Today I took my first full length CAT (
MGMAT #6) with AWA. I don't think I really need to practice the essays much since I'm a native speaker. I thought the Analyze the Argument one was pretty easy but the Analysis of the Issue essay was slightly confusing. It took me a bit to figure out what exactly the question entailed. Anyway, I figured I'd post my essays here. I think they are decent guides and might be of some use as a template. If anyone bothers to read these some advice would be appreciated as well. I know there is a typo in one of them since I was editing as time ran out, but if there are any glaring issues (complicated language, confusing structure), any advice would be appreciated.
ESSAY QUESTION:
"Children today have an unprecedented number of options when it comes to entertainment. Since no parent can be aware of all of these options, it falls to the entertainment media to ensure that their content is suitable for young consumers."
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your point of view with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
YOUR RESPONSE:
Children today are able to access entertainment from a variety of sources, and it is important to ensure that they are shown content suitable for their age group. Some people argue that the entertainment media should ensure their content is suitable for children. However, I argue that these entertainment opportunities for children are ultimately not the responsibility of the media.
Though it is true that no parent can be aware of all the entertainment options available to children, it is the responsibility of the parent to determine how their kids are entertained. Parents themselves are solely responsible for monitoring the actions of their children, and it is completely reasonable for them to forbid their children to engage in such entertainment. For example, one might argue that because parents cannot possibly know all the content available online, websites should make sure their content is safe for kids. However, it is the parent that allows the children to access the internet. By keeping a close watch on their children, prohibiting them from using the internet, or having open discussions with them, such incidences would be avoided in the first place.
Second, other groups are already taking on the responsibility of content control for young consumers, and mentertainment devices are ensuring that content is appropriately filtered. Most television sets, for example, are now installed with "V-Chips", which parents can program to block certain television shows. Network are still able to show entertainment suited for all levels, but each show is broadcast with a rating such that the V-Chip is able to determine the appropriateness of content. Parents are able to restrict shows targeted at age 13+ audience simply by programming their television. Such filters make it possible for the television set itself to ensure suitable content for young consumers.
The most important reason that entertainment media should not be responsible for distributing content inappropriate for young consumers is that young consumers represent only a portion of the overall audience. For example, many college-aged adults enjoy watching "crude humor" on networks such as MTV, which often broadcast offensive yet funny shows. By ensuring that these shows are suitable for young consumers as well as their main target audience, the quality of content would suffer as a result because much of the dialogue would need to be filtered. This would likely lead to the the network losing its main consumer base. Many mainstream forms of entertainment are inappropriate for young consumers, and it would be detrimental to these producers if they were required to alter their content for young consumers.
In conclusion, entertainment media should not be responsible for ensuring that their content is suitable for young consumers. Parents should be responsible for the decision of their kids, and technological advances such as the V-Chip greatly aid parents by granting them more content control. Furthermore, most entertainment is geared toward the mainstream audience, not toward young consumers. The mainstream audience would not be pleased if its entertainment options should suffer.