Research Paper First Draft
Morgan Faile
English 101
Adam Griffey
12 April 2012
Is Facebook Even Worth It?
Social networking has become one of the most popular ways of communication among people all around the world. Although there are many different social networking sites on the web, Facebook is the most popular. In fact, with over 500 million users, Facebook is the second most visited site on the internet, next to Google. 70% of all web audience has a Facebook page and over 50% of users log on daily. Many people waste hours upon hours of their days scrolling through their news feed, updating their status, and posting pictures of their lives for their friends to see. All of this seems harmless, but do users really understand the negative effects that Facebook usage can have on them? Many studies have shown that an overuse of Facebook can cause depression, anxiety, antisocial disorders, privacy concerns, obesity, and a decline in school work for teens. Depression and Anxiety are two conditions that can be caused by overusing Facebook. This is especially prominent in teenagers and women. Facebook allows us to control the way others perceive our lives. We are the power behind every status, picture, and post dealing with our personal lives. Therefore, it is easy to paint a false picture of our lives and our happiness for the world of Facebook to view. Many Facebook “friends” post only the best pictures of themselves, the most accomplished biographies, and the happiest statuses. Users spend massive amounts of time sifting through their tagged photos and their posts in order to let only the best be seen by their friends and family. Even though this seems harmless, it becomes a problem for users because it can cause people viewing this “perfect profile” to become unhappy with their lives. People compare their lives to that of their facebook friends and feel unhappy or unsatisfied with their own lives; in turn, causing depression among users. Alex Jordan, a Ph.D. student in Stanford 's
English 101
Adam Griffey
12 April 2012
Is Facebook Even Worth It?
Social networking has become one of the most popular ways of communication among people all around the world. Although there are many different social networking sites on the web, Facebook is the most popular. In fact, with over 500 million users, Facebook is the second most visited site on the internet, next to Google. 70% of all web audience has a Facebook page and over 50% of users log on daily. Many people waste hours upon hours of their days scrolling through their news feed, updating their status, and posting pictures of their lives for their friends to see. All of this seems harmless, but do users really understand the negative effects that Facebook usage can have on them? Many studies have shown that an overuse of Facebook can cause depression, anxiety, antisocial disorders, privacy concerns, obesity, and a decline in school work for teens. Depression and Anxiety are two conditions that can be caused by overusing Facebook. This is especially prominent in teenagers and women. Facebook allows us to control the way others perceive our lives. We are the power behind every status, picture, and post dealing with our personal lives. Therefore, it is easy to paint a false picture of our lives and our happiness for the world of Facebook to view. Many Facebook “friends” post only the best pictures of themselves, the most accomplished biographies, and the happiest statuses. Users spend massive amounts of time sifting through their tagged photos and their posts in order to let only the best be seen by their friends and family. Even though this seems harmless, it becomes a problem for users because it can cause people viewing this “perfect profile” to become unhappy with their lives. People compare their lives to that of their facebook friends and feel unhappy or unsatisfied with their own lives; in turn, causing depression among users. Alex Jordan, a Ph.D. student in Stanford 's
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