Effects of Social Networking

The two articles I chose to read on social networking were 5 Effects Social Networks Have On You and The Impact of Social Media in Our Daily Lives. They both voiced very different views on the topic and I mostly agree with the second article.

The first article was very harsh on the subject of social networking. It claimed that if you took too many photos of food that you had an eating disorder. However it did state that kids who had connections with parents on social media actually had better relationships with there parents but it countered that by stating that marriages who were very active on social media often did not last. 

The article also said that people who use social media must be narcissistic and that social media had harmful health effects such as depression, lower grades,and psychological disorders. Like I said, very extreme claims. It did say that social media could be a self esteem booster but it's conclusion was a warning about criminal intent on social media.

The second article was much more optimistic. It claimed social media helped people stay in contact with peers, family, and friend. It did say that parents should monitor their children's social media usage to make sure is doesn't get over used and abused. The article also pointed out the marketing benefits and the easy access to entertainment that social media can offer.

I think social media is a good thing, the pros dependently out weight the cons. For me personally, it is a big help because it allows me to stay in contact with my Dad and the rest of my family in the Netherlands. It also helps me keep in touch with class mates from high school that I do not see often because, just face it, we are super spread out here in America. It's simply too hard to go visit everyone because of the distance between towns and states.