The future research should be conducted in larger, demographically varied, preferably representative, samples. Also the moderating role of the material standard of living of the participants, should be examined more closely, taking into consideration that results of previous research indicated that a poor standard of living has been connected with a higher level of materialism (cf. Ahuvia and Wong 2002 ; Kasser 2002 ) and neurotic materialists reported having a worse material situation than narcissistic materialists (Górnik-Durose and Pilch 2016 ). The cross-cultural approach would be also beneficial to verify the universality of the associations between personality, materialism and well-being.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my colleagues and students for their help in collecting data, especially Teresa Sikora, Agnieszka Pasztak-Opiłka, Ewa Wojtyna and Mikołaj Haczek from the Institute of Psychology, University of Silesia in Katowice, and Steve Durose for compiling the database for my research.

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Górnik-Durose, M.E. Materialism and Well-Being Revisited: The Impact of Personality. J Happiness Stud 21 , 305–326 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00089-8

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