Social Networking Sites and Human Interactions Research Paper

Social Networking Sites and Human Interactions - Research Paper Example As such, young people can spend hours online without feeling bored or tired. This long time on the Internet is actually taken from the time that those young people may have spent with other people, experiencing social interaction. There are various scientists who realize that the time people spent online is ever increasing rapidly. In fact, most modern social studies concluded that "today, people spend more time using communication technology than they did twenty years ago" (Degord). Consequently, a heated debate has started to emerge about the possible negative effects of the Internet on the social interaction of young people. While some analysts undermine the effects that may be caused by the long time spent online, there are others who raise a serious warning about the deterioration of physical social interaction because of online activities. Despite the numerous benefits of the Internet, it can seriously hurt the physical communication process among young people, minimize social interaction, and push young people to live in isolation. The Internet has revolutionized people's lives in many positive ways. For young people, the Internet is an open window on the world, where they can do a variety of activities from the comfort of their own homes. Reading books and newspapers, searching for information about any topic, and involving in important discussions on billboards and newsgroups are some of the important activities young people can do online. Professor Thomas B. Riley, from the School of Law, University of Glasgow, argues that "the Internet is a revolutionary medium that has afforded the opportunity for millions of people to open themselves to a rich panoply of information and services" (Riley). In that sense, the Internet has become an important source of information for people. It enlightens navigators about any issue they research. If used adequately and insightfully, the Internet can widen the scope of knowledge for you people and prepare them for the ir future careers in life. In addition, online social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, help people socialize online, meet new people, and re-unite with their old friends. Actually, Facebook and Twitter are examples of the most popular online social networks over the Internet. The popularity of both programs increase rapidly as thousands of users join both of them daily. Preceding Twitter, Facebook has a started as a network for the students of Harvard and turned to be one of the most famous online social networks. Moderators of Facebook seem to have much to do. The network is in fact the second most visited site in the world. It knows no borders and can help spread the best and the worst. In that sense, the Internet and social networking sites may play important roles in enriching people’s knowledge and facilitating the process of online socialization. However, the overuse of the Internet by young people minimizes physical social interaction and promotes isolation and loneliness. Young people who spend hours and hours chatting with other online users over the Internet are not actually enhancing their social experiences (Snook). That's because they do not physically interact with other people and involve themselves in real life situations; rather, all what they do is to sit alone in front of their computers, using their fingers to type what they want to