Dangers of Social Networking

Social Networking Dangers When was the last time you checked Facebook? Have you tweeted anything today? Research has found that 72% of online adults use social networking sites. Think about it. That's almost three-fourths of all Internet users. Social networking can range from posting photos on Facebook to tweeting a little daily thought on Twitter. Social networks were originally created to stay in touch with people not often seen or to reconnect with old friends. Despite the fact that some people still use social networks for its original purposes, others have developed problems because of them. Moreover, social networks are distractions to people's everyday lives and allows them to get into the habit of not having real-life conversations. Social networking sites are a huge distraction among many teens and adults trying to focus on other things. It can be so addictive, some claim it is like a drug. Although some people may be able to limit the distraction, research has found that those who use these networks while studying scored 20% less than they would have if focused only on studying. I know first hand that this is true. I can't count how many times I have had to completely log out of Twitter and Facebook while studying because I couldn't stop checking to see what my friends were up to or to see the latest gossip. Social networks are extremely addicting because everybody wants to be in the "know." Nobody likes to feel left out, and if the information is accessible, many people figure that they should constantly utilize it. Another reason that social networking is bad is because the Internet is like a giant black hole. Many teens and college students don't realize that when they post something on the Internet, it stays there forever, even if you try to delete it. Social networks may look like a harmless way to connect with friends but there are many cases where it comes back to haunt them. The majority of high school and beginning college students