It Might Actually Be Good For Them By Clive Thomas Summary

Social networking is the mainstream way to communicate with anyone. Teenagers are obsessed with social networking, no one calls each other unless it’s extreme circumstances or their mother. Sharing pictures, sharing life stories, and sharing opinions online has been the way of life and the norm for kids growing up with computers and smart phones. The parents to this generation have not grown up in the same environment and have different standards for online activity. In the Article “ 10 Reasons Why I Avoid Social Networking Services” written by Alan Norton, he lists why he does not use social networking services. His personal beliefs are backed up with statistics and hold true to many people in his generation but not in the younger ones.

Parents complain that teens are always on their phones and never out in the real world, but maybe if they weren’t “locked indoors, unable to get on their bicycles and hang out with their friends,” they could have the chance to mirror what they’re learning online, outside in the “real world” (Boyd). As Boyd puts it, “Social media and smartphone apps have become so popular in recent years because teens need a place to call their own. They want the freedom to explore their identity and the world around them.” If anything, being on social media is a safer way to make mistakes and learn from them before having to face harsher repercussions for them outside of the digital

Social Networking leads to exploring interests towards social media. In the article ‘Teenage Social Media Butterflies May Not Be Such a Bad Idea’ written by Melissa Healy states that “13-14 year olds interact on social networking sites such as Facebook in wayin ways that were consistent with their offline relationship pattern behavior. Teenagers act the same way they do offline than online. Parents should trust their kids online. ‘’The teen, who has scaled back a once-all

October 15, 2010, the movie “The Social Network” was released and later received over $220 million dollars in revenue. The reason this movie received such a high amount of revenue is because of all the teenage users of social networking sites. This makes the debatable case of whether social networking is considered unhealthy for teenagers. But through common sense and logic, anyone can see that it should be considered a negative aspect because it encourages procrastination, creates a false sense of security, and allows teenagers to explore the option of suicide.

“How young is too young for cellphones in school?” by Donna St. George says there was “near-silence at lunch when [a] middle school allowed phones for a week.” These middle-schoolers were so absorbed in their phones they did not have a normal conversation. If teens are so obsessed with their social media life that they cannot function normally when given a phone, they will not make conversation and will have weaker relationships. Teens are literally withdrawing themselves from normal social life to become “social” online. As stated in “Is Technology Killing our Friendships” by Lauren Tarshis, “1 in 4 teens are online almost constantly.” This “1 in 4” could be doing things in real life, rather than staying online nearly endlessly. Therefore, youth is more into their social media than actual

Especially in the case of shy teens, social media can help teens develop social skills they weren’t learning due to fear of interacting face-to-face. Contrary to the common belief that teens will lose social skills to electronics, social media allows teens to come out of their shells and become more

“There was a clear trend for those who used these technologies to receive for social support”, “Social Media As Community, Keith Hampton”. There are some students out there that don’t like to express their feelings face to face, so sometimes it is easier for them to do it over text. If we didn’t have access to technology then students wouldn’t be able to express their feelings the way they like, so the students may be moody and not want to do fun things. Hampton also states in “Social Media As Community” “The data backs it up. There is little evidence that social media is responsible for a tend of isolation, or a loss of intimacy and social support”. The internet isn’t the only thing that can isolate or make students have loss of social support, other things

Social media has been known to help students develop important knowledge and social skills. “At first glance this may seem like a waste of time; however it also helps students to develop important knowledge and social skills, and be active citizens who create and share content.” (Chen 3). The more time teens spend on social media the more they become aware of their own social side and how to interact with others, especially their peers. “Some types of social media has beneficial effects, like helping adolescents establish some sense of identity and build networking skills” (Riley Davis). Too much time being spent on social media can also exploit teens to some harsh realities that they’ve probably never experienced in their lives before.

Teenagers and Social Networking - Is it good for them? Many teenagers are entering the world of social networking, and while many parents see this as a threat, I see it as being a useful tool for teenagers. In Thompson's "Teenagers and Social Networking", he argues how many adults only see the dark side of social media, and that while parents should be cautious, they should also look at the bright side of social media. This is what Clive Thompson tries to prove in his essay, and in my opinion, Clive does an excellent job proving his thesis and supporting his facts. He structures his points effectively in a way to counteract the myths and lies concerning social media as well as stating his own reasons afterwards on why he believes social media is good for teenagers.

The use of social networking sites is rising at great rates. According to a report conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in 2012, ninety-five percent of individuals aged 12-17 use the internet; and eighty-one percent of those use social network sites (Pew Interest). Although it is known that social media can have a useful impact on lives, often times people forget that with a positive comes a negative. The continual use of social network sites will impact teen lives more negatively than positively because they can cause huge distractions from valuable and critical pursuits like education; they can also cause mental health issues and a reduction in communication skills.

At any given time of day, anyone can access an abundant amount of information at the click of a button. Men, women, kids, teenagers, adults and even the elderly are learning how to use the internet to their advantage. Among all the benefits the internet has provided to us, online communication has proven to be the most beneficial. Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace have made it easy for everyone to stay in contact with each other. Regardless of how far apart a family member or friend is, everyone is just one click away. If someone is not having a good day, they can share their feelings with everyone in a matter of seconds. These social networking sites have become quite popular among adolescents. They allow teens to stay more connected with their friends outside of school. Now teens have become more obsessed with their friends Facebook or Twitter status than engaging in outdoor activities like football or

Young adults’ reliance on the internet has developed into an addiction, resulting in teenagers to feel isolated and disconnected from their peers. In an experiment conducted in “The Effect of Social Network Sites on Adolescents’ Social and Academic Development: Current Theories and Controversies” June Ahn “found that longer use of the Internet was related to increased depression, loneliness, and smaller social circles.” The younger generation lacks genuine socialization because of the extensive amount of time teenagers spend isolated in their own virtual world. The lack of physical interaction has taken a toll on youths’ ability to develop social skills and friendships. With a lack of these social skills, today’s youth will experience trouble socializing, affecting their ability to create and maintain friendships. Furthermore, in Keith Hampton’s article “Is Technology Making People Less Sociable?” he reveals today’s youth, “spend so much time maintaining superficial connections online

Even though social media isn’t only used for social interaction, it is an important aspect of adolescents’ lives. Social media provides an avenue for them to stay connected with peers they have met through school, sports teams, church, etc (Ito, 2008). Social networking can also help shy adolescents have a more non-threatening way to interact with peers because they aren’t interacting face-to-face (Rosen, 2011).

Today’s youth generation, has a strong attachment to the online world. Many adolescents spend most of their time online versus offline. Therefore, one can consider these adolescents as a social network addict, a person who spends a fair amount of time on one or many social platforms. Throughout the three articles, “Social Networking Addiction: An Overview of Preliminary Findings” by Mark Griffiths, “Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship” by Nicole B. Ellison and “Taking Risky Opportunities in Youthful Content Creation: Teenagers’ use of Social Networking Sites for Intimacy, Privacy, and Self-expression” by Sonia Livingstone, show how this addiction has changed people’s communication among people. While there are

In general, the use social networking has many health and developmental benefits for the youth of today. Most teens have online accounts that they use to strengthen their friendships and stay connected with the people around them such as, school friends and teachers, groups they may be involved in, and maybe even family that are far away. Social networking also allows for an outlet to help teens with mental and moral support that they may lack in reality. This is really important especially for the youth who don’t necessarily have anyone to talk to or be there for them. Although one might argue that there are hotlines to help depressed youth, sometimes it’s not the same as having the support from your favorite social media site.