Social Networking Good or Bad?
Ranjit Singh Lidhar
Progessor Swellander
English 1023
5 February 2012
Social Networking: Good or bad? In a recent poll of 1,200 registered voters on Poll Position regarding their view on social media, 53% voted harmful. (McNamara 1) Today’s world has incredibly evolved around technology, especially with the emergence of social networking. Through the sudden rise in social networking, the question that has been called recently in concern is whether social media/networking is bad or good? The Bad: the increase in online predators over the last few years for which social networking sites can blame for, due to a more susceptible source for kids to get in contact with the predators. The Good: Social media sites have also created great marketing and advertising strategies for small and big business to expand at virtually no cost or a little one. The new world of social media has created the debate on what good or bad does social media brings to the table. Social networking sites create comfortable entertainment that people can access anytime when they are at home, work, or on the go. The sites create an interaction between a mass number of people through out the day with out anyone having to actually be in physical presence with somebody else. Author Sarah Lacy explains that “We no longer “go to the Internet” to interact with some shadowy user name where we pretend to be someone we’re not”, but are more about extending your real identity and relationships online. The ability to reconnect with old friends, and to passively stay in touch with people you care about, but don’t have the time to call everyday. (1) Social networking sites have also seen as way to help people practice and improve their social skills. As technology advances we see that the need for interaction and the rate at which we interact is always increasing. Social media creates the rapid ability for people to communicate on a daily basis. This ability creates a positive feedback within each
Progessor Swellander
English 1023
5 February 2012
Social Networking: Good or bad? In a recent poll of 1,200 registered voters on Poll Position regarding their view on social media, 53% voted harmful. (McNamara 1) Today’s world has incredibly evolved around technology, especially with the emergence of social networking. Through the sudden rise in social networking, the question that has been called recently in concern is whether social media/networking is bad or good? The Bad: the increase in online predators over the last few years for which social networking sites can blame for, due to a more susceptible source for kids to get in contact with the predators. The Good: Social media sites have also created great marketing and advertising strategies for small and big business to expand at virtually no cost or a little one. The new world of social media has created the debate on what good or bad does social media brings to the table. Social networking sites create comfortable entertainment that people can access anytime when they are at home, work, or on the go. The sites create an interaction between a mass number of people through out the day with out anyone having to actually be in physical presence with somebody else. Author Sarah Lacy explains that “We no longer “go to the Internet” to interact with some shadowy user name where we pretend to be someone we’re not”, but are more about extending your real identity and relationships online. The ability to reconnect with old friends, and to passively stay in touch with people you care about, but don’t have the time to call everyday. (1) Social networking sites have also seen as way to help people practice and improve their social skills. As technology advances we see that the need for interaction and the rate at which we interact is always increasing. Social media creates the rapid ability for people to communicate on a daily basis. This ability creates a positive feedback within each
Cited: Acohido, Byron. "Sex predators target children using social media." USA TODAY. 1 Mar 2011: 1. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. <http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-02-28-online-pedophiles_N.htm>. Conger, Cristen. "IS ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING GOOD OR BAD?." DISCOVERY NEWS. N.p., April 28, 2010. Web. 5 Feb 2012. <http://news.discovery.com/tech/is-online-social-networking-good-or-bad.html>. Hylton, Hilary. "How Safe is MySpace?." TIME MAGAZINE . 26 June 2006: 3. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1207808-1,00.html>. Lacy, Sarah. "Why Social Networks are Good for the Kids." Tech Crunch. N.p., February 24th, 2009. Web. 5 Feb 2012. <http://techcrunch.com/2009/02/24/why-social-networks-are-good-for-the-kids/>. McNamara, Paul. "Half of adults believe social media sites hurt youth?." Computer World. N.p., November 21, 2011. Web. 5 Feb 2012.<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222041/Half_of_adults_believe_social_media_sites_hurt_youth_>.