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There Is a Wide Range of TV Programs, But Instead of Educational Programs, People Prefer to Watch Soap Operas or Serials - IELTS Essay

Updated: Apr 20


IELTS Task 2 Essay Band 9 Sample Essay based on the prompt "Nowadays there is a wide range of TV programs. But instead of watching educational programs, news or documentary films, more and more people prefer to watch TV shows, soap operas or serials. And this negatively affects knowledge acquisition skills."


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Model Essay 1

The surge in preference for entertainment shows over educational broadcasts on television, driven by a quest for leisure and captivating content, poses a challenge to knowledge enhancement. This essay argues that mitigating stress factors and enriching the appeal of educational content are crucial steps towards rebalancing viewers' preferences towards informative programming.


The prevailing shift towards entertainment TV, including shows, soap operas, and serials, over educational content is largely attributed to two primary causes. First, the demanding nature of modern work life, marked by long hours and significant stress, drives individuals to seek solace in the predictable comfort of light-hearted television programs. These offer a temporary reprieve from everyday pressures, as highlighted by a 2020 Global Stress Institute study, which found 75% of adults turn to entertainment TV to relax, underscoring a clear link between work-related stress and their entertainment choices. Second, the allure of entertainment TV lies in its emotionally resonant stories and high-quality production, which immerse viewers in captivating narratives of drama and fantasy. This sharply contrasts with educational programming, often perceived as less engaging due to its dry or complex nature.


To counter the growing preference for entertainment over educational TV, an essential two-pronged strategy is proposed. Firstly, by regulating work schedules to alleviate stress, individuals might be encouraged to diversify their leisure pursuits, potentially heightening their interest in educational content. Secondly, enhancing educational programming with compelling narratives and visually appealing elements could greatly increase its appeal. This multifaceted strategy aims not only to enrich viewers' leisure time with informative content but also to significantly boost their willingness and capacity for knowledge acquisition, fostering a more informed and intellectually curious audience.


In conclusion, reversing the prevailing preference for entertainment over educational television necessitates addressing the root causes of this trend. Through strategic changes in both work culture and the presentation of educational content, we can cultivate a society that values knowledge and learning as much as it cherishes entertainment.


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Model Essay 2

Some television programmes are preferred by society much more than others. People tend to follow entertainments, which have a detrimental effect on people’s learning abilities, such as TV shows, soap operas or serials rather than informative programmes. Stress and content can be reasons for this tendency. Educational ones can be desired by a wider audience as improving individuals’ psychological state the quality of educational broadcasts.


With regards to causes, stress can be a key factor to follow amusing programmes. People are working long hours and they suffer from intensive and exhausting working conditions these days. So, entertainment can be seen as the best way to get rid of stress as they make the members of societies laugh and humans can easily forget their problems while watching TV shows or soap operas. An effective solution can be to regulate work schedules. As a result, individuals can find other ways to feel relaxed, namely family gatherings or weekend tours, and they can be eager to discover new things in their leisure time.


The main reason for the preference of TV shows and soap operas can be their content. To be more precise, these programmes have much more gorgeous and emotional scenes. Consequently, humans may catch common feelings while watching them. If educational ones consist of more sensitive components such as warm relationships between animals, the harmony of nature and populist information, they can be selected much more. For instance, individuals do not like to read an entirely theoretical book because of its complexity. On the other hand, the number of people who are interested in popular science is increasing day by day with the help of popular science books.


In conclusion, although informative TV programmes have been preferred much more than TV shows, soap operas and serials, it is crucial to consider this tendency’s reasons and make some solutions. People’s mental health and TV shows’ content can be causes of this demand. Some arrangements in work conditions and improvements related to educational ones can be effective methods to address this issue.


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