[color=red]Some people think that the family is the most important influence on young adults. Other people think that friends are the most important influence on young adults. Which view do you agree with? Use examples to support your position.
With their immature minds and juvenile thinking, youngsters can easily become a pray to the influence of their parents, friends and surroundings in which they are born and brought up. While all these factors can affect children’s behavior to a great extent, in my opinion, family’s influence is second to none. Children are influenced mostly by their family not just because of his proximity to their family members but because his family is going to be with him forever.
Most of us spend no more than five to six hours per day with our friends. Rest of the day, we spend it with our family members. So, our behavior and thinking are often affected by our families’ social status, relationships within the family and academics of our family members.
A couple’s strained relationship often affects their children. Due to their personal differences, parents often neglect their children. Rather than showering love on their son or daughter, they waste their time in quarreling over petty issues. Eventually, it creates a negative impact on children over marriage and family.Without love and affection of their parents, sometimes they may become arrogant and resort to anti social activities.
Sometimes, parents’ arrogant and irresponsible behavior may intrigue their children to behave similarly. For instance, children, whose parents regularly speak foul language, may also use that filthy language with their friends .they don’t think it is insane to speak derogatory words.
On the brighter side, parents are the best teachers to their children. They can guide their children how to face problems, how to overcome hurdles and how to succeed. They stand as a living example to their children in many ways. Youngsters most of the time take a leaf out of the successful journey of their parents and learn from it. Parents guide us and give suggestions when we are in trouble. They won’t stop there. In fact they will take all the necessary steps to bring us out of the trouble. Not only their suggestions but also their behavior influences their children to a great extent.
With their love and affection, they teach their children how to become a successful individual. Through their behavior, they always act as torch bearers to their children. Whatever may come, they never leave their children and always be with them through thick and thin.
So, although friends can influence children, their influence is limited to certain activities. On the other hand, family’s influence on its children spans across different phases of their lives.Hence I strongly feel that family is the most important influence on the youngsters. For me, losing a friend means losing all my wealth but losing my family means losing myself.
TOEFL listening discussions: What are the two students doing?