Social Networking: Teens Who Log On Don’t Lag Behind

Do the positive aspects of social networking sites outweigh the negatives?

YES: Online social networks provide new opportunities for developing and maintaining social and work relationships.

NO: Revealing private information on social networking sites is foolish and can be dangerous, especially for young people.

Summary:

Today’s generation has been introduced to many social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Zanga, and so on. Many parents try to keep their child away from these types of sites due to their fears of the online world. Even though there may be some dangers, the good balances things out and shows that the world isn’t as bad as many people imagine it to be. Researchers from USC and UC Berkeley advocate parents to not block their kids from engaging into the digital media world due to their fears. Well-adjusted kids know not to talk to strangers and to be careful about what they put online. In society, electronic devices seem to be the path to how kids find their own identity, are able to work and communicate better, and are able to develop technical skills that they will need later on. Our generation is advancing into technology and these social networking sites help kids prepare for the future.

Article Link:

Social Networking

Proposition:

I agree that it is a lot better for kids to start using technology to improve themselves. These social websites are here for us to communicate more effectively and allow kids to develop their socializing skills. Socializing helps people develop a better understanding of each other. This allows our society to be more considerate of people because now we can relate to each other. Kids should not be restrained from learning how to interact with each other and I think that these sites can help kids enhance their media skills. They can also experiment all the different ways to express themselves and eventually find their identity. Many kids show their media skills such as photography, video making, web designing, graphic designing, and so on through these social networking sites. Overall, I believe we are coming to a new era where technology can allow the youth to be more aware of the things that are going on in their community. With society becoming more knowledgeable everyday, kids shouldn’t wait until they are older to learn about the online world.