Are You Still Using Social Networking Sites Every Single Seconds?

      Technology is advancing so rapidly that we are somehow becoming "disabled" people since we are addicted to those new technologies so badly, especially the young generation. Why do I call those people who are addicted into technology disabled? The reason is that they are losing their normal communicating ability when they treat high technology as their best friend. For example, people used to chat with each other when they met or dined together. However, the situation totally changed when social media occurs especially when people can use their smartphones to log in to their social media account for online communication.

       Since social media has become a hot tool in people's daily life, it has occupied the users' time up to 1 hours per week on average (Zoe Fox,2012). For those social media addicts, especially young people, they can spend more than 1 hour per day. However, social media are not that important and they can even hurt you in many ways. In this essay, I would like to state three most harmful effects due to use social media.

Social media splits your friends and family members up instead of connected together

       Undeniable, social media, which includes Facebook, Twitter, blog, and Google+, have become the most common tools for modern people to be connected with this world. The advancing technology also makes our connection easier to use those tools. But those tools make people feel more distant.

       Many young people have the experience: they prefer to say hello or chat with their real world friends through social media instead of face to face, because they believe that they are communicating. However, this is not a positive method to connect people. For instance, we can see some young people sitting together in a restaurant and playing with their cell phones instead of chatting. Sometimes, they are chatting online through Facebook or Twitter; but most times, they are sitting together but not communicating with each other. Therefore, what is the meaning of getting together?

       More family arguments are happening because they would rather update their happiness and sorrow on social media than talking with their family members. According to expert Dr. Laura Schlesinger, social networking and Internet technology are having a negative effect on the family structure. She believes that social networking has replaced the original interactions which used to occur within most American families. Although social networking itself is not bad, using social media relationships to replace true family interaction is dangerous. Family conversations have been replaced by texting sessions. Family activity time has given way to countless hours of Internet surfing, and as a result families do not enjoy the special bond that comes from intimate interaction with those who are closest to us.

       The real communication should be in person with voice and body language. By talking with voice and body language, people can feel been real connected. No matter what kind of high technology communicating tools are just for distance communicating. They are designed for information delivery rather than take the place of real world communication. As the result, young people who addicted into social media had better stop regard it as your best friend, because those friends who willing to meet with you and spend time with your truly friends. Therefore, put away your smartphones, tablets, and close your laptop. Enjoy the time with your friends who are sitting beside you.

Social media makes you unsocial

       For part of social media users, especially those active users, they have to check everything on their Facebook pages and Twitter before sleeping, or they would feel uncomfortable and have trouble to fall in sleep. If they fail to do so, they can feel anxious and nervous. The reality is: people want to feel been connected. Since the social media can help them get the feeling of been connected, they can sleep.   According to a research of Michigan State University, the "use multiple forms of media at the same time – such as playing a computer game while watching TV – is linked to symptoms of anxiety and depression." As a matter of fact, people are utilizing multiple media all the time. I found students who live in Studebaker East Hall, Ball State University, who are always updating their social media pages sitting in the front of a playing TV. And they seldom communicate with other students when they are updating their Facebook pages. Under their consciousness, they were trying to communicate with people. However, they ignore the chance to communicate with people in person in the real world.

Social media puts users’ identity and personal information in danger

       PRISM is a super-hot topic recently. Everyone has been monitoring every second in the digital age. Do we still have our freedom and privacy in this world? This is a serious problem that we are "naked" as long as we have any relationship with the Internet. The reason is that everything you have been doing on the Internet can be easily tracked and stored. The most important is, not only special agents have the ability to spy on you. Every person who is good at using the internet and data processing can make it either!

       Most part of those information has being recorded by your service provider, such as Facebook, twitter, and Skype etc. But they are not simply store those information into their database since those information is so precious and useful. They can analyze your SNS webpages, online personal profile, and even your chatting logs. Therefore, they can know exactly who you are and what you are doing. In one word, they know everything about you.

       Think about this, back to 100 years ago, most human beings were using written letters and telegram to transfer information. Today, people can communicate with others really simple, easy, and fast with innovative technology. Nevertheless, our information has been disposed and been used for other purposes even if they promised that they won't use your personal information for other purposes.  I would like to discuss three aspects that your personal information could be unsafe as long as you are one of social media users.

l     First of all, we all know that people who have a social media account will fill their personal basic information more or less. In this case, as you put your information in the profile, your identification can be known for everyone on the internet when they want to search your information. You begin to be "naked" on the internet from the second when you fill out your real personal information.

l     Second, when you are using social media like Facebook and Twitter, whatever you put up on your page can be used by others to analyze your personality, your hobby, your thought, even your experience as well as your social status. Because your friends list is available for even everyone to look up on your social media account(s), people share some common view point within a same experience or social status. This is the reason that I said people are "naked" on social media in the beginning.

l     Third, your social media are always connected with one of your email address. In many cases, as long as your social media account information been let out, every account that sync with this email address is in danger: especially your bank account that is associated with your saving money, mobile phone account that shows your communication records and your working account related to your business. Well, apparently, you are "naked" if got that "lucky"!

       Try to evaluate yourself by those three main parts listed above, you will find you are losing so many real happiness and real friends right after you become addicted into social media. Don't you miss the old time when you hang out with your family or best friends and chatting together? You begin to realize that you are not socializing by using social media. On the contrary, you are becoming lonely since social media comes into your life. You begin feeling that you are totally "naked" on the internet, which was the absolutely opposite impression in your mind.

       Social media is horrible: it makes you distant from your family; it takes you social ability away; it reveals your private information. Do you still regard social media as your "best friend"? Try to stay away from social media, since it is just a tool, not your whole life!