TOEFL IBT Independent Writing, Television has taken away opportunities to communicate with friends and family. - revised -

Writing Topic

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has taken away opportunities to communicate with friends and family. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

☆Let’s think

Discuss the following.

1.      Give examples of opportunities of communication with friends and family.

2.      If television has reduced opportunities to communicate with friends and family, how can you prove it?

3.      What did families use to do in the evening or on holidays before television was invented?

4.      Do you agree or disagree with the statement of the writing topic?

☆Hints for Points

Agree

1.      When watching television, people communicate less than when they are not watching television, and the conversations are about television, not us, and some people might not call them communication.

2.      Television reduces time to do activities that involve communication. On holidays, many people spend most of the day watching television. Sports fans spend most of their free time watching live sports programs or sports news shows without a word.

3.      It is a duty to watch TV. You should know about popular programs and people to keep up with latest conversation topics. Thus, we are very often too busy following television to care about our folks.

4.      The spread of television sets may have separated people.

Disagree

1.      Television helps us (to) open up.

2.      Television supplies us with mutual interest.

3.      Some discussion might not be possible without information provided by television.

4.   It is not television but personal tendency that separates us. Communicative families talk with television on while a quiet family stays quiet with or without television.

☆Essay for Ideas and Expressions

If communication is to learn about each other and strengthen or change the relationship, doing it while staring at the TV screen may not be the best way. Considering people had less distraction before television started to prevail, I agree with the statement that television has taken away opportunities to communicate with friends and family.

Before television became popular, families would spend time communicating directly when they got together. They might have talked about their day or passed down the history, folk tales, morals and important information about the family and community. They might also have shared joy of life like watching together their youngest member starting to walk or talk. Being a powerful entertainment, watching television seems to have deprived us of time to do these things.

Television has reduced the quantity and quality of communication. Since it is fun to watch television, most of us become absorbed in it, and it is also difficult to talk to someone who is watching television. In addition, the communication over television will not become as meaningful as communication without television, in which each other’s whole being interacts. Doing something else such as washing the dishes together would make you feel more intimate than watching television together. Nevertheless, because of the ease, mannerism, and curiosity, we turn on the television. Some even use television to avoid communication. A busy mother may put her inquisitive child in front of television, or a son may pretend to be concentrating on a show so that his father cannot talk to him.

   The contents of television may not have connected people so much as they have isolated them. Unlike the old days when family members spent the evening reading the holy book or sharing folklore, individuals have their own interests to spend time on now. Many have a personal terminal, and the number of channels and programs are countless. This divides us. People feel they are more associated with those who share the same interest with them such as soccer fans than with their blood relatives. Although this may make them happy, they often lose touch with the people around them.

Television can help induce some communication. You could laugh together or pick up a conversation piece as you watch television. However, these interactions usually convey only simple messages like affection or agreement, or some basic information, which can be shared without the medium of television. When a lively conversation is going on over television, the topic is often related not to the conversation members but to the program. The exchange may provide some information about each other, but seldom does it trigger an in-depth exchange of thoughts and feelings. Rather, it makes people shut up and instill themselves with what is broadcast.

   When people seriously want to communicate with someone, they do not give a glimpse to the TV screen. However, television usually keeps their attention, makes them strangers to each other, and prevents them from strengthening their bonds. It now occupies our time and minds Therefore, I think that television has lessened chances to communicate with family and friends. Perhaps keeping eyes off the TV screen would help make better relationships.

☆Sample Essay Structures

Sample Essay Structure 1 

【Introduction】I agree with the statement that television has taken away opportunities to communicate with friends and family considering people had less distraction before.

【Point 1】Television has reduced time for communication.

【Point 2】The contents of television have isolated people.

【Counterargument-treatment】It is true that television can provide opportunities for communication, but usually the communication is not very meaningful.

【Conclusion】Television has lessened our communication because it now occupies our time and minds.  

Sample Essay Structure 2

【Introduction】I cannot totally agree with the opinion that television has taken away opportunities to communicate with friends and family because it is in itself a good medium for communication.

【Point for agreement】Evening and days-off are spent watching television.

【Point for disagreement 1】However, television can provide catalysts for communication. e.g. big news

【Point for disagreement 2】Also, television can be used to share information and ideas. e.g. election

【Conclusion】I think not television but the way television is used has prevented us from communicating with each other.

Your Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction】

【Point 1】

【Point 2】

【Point 3】

【Conclusion】

A Tip

Here is one idea of essay-writing procedure. You do not necessarily have to start with the introduction, proceed to the body, and make a conclusion. If you do not know the answer, you could begin with the body, make a conclusion, and then write the introduction which matches the conclusion. You could also do it in essence in the first five minutes of the writing. The diagram of the procedure is as follows. The signs and symbols in the diagram represent images of a variety of thoughts.

STEP 1  Working on the body making each point

【Point 1】#####

【Point 2】&&&

【Point 3】$$$$$@@

STEP 2  Making a conclusion

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】G!!!

STEP 3  Writing the introduction that matches the conclusion

【Introduction = Outline】G

The actual structure of the essay made up of the ideas above is as follows.

【Introduction = Outline】G

【Point 1】#####

【Point 2】&&&

【Point 3】$$$$$@@

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】G!!!