Television and film shape how people think and act more than most viewers realize. This IELTS writing task 2 mass media essay explores that influence at a Band 8 level. It includes the exact prompt, a complete model answer, and a clear look at why it earns a top score. Read it closely to see how strong Task 2 essays build an argument.
IELTS Writing Task 2 Prompt
How does modern mass media such as movies or television influence people’s behavior?
Band 8 Model Essay
The essay below follows a clear four-part structure. First comes the introduction, then two body paragraphs, and finally the conclusion. Each part is labeled so you can trace the argument step by step.
Introduction
In the past, depictions of nudity, sexual content, hate, and graphic violence were rarely shown on television. Today, this material has become so routine that it no longer registers as taboo, and its normalization has driven measurable changes in real behaviour rather than merely in taste.
Body Paragraph 1
Sexual content is the clearest example. In the past, depictions of nudity were reserved for adult-only content, but the rise of cable and streaming services now makes this material accessible to anyone with a subscription, regardless of a programme’s official age rating. Teen dramas such as Dawson’s Creek pioneered storylines about teenage sexuality that would have been unthinkable on network television a decade earlier, and this kind of exposure has been linked to earlier sexual activity among teenagers and a corresponding rise in unplanned pregnancy. In the 1960s and 1980s, teenage pregnancy carried significant social stigma; today it draws comparatively little attention, a shift driven in large part by how routinely mass media now portrays it as unremarkable.
Body Paragraph 2
A parallel pattern holds for violence. Increasingly graphic and gory content, along with storylines that platform hateful or racist viewpoints without challenging them, can reinforce prejudice among viewers already inclined toward it. Crime dramas such as CSI and Dexter go a step further, walking audiences through the specific methods and reasoning behind a crime in enough procedural detail that some viewers have been shown to draw on it directly, while Netflix’s true-crime documentaries on serial killers often blur the line between investigation and glorification, turning perpetrators into a kind of dark celebrity rather than a cautionary subject. Repeated exposure to this material has been linked by researchers to desensitization, and in some cases to a documented rise in hate-motivated and gang-related violence, as audiences absorb the implicit message that such behaviour is unremarkable rather than exceptional.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mass media’s steady normalization of once-taboo content, from sexual material to graphic violence, has measurably reshaped real behaviour, not just consumer taste. What was once shocking has become background noise, and that desensitization carries consequences that extend well beyond the screen.
Why This IELTS Writing Task 2 Mass Media Essay Scores Band 8
This essay meets all four IELTS marking criteria at a high level. Here is a full breakdown of each one, so you understand exactly what raises the score.
Task Response. The essay answers the question directly. It explores two distinct types of influence: sexual content and violence. Each point gets a full, specific example rather than a vague claim. As a result, the answer feels thorough, not just correct. This depth is what pushes a response from Band 6 territory into Band 8.
Coherence and Cohesion. The paragraphs move logically from one theme to the next. Cohesive devices like “a parallel pattern holds” and “in conclusion” connect ideas clearly. Furthermore, each paragraph stays focused on a single sub-topic, so the reader never loses the thread. That discipline is easy to copy in your own writing.
Lexical Resource. Precise vocabulary such as “normalization,” “desensitization,” and “procedural detail” shows strong topic control. These terms fit naturally and never feel forced. In addition, the writer avoids repeating simple words like “shows” or “bad,” choosing sharper alternatives instead. That range is exactly what examiners look for at the top bands.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Long, accurate sentences with varied structures run throughout the essay. Short sentences appear too, placed for emphasis after a longer one. This complexity matches what the official IELTS scoring criteria expect at Band 8.
Compare this approach with another sample answer, the IELTS Task 2 essay on the new global language, to see how different topics use similar essay structures.
Practice More IELTS Writing Task 2 Essays
Ready to write your own response? Study how this essay builds each paragraph. Notice the single clear idea in every section. Then try a new prompt yourself, under timed conditions if possible. Afterward, compare your draft against this model to spot any gaps.
How to use this essay: Read it once for the argument, then again just for the linking words. Copy the four-part structure into a practice essay on a different topic. Repetition like this builds the pattern into instinct. Check our IELTS Writing Task 2 complete guide for tips on the other writing task too.
