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Facebook is a necessary evil

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Facebook is a necessary evil
“Facebook is a necessary evil” Discuss?
Facebook in simple terms can be defined as a social networking website that enables around a billion people worldwide to connect with each other via the internet. Following its initiation Facebook was labelled as an essential tool for communication whereas these days it has mostly been used as a tool for practising of evil deeds in the society. Recently Facebook has been used as a tool for unnecessary evil in the society with main examples social uprising to cyber criminals. This essay explores the evil deeds associated with Facebook as a social networking site which includes facilitation a room for phishing crimes and social unrest in the society, spreading of false and potentially unwanted information and lastly lacking of privacy and weighs their values versus the perceived advantages of using Facebook as a communication tool.
Firstly, Facebook is a necessary evil as it facilitates room for phishing crimes and social uprising in the society. Recent protests in countries such as Tunisia and Egypt were reported to be fuelled and organised through social networking sites such as Facebook (Lister, 2011). Facebook can also be used as a tool for hackers and burglars to conduct their social activities as it gives them room for easier access to people’s personal information. Two thirds of Facebook users unwittingly expose themselves to crime by revealing their personal details. Consequentially without proper regulation Facebook can all but be used as a tool for practising evil deeds in the society.
Secondly, social networking sites such as Facebook are a necessary evil as they enable the spread of unreliable and false information in the society. Recent reports suggest that about half of Facebook users have heard or seen false news and information through Facebook. A recent notable event was in 2012 when false rumours of fires, shootouts, and caravans of gunmen in a Mexico City suburb spread via Facebook causing panic and



References: Evon, D. (2011, August 10). NYPD adding Facebook tracking unit to police force. Social News Daily. Retrieved from http://www.socialnewsdaily.com Kressler, S. (2010). The case for social media in schools. Retrieved from http://www.mashable.com Lister, T. (2011). Tunisian protests fuelled by social media networks. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com Maria, K. (2012). Social media: The new news source. Retrieved from http://www.schools.com McCullagh, D. (2012). Feds snoops on social network accounts without warrants. Retrieved from http://www.news.cnet.com Rodrigues, O. R. (2012, August 09). False shootout status causes pain in Mexico City. The World Post Retrieved from http://www.huffingpost.com

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