Band 9 model answer
Few developments have reshaped social life as profoundly as instant digital communication. Opinion is divided on whether these tools have strengthened human bonds or quietly weakened them. This essay will consider both arguments before presenting my own assessment.
Optimists point to the unprecedented connection that technology affords. Messaging apps and video calls allow families separated by oceans to share daily moments, while social networks help people rediscover old friends and find communities built around shared interests. For the isolated, the elderly or the housebound, such contact can be a lifeline that meaningfully enriches their relationships.
Critics, however, contend that digital interaction frequently displaces deeper engagement. Constant notifications fragment attention, so that couples and friends sit together yet remain absorbed in separate screens. Online exchanges, stripped of tone and body language, can breed misunderstanding, and the curated perfection of social feeds often fosters envy rather than intimacy. By this reasoning, quantity of contact has come at the expense of quality.
Weighing these arguments, I believe technology is neither inherently beneficial nor harmful; its effect depends on how it is used. When it supplements face-to-face contact and bridges genuine distance, it strengthens relationships admirably. When it substitutes for presence and attention, it erodes them. The challenge, then, is to wield these tools deliberately, ensuring that convenience never displaces real human warmth.
Examiner’s notes
- Task Response: both views are explored thoroughly and the writer's nuanced opinion ('depends on how it is used') is clearly stated and justified, fulfilling the discussion task.
- Coherence and Cohesion: viewpoint markers 'Optimists point to', 'Critics, however' and 'Weighing these arguments' frame the debate and transition smoothly into the writer's verdict.
- Lexical Resource: evocative collocations including 'fragment attention', 'curated perfection' and 'displaces deeper engagement' reflect a rich and precise vocabulary.