Recent IELTS Writing Actual Test : 03.2023
Advertising influence people to buy things such as clothes and shoes.
What are the problems caused by that?
What solutions should be given?
Sample Answer
A majority of people are prompted by advertising to purchase all kinds of consumer goods. This essay will discuss the issues associated with this and propose several solutions to avoid these unwanted outcomes.
An obvious problem of buying products through advertisements is the uncertainty over the quality of the purchased items, ranging from fake, faulty, or low-quality products to even hazards. So-called ‘hand products’ such as cosmetics and medicine, imported into a country by individuals via airways, are usually claimed on social media as standardized or approved when their quality has, in fact, yet to be inspected by the authorities. Another consequence stemming from advertising-based purchases is debt. Thousands of people, especially young workers, in major cities struggle to refrain from buying fashion products or electronic devices, despite their unaffordable prices.
One approach to preventing these consequences is to select only official and prestigious suppliers. Thus, one can avoid spending huge sums only to receive low-quality or hazardous products. One more recommendable solution is the ‘50/30/20 proportion,’ in which no more than 30% of one’s monthly income should be allocated for pastimes, including entertainment, traveling, and shopping, with the surplus (20%) converted into savings after essential expenditures (50%). Ultimately, individuals should desist as much as possible from surfing social media, well-known as a major channel for advertising. Now that one is aware of the influence these platforms exert on consumer behaviors, one should instead spend their leisure time doing physical activities or reading books.
In conclusion, buying consumer products through advertising can cause quality-related issues of varying seriousness as well as significant money losses. To tackle these problems, individuals should make sure they are selective about suppliers, employ a reasonable spending scale, and finally, minimize using social media.
290 words – Band 8.0
