You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Internet technology means people do not need to travel to foreign countries to understand how others live. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. 

Write at least 250 words.

It is generally believed that internet technology has given people opportunities to know about global culture, tradition and lifestyle without travelling across the countries. This is true to a great extent and the reasons are enlisted in the ensuing paragraphs.

The most tentative reason behind my agreement is because of the visible changes that internet technology has made in the field of cultural exchanges. In the past, when internet was not there, most people knew about cultures and traditions of farthest countries through other media like newspaper, magazines, radio and TV. However, the information these could deliver was much limited and people had to travel to distant countries to know about how the people lived there. With the advent of the internet and popularization of globalization, the situation has changed dramatically. Now, there are descriptive pictures and videos online, from which people can gather basic information about a culture. People can watch instantly what is happening at the other edge of the world, and can communicate live with those people. They can sing and dance with them on online platforms and even can buy their food and attires online if needed.

By contrast, questions exist regarding to what extent this understanding is real. This is because critics believe that a virtual understanding is entirely different from what is seen in a real atmosphere. However, I feel that internet is now capable of providing almost all updated information about a country’s existing culture.

 To conclude, though some are skeptical about the effectiveness of internet in understanding how people live in foreign countries, I believe it has definitely made an overseas travel redundant to know about the same.