TOEFL® essay: How do movies or TV affect people?

[Vuralorion]

Hi all. Here is my last essay. Evaluation is needed. Thanks

How do movies or TV affect people?

Do technology and its consequences have either good or bad effect on people? It is a highly debated topic whether technological advances improve human life or they harm people and societies. The discussion on movies and television is in the same manner. Some people support watching movies or television because of their remarkable contributions whereas other think that they just damage human life and they may mislead people toward interests of certain groups.

The primary advantage of watching television or movies is that they serve as a source of knowledge. People may obtain information on what they were not familiar with before. For example, by watching a movie produced in Brazil, we may gain useful information and knowledge on lifestyle and cultural values of Brazilian people. In addition, television may be seen as a way of rapid and cheap access to entertainment and information. While you watch comedy shows and other kind of programmes and movies on television, you pay relatively little amount of money and time.

While television and movies offer noticeable advantages, they may suffer some important drawbacks. First, when watching television becomes an addiction and people begin to devote very large amount of time for watching it, they tend to desocialize and isolate themselves from the rest of the society. The other important disadvantage is that television is an effective tool on generating prejudices and wrong views on people about countries, people, religion or any other issue. For instance, my native country, Turkey, has been suffering from prejudices and wrong impressions brought by a movie called Midnight Express.

Finally, television or movies have useful advantages that improve human life and communities. On the other hand they bring some marked handicaps when they are used by bad hands and people devote an unreasonable time to watch them.

TOEFL listening discussions: A conversation between a student and a university advisor

[Alan]

Hi,

Do technology and its consequences have either good or bad effectS on people? It is a highly debated topic whether technological advances improve human life or WHETHER they harm people and societies. The discussion on movies and television is in the same manner. Some people support watching movies or television because of their remarkable contributions whereas otherS think that they just damage human life and they may mislead people towardS interests of certain groups.

The primary advantage of watching television or movies is that they serve as a source of knowledge. People may obtain information ABOUT what they were not familiar with before. For example, by watching a movie produced in Brazil, we may gain useful information and knowledge oF THE lifestyle and cultural values of Brazilian people. In addition, television may be seen as a way of rapid and cheap access to entertainment and information. While you watch comedy shows and other kindS of programmes and movies on television, IT COSTS YOU relatively little IN money and time.

While television and movies offer noticeable advantages, they may suffer some important drawbacks. First, when watching television becomes an addiction and people begin to devote A very large amount of time watching it, they tend to desocialize and isolate themselves from the rest of society. The other important disadvantage is that television is an effective tool FOR generating prejudices and wrong views on people about countries, people, religion or any other issue. For instance, my native country, Turkey, has been suffering from prejudices and wrong impressions brought by a movie called Midnight Express.

Finally, television or movies have useful advantages that improve human life and communities. On the other hand they bring some marked handicaps when they are IN bad hands and people devote an unreasonable time watchING them.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple