My essay at Band 8

Writing Task 2

Some people fear that technology is gradually taking over control of our lives, while others think that it has led to many positive developments in all aspects of their lives.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

My Essay (Evaluated at Band 8): 317 words without any mistakes

Although technology has brought many benefits to our lives, it has some drawbacks like entering into people’s privacy which has become a cause for  concern for some people.

It is true that due to advances in technology, our privacy is increasingly violated with our personal details being constantly exposed in public. Take for example cameras which are found in the UK on the streets, in shops or in different premises. These devices working around the clock record pictures of all individuals passing in their visual field and they can be watched at any time for various purposes. This seems to be offensive to some people who fear that their pictures may be used in some unacceptable practices. Furthermore, most supermarkets like Sainsbury’s provide loyalty cards to their customers offering them discounts according to points they gain when they purchase goods. As these cards contain customers’ personal details, shops know what people consume therefore they can continuously control our lives.

However, besides these drawbacks there are numerous advantages resulting from technology in various aspects of the life, namely in education, banking, security or employment. For example these cameras found at the corner of the streets are used to tackle criminality. Once a crime is committed in an area, images are analysed by police to find the offender. Regarding communication for example, the internet has transformed the world into a small village. A person from Congo living in the UK can exchange with their family e-mails, photos or videos, they can even chat what was not possible some decades ago.

To sum up, I think that despite some violations of our privacy which are unavoidable, the advantages of technology are still greater. Therefore its utilisations should be encouraged but the authorities in charge of the community should protect people’s privacy as much as possible and personal details or their images should only be disclosed in case of crime investigations.

AVANDI