1)Many people believe that social networking sites (such as Facebook) have had a huge negative impact on both individuals and society. To what extent do you agree?

With the increased use of social media in the recent years, many people are becoming more concerned about the adverse effect, the networking media has on the individuals and the society.

Although

there are countless benefits of using social media, like Facebook and Instagram, in my opinion, uncontrolled and excessive use of

such

media has its toll on both the individuals and the society. Undoubtedly, the advantages of using social media are many.

Firstly

, social media has brought friends and relatives together more than ever before.

This

is especially true for those who live apart. We can now instantly reach the dear ones and circulate latest updates of each other, even if we are located in the different continent.

Secondly

, social media provides a positive platform to share knowledge with each other in the community or in an institution.

For example

, students can now easily share their notes and ideas with their classmates and even with their teacher using these platforms.

Nevertheless

, the disadvantages of social media outweigh the advantages in several ways. Younger generations spends ample of time each day on social networking. To give an example, my 16-year-old niece uploads a minimum of ten pictures every day, and share multiple statuses and moments on the Facebook.

This

,

consequently

, has affected her productivity and led to a decrease in study time, which in turn led to a poorer academic performance in college.

Moreover

, sharing excessive personal information and moments publicly leads to a breach of an individual's privacy. Evidently, people with bad intentions can now easily track individuals to do harm. To illustrate, social networking provides a huge platform for cybercrime. Young girls committing suicide after experiencing bullying via the internet is one of common news in the newspapers around the world. To conclude, social networking is an inescapable reality of the modern civilization. Despite significant positive aspects of

such

media, the disadvantages of the platforms are many and need to be looked for.Individuals, especially youth should always use the networking site in moderation and keep their personal information private as much as possible.