Negative Effects of Online Social Networking
Negative Effects of Social Networking
Online social networking sites are very popular and are making a huge impact on today’s society. More than three-fourths of the population between the ages of eighteen and thirty-nine use social networking sites (“Social Networking Site”). Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vine are some examples of some of the most used social networking sites today. Whether posting a status, uploading a photo, or checking news feeds, social networking sites have changed the social landscape of communication and relationships. Although there may be some benefits to these sites, the use of online social networks has a detrimental effect on individuals due to the risk of isolation, unsolicited negative cyber interaction, and potential exploitation of private information.
Social network usage can lead to isolation caused by the decrease in interaction with a person’s real life relationships. According to a 2010 AARP survey, twenty percent of Americans are unhappy with their lives due to loneliness and some researchers suggest this is the result of overuse of social networks. Social network users are driven to engage with their online communities frequently. For example, one out of every thirteen people on earth is a user of Facebook, and more than half of these users log on every day. Sherry Turkle, a professor of computer culture, explained “the ties we form through the Internet are not, in the end, the ties that bind. But they are the ties that preoccupy” (Marche). Psychologists indicate that some people have a compulsion to visit social networking sites that can be considered an addiction, much like gambling (Hillstrom 63). The more time people spend online interacting with the social networks, the less time they are spending quality time with real life relationships. Therefore, there is a correlation between increased social network activities and loneliness which leads to isolation and unhappiness.
In addition to the risk of
Online social networking sites are very popular and are making a huge impact on today’s society. More than three-fourths of the population between the ages of eighteen and thirty-nine use social networking sites (“Social Networking Site”). Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vine are some examples of some of the most used social networking sites today. Whether posting a status, uploading a photo, or checking news feeds, social networking sites have changed the social landscape of communication and relationships. Although there may be some benefits to these sites, the use of online social networks has a detrimental effect on individuals due to the risk of isolation, unsolicited negative cyber interaction, and potential exploitation of private information.
Social network usage can lead to isolation caused by the decrease in interaction with a person’s real life relationships. According to a 2010 AARP survey, twenty percent of Americans are unhappy with their lives due to loneliness and some researchers suggest this is the result of overuse of social networks. Social network users are driven to engage with their online communities frequently. For example, one out of every thirteen people on earth is a user of Facebook, and more than half of these users log on every day. Sherry Turkle, a professor of computer culture, explained “the ties we form through the Internet are not, in the end, the ties that bind. But they are the ties that preoccupy” (Marche). Psychologists indicate that some people have a compulsion to visit social networking sites that can be considered an addiction, much like gambling (Hillstrom 63). The more time people spend online interacting with the social networks, the less time they are spending quality time with real life relationships. Therefore, there is a correlation between increased social network activities and loneliness which leads to isolation and unhappiness.
In addition to the risk of
Cited: Hillstrom, Laurie Collier. "Impact and Implications of the Technology." Online Social Networks. Detroit: Lucent, 2010. 62-73. Technology 360. Gale Power Search. 27 Feb. 2014. Marche, Stephen. "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?" The Atlantic May 2012: n. pag. Gale Power Search. Web. 27 Feb . 2014. Mishna, Faye, Alan McLuckie, and Michael Saini. "Real-World Dangers In An Online Reality: A Qualitative Study Examining Online Relationships And Cyber Abuse." Social Work Research 33.2 (2009): 107-118. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. "Social Networking Site Use by Age Group: 2005-2013." Editor & Publisher Dec. 2013: 20. Gale Power Search. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.