Sample 1:

With advances in Internet technology, people can now explore other customs and cultures and their living at their fingertips without ever visiting the place. Although the Internet has contributed to increasing our awareness of other civilizations, I do not think it can replace our authentic travel experiences.

The widespread popularity of the Internet certainly allows us to understand other cultures and customs. Now, people can have access to a world of information about different countries and their cultures with just one click through many travel websites. These sites have provided them with lots of information about how locals live in most countries through pictures or videos. Internet technology has evolved in ways that make it easier for users to envision foreign life and culture. Consequently, many people can learn and understand how others are living in the world through online platforms.

Despite some of the advantages of the Internet, I believe that it is much better to explore other cultures and their ways of life directly. Most of the information on the internet is about the bright side of a country and many aspects are hidden for promotional purposes. Therefore, what people learn from the lives of other countries seems to be narrow, and just the tip of the iceberg. On the contrary, visiting other exotic destinations individually not only helps people understand how locals work, live, or enjoy life, but also understands their surroundings that are not always depicted on the Internet. Needless to say, virtual travel is almost impossible to substitute real local experiences.

In conclusion, although people can now learn about and perceive the customs of other countries and their living habits through the use of the Cyberspace, exploring the world in person on how others are living will be more intriguing and authentic.

Sample 2:

The advent of the Internet has made information abundant; it is easier than ever before to search for knowledge about a different country. Some have posited that it is no longer required to travel in-person in order to understand the lives of foreigners. While I mostly agree with this statement, there are still exceptions.

The lives of people from different countries are now documented in written and visual works like books, documentary films, and blogging videos. Even the nuances in intercultural communication are now exposed and explained on the Internet by a variety of educational channels; for example, it is possible to learn about the meaning of the Japanese bow just from watching YouTube. Such extensive explanation means that the barrier of culture and language has been reduced much more than in the past. Some may argue that experiencing the culture at hand is still essential because native culinary must be tasted in the host country; however, with the fact that recipes and foreign ingredients can be bought from a nearby supermarket, even foreign foods and drinks can be replicated at our homes. Therefore, it is possible to say that the Internet has made traveling trivial.

That being said, most people would agree that the authentic experience is still more vivid and memorable, especially because hardship in foreign lives is hard to explain in movies. Other travelers are driven to explore uncontacted tribes - aboriginal people whose lives have never been recorded before, and thus do not appear on the Internet. So, experiencing the foreign lives at hand still has some merits.

In conclusion, the need to travel to understand foreign lives is unnecessary, though not in every case.

Sample 3:

In this day and age, the Internet has pushed back the frontier of human impossibilities in a multitude of spheres including traveling. This deep infiltration into the tourism industry makes some people declare that the Internet has turned traveling abroad into an obsolete choice. Nevertheless, from my standpoint, traveling in person still retains its values in the technology-driven era.

Admittedly, the Internet tremendously facilitates the demand for overseas traveling of time-poor or not-so-wealthy people. Modern people are usually characterized as work obsessives so their hectic working schedule will certainly be a huge hurdle to their traveling desire. Also, some people may find it difficult to afford an enjoyable overseas journey due to their lack of financial resources. In these cases, the Internet emerges as an ideal tool to help these people quench their thirst for going on vacation and having horizon-broadening experiences about foreign cultures. For instance, people can search on YouTube for a wide range of documentaries about indigenous cultures in remote areas like the Amazon forest, African jungles from international broadcasting channels such as Discovery or National Geographic.

However, I still attach myself to the position that the Internet cannot replace physical traveling. This is because only by traveling directly to another country can people acquire first-hand experience and appreciate foreign cultures to the full. Due to the lack of physical interaction, no matter how the virtual traveling experience from the Internet progresses, it pales in comparison with the first-hand experience when going to a foreign country. What is also worth contemplating is the quality guarantee of online information. Internet information about tourism may be presented in a distorted or biased way for entertainment purposes, which cannot paint a complete picture of the foreign lifestyle. Therefore, when going to other countries in person, travelers are able to see exotic cultures through their own spectacles and have more proactive acquisition of knowledge about different ways of life around the world. To exemplify, South Korea is often depicted in social media as a wealthy and highly civilized country. However, traveling directly there allows visitors to acknowledge certain dark spots in its society namely domestic violence and gender disparity, which is a fuller and more objective picture of this Asian nation.

In conclusion, even though the Internet can serve as a great traveling assistant for some people, traveling to other countries in person is still an unparalleled option in terms of the experience it offers. Hence, travel enthusiasts can flexibly choose either form of traveling but if given the chance, should go abroad directly to make the most out of traveling.

Sample 4:

With the prevalence of the Internet, many people think that people do not need to travel to other countries to understand life there. I neither fully agree nor disagree with this opinion.

The reason I partially agree with this statement is because people can watch documentaries online to understand how life is in foreign countries. These documentaries are often accurate and delivered with great quality, helping the audience understand foreign cultures better. For example, Netflix recently has released a popular series depicting street food worldwide. Moreover, this option is suitable for those who have yet to be capable of international flights or people who only want a slight experience of multiple countries. For example, if a student is writing a paper on the difference between Asian cultures, he or she has to research online instead of traveling to said countries.

However, I partially disagree with the statement because mere research on the Internet cannot replace the traveling experience. Firstly, many features are exaggerated on camera for attention, whether that exaggeration is on the positive or negative side. For example, many foreigners usually film themselves eating bizarre foods from that country, leading viewers to misinterpret that most local people eat that way daily. Secondly, the Internet is full of unverifiable information, so information from YouTube channels or blogs might not be adequate to build a deep understanding of other cultures.

In conclusion, I do agree that using the Internet to learn about life in foreign countries instead of traveling is a feasible option for those who cannot afford the travel or do not have enough time. However, I do not think that the Internet can entirely replace going to other countries to experience their lives.  

Sample 5:

The advancement of technology, such as the internet, has simplified our lives to the point that any information can be accessed anytime. As a result, many individuals feel that internet technology has enabled people to learn about global culture, traditions, and lifestyles without travelling across nations. However, I disagree with this idea, and in the following paragraphs, I shall elaborate on my viewpoint.

A person must go to various nations to completely grasp how people live, what they eat, and what they dress. The first thing to consider is that content on the internet describing foreign nationals’ lifestyles is sometimes inaccurate. Sometimes we only hear about the good elements, and other times we only hear about the negative parts. India, for example, is a huge country with diversified people and a way of life. In this old country, poverty and riches coexist. However, most of the photographs we discover online do not provide a whole picture, giving tourists a misleading perspective of the country. They must travel to India if they want to discover authentic India.

Travelling to a distant country in person helps people immerse themselves in the local culture. This is the most effective technique to learn about that country and its people. We can discover information on ethnic dishes and local festivities on the internet. However, reading about a celebration or a local delicacy is not the same as participating in that festival or eating that cuisine. Similarly, one cannot sense the weather without experiencing it firsthand. Canada, for example, is exceedingly cold, but without visiting the nation, it is impossible to determine how cold it is or how people have acclimated to the harsh temperature.

Nonetheless, because it is now easy to learn about places online, travel is no longer as necessary as it once was. The situation has altered considerably with the introduction of the internet and the rising popularity of globalization. People can now gain fundamental information about a culture by seeing detailed images and videos online.

To conclude, the information provided online is not a real depiction of other countries’ actual way of life, and it is impossible to understand just by scrolling through web pages. As a result, I feel that visiting different nations is crucial for learning about their customs, traditions, and way of life.

Sample 6:

These days, the internet has made it possible for people to learn almost anything about the culture of people in another country. Although this is true, learning about the cultures and customs of another country via a computer screen is vastly different to actually experiencing them first-hand.

On the one hand, it is possible to learn a lot about another country without leaving home thanks to the internet. There are endless amounts of videos dedicated to culture and travel on Youtube, and even apps and blogs that allow people to discuss and share their experiences of life in other countries. Facebook also allows people from all over the world to connect with each other to make friends and learn about one another’s culture and customs. Prior to the internet, people could only read about other countries in books at the library, and such information was not always up-to-date or as comprehensive as what is available on the internet.

On the other hand, reading information about a country or watching documentaries can only give someone a limited amount of knowledge. Travelling to another country, seeing and experiencing it first-hand will give one a deeper insight. For example, imagine the difference between watching the famous running of the bulls in Spain on YouTube and actually taking part in the festival. Being there to experience the emotion and atmosphere will create memories that will last a lifetime. Furthermore, you cannot compare the experience of walking through the streets of Hanoi smelling and tasting all the amazing flavours of the street food with learning about it via the internet.

In conclusion, I agree to a certain extent that the internet can provide people with knowledge of another country, but that knowledge is not equal to the experiences that someone can gain by travelling there to experience it first-hand.

Sample 7:

In recent years, digital technology has improvised significantly the way we gain an understanding of other cultures. Therefore, I believe that the Internet has made traveling no longer a necessary way to improve our awareness of the cultures of people from different regions.

Firstly, the Internet has provided its users with a wide variety of sources to discover other lifestyles. It is not uncommon for most young people to explore how different cultures express themselves in film and literature. For example, some prefer more affordable options than traveling, such as watching movies or documentaries on Netflix or another streaming app, to learn about different areas or people worldwide. Besides, reading online news sources also allows us to keep up with/ keep track of/ keep abreast of the latest news on holidays, festivals, or trends of other cultures without leaving our home.

Furthermore, social media has made the world smaller and more accessible than ever. It provides an opportunity to communicate with others and belong to different virtual networks, namely Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Following people from other cultures on social media is a great way to directly learn about their values, opinions, and beliefs in different areas of life. Besides, there are many channels on YouTube dedicated to a specific culture or aspects of a culture. Often, these videos are produced by people from that culture, or know a lot about it, thus broadening one’s perspective and having an open mind about different ways of life.

In conclusion, it is my firm belief that the Internet has revolutionized how we learn about other cultures. Rather than traveling abroad, we can expand our knowledge of different cultures thanks to the popularity of movies, online news as well as social media platforms.

Sample 8:

It is said that thanks to the explosion of the Internet in this ever-changing world of technology, people can explore new places of interest at the press of a button instead of travelling the world. Personally, I totally disagree with this opinion for the following justifications.

Firstly, it is undeniable that going on a holiday can offer an atmosphere and experience that tourists can hardly enjoy when browsing the websites and surfing the Internet. As setting foot to a place, visitors can have various activities such as communicating with the indigenous people, going sightseeing and enjoying local cuisine to immerse themselves in the local life. Furthermore, travelling time is a golden chance for people to spend some quality time with their families, friends and even themselves, thus relieving tiredness and boosting their mood. By contrast, constant exposure to the Internet may run the risk of becoming couch potatoes, leading to devastating consequences to one’s health.

In addition, the truth of information and facts about different countries can be distorted due to the purposes and opinions of writers or reviewers. Apparently, media and online journalism, especially for advertising, have become highly competitive markets, which can make users victims of misleading perceptions. For instance, with the purpose of mass tourism, positive sides and breath-taking views can easily be found while negative features are deliberately ignored. What is more, gaining information through commonly known travel platforms is even more difficult as reviews may significantly vary as a result of different expectations. Therefore, if people want to comprehend the way of others living around the world, it is of the utmost importance that they opt for reliable sources and read between the lines.

In conclusion, I do not believe that online information about places through the Internet can replace travelling as it can be unreliable and less lively.

Sample 9:

It is true that the digital revolution has enabled a growing number of people to gain access to information about how others live in different countries. While such advances in technology have made more information available, I only agree in part that this has led to greater understanding of the lives of those in other countries.

On the one hand, the tourist trade has experienced phenomenal growth, but this does not mean that those who visit foreign countries leave without any appreciation of the culture or living conditions of the local people. Holiday resorts such as Phuket in Thailand are thronged with tourists at the height of the holiday season. However, overseas visitors remain completely oblivious to how the local inhabitants live. They experience luxury hotels, sunbathe on beaches, or at most go sightseeing on guided tours. To know how people in Thailand live, they would learn much more by watching documentaries or analytical reports on the internet at home.

On the other hand, there are intrepid travellers who prefer to discover for themselves the culture and daily lives of those in foreign countries which they visit. They avoid package holidays, and instead visit markets, restaurants and places where local people go shopping, eat regional dishes or enjoy music. They enjoy real interaction with locals, and take away memories of the sights, sounds, taste and smells of the culture which they have briefly come to know. In this way, while there might be a wealth of material online describing a country or region, such travellers do not become over-reliant on the opinions or choices of internet contributors.

In conclusion, while personal experience of a place may be supplemented by material available online, there is no substitute for seeing other cultures at first hand.