IELTS 17: Writing Part II

In the contemporary age, digital devices are ubiquitous with all ages of life alike, whether they are smartphones, personal computers and now even smart automobiles. Children are commonly exposed to these things on an hourly basis, especially with the smartphone. Some experts believe the longtime exposure may hinder a child’s development whilst others disagree. This essay will explore both the positive and negative effects the exposure of smartphones have on child development before presenting a reasoned conclusion.
As us humanity had encountered and passed though the monsoon of the Covid-19 pandemic, many observed that it may had affected the young of this era to the smartphone more than genuine human to human social interaction. However, it could be observed that common use of these devices existed prior to the pandemic. Teens in the 2000s had used their phones to a prominent degree because they give them a social circle of their own with little to no influence of the real-world worries such as chores. As the year goes by, the minors who are exposed to these media have become younger and younger, hereinto bringing us to our current situation.
In my view, while there are some merits to be granted to the positive side of children spending hours and hours on end with the smartphone, the negative side is often more prominently seen by society at large. With the development of what many call “TikTok kids”, children who are exposed to the social media app TikTok on the phones for many an hour each day, these kids’ mental age, to many, have seen not to match their actual age. Some of these kids’ groundworks are built around “Skibidi Toilet” a horrifying man head sitting in a loo singing the earworm, hence the name. Some researches have even shown that these children are not able to perform Mathematics and English their age. Surely, these approaches for childcare cannot be good for the child.
In conclusion, the exposure of smartphone to children should be limited within reasonable amount of time per day. Parents should also be concerned of what their children are watching or consuming online for not only these children may be harmed but our future as humanity could be at stake.

-CS
3/24/2024