Ietls essays collection (howtodoielts)

Today, many young people spend too much of their free time at shopping 
malls. This can be considered negative for young people and society 
generally. 
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? 
In certain countries, it has becoming increasingly common for young people to 
spend their free time at malls and this is often viewed as a negative. In my opinion, 
though there are more productive activities, it should be considered a positive 
overall given the most likely alternatives. 
Proponents of this statement point out that malls are typically not a productive use 
of one
’s time. A person who goes to a mall is likely shopping, watching a movie, 
hanging out idly with friends, eating from a fast food establishment, or engaging 
in another similarly passive activity. A better use of time could involve playing 
sports, reading a book, creating art, or working. The rise of malls globally 
beginning in the 1980s signaled a period when younger individuals strayed from 
healthy activities and took part in more socially and personally subversive 
pastimes. 
However, the fears detailed above are overblown compared to other free time 
activities. These days, most young people who are free spend an outsized 
proportion of their time doing truly unhealthy, passive activities. These largely 
center around technology and include wasting time on social media, taking 
pictures, playing online games, chatting online, streaming movies and videos, and 
using the internet. The mall is now actually a better use of one’s time since it likely 
will involve in-person socializing, precisely the domain that is most at risk for 
younger generations and society today. 
In conclusion, though time spent at malls is not the ideal activity for a younger 
person, it is preferable to a more passive lifestyle and should therefore not be 
condemned. It is likely, however, that malls will continue to decline in popularity 
in the future so this concern will become less relevant. 

---

17