Introduction
In recent years social networks have become deeply integrated in our every day lives, exchanging different types of information: text messages, music, photo and video content. The most popular with the young people are social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vkontakte and so on.
The very first social networks with the use of the Internet were networks such as Classmates.com created in 1995 by Randy Conrad and SixDegrees, which was launched in 1997 by Andrew Varaham. From that moment our social networks began to flourish .
The dawn of social networks occurred in 2003-2004, when the Internet presented such services as MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook.
On the one hand, a social network is a very convenient tool for a quick message exchange, searching for old friends and making new acquaintances, keeping important information and discussing pressing issues in groups, right in the comfort of one’s home. On the other hand, psychologists and psychiatrists of the world ring alarm bells: social networking addiction too often becomes the cause of serious mental and nervous disorders, such as depression, social isolation, autism, and even suicide attempts of teenagers and young people. To my mind, social networking sites can be both useful and dangerous depending on who and how uses them. I would like to try to analyze their advantages and disadvantages.
Teenagers and social sites
Modern teenagers are different from the teenagers of the past, when the world existed without gadgets, computers, and social networks that have become the meaning of life for children nowadays.
Parents often wonder how teenagers can spend so much time at the computer, when it's such good weather outside! Indeed, modern teenagers and social networks have become almost inseparable. Internet addiction has captured the minds of children. Ten years ago, in the yards you could see the noisy teenagers and hear children's laughter. Now children and teenagers increasingly spend time at their computers which have replaced real friends, entertainment and even parents.
The positive impact of social sites
The opportunity to fulfil their potential in the eyes of friends
To find friends, acquaintances, classmates
Search in the social networks for like-minded people. There are many important and relevant groups where people can share experiences or just their outlook of life
A large database of video files, music files, among which you can find rare or desired copies
The negative impact of social sites
A constrained posture, sitting position for a long time
Sitting at the computer, the student (or adult) is forced to accept a certain position, and do not change it until the end of the work.
The impact of electromagnetic radiation
Modern monitors have become safer for health, but not completely yet. Around the monitor there are electrostatic and electromagnetic fields, the monitor emits X-rays.
The load on the eyes
Because of the load on the eyes after a short time pupils have a headache. If you work on a computer for long enough, it can lead to vision loss.
Overload of the joints of the hands
Permanent overload of the joints of the hands can lead to their damage.
Stress when information is lost
If the computer «crashes», important and useful information is lost, it can cause nervousness, high blood pressure, sleep worsening.
Dependence from the virtual world
This is probably the most common problem
General accessibility of information
Users can easily add information about themselves, which can be used by interested people.
Mental disorders
Many people have problems in real life, dealing with other people. That is why they are completely immersed in the computer world, forgetting about the real world.
We completed and conducted a survey in October 2017.
The survey results:
The representatives of different countries and different ages were interviewed in October 2017. The survey showed that the most active users are young people. Social networks are mainly used for communication and work. All interviewed foreign citizens use Facebook, but the Russians use VK and Instagram. All respondents use the social networks every day. Most of interviewed foreigners are familiar with the history of social networks and only few Russians know about it. Finally one interesting fact: just two people of all respondents admitted that they are dependent on social networks
To summarize, I would like to say that during the period of existence of the Internet, social networking has been very convenient for those who need to chat with people living in different cities or countries. Social network is a great solution for people with disabilities or for those who for some reason are not able to leave the house.
Sometimes social networks can help to find really valuable and useful information. In various communities people from around the world want to discuss various issues, share personal stories, provide helpful links, write comments and reviews about products and services.
Finally, thanks to social networks, you will never lose information about your friends and other important people. You no longer need to remember dates of birth and phone numbers.
* But do not forget that the social network is a huge virtual world, where there are so many dangers. It is very easy to lose the line between the real and virtual worlds. So staying every day in social networks , you understand what is important to you and what is your future. The choice always depends on you!
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