Teen Face: Log on to social media and help advance society

After recently missing a few days of school because of being sick, I was behind on all my classwork and homework. However, thanks to instant messaging, I was able to communicate with my classmates, catch up, finish my assignments and come to class the next day prepared.

Social media has had a major impact on modern society and daily lifestyle, and since the advent of social networking sites it has been debated whether it has strengthened or weakened this generation. There seems to a considerable amount more benefits than harms from social media.

Children, teens, adults and seniors use social media to keep in touch with friends and family. The Web has become an integral part of everyday life. For example, my grandma mentioned that through Facebook she is able to reconnect with her childhood friends, and through Skype she can talk to her grandchildren face to face without the hassle of traveling. Other networking such as Facebook Messenger and Snapchat allow a simple and convenient way to interact with people both near and far. Social media enable immediate access to communicate and make plans with someone. Additionally, social networking allows people to freely discuss topics they feel strongly about, and to share thoughts and feelings. Not only do social media keep you in touch with friends and family, but social media sites are a top news source for 27.8 percent of Americans and spread information faster than other forms of media.

Schools and businesses have drastically improved since the start of social networking. A middle school in Portland introduced a social media site for the purpose of keeping students engaged and interested in their everyday school work. Using these technology advances in this school resulted in grades increasing, more participation in extra-credit assignments, and a decrease of school absences. Students across the globe have reported that with access to the Internet they have been able to use social networking sites to discuss school assignments and talk about educational ideas. Businesses have also advanced because of social networking. Inc. an entrepreneur magazine, recently reported that a new children’s clothing company had sales in the millions, reaching people solely through Facebook. This is just one of the many examples of how social networking can help expand small businesses. Companies recruit and hire employees using sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Others argue that social media are ruining this generation’s ability to communicate face-to-face, but the opposite is true. The Internet sites have allowed more interaction between people. It is wrong to assume that simply because one may be good at social media that they are bad at face-to-face interaction. Social media benefit all aspects of our fast-paced society and should not be mistrusted simply based on their newness.

Advances in technology are to be utilized, and while the old ways of teaching and communicating should still be used, people should not ignore the new technological advances sweeping the nation. It is important to embrace these new methods in order to benefit all of mankind. People of all ages should be utilizing these tools in order to create a more advanced society.