Question 1:
Few people devote time to hobbies these days. Why do you think this is the case, and what effect does this have on an individual and society in general?
You should spend around 40 minutes on this task and write at least 250 words in the essay.
Answer:
Nowadays, there are only a handful of people who pursue a hobby with due diligence. In my opinion, this is not a positive development and can have many disadvantages for the individual and society in general.
Leisure activities can be the much-needed relief from the bursts of high-level energy to cope with today’s highly competitive world. They not only keep you fit and healthy but also contribute towards society’s development.
The paucity of time and introduction of alternative means of spending one’s free time are the top two causes for the declining number of people engaging in hobbies today. Demanding jobs and a tough education system make it harder for people to take time out and engage in recreational activities like gardening, dancing, yoga, etc.
Additionally, with the new streaming platforms, social media applications, and online gaming communities, people often find themselves on the internet in their spare time rather than stepping out for some simple hobbies. The surge in demand for data and the rising number of online users serve as testament to this statement.
With the absence of physical activities comes direct and latent consequences like deteriorating physical health leading to issues like obesity and declining mental health as a result of feeling alienated from society. The individual and the society suffer on account of these effects on physical health, mental health, and community building.
For instance, as people increasingly choose the company of their smartphones over their friends and other members of society, they feel increasingly alone and start getting out of shape, as observed by some social scientists at the University of Los Angeles.
To conclude, not interacting with others while engaging in hobbies has had a rather negative impact on individuals and society consequently. People should thus be encouraged to step out more and participate in various hobbies within their community to ensure they are in good health and instill in them a strong sense of belonging for the society.
Question 2:
Some people are of the view that hobbies need to be difficult for people to be able to enjoy them well. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above statement?
Write your answer with a minimum of 250 words and give relevant examples.
Answer:
While some hobbies are fairly easy to pursue, others are more difficult to perform and pose a challenge for the individual. However, in my view, it is wrong to establish a correlation between the level of difficulty in performing a leisure activity and the enjoyment (or the recreation value) derived from that hobby.
Some people truly find pleasure in easy hobbies like swimming. Such activities do not require a very high level of expertise to perform them and can be completed without putting a lot of strain on their physical health. However, that does not mean that swimmers do not like the activity as much.
Another example of such hobbies can be people who like to go bird-watching. This is not a difficult hobby per se, but it still serves the purpose of recreation for the individual partaking in it.
In contrast, sometimes, more challenging and difficult hobbies can be thrilling. These hobbies can be more rewarding and more satisfying in the end because the person goes through more challenges to reach the endpoint. For instance, video editing and filmmaking are two rather challenging hobbies that can be very rewarding for some people and, thus, more enjoyable.
Therefore, in conclusion, I believe that both kinds of hobbies, easy and difficult, can be pleasurable for an individual depending on their preferences. Hence, it is wrong to state that one type of hobby is more enjoyable than the other simply because it is more challenging.
The hobbies essay IELTS often presents can be very easy to tackle and should be written in coherence with the statement given and the question asked. However, to score a good band, you should follow a well-structured format like the ones given above in the sample answers.