Some people believe that technological developments mainly improve our lives, while others argue that they mostly cause problems. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Stance: This essay will argue that, despite some genuine drawbacks, technology's overall effect on daily life is strongly positive, chiefly because of the convenience and access it provides.
This 6.5 version gives one example per viewpoint (banking apps/Grab vs. privacy and late-night messages) using plain connectors ('On one hand', 'On the other hand'), but the own-opinion paragraph offers only a brief, general justification rather than directly answering why the drawbacks don't outweigh the benefits.
Nowadays, technology has become part of almost every area of daily life, and people disagree about its effects. Some people think technology mostly makes life better, while others believe it mainly creates problems. This essay will discuss both views and then give my opinion, which is that the benefits of technology outweigh its problems.
On one hand, people who support technology say it makes daily tasks much easier and faster. For example, mobile banking apps let people pay bills or send money without going to a bank, and apps like Grab make it easy to travel around a busy city. Even older people have started using technology: many grandparents in Vietnam now order food online or watch livestream sellers instead of only going to the market. This shows that technology can save a lot of time for people of all ages.
On the other hand, some people argue that technology also causes serious problems. Apps often collect personal information, which can be a risk to privacy. Also, false news and information can spread quickly on social media like Facebook or Zalo, and this can be harmful. In addition, because people can be contacted anytime through their phones, many workers feel pressure to reply to messages even late at night, which can make them tired and stressed.
In my opinion, although these problems are real, they do not outweigh the advantages that technology brings. Most of these problems, such as privacy risks or stress from messages, happen because of how people use technology, not because technology itself is bad. With better rules and more education about safe technology use, these problems can be reduced.
In conclusion, technology does bring some new problems, such as privacy risks and stress, but its ability to save time and connect people means that its overall effect on our lives is more positive than negative.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will discuss both views and then give my opinion, which is that the benefits of technology outweigh its problems.” — Clearly previews the essay's structure and states the writer's opinion, satisfying task response though phrased simply.
- CC“On the other hand, some people argue that technology also causes serious problems.” — A basic but effective linker shifts the essay from the first viewpoint to the second.
- LR“save a lot of time for people of all ages” — A correct but fairly general phrase, lacking the more specific collocations used at higher bands (e.g. 'sheer convenience').
- GRA“because people can be contacted anytime through their phones, many workers feel pressure to reply to messages even late at night, which can make them tired and stressed” — A correct complex sentence with a reason clause and a relative clause, though less densely packed than higher-band syntax.
- TR“In my opinion, although these problems are real, they do not outweigh the advantages that technology brings.” — Gives a direct personal opinion as required, though the reasoning that follows is less developed than in higher bands.
This 7.0 version adds a touch more subordination (the relative clause on Vietnamese grandparents) and explains the reasoning behind the writer's opinion more explicitly than the 6.5 version, but it still treats each viewpoint with a single example rather than the 7.5 answer's added counterpoint acknowledgment and richer idiomatic phrasing.
The rapid spread of technology into daily life has led to strong disagreement: some people believe it mostly improves our lives, while others feel it mainly creates new problems. This essay will discuss both viewpoints before explaining why, in my opinion, technology's positive effects are ultimately greater than its negative ones.
Supporters of technology point to the convenience it brings to everyday tasks. Mobile banking apps, for instance, allow people to transfer money or pay bills within seconds instead of queuing at a branch, while ride-hailing apps such as Grab have made moving around a crowded city far simpler. What is particularly notable is how even older generations have adapted: many grandparents in Vietnam, who once relied only on trips to the local market, now order groceries through delivery apps or follow livestream sellers on social media. This suggests that technology has become deeply woven into daily routines across generations.
On the other hand, critics highlight some genuine drawbacks of this same connectivity. The vast amount of personal data collected by banking and shopping apps raises real concerns about privacy, while unverified advice shared through platforms like Zalo or Facebook can spread rapidly and sometimes cause real harm. There is also a less obvious cost: because smartphones keep people constantly reachable, many employees feel obliged to respond to work messages late into the evening, which can lead to stress and a lack of proper rest.
In my view, these drawbacks are genuine but do not outweigh technology's broader value. Most of the problems mentioned, such as privacy risks or the blurring of work and rest, stem from how technology is used rather than from any inherent flaw, and could largely be addressed through stronger platform regulation and greater digital awareness. Meanwhile, the gains in efficiency and access that technology provides remain difficult to replace.
In conclusion, although technology introduces new risks such as reduced privacy and digital fatigue, its ability to simplify daily tasks and connect people across distances means that its overall impact on our lives remains largely positive.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will discuss both viewpoints before explaining why, in my opinion, technology's positive effects are ultimately greater than its negative ones.” — Previews the structure and clearly states the final position, similar to the 7.5 answer but with slightly less polished phrasing.
- CC“On the other hand, critics highlight some genuine drawbacks of this same connectivity.” — 'This same connectivity' links back to the previous paragraph's idea while pivoting, showing improved cohesion over a bare 'Secondly'-style transition.
- LR“deeply woven into daily routines across generations” — An idiomatic phrase close to the 7.5 answer's own wording, showing growing lexical range though used slightly more simply.
- GRA“many grandparents in Vietnam, who once relied only on trips to the local market, now order groceries through delivery apps or follow livestream sellers on social media” — A non-defining relative clause embedded mid-sentence shows increased subordination compared to 6.5's simpler joining.
- TR“Most of the problems mentioned, such as privacy risks or the blurring of work and rest, stem from how technology is used rather than from any inherent flaw” — Directly explains the reasoning behind the opinion, a more developed justification than the 6.5 version's brief statement.
The 7.5 answer distinguishes itself with a vivid generational example (grandparents moving from the wet market to livestream shopping) and a dense complex sentence pairing a passive participial modifier with a 'with' absolute construction, giving both paragraphs a richness the 6.5 and 7.0 versions only partly reach.
The rapid spread of technology into nearly every corner of daily life has provoked sharp disagreement: some see it as an overwhelmingly positive force, while others regard it as a major source of new problems. This essay will consider both sides of the debate before explaining why, on balance, technology's benefits outweigh its costs.
Those who champion technological progress point first to the sheer convenience it has brought to routine tasks. Mobile banking apps now let people transfer money, pay bills, or top up a phone account in seconds rather than queuing at a branch, and ride-hailing platforms such as Grab have turned getting across a congested city into a matter of a few taps on a screen. Perhaps most striking is the shift among older users: many parents and grandparents who once relied exclusively on daily trips to the wet market now order fresh produce through grocery apps or follow livestream sellers on social media, arranging pickup at a nearby collection point. This generational adoption illustrates how thoroughly technology has woven itself into everyday routines, saving time that can be redirected toward work, family, or rest.
Critics, however, argue that this same connectivity carries a hidden cost. Data collected by banking and shopping apps raises legitimate concerns about privacy, while unverified investment tips and health advice can spread through Zalo and Facebook groups almost as quickly as reliable information, occasionally causing real financial or physical harm. There is also a subtler problem: the constant availability enabled by smartphones blurs the boundary between work and rest, with many employees expected to answer messages from managers or customers late into the evening. Over time, this always-on culture contributes to stress and a fatigue that no amount of convenience can fully offset.
In my view, these concerns are real but do not outweigh technology's broader contribution to daily life. The problems critics raise — privacy risks, misinformation, digital fatigue — are largely a matter of how technology is used rather than an inherent flaw in the technology itself, and they can be addressed through better platform regulation, digital literacy education, and simple personal discipline, such as setting boundaries around after-hours messages. Meanwhile, the gains in efficiency, access to services, and connection across distances are difficult to dismiss.
In conclusion, while technology undeniably introduces new risks such as privacy erosion and digital fatigue, its capacity to simplify everyday tasks and connect people across distances means that its overall impact on our lives remains firmly positive.
Collocations
Examiner Notes
- TR“This essay will consider both sides of the debate before explaining why, on balance, technology's benefits outweigh its costs.” — A clear thesis that previews the balanced structure and states the writer's eventual position.
- LR“turned getting across a congested city into a matter of a few taps on a screen” — A vivid, idiomatic phrase that conveys convenience far more naturally than a literal description would.
- CC“Critics, however, argue that this same connectivity carries a hidden cost.” — The discourse marker 'however' clearly pivots the essay from benefits to drawbacks, guiding the reader through the argument.
- GRA“the constant availability enabled by smartphones blurs the boundary between work and rest, with many employees expected to answer messages from managers or customers late into the evening” — A complex sentence combining a passive participial modifier with a 'with' absolute construction shows advanced grammatical range.
- TR“its overall impact on our lives remains firmly positive” — The conclusion firmly restates the writer's position, giving the essay a clear, sustained final answer to the question.