Ielts Writing Essay Max Score 9.0 - Media - Topic 5: Children - watch TV or not?

Question 5: Watching TV is a waste of time for children. Do you agree or disagree?

It is easily noticeable that the TV has become a popular device in most households in the modern age. Watching TV is claimed by many to have an adverse influence on children. While I believe it does take some time off from a child's daily hours, the TV provides enormous benefits.  

It is fair to say that watching TV is time-consuming. Instead of learning, a large majority of children spend time sitting on their favorite sofas, tuning into their favorite TV channels, fixing their eyes on the screen for hours on end. If this becomes a habit, children might eventually neglect their study all together, and their school performance is affected. 

However, not all TV content is worthless: there are programs that offer educational and entertainment values to children. A wide variety of TV channels provide lessons on such subjects as math, biology, geography, and English, which children can watch and learn from. The BBC, the Discovery channel, and National Geographic are the best examples. In addition to this educational boost, the TV has various relaxing programs for children to unwind after hard-working days. Cartoons on Cartoon Network or other animated movie channels are designed especially for children, and without these, childhood would be a miserable time of boredom. 

All things considered, it is fair to say that the TV, like a coin, has two sides. The important thing to bear in mind is the balance between TV time and study time, which can only be achieved when parents take a proactive role in guiding their children.