Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships – IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay

Nehasri Ravishenbagam

9 min read

Updated On Nov 14, 2025

By attempting the IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay, ‘Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships ’, learn the brainstorming questions to ideate, create a structure breakdown, and analyze sample answers.

Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships – IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay

Brainstorming Questions for the IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay, ‘Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships’
Structure Breakdown for the IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay, ‘Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships’
Sample Answer on ‘Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships ’
Band 9 Sample Answer on ‘Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships ’

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The IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay, ‘Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships’, gives you an opportunity to assess your skills in presenting a clear opinion along with logical arrangement of ideas as well as vocabulary and grammatical accuracy. This will help you practice creating balanced arguments and also get familiar with the different perspectives of modern living when it comes to articulating complex ideas. By looking into the sample answers, you can sharpen your critical thinking skills, justify your opinion with valid reasons, and apply advanced vocabulary as well. With consistent practice, you will be able to understand the essay type, its specific structure, and take a step towards achieving a desired band score in the IELTS Writing section.

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Brainstorming ideas is the first step before writing an IELTS Writing Task 2 essay because it is important to look at the topic from different perspectives. As you question yourself, your essay will become well-organized, coherent, and rich in lexical variety. Remember that once you create an outline, it becomes easier for you to write on point which will also refrain you from writing anything away from the topic. The table below suggests a few questions which will provide you with a direction to find answers to the questions related to the topic ‘Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships’.

Guiding Questions	Strategy
1. What does the topic mean?	It is necessary to clarify the key terms and main issue before planning. The statement should be taken apart into smaller ideas to get a full understanding of what it is asking.
2. What is the question asking me to do?	The first step is to identify the essay type. The next thing is to rephrase the prompt in your own words to make sure you have understood it completely.
3. What is my opinion or position?	It is better to take a clear stance early on to be consistent throughout the essay. Either you fully agree or completely disagree and that is the viewpoint you are going to stick with.
4. Why is this issue happening?	Think of the main reasons behind the problem. Concentrate on realistic causes that are eventually going to be developed into strong arguments.
5. What effects does it have on people or society?	Focus on the specific areas of life. Critically analyse the emotional, social, and psychological impacts which will create a foundation for your ideas.
6. What examples or evidence could support my ideas?	Facts, general observations, or logical reasoning can be used as support for your ideas. For each main idea, plan one example or supporting detail to make your argument convincing.
7. What vocabulary can I use for this topic?	It would be best to prepare topic-specific and academic vocabulary beforehand. Make a list of synonyms, collocations, and formal phrases to enhance your lexical range.
8. What is the best way to organize my thoughts?	First, put points in a way that makes sense so that there is no confusion. Then, divide the ideas into specific categories, like causes, effects, and solutions.
9. What is the best way to conclude an essay?	Restate your position in a powerful closing statement. Mention the main points and draw the wider implication of your essay.

Question - IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay, ‘Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships’

You should spend 40 minutes on this task.

Many people think modern communication technology is having some negative effects on social relationships. Do you agree or disagree?

You should write at least 250 words.

Knowing the structure is a vital part of answering an IELTS Writing Task 2 essay question. With a well-structured outline, you can score a higher IELTS Band Score because it gives a clear understanding, coherent linking of ideas and balanced development of arguments. The following is the structure for the Argumentative Essay on the topic 'Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships’.

Essay Type

Argumentative Essay [Agree / Disagree Essay]

Introduction

Paraphrase the topic of the essay (The impacts of digital communication on human relationships have long been a topic of controversy).
Give an insight into your viewpoint (From my perspective, modern means of communication may sabotage one’s relationships with other people).

Body

Paragraph 1- Mention the first reason related to the opinion + justify the same + include example.
Paragraph 2- Mention the second reason related to the opinion + justify the same + include example.

Conclusion

Conclude the topic by summing up your views and the extract of the essay.

Curious to know How to write IELTS Agree-Disagree Essay in 10 Minutes? Look at the video below!

The impacts of digital communication on human relationships have long been a topic of controversy. From my perspective, modern means of communication may sabotage one’s relationships with other people. Therefore, I completely agree with the notion that such technological advancement would affect an individual’s communication in real life.

To start with, mobile phones were originally designed to provide people with instant access to telecommunication which has become indispensable for most people in modern society. Nowadays, various features such as built-in cameras and interactive games have been added to the mobile phone, making it multifunctional and thus even more popular. However, the omnipresence of mobile phones or digital communication tools often interferes with the bonding time that people share. For instance, people use mobile phones for work purposes or business calls while having smooth and uninterrupted conversations with other people. However, they may be unaware that relationships are at risk of eroding when people spend less quality time with each other.

In addition to that, people use mobile phones to play games where they have the constant urge to complete game missions which might disengage them from social gatherings. To elaborate it further, they also use mobile phones mainly for virtual social networks, and notifications and messages from these sites which prevent them from having intimate conversations with their loved ones. For example, many teenagers sacrifice real-life socialising time for mobile game playing time while there are cases of partners who have grown overly attached to social network applications on mobile phones where they find it hard to maintain a sense of intimacy. In the long term, this would be likely to cause friends to drift apart.

In conclusion, the constant distraction of modern communication devices such as mobile phones may cause the breakdown of numerous social relationships.

Vocabulary for Sample Answer on ‘Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships’

Sabotage - To intentionally inflict harm, ruin or make situation worse

Eg: His coworkers attempted to sabotage his work by circulating gossip in the office.

Indispensable - Necessary

Eg: No one living organism can exist without water as it is an indispensable resource.

Omnipresence - A phenomenon of being everywhere at once

Eg: The omnipresence of social media ads has a strong influence on consumers’ buying habits.

Erode - To weaken something slowly

Eg: More than one hour a day spent on social media may completely erode the ability to talk face-to-face with others.

Disengage - To become separate regarding participation

Eg: Some students’ heavy reliance on technology in their learning leads them to disengage from teacher-guided discussions.

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The era of technology emerged due to which life has changed dramatically. Today, where every second thing is being operated by digital contrivances, some ill effects have come floating by as well. Generally, people put forth that the current digital scenario and communication devices and interfaces particularly have impeded and halted conventional interactions. I agree with this notion and shall be illustrating the same in the forthcoming paragraphs.

It is an inevitable truth that digitization has made arduous lives extremely cosy and that it is nearly an ineluctable tangent that people are on today. However, the impact it has had on social relationships are undeniably true. Family gatherings, outings, and various other aspects of live communication have been trampled upon with the uprising of online social networks. This is because one to one discussion has been displaced by social media while the family time has been subjugated by facetime and webcams. Therefore, mobile phones have been the major disruptive cause in evicting out of verbal communication.

Secondly, people, while being there in an online medium and e-communication transmission, tend to mask their realities to a larger level where it is hard to discern what one person is gravely going through behind the lenses. Moreover, a sense of harmony and connectedness has been deeply lacerated as one can’t get through the emotional streamline of others. Due to this, the communication gaps, misconstruction, misconception, and misunderstandings have been preponderant and therefore, the relations have turned rancorous. For instance, situations wherein individuals, who are usually in conflict, manage to laugh and even get rid of their grudges after realizing how insignificant the matter was, which could have been kept unsaid, if the communication took place in an offline environment. Thus, even though online communication tools are the need of the hour, the way it has completely destroyed the lines of personal communication with a tinge of conversing effectively is indisputably true as well.

In conclusion, the layer of social harmony and personal belongingness has indeed been excruciated by the pillars and towers of online networking, where people communicate only when they are extremely in need of, thereby making them recluse and secluded.

Vocabulary for Band 9 Sample Answer on ‘Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships’

Contrivance - A device used for a specific purpose

Eg: The washing machine was a contrivance that made house chores easier.

Impeded - Stopped something from moving forward easily

Eg: The heavy traffic impeded our way and made us late for the meeting.

Arduous - Something that takes a lot of effort

Eg: To reach the top of the mountain was an arduous and tiring experience.

Ineluctable - Something which cannot be avoided

Eg: In a world where technological changes are very rapid, it is ineluctable that change occurs.

Subjugated - Domination

Eg: The emperors of the powerful states often used the political advantages of the weaker nations by subjugating them.

Lacerated - Wounded or severely damaged

Eg: Her self-esteem took a big lacerated blow after being the target of constant online criticism.

Rancorous - Becoming bitter and holding grudges

Eg: Conflict that was not resolved for months can turn a relationship into a rancorous one.

Recluse - Avoiding social contact

Eg: The novelist had the life of a recluse, keeping himself away from the public and not participating in any social activities.

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Getting familiar with different types of essays will help you learn the specific planning techniques and succeed in the IELTS Exam. When writing your essay, try to improve the variety of sentences, the logic of the argument, and the reasons which you are presenting. Make sure that every time you attempt to answer an essay question, you must focus on identifying and improving your weaknesses in terms of vocabulary, grammar, or idea development. With this approach, your skills will be developed and you will achieve a band 8+.

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Modern Communication Technology Has Negative Effects on Social Relationships – IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay

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