Culture & SocietyDiscuss Both ViewsIntermediateHigh Frequency

IELTS Essay: Dependent and Independent Individuals

Prompt

Some people think that individuals today are more dependent on each other. Others believe people have become more independent. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

#interdependence#individualism#social structures#technology and connection#modern society#human relationships

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Band 7 → 9 — Band 7 presents both sides (we're dependent on systems vs. we're independent through technology); Band 9 deconstructs the premise, showing that both can be true simultaneously—people are more interdependent on global economic and technological systems while being more independent from local communities and family networks, representing a shift in the nature rather than quantity of dependence.

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Key concepts in this essay

economic interdependence
social fragmentation
institutional dependence
technology and autonomy
scope of analysis

Pitfalls the model essay avoids

Conflating 'interdependence' with dependence on institutions (healthcare, food systems) vs. interpersonal dependence (relying on friends, family)
Using technology access (smartphones, internet) as evidence of independence without examining whether it increases or decreases reliance on systems and corporations
Ignoring that different population segments experience opposite trends (wealthy individuals may be more independent while marginalized groups become more interdependent)

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