Social Networking: Is it Good for our Society?

737 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of social networking on society

Social Networking: Is it Good for our Society?
In July 2012, Americans spent a total of 121.1 billion minutes on social networking sites (procon.org). Social networking has become a big part of people’s lives today. According to a December 2012 Nielson “Social Media Report”, 20% of time spent on a home computer is on social media while 30% of mobile Internet time is spent on social networking sites (procon.org). Sixdegrees.com, which ran from 1997-2001, was the first ever social networking site. Now there has been many different social media sites such as, Friendster, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Some proponents of social networking sites say “online communities promote increased interaction with friends and family” (procon.org). Social media can provide ways to connect with people who you have been out of touch with for a while (socialmediatoday.com). Social networking sites are also a good place for news. They are a top news source for 27.8% of Americans, ranking below newspapers, radio, and print publications (procon.org). For example, Twitter and YouTube users reported the July 20, 2012 Aurora, CO theater shooting before news crews could arrive on the scene, and the Red Cross urged witnesses to tell family members they were safe through social media (procon.org).
Social media can affect someone’s overall well-being. Studies have shown that extreme social media use can lead to addiction. That occurs when users feel the need to post something or look at other peoples profiles. It can also cause stress. Some studies have also shown that suicidal users are reported to spend more time online (inspire.org). Some large uses of social networking have decreased the levels of human interaction. People also isolat...

... middle of paper ...

...any, many more people have social media (procon.org). Social networking can help you connect with old friends/family, get together with someone, and help catch criminals. In addition to affecting someone’s overall well-being, bring up chances of burglary and other criminals, and allows people waste their time.

Works Cited

ProCon.org. "Social Networking ProCon.org." ProCon.org. 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 9 Apr. 2014

Harris, Keith M, John P McLean, and Jeanie Sheffield. "Suicidal And Online: How Do Online
Behaviors Inform Us Of This High-Risk Population?." Death Studies 38.6 (2014): 387-
394. MEDLINE. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

"10 Surprising Social Media Statistics That Will Make You Rethink Your Social Strategy | Fast
Company | Business + Innovation." Fast Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014

"Social Media - A Good Thing or a Bad Thing?" RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014

Show More
Related

  • Social Media and its impact on Society

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms have become one of the central activities in human affairs. Used by people around the world promoting communication, social media gives scope to everyone to exhibit their ideas and thoughts. The plethora of social platforms is a revolutionary invention that is changing the way of how people moderate and communicate with others in their daily lives. Although many people admire this revolutionary concept, it can be argued that it has a negative impact on society. Extensive usage of social media can cause addiction, affecting productivity, and also reduce the level of human interaction, which in turn leads to isolation. Social media is correlated to many of the issues that revolve feminism and mental illness through anthropology, sociology and psychology.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Social Media

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    Once in a while, social media was placed on the top of everybody’s lips and being praised like a superhero. It helps connect the world together as a global village; it offers people means to contact their friends from long time ago; it provides users efficient ways to learn about the outside world by simply moving their finger tips. Nevertheless, with the widespread of influence, social media starts to take the blame like a sinner on its invisible shoulder. Negative words and phrases including depression, addiction, lost of self-esteem, and unrealistic comparison exist, and are easily being linked to social media in everybody’s mind. As many people have considered, is social media really a killer to user’s mental health? The answer remains to be debatable. One possible key is that social media works as a catalyst to mental illness rather than a main cause of the issues.

    Read More

  • Social Media Unhappiness And Stress

    841 Words  | 2 Pages

    Social networking is very common these days and has enormous effects and influence over the lives of many people worldwide. The use of social networking sites has both positive and negative impact. Many people, especially young adults are addicted to social media such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and other social networking sites. There are many people who believe that social media causes more unhappiness and stress than happiness. On the other hand, there are a lot of people who believe that social media is causing more happiness than stress. I believe that social media cause more unhappiness and stress because it prevents real life interaction and communication skills, destroys relationships, and create falsities.

    Read More

  • Social Networking: Beneficial or Harmful?

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    With the advancement in technology in a short matter of time it has impacted the world in many ways such as how the world communicates and our life styles. One of the many revolutionary inventions or evolutions is called social networking sites (SNS). Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and many more, are where people gather in the internet, create a personalized profile about themselves, and interact with people around the world. With the lack of parental supervision between the ages of fourteen to seventeen, which makes one of largest demographics using social networking sites, these teens could be subjected to mature elements. Young teens between the ages of fourteen to seventeen should not be allowed to have a profile on social networking sites because they do not have the capability to make proper logical decisions.

    Read More

  • Self-Esteem and Social Media

    1220 Words  | 3 Pages

    The University of Salford in the UK did a study last year on social media’s effects on self-esteem and anxiety, and reported that 50% of their 298 participants said that their “use of social networks like Facebook and Twitter makes their lives worse”. (Medical Daily) The study also reported that participants said ...

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects of Social Media Usage

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    Olenski, Steve “Social Media Usage Up 800% for U.S. Online Adults In Just 8 Years” Forbes.com Inc. 6 September 2013. Web. 6 February 2014

    Read More

  • Social Media Networks: Current Phenomenon of Our Generation

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    Social Media Networks are the current phenomenon of our generation. According, to Internet World Stats “the base internet usage around the world is 2.267 billion people using the web” (http://www.internetworldstats.com/). This gives an understanding of how many people use online social media networks. It is estimated fifty-six percent of Americans have a profile on a social media site (http://socialhabit.com/downloads/). For the lesser half of Americans who are not connected and contemplating, take in to consideration that Social Media networks promise availability, connectivity and networking.

    Read More

  • Social Media And Relationships Essay

    1454 Words  | 3 Pages

    Just a century ago, people had to write letters or meet with others face to face in order to talk to them. Now with new technologies, people only need a computer or a cell phone to send their messages and have an immediate resopnse. Computers are one of the technologies that have made an impact on the way people communicate. With commuters, anyone can access the internet and communicate with others using social media. “Any Web site that allows social interaction is considered a social media site…” (O’Keeffe, 2011, p.800). Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are examples of social media sites that are used daily. For the first quarter of 2016, Statista (2016) reported an amount of 1.65 billion

    Read More

  • Social Media And Mental Health Essay

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Tufts University social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks (www.tufts.edu). Current research indicates that there is a connection between increased social media use and deteriorated mental health. Unfortunately, young adults, the most active social media users, have a predominantly high risk for developing mental health issues, making this connection particularly concerning. Many lives may change to fit the mold of social media, and it may be consuming to the extent that one would miss out on real life scenarios in their immediate surroundings. It turns

    Read More

  • The Popularity of Social Networking Sites

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Popularity of Social Networking Sites In recent years, social networking sites have rapidly gained popularity among people of all ages. A large number of people have registered and become members of some social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and WeChat. Also, people spend a lot of time on these sites chatting, playing games, and making friends. Social networking sites have become a part of people’s lives.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Social Media

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social media has nothing but negative effects on people’s minds. Social networking can become very addicting and people can get wrapped up in the drama and excitement of the cyber world. It would only improve our society today if social media never existed to our knowledge. Our society today feels so connected with social media that it interferes with our lives making every task even harder with the temptations.

    Read More

  • Advertising: The Art of Persuasion

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    Blackshaw, Pete. “A Short (and Personal) History of Social Media.” Advertising Age. 2 Feb. 2010. 1994-2014. Web. 10 March 2014.

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Social Media

    1296 Words  | 3 Pages

    The use of social networking has both its advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is “an Internet social network can help you connect with other people who share your interest, and find resources to ga...

    Read More

  • Impact Of Social Media Essay

    646 Words  | 2 Pages

    Social media can be used in our days as a very helpful tool for many things in changing any person’s life ant attitude. It has a positive impact on the society level. These media will keep the person socially active and open to all what happened in the world. Sharing the latest news, photos, finding new friends and knowing the culture. Also, it allows for millions to keep in touch with each other and update for all the new technology. And, it helps people who have difficulties in communication with others to be more socialized and stronger and develop more confidence to feel more comfortable, protected and relaxed just sitting behind a screen. “It saved me time and money without ever requiring me to leave the house; it salvaged my social life, allowed me to conduct interviews as a reporter and kept a lifeline open to my far-flung extended family” says Leonard(231).

    Read More

  • Why Is Social Media A Waste Of Time?

    867 Words  | 2 Pages

    76% of American adults online use social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, and Pinterest, as of July 2015, up from 26% in 2008. A social network is a website that brings people together to talk, share ideas and interests, or make new friends. Some believe social networks harm the society because it’s a waste of time and can be very dangerous; however it can be a very useful tool like staying in touch with family and finding out about the news.

    Read More

More about Social Networking: Is it Good for our Society?

Open Document