Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society?

72% of all teens connect with friends via social media. (Pew Research Center) (qtd.

ProCon) The social media that most people at my school uses are snapchat, facebook, and

instagram mostly. I think social networking sites are excellent for teenagers.

Social networking sites help students do better at school, and can access educational

resources. The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology stated College freshman should

use social networking sites to build networks of new friends, feel socially integrated at their new

schools, and reduce their risk of dropping out. Using social networking sites can be a benefit

because it could help many students do better at school. For these reasons, social networking

sites are a positive thing to use so students can do better at school.

Social networking sites allows teens to connect with their friends in real life and make

new friends, and can help shy teens make friends more easily. According to A Common Sense

Media Research Study, 88% report that social media helps them stay in touch with friends they

cannot see regularly, and 57% make new friends (qtd. ProCon). A study by Anxiety UK shown

that more than 25% of teens report that social networking sites makes them feel less shy (qtd.

ProCon). Consequently, social networking sites allows people to connect with their friends and

families. Therefore, social networking sites can help both shy and non-shy teens make friends.

Social media and technology help law enforcement keep teenagers safe. According to

LexisNexis, 67% of federal, state, and local law enforcement professionals surveyed think

Social media helps solve crimes more quickly. Due to todays technology, law enforcement

can trace I.P. address and keep teenagers safe. Social media can help solve missing persons

cases, stop cyberbullying, and stop fake identity to anyone. For these reasons, social networking
sites has an anticrime benefit to law enforcement. Therefore, social networking sites can help law

enforcement catch criminals through technology.

Some experts claim that social networking sites facilitate cyberbullying. According to a

June 2012 Consumer Reports Survey, 800,000 minors were harassed or cyberbullied on

Facebook. It is true that social networking sites worsen that problem, but the block button can

stop anyone from harassing people, and the report button can help remove any post that makes

people uncomfortable. In addition, it is illegal to harass anyone through social media.

Consequently, everyone is safe and protected by the law on social media.

While social networking sites facilitate cyberbullying, it is not dangerous for three

reasons. First of all, social networking sites help students do better at school, and have access to

educational resource. Another reason, social networking sites allows teens to connect with their

friends, make new friends, and shy teens can make friends easily. Lastly, social networking sites

and technology help law enforcement keep teenagers safe. In conclusion, social networking sites

are excellent for teenagers. I think social networking sites should be used in every countries, so

everyone can be connected with their relatives.

Works Cited

"Anxiety UK Study Finds Technology Can Increase Anxiety." Anxiety UK. N.p., 17 Oct. 2015.

Web. 09 May 2017.

"Facebook & Your Privacy." Facebook Privacy - Consumer Reports. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May

2017.

Junco, Reynol. "Student Class Standing, Facebook Use, and Academic

Performance."Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 36 (2015): 18-29. Web.

 Lenhart, Amanda. "About This Report." Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. N.p., 06

Aug. 2015. Web. 11 May 2017.

"Press Release." Role of Social Media in Law Enforcement Significant and Growing. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 09 May 2017.

"Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives." Common Sense Media.

N.p., 26 June 2012. Web. 09 May 2017.