IELTS Writing Task 2 prompt
Some people say that social media has brought people closer together, while others argue that it has made people more isolated. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Source practice test: IELTS Writing Test 9
Band 9 model answer
Expert-level response
Social media has undeniably transformed how people interact, and opinion is divided on whether this shift has strengthened human bonds or eroded them. This essay will examine both perspectives before concluding that the technology itself is neutral; its effect on relationships depends largely on how it is used.
Those who view social media as a unifying force point to its ability to collapse geographical distance. Migrants can maintain daily contact with family overseas through video calls and messaging apps, while old classmates scattered across continents can reconnect instantly via shared groups or timelines. Platforms also allow niche communities, such as patients with rare illnesses or hobbyists with unusual interests, to find one another when no local equivalent exists. In this sense, social media functions as a bridge, sustaining relationships that distance would otherwise weaken and creating new ones that geography would have made impossible.
Critics, however, argue that these same platforms cultivate a superficial substitute for genuine connection, leaving users more isolated despite being constantly online. Scrolling through curated feeds can replace face-to-face conversation, and the dopamine-driven design of many apps encourages passive consumption rather than meaningful exchange. Research linking heavy social media use to loneliness and anxiety suggests that quantity of contact does not equate to quality; a person may accumulate hundreds of online acquaintances while lacking anyone to confide in during a genuine crisis. Excessive screen time can also displace the unstructured, in-person interactions, such as family meals or spontaneous visits, through which deeper trust is traditionally built.
In my view, the decisive factor is intention rather than the technology itself. When social media supplements existing relationships, prompting a phone call or an in-person meeting, it enriches social life considerably. When it becomes a substitute for effort, offering the illusion of connection without its substance, isolation follows. Consequently, individuals and families should consciously set boundaries, using these platforms as a tool to arrange and deepen real contact rather than as a replacement for it.
Why this meets Band 9
- Task Response: Both views are explored in genuine depth with specific, relevant examples (migrant families, niche communities, dopamine-driven design) and a clear, well-justified personal position is maintained throughout.
- Coherence and Cohesion: Paragraphs are built around one central idea each, with sophisticated linking (in this sense, however, consequently) that guides the reader without relying on mechanical connectors.
- Lexical Resource: Precise, topic-specific vocabulary is used naturally, including collapse geographical distance, curated feeds, dopamine-driven design and unstructured in-person interactions, with no repetition of basic terms.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: A wide range of complex structures, including subordinate clauses, conditional forms and passive constructions, is used with full control and no errors that disrupt meaning.
Band 6 sample answer
Competent but limited response
Nowadays, social media is a very big part of many people's lives. Some people think it brings people closer, but other people think it makes people more alone. In this essay, I will discuss both sides and then give my opinion.
Firstly, social media can help people to stay connected. For example, if someone moves to another country for work or study, they can still talk to their family and friends every day through apps like Facebook or WhatsApp. This was not possible in the past when people had to write letters, which took a long time to arrive. Also, people can find old friends from school that they lost contact with, and this makes them feel happy and connected again. So in this way, social media really does bring people together, even when they are far away.
On the other hand, many people believe that social media makes people more isolated. This is because people spend so much time looking at their phones that they do not talk to the people who are actually around them, like their family at the dinner table. In addition, some people compare their lives to other people's lives on social media, which can make them feel sad and lonely, even though they have hundreds of online friends. Some studies also show that young people who use social media a lot feel more depressed and alone than before, because they are not meeting people face to face anymore.
In conclusion, I believe that social media can be good or bad depending on how it is used. If people use it to arrange to meet friends in real life, it is helpful. But if they use it instead of meeting people, it can make them feel more isolated. Therefore, I think people should try to use social media in a balanced way and not depend on it too much for their relationships.
Why this sits around Band 6
- Task Response: Both views are addressed and a position is given, but the ideas stay at a general level with only one or two examples per side, so the development is thinner than at higher bands.
- Coherence and Cohesion: Linking relies on mechanical, list-like connectors such as Firstly, On the other hand and In conclusion, and paragraphs sometimes restate the same point rather than building on it.
- Lexical Resource: Vocabulary is adequate but repetitive, with words like connected, alone and isolated reused frequently instead of varied with synonyms or more precise expressions.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Sentences are mostly simple or compound, joined with and, but and so; there are minor errors (feel more isolated than before referring vaguely) and little use of complex conditional or subordinate structures.
Do I need to give equal space to both views before stating my opinion in this type of essay?
Yes, discuss both views questions require you to develop each side with roughly similar depth, usually one body paragraph per view, before or while giving your opinion. You can still state your own position clearly in the introduction and conclusion, and even let it show in how you frame the body paragraphs, but avoid dismissing either view too quickly or the response will look one-sided and lose marks for Task Response.