Social networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Social networking - Essay Example However, the impact of using these websites is both positive and negative on the users and it mainly depends on the way people use them and the level of addiction to these websites. Facebook is one of such social networking websites that are being commonly used by the people of all age groups. Although this website provides many communication benefits to people, such as, social interaction with people from different societies, entertainment facilities, information sharing, developing kinship and other relationships, and facility to find old friends, but some harms are also associated with it if one becomes addicted to the use of such websites. Some of those harms or negative effects include wastage of time, development of unhealthy relationships, and threat to personal privacy. This is the problem which needs to be discussed in some detail. Therefore, in this study, the aim of the researcher will be to discuss the negative effects of making heavy use of social networking media, such as, Facebook. The researcher will base the judgments on the research findings. The researcher will also provide some recommendations to reduce the negative consequences of social media. Review of Research Literature As Rennie and Morrison (2013) state, â€Å"social networking has become an addictive pastime for many young people as they keep monitoring their site for new activity or comments† (p. 126). Facebook is one of the main examples of such social networking websites that have intruded itself in office, as well as in the home of almost every person. Alba and Stay (2008) state, â€Å"Facebook is a networking platform† (p. 24). It is true that Facebook connects people from different parts of the world and helps them in forming communities. Users of Facebook can form communities with no boundaries and geographical limitations. Along with this, Facebook has also made people less individualistic (Miller, 2011, p. 190). However, with all benefits of using this website, there also exist some negative points associated with addiction or heavy use of such websites particularly for teenagers and young adults. Addiction to social networking websites has a number of negative effects (Hargrave & Livingstone, 2009, p. 150). One of the main negative aspects of being addicted to Facebook is that it has reduced interactions between close family members. The reason is that when a person makes use of this website all the time, he/she finds no time to interact with his/her own family members. In many homes, both children and parents stay on their computers (mostly on social networking sites), which causes less face to face interactions between the people living under the same roof. Heavy users of such websites prefer to remain online to chat with others. Excessive use of Facebook has a negative impact on ethics and moral development of young people (Maurieni, 2012). Some other serious concerns regarding heavy usage of Facebook and other social networking websi tes include decreased affection for close family members, interaction with strangers, and decreased interest in studies (Papacharissi, 2011, p. 74). Increased addiction to internet and social media is becoming a concern in the United States though it is not widely publicized (Lancelot, 2011, p. 92). Users of social networking websites develop relationships with strangers that increase the threat to personal privacy. Posting