Cue Card Sample
An aspect of modern society that you dislike - Cue Card # 625
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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.
Describe an aspect of modern society that you dislike.
You should say:
- what it is
- why this is happening
- if this is an old issue
and explain why you dislike it.
[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
Model Answer 1:
It would not be an exaggeration to say that modern society is built by the young, is for the young, and doesn't give much consideration to the old citizens. This is an aspect of modern society that I abhor. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to talk about this issue.
No doubt, modern society is dynamic and has eliminated many old dogmas and created better opportunities for its members. But it is a disturbing development that old people are no longer treated with the respect they really deserve and this issue is widespread. It seems like modern society has taught us to evaluate the worth of people by their status, earthly possessions, productivity and physical strength. Thus many young people behave as if our senior members are liabilities, and this is a heinous aspect of modern society that I really dislike.
I cannot say for sure why the youth of the modern era has started possessing this mentality, but I can realise that the slack of the family bond has surely fueled it up. We are trying to run so fast to reach our dreams that we even forget our parents. Thus many unfortunate parents, in their old age, are being forced to live away in an old folks’ home. Many young, regrettably, don't bother to care for their parents, and they are not expected to respect their elders.
I can't be one hundred per cent sure if this is a fairly new development or a comparatively old one. One thing I am sure about is that the past century was different. No doubt, the term ‘generation gap’ had always been there but it doesn't mean older people used to be treated as a burden in the past.
The modern society is certainly not kind to the old generation and I have acute reasons to loathe it. I can clearly visualise the degradation of the young generation for their lack of respect for the old. This is just the beginning and if this trend continues, they will become more selfish. Power and wealth are not the pillars of development and I believe we should be grateful to our ancestors for everything they have done for us. And it is the time for the youth to repay and respect some of these contributions.
Sample Answer 2:
We just love living in our modern society which has gone "all-digital" in recent years. And why shouldn’t we? With so many LED screens, TVs, laptops, computers and smartphones around us the last thing, that perhaps ever crosses our minds, is that going “all-digital” just might not be in the best interest of our physical and mental health after all. Well, yes, we are talking about a rather important but recent phenomenon in our society which has consumed us for the most part by “forcing” us to spend way more time in front of digital screens.
This is happening primarily because digital technology has crept into our everyday lives and across all other activities in such a way that we just can’t seem to ignore our laptops or smartphones or stop interacting with them because of the kinds of information, we consume, daily. Research shows that in today’s world, the average adult consumes five times more information every day than their counterpart 50 years ago.
Another reason for this trend is “instant gratification” where we are trying to provide ourselves with some kind of “fake but easy way out” from our monotonous and tiring lives by constantly tweeting, texting, posting likes, sharing things, Googling, checking emails, or viewing messages on social media networks for no obvious reasons.
Needless to say, I don’t exactly like this rather unhealthy “trend” of spending too much time in front of our digital screens because of its negative impacts on our mental and physical health, especially when it comes to socializing with our families, relatives and friends. As a result, children are becoming less and less interested in making friends at their schools while parents are also becoming more and more distant from their children due to checking their smartphones and digital televisions like they just can’t get enough of it. In fact, going out to enjoy a lovely meal at a family restaurant or meeting friends to have a football match out in a field, instead of pushing the buttons of our smartphones and TV remotes, are becoming things of the past which certainly doesn’t augur well for our mental and physical health.
As a result, we are not only becoming more and more depressed and grumpy (sometimes, even violent) but also “obese” and “sleep-deprived”, let alone the dangers of “digital eye strains” due to staring at the digital screens for a long period of time. Anyway, our modern society has given us innumerable “benefits”, but it certainly helps to understand how much of those benefits we actually need.
Model Answer 3:
Thank you very much for this topic and the opportunity to talk about an important issue today. One aspect of modern society that I find particularly concerning is the prevalence of social media addiction among people, especially the younger generation. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat have become an integral part of daily life for many individuals, often leading to excessive usage and dependency.
This phenomenon is happening due to various factors. Firstly, social media platforms are designed to be addictive, with features like notifications, likes, comments, and shares triggering dopamine release in the brain, which creates a sense of pleasure and reinforcement. Additionally, the widespread availability of smartphones and internet connectivity has made it easier than ever to access social media anytime and anywhere.
While social media addiction is not a new issue, its impact has intensified in recent years with the rise of influencer culture, cyberbullying, and the spread of misinformation. Many individuals, particularly young people, spend countless hours scrolling through their feeds, comparing themselves to others, seeking validation through likes and comments, and often neglecting real-life relationships and responsibilities in the process.
I dislike this aspect of modern society because it has detrimental effects on mental health, productivity, and social interactions. Excessive use of social media has been linked to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and poor sleep quality. Moreover, it fosters a culture of comparison and unrealistic expectations, leading to feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction with one's life.
Furthermore, the constant bombardment of curated content and advertising on social media can distort people's perceptions of reality and perpetuate harmful stereotypes and beauty standards. It also contributes to the erosion of privacy and personal boundaries, as individuals willingly share intimate details of their lives in exchange for online validation.
I believe that while social media has its benefits in terms of connectivity and information sharing, its addictive nature and negative consequences on mental health and well-being are aspects of modern society that I find deeply troubling and worthy of addressing.
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