The Dangers of Social Media In this world of fast-paced media accessibility it is hard to find the time and patience for heart to hearts with those we love most. Ten years ago, social networking was an exciting way to pass the time. We lived in our own little worlds, now we were able to connect with people outside of our vicinity. Now though we are in danger of losing our connection to reality. Long gone are the days of just sitting around and having a long talk with our friends, family dinners are all but extent. And why, you ask? All because we cannot seem to detach ourselves from our laptops, computers and smartphone. We constantly need to be “in the know.” Tuning out the world for even ten minutes might put us far behind the rest of people.
…show more content…
Now parents must contend with their kids fighting to hold onto their phones, updating statuses, sending snapchats, chatting with friends. Dad’s must stay up to date with sports and work. Mom’s take photos, send out emails, check pins on pintrest. It is almost becoming impossible to live without some sort of connection to the internet. Each day social media restricts communicating face to face with friends and family. It can cause a reduction in real human contact. Some argue that these sites provide a way for introverts to interact with others outside of their comfort zone. It allows them to stay connected to old friends, while gaining new ones. It was every introvert 's dream, to be able to share and talk with friends without ever stepping outside their doorstep. Thus, this enables them to expand their social skills. “Den,” noted that reliance on the Internet for social interactions may lead to a lack of face-to-face communication skills: “When you’re behind the computer, you spend time making the perfect message... But when you’re face to face, [the person] is kind of socially awkward, not really there.” Furthermore, in a quote echoing the sentiments of many, “Lydia”, emphasized that Internet overuse negatively affected her relationship quality, stating: “I would go home, instead of talking to my aunt and cousins, I just sat on the couch, playing with my laptop or my phone. Don’t really socialize with …show more content…
Privacy is almost non-existent with social media sites. They know every private detail of a user’s life, and their friend’s lives. Some sites like Facebook are able to use some of a users private details to suggest something that might interest them. Like a news article, an event, or a friend that they have not spoken to in a while. “Such popularity also brings negative attention. Cases involving the stalking of minors, cyberbullying, and privacy issues have become part of the public debate over social networking. Several minors have been lured into relationships with sexual predators they met online, forcing MySpace and other services to adopt age requirements and other safety measures. Other notable cases involve the use of social networking websites to investigate job and college applicants.” This shows that there is no real privacy on these websites. Even what they might think is private, really is not at all. Some argue this is essential, as the Government is able to use the limited privacy of social networking sites to catch criminals. While it is beneficial to law enforcement to be able to access private details in order to catch criminals, it is more likely that a person’s personal details can, and will be used against
Now parents must contend with their kids fighting to hold onto their phones, updating statuses, sending snapchats, chatting with friends. Dad’s must stay up to date with sports and work. Mom’s take photos, send out emails, check pins on pintrest. It is almost becoming impossible to live without some sort of connection to the internet. Each day social media restricts communicating face to face with friends and family. It can cause a reduction in real human contact. Some argue that these sites provide a way for introverts to interact with others outside of their comfort zone. It allows them to stay connected to old friends, while gaining new ones. It was every introvert 's dream, to be able to share and talk with friends without ever stepping outside their doorstep. Thus, this enables them to expand their social skills. “Den,” noted that reliance on the Internet for social interactions may lead to a lack of face-to-face communication skills: “When you’re behind the computer, you spend time making the perfect message... But when you’re face to face, [the person] is kind of socially awkward, not really there.” Furthermore, in a quote echoing the sentiments of many, “Lydia”, emphasized that Internet overuse negatively affected her relationship quality, stating: “I would go home, instead of talking to my aunt and cousins, I just sat on the couch, playing with my laptop or my phone. Don’t really socialize with …show more content…
Privacy is almost non-existent with social media sites. They know every private detail of a user’s life, and their friend’s lives. Some sites like Facebook are able to use some of a users private details to suggest something that might interest them. Like a news article, an event, or a friend that they have not spoken to in a while. “Such popularity also brings negative attention. Cases involving the stalking of minors, cyberbullying, and privacy issues have become part of the public debate over social networking. Several minors have been lured into relationships with sexual predators they met online, forcing MySpace and other services to adopt age requirements and other safety measures. Other notable cases involve the use of social networking websites to investigate job and college applicants.” This shows that there is no real privacy on these websites. Even what they might think is private, really is not at all. Some argue this is essential, as the Government is able to use the limited privacy of social networking sites to catch criminals. While it is beneficial to law enforcement to be able to access private details in order to catch criminals, it is more likely that a person’s personal details can, and will be used against