IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - dependent individual

Some people think that in the modern society individuals are becoming more dependent on each other，while others say that individuals are becoming more independent of each other. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

There is a school of thought which supports the contention that, in this day and age, people are more reliant on others. Their opponents insist on the fact that we are increasingly isolated. To my way of thinking, the former view carries more weight than the latter.

Admittedly, there is no shortage of reasons why residents are more independent in an era of information. Chief among these is the convenience brought by highly developed technologies. Facilitated by the mighty internet, dwellers could have a range of business done at their home such as on-line shopping or banking, thereby circumventing the need to interact with staffs in a real branch. At the same time, the ever-rising pressure resulted from the furious competition is another contributing factor of the current independence among individuals. Feeling exhausted after tedious work, most people would prefer to relax in their domicile by watching TV or sleeping instead of socializing with their colleges or neighbours.

Be that as it may, the reliance on others is no less important. This is nowhere more evident than the case of job hunting, as there is a shared convention that most vacant job positions are filled by friends’ recommendations rather than applications form the labour market. Probably every adult would have experienced one or more interviews either for a part-time or permanent job, and I am no stranger to it myself. Despite of the excellent academic performance at school, new graduates like me would painfully realise the importance of social networking after several failures. The embarrassing memory when I applied for Big four accounting firms still bitterly haunts me.

At the end of the day, despite arguments to the contrary, there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that striking up healthy friendships with others is imperative in these days. Were humans to be unaffected by their emotions, the view of independence would be more appealing to me.