More and more parents are allowing their children to play on computers and tablets as they think that children should learn technology skills. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

Computers and other personal electronic devices became deeply integrated into our lives, including lives of our children, who spend more time playing computer games then ever before. While some parents believe this helps with children development, this essay finds that disadvantages such as sedentiary lifestyle and health problems far outweigh the advantages.

It is undoubtful that modern world brings new challenges and many parents want to prepare their kids for an adult life. Learning new skills and technology through computer games seems to be an easy and fun way to learn new concepts, especially when parents are busy with their everyday activities. Learning through gaming is quite attractive and a no-brainer way to motivate children in their study. For example, when I was a kid, I had to learn English to play computer games as there were no localized versions of games I was playing. Despite this I still believe that spending too much time with computers discourages children from maintaining their physycal health.

Computers and computer games specifically are one of the main reasons for the sedentiary lifestyle epidemia. When kids spend all their free time with electronic devices, they stop going out; children in developed countries just do not play on the streets anymore. This in turn causes major health problems such as obesity and even decrease in cognitive abilities due to the lack of oxygen to fuel young brains. According to the World Health Organization, obesity is becoming the plague of the 21st century. Thus, negative consequences related to computer games overconsumption significantly outweigh its benefits.

In conclusion, parents might rely on computers to boost development of new skills in their children, but they should keep in mind that there is a huge potential risk for their children’s health, which far outweighs the benefits and thus should be limited.

by Dmitrii Lobanov

 

It is often considered that change is more beneficial to people than trying to avoid it and have everything remain the same. Do you think the advantages of change outweigh the disadvantages?

It is considered by some that adjustment is better than remaining stable. This essay will argue that despite remaining consistent brings stability to our life, the benefit of progress, which enhances standard of living, outweighs any disadvantages.

Continuing to be the same means living in the comfort zone which limits anxiety. New experiences can cause negative effect on mental health, while remaining steady enables to perform tasks completed repeatedly, and likely with a track record of success.  More than that, it improves a healthy self-assurance in addressing similar undertakings in the future. For example, research of the second year students of Nazarbayev University shows that replicated routine rises awareness of the risks and helps to prevent them.  However, stability leads to missing out on growth opportunities, and if the human race never changed anything, the world would be different than we see it now.

Getting out into the world and experiencing new opportunities stretch one’s abilities and widen horizons to unknown prospective. Progress makes standard of living higher, giving opportunity to live longer and happier. For example, around 200 years ago industrial revolution has been started, which have changed the world to a better place to live and the average life expectancy is now two times higher comparing to the past by the advent of new technologies and medicine. Therefore, doing something new and different is vital for living because it prevents stagnation and forces to amazing discoveries.

In conclusion, progress which increases the quality of life far outweighs stable, mundane life.

by Zhannetta Bayanbekova

 

International travel is becoming cheaper and more countries are opening their doors to increase the number of tourists. Do the advantages of increasing tourism outweigh the disadvantages?

Some would argue that decreasing prices of international travel has benefits as attracting more tourists. This essay will argue that despite there being some dangers of tourists’ misbehavior, the benefits of tourism income for country’s economy far outweigh any drawbacks.

The main concern about making international travels more accessible is that some tourists tend to violate country’s rules. They could throw garbage on the roads, be loud in public places or disrespect nation’s culture. For example, recently there was a huge scandal about terrible behavior of American famous YouTube influencer in Japan — the USA citizen broke hotel’s property, was ignorant of Japanese culture and did not follow rules in traditional Japanese shrine. However, it is a very rare case in Japan, because the majority of visitors are polite and respectful towards the country’s traditions.

Globalization gives people an opportunity to explore the world. Nowadays people can travel wherever they want and prefer to spend their holidays abroad. Making international travel cheaper will not only attract tourists, but also foreign companies and firms that could financially support the country. It is clearly shown in the recent Turkish government’s survey that Turkey’s income from local products’ export makes up only a half of country’s tourism income. These money could help not only to improve country’s economy, but also to conserve the nation’s natural landscape, wildlife and cultural heritage.

In conclusion, although there are risks of disrespectful behaviour from tourists, the money that country could make from tourism sphere are the important advantage of increasing tourism.

by Zhanel Dorzhigulova

 

Online shopping is becoming more and more popular today. Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

In recent years, there is a rapid increase of interest in shopping via the internet. While online shopping does not have opportunities to touch and try goods, this essay finds the convenience in terms of saving your time far outweighs the disadvantages.

In shopping, many people like the idea of touching merchandise and trying on clothing. In other words, online shopping lacks touch-feel-try and this creates concerns of the quality of products. Touching allows people to diagnose the shape or size of the product as well as evaluate the quality like texture, softness and weight. And in the case of ordering products from home online shopping cannot guarantee people properties that they require. To illustrate, about half of my purchasing clothes did not match my expectations and I needed to return them back. Despite that, online retailers usually offer the free return shipping that mitigate this drawback.

Online retailing might have far more advantages and the convenience is the biggest perk. Currently, many people are busy with their work and there is not enough time for traditional shopping. People can buy products whenever they want: at midnight while they are in pyjamas or at rest breaks during their working days. For example, the Journal of Applied Business has shown that adults using the internet shopping can save 3 to 5 hours each week. This time can be spent enjoying family gatherings as well as travelling.

In conclusion, although people have a need for physical connections, touching and feeling products, which is impossible to do through the screen, online shopping is a perfect option for time-saving which cancels out drawbacks as time is crucial in modern days.

by Gulmira Kinzhekeyeva

 

More and more parents are allowing their children to play on computers and tablets as they think that children should learn technology skills. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

Some would argue that children should be taught to use computers and tablets from an early age. This essay will argue that despite the addictiveness of these devices, benefit of learning technology skills that will be crucial in the future far outweighs any drawback.

On the one hand, children get easily distracted in a digital world with videogames and social networks, which leads to sedentary lifestyle. This causes obesity related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. For example, a recent government survey found that only 4 of 10 children exercise and play outside everyday, when other 6 prefer to stay at home and surf the net. However, these concerns about child’s behavior can be reduced if the young person is properly supervised and not given the opportunity to gain such unhealthy habits.

On the other hand, technology skills are essential for modern lifestyle. One cannot live in a metropolitan city without knowing how to use a computer or a tablet, not to mention working in the world where everything runs via technologies. Therefore, children should be introduced to these devices as early as possible. For example, it is estimated by the Nazarbayev university that now children learn and adapt 40% faster than kids 30 years ago due to the fact that they now interact with advanced devices and develop a progressive way of thinking.

In conclusion, learning opportunities given to children and the chance to develop relevant skills with computers and tablets far outweigh the supposed disadvantages of misbehavior due to child’s indolence.

by Zhanel Dorzhigulova

 

Nowadays, instead of locally sourced produce, many supermarkets sell a variety of foods imported from countries all across the world.

Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

In recent years, many supermarkets supply people less with local produced food and more with food from foreign countries. This essay will argue that despite that food sources from oversees on grocery shop’s shelves make them easy accessible for an average person, drawbacks for economics and local market far outweigh the advantages.

The main benefit of food that came from international market is that an ordinary customer who lives in the city or village can choose any type of food from any country without travelling abroad. It gives an opportunity to pick better quality product and try variety of food. For example, fruits such as mango, banana, papaya are available nowadays due to international trading from tropical countries. However, international traders use chemicals to keep fruits fresh and collect unripe fruits, which can have some negative consequences.

The cost of food that came from other countries is more expensive because of long distance between countries compare to local food. The government invest a big amount of contribution that involve food cost, taxes and delivery in order to supply products to the groceries. For instance, in Kazakhstan in 2012 money spent on international market was 1,5 times higher than on local market, which caused closing 10% of local businesses that produce natural food. This money could be spent on supporting small businesses and developing country’s economy, which can lead to local agriculture improvement.

In conclusion, although accessibility of different types of food can be convenient for the costumers, the negative effect on economy from buying expensive foreign products is an important disadvantage.

by Daniya Bekentaeva

 

Nowadays there is a growing trend of private car ownership. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

It is argued that owning a private car is becoming popular in modern times. While some people believe having a car is  beneficial due to its convenience in transportation, this essay finds that the tendency has adverse consequences in climate and outweighs its advantages.

Urban lifestyle forces a growing number of people to buy a vehicle. This is mainly due to the fact that it gives flexibility and mobility, as well as independence on public transport. This can be illustrated by the recent Automobiles journal’s survey which indicates that 75 percent of people emphasized the convenience of having a private car, which allowed them to travel to unreachable destinations and save both time and money. Despite this, I believe that too many cars eventually lead to environmental issues.

Today, automobiles are the main factor of air pollution in big cities. That is, combustion engines of vehicles emit harmful pollutants, affecting the public health. For instance, according to MoveGreen's research, there is a rise of respiratory diseases in recent years due to the smog, which correlates with an increasing number of automobiles in the last 5 years. Although having an own vehicle brings comfort and mobility, I believe it only contributes to problems like traffic congestion and climate issues.

In conclusion, the disadvantages of owning a car, particularly its negative effects on the environment, outweigh the transportation benefits it offers.

by Adina Zhorobekova

 

Many museums charge for admission, while others are free.

Do you think the advantages of charging people for admissions to museums outweigh the disadvantages?

There is an argue over whether museums should charge admission fees. This essay disputes that while charging admission fees may limit access to certain segments of the population, the advantages of generating funding for museums outweigh the disadvantages.

One major disadvantage of charging admission fees is that it can exclude a significant portion of the population, particularly in developing countries. Many people in poorer nations struggle to afford basic necessities, making it challenging for them to enjoy cultural activities such as visiting museums. For example, the admission fee charged by the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan in Almaty can be a significant financial burden for some people in Kazakhstan, particularly for those living in poverty. However, some argue that those with significant financial concerns may not appreciate the arts anyway.

On the other hand, some suggest that museums are unsustainable without admission fees. Museums require significant funds to maintain their buildings as well as exhibits, and these fees provide a vital source of income. For instance, the National Museum of Kazakhstan charges an admission fee, used on the funds, to maintain its facilities and continue offering high-quality cultural experiences to visitors. Therefore, it is essential to preserve the museum without government support to exhibit cultural values and art.

In conclusion, while it is unfortunate that some individuals may not have access to museums due to admission fees, the funding generated from these charges is often essential to keep museums operational. Therefore, the advantages of charging admission fees outweigh the disadvantages.

by Zhasmin Nurlykhanova