The Impact of Social Networking Essay Example
Jennie Henning
English 101 M
Huffman
Essay 5
The Impact of Social Networking Sites on Teenagers
Since the new millennium occurred, social networking sites have been popping up everywhere, from Friendster, to MySpace, to Facebook. Setting apart the old way of communicating, by telephone, letters, and in person is having a negative impact on us. People young and old have found themselves addicted to well, basically themselves. People post pictures of themselves, update their status constantly and write blogs hoping someone else will credit it. With all of that said, these social networking sites seem to be causing more bad than good. Teenagers are a vast majority of those using these sites. Do social networking sites hurt teenagers?
People of all ages use social networking sites to keep in touch with friends and family. Not everyone can see someone on an everyday basis, nor call them every day. Being able to talk to people in your life all at one time is a great idea. Meeting new people is an advantage also. Finding those who have the same qualities and hobbies as you can make an instant friendship.
“Researchers say social-networking sites are shortening attention spans, encouraging instant gratification, and making young people more self-focused.” (What Impact) By being on the internet so often teenagers are accustomed to caring more about themselves than anything else. “A large majority of teens (71%) have established online profiles” (Teen Internet). If 71% of teenagers have an online profile, and researchers say it is shorting their attention spans, what is that to say about our future? Social networking sites are more about me me me than keeping in contact, as if the whole thing was just a popularity contest. This constant attention battle takes a toll on the brain, “A British neurologist warns that extended use of the sites actually rewires the brain, causing teenagers to require constant reassurance that they exist” (What Impact). Thus why they
English 101 M
Huffman
Essay 5
The Impact of Social Networking Sites on Teenagers
Since the new millennium occurred, social networking sites have been popping up everywhere, from Friendster, to MySpace, to Facebook. Setting apart the old way of communicating, by telephone, letters, and in person is having a negative impact on us. People young and old have found themselves addicted to well, basically themselves. People post pictures of themselves, update their status constantly and write blogs hoping someone else will credit it. With all of that said, these social networking sites seem to be causing more bad than good. Teenagers are a vast majority of those using these sites. Do social networking sites hurt teenagers?
People of all ages use social networking sites to keep in touch with friends and family. Not everyone can see someone on an everyday basis, nor call them every day. Being able to talk to people in your life all at one time is a great idea. Meeting new people is an advantage also. Finding those who have the same qualities and hobbies as you can make an instant friendship.
“Researchers say social-networking sites are shortening attention spans, encouraging instant gratification, and making young people more self-focused.” (What Impact) By being on the internet so often teenagers are accustomed to caring more about themselves than anything else. “A large majority of teens (71%) have established online profiles” (Teen Internet). If 71% of teenagers have an online profile, and researchers say it is shorting their attention spans, what is that to say about our future? Social networking sites are more about me me me than keeping in contact, as if the whole thing was just a popularity contest. This constant attention battle takes a toll on the brain, “A British neurologist warns that extended use of the sites actually rewires the brain, causing teenagers to require constant reassurance that they exist” (What Impact). Thus why they