Answer 8.5 Bands – (Balanced opinion essay)

Globalization has ushered in an era of consumerism and we are flooded with choices. Certainly, this phenomenon has both pros and cons. However, I believe that the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. I shall present arguments to support my views in the following paragraphs.

On the positive side, cheap consumer goods mean they can be afforded by the majority and this in turn means mass production, which is something good for the employment sector. This is definitely beneficial for the overall economy of the country. Furthermore, it reduces the gap between the rich and the poor to some extent because everyone can afford the things. For example, the market is flooded with cheap mobile phones from China, which can be seen in the hands of every Tom, Dick and Harry.

On the downside, cheap consumer goods mean there is a compromise with the quality and more often than not, we bring home things, which become useless after one or two uses. This promotes a use-and throw culture because the repair is sometimes costlier than the actual cost of the product. These products also do not carry any guarantee with them. So, in the long run the consumer suffers.

Another big disadvantage of cheap consumer good is to the environment. There is a lot of rubbish generated because of excessive consumerism. Unnecessary packaging is also done to make these cheap goods appealing to the eye. Often, this rubbish is not decomposed and ends up in rivers and waterways. This is definitely detrimental to the environment.

To conclude, cheap consumer goods do have their advantages but these advantages come at a heavy price to the consumer and the environment.

Courtesy -kiranpreet kaur makkar

Answer 6.5 Bands. (Balanced Opinion Essay)

Globalization has made the world global village consumer products play a very important role and have become a very essential part of citizens' life. Buying consumer goods at a cheaper price could have both advantages and disadvantages.

To embark with, consumer goods with cheap price are essential for a large part of the world population, as most developing countries have the majority of the population which hardly can afford expensive consumer goods, for instance, most Indian population cannot afford a mobile phone which is expensive than two thousand Indian rupee, clothes and other essential commodities are necessities of life so if such products cannot be afforded by a large population can cause uncertainty in the market and also can create chaos for the current ruling government.

On the contrary, consumer goods with low prices are although affordable by most of the population but do have serious implication which results in poor quality and durability of products, Fast-moving consumer goods could have serious outcomes once they are consumed by consumers can make citizens sick. Food adulterations are major because of low prices. Other products that are not fast-moving will two have consequences in durability even the news of mobile phone exploding was popular when there were extreme compromises in the quality of mobile phone manufacturing.

Cheap consumer goods that we consume does also have severe consequences for the environment. Most countries do make mobile phone chips that require a process name rare earth metal mining which is a highly sophisticated and contaminating procedure for the environment. This results in extreme contamination, so it's highly advisable to consume goods which are essential and of good quality

To reiterate I would say both cheaper and expensive products come with advantages and disadvantages.

Summitted by- Jai singh