Social Networking

Ram Malichy
Mrs. Borrelli
Hon English 4
11/10/12

Social Networking: the Parasite of Today “The Internet as we know it is the 21st century.” (Source G). The internet today is the basis of the human lifestyle. People often rely on the internet for countless reasons, such as looking up information about a topic, virtual online gaming, and even watching favorite shows online. Among these reasons is the major subject, social networking. Social networking, through websites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, allows people worldwide to interact with each other and “is transforming how people find and share information and how they connect and collaborate with one another.” (Source E). This may seem as a beneficial tool to the way humans socialize, but these social networking websites bring far more than just socialization. Social Networking brings weaknesses to the human society through Internet bullying, procrastination or distraction, and even affecting a people’s health and behavior. Internet bullying is one of the many troubles people face while interacting on these social networking websites. Internet bullying is as simple as belittling someone or something online over the internet. People often get bullied online and it can affect how that person carries out his day to day lifestyle. A simple status on Facebook about a person, such as “He’s a loser” or “She’s a slut” can impact the way a person is perceived. This brings up the problem in social networking as how quickly information is passed around. Tyler Clementi, an 18 year-old student that enrolled at Rutgers University was a victim of internet bullying. He had committed suicide, “after learning that his college roommate had video recorded him during a sexual encounter with another man.”(Source H). His college roommate named Dharun Ravi video recorded Clementi and had posted to twitter these images of him kissing another man. As a result of embarrassment Clementi decided suicide is his escape, and leaped off the George Washington Bridge. Although Ravi’s intentions were clearly not to cause Clementi to commit suicide these are the dangers which internet bullying brings and as a result a life is lost. Along with internet bullying, social networking makes procrastination evident in the lives of many people. Procrastination is the act of procrastinating meaning delaying or pushing off an action to a later time. These social networking sites are the reasons for children procrastination from school studies and day to day actions such as chores. “Facebook can be distracting and can negatively impact learning. Studies found that middle school, high school and college students who checked Facebook at least once during a 15-minute study period achieved lower grades.” (Source J). The procrastination that these social networking websites have, greatly affects a student’s grade outcome and as a result lower grades are obtained. This distraction weakens the academic minds of many students. The weaknesses brought from social networking are also greatly evident in a person’s health and behavior. Overusing these social networking websites can lead to future health problems such as depression and anxiety. “Daily overuse of media and technology has a negative effect on the health of all children, preteens and teenagers by making them more prone to anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders, as well as by making them more susceptible to future health problems.” (Source J). Along with harming a person’s health a person’s behavior is affected too. People often stress over and worry greatly as to what appeals to these social networking sites. “Social networking sites have brought social networks into people’s consciousness.” (Source G.) In fact they have, whether it is by editing a picture to make you look more appealing to others or by following what is trending on these websites. Planking is of the most recent trending fads on these social networking websites. Planking is taking a picture while lying face down flat with both arms close to the body while your feet are stretched out. This fad trending is although amusing, proves how people’s behaviors are greatly affected through socially networking. Many kids have been arrested for planking on forbidden locations such as on top of commercial signs and even police cars. The Social Network, consisting of many websites, is extremely harmful to the human society, whether it’s from internet bullying, procrastination or distraction, and even affecting the health and behaviors of many people. Social networking should be regulated and should even be recommended to not be a part of. Staying away from these social networking websites is best which helps avoid these problems and can better you as a person.