The use of social media is replacing face-to-face interaction among many people in society. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

It is true that more and more

people

all over the world rely on social networking sites to keep in touch with

people

that they know.

While

there are some positive aspects of

this

trend, I believe that

overall

the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. On the one hand, there are two clear advantages of using social

media

rather than depending on face-to-face communication.

Firstly

, in the modern world, families and friends may often be scattered across the globe,

due to

work or study commitments,

for example

. Large family gatherings may be impossible to organise and, without the existence of social

media

, a decline in communication with relatives and close friends might result.

Secondly

, thanks to sites like Facebook or Linkedin, it is now possible to keep in touch with a large number of

people

, sharing photos, making small talk and exchanging news. Many

people

have hundreds of followers on their Facebook page,

for instance

.

On the other hand

, I would argue that there is no substitute for face-to-face

interaction

. One reason is that social

media

discourages real

interaction

and prevents

people

from developing social skills. Humans use all their senses in order to communicate fully,

such

as touch and gestures.

Also

, despite advances in technology, face-to-face

interaction

avoids some of the dangers of social

media

. These include computer hackers and online scams, stealing personal information on networking sites.

For example

, if I announce on Facebook that I will be going abroad on holiday, I may return to find my house has been burgled. In conclusion,

although

most

people

can now access the internet and social

media

are widely used, I consider that the drawbacks of lack of personal contact – compared with face-to-face

interaction

- and issues of privacy outweigh the advantages.