Essay 32 (Dependence or Independence)

IELTS Exam March 2011

Some people think that in the modern world we have become more dependent on each other, while others think that people are now more independent.  

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

In personal, social and professional life people today have become more independent due to a number of reasons.  However, there is an opposing view that modern lifestyles have forced people to become more dependent on each other.  Both perspectives are analysed in this essay.

Firstly, a major reason for people being more independent today is the financial freedom they enjoy, especially by the young people.  For instance, more and more young people do part time jobs during their studies and many of them are employed immediately after their secondary education.  This gives them greater self-reliance as they need not depend on their parents for their economic needs. 

Secondly, the disintegration of traditional family systems and values has made people much more independent as compared to the past.  An ideal example would be the disappearance of joint family system in many parts of India, where younger members had to obey the head of the family in their personal, career or economic matters.

Finally, emergence of technology has also given a great deal of freedom to people to perform many activities without depending on others.  For example, computerisation of offices, Bank ATMs, online commerce and modern household appliances have reduced the dependence of people on others. 

On the other hand, there are others who hold the view that dependence on others has become more prominent in modern life.  They cite the example of modern work places where team work and coordination among various departments play vital role in the success of any particular business.  Even in scientific developments group activity is more crucial than individual achievements.  Moreover, since technology has influenced most human activities people need to depend on specialist technicians in each area to sort out issues in their everyday life.

After analysing both points of view in detail, I would consider that people have become more dependent on others in greater number activities, despite the freedom they enjoy in certain areas.

(While considering both the perspectives, I am convinced that people today have greater independence, in spite of their dependence on others in certain areas)

In summary, while people have become independent in some aspects, dependence on others have increased in many areas of modern life

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