GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 92
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people believe that violence on television and in computer games has a damaging effect on society. Others, however, deny that these factors have any significant influence on people’s behaviour.
What is your opinion on that issue?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model Answer:
Violence on television programmes and in computer games is at the forefront of national debates. Many people believe that it has severe negative impacts on society, whereas others refute the notion. However, I believe that frenzy on TV and digital games adversely affects our society as it develops desensitized culture.
To commence with, exposure to violent TV shows can have crippling effects on society. People who consume lots of violent shows become less sympathetic towards victims of violence. The reason why people may become too tolerant towards violence and less apathetic about victims is that they become desensitized to violence over time. A recent study has discovered that after consuming a lot of violent TV shows, many people have lower blood pressure and heart rate in response to real depictions of violent events. In addition to this, violent shows also provoke aggressive thoughts. Thus, these vehement shows disrupt the harmony in our society.
Likewise, violent computer games have severe negative effects as well, especially on youngsters. While watching violence on TV programs is a passive activity, playing a frantic computer game is active, and hence is often more dangerous. Players actively dictate the narrative and make decisions in order to control the situation. Thus, it is essentially a virtual reality that people are immersed in a situation with a set of conditions that they are asked by the gameplay. For instance, people in a digital game, where they have devastating and powerful weapons, and kill enemies before the enemies kill them, get better conducting violence in a digital world and often mimic this in the real world. Thus, computer games desensitize people to violence even more.
In conclusion, violence on TV and in computer games has negative effects on people’s behaviour. Not only does violence desensitize people, but also leads to aggressive behaviour.