Social Networking: Is it Good for our Society?

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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...

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...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

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