Some people think that family is the most powerful influence on a child’s development. However, others say that other influences such as television, friends and celebrities have a bigger influence. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

On the one hand, proponents of family influence argue that parents establish a child's foundational moral compass from the earliest years. To clarify, children instinctively imitate their parents' behaviour long before they can critically evaluate other sources of information. For instance, a child raised by consistently honest and patient parents typically internalises these traits as personal values, since parental behaviour is observed daily and reinforced through direct emotional bonds that no other relationship can replicate at that age.

On the other hand, others maintain that television, friends and celebrities increasingly shape children's aspirations and behaviour, particularly as they grow older. This is attributable to the fact that children gradually seek approval from peers rather than parents, especially once they enter school and begin forming independent social circles beyond the household. Moreover, celebrities showcased across social media platforms often become aspirational figures whose fashion choices, opinions and lifestyles children eagerly emulate, sometimes overriding values instilled at home.

From my perspective, both influences operate sequentially rather than competitively. In early childhood, before children develop independent judgment, family remains the dominant influence, embedding core values such as honesty and empathy. However, as children mature into adolescence and spend increasing time with peers and media, these external forces begin to shape more surface-level preferences, such as fashion or entertainment choices, while the underlying moral framework established earlier by family typically persists into adulthood, quietly guiding major life decisions long after adolescence ends.

To conclude, while family and external influences such as friends and celebrities both shape children, I believe family exerts the deeper, foundational influence in early years, whereas peer and media influences primarily affect more superficial preferences as children grow older.