IELTS Essay Sample: The Upside & Downside of Social Media

The Upside & Downside of Social Media

Cyber-based, social media tools namely Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram, without a shadow of doubt, have revolutionized the way people communicate with one another. There are virtues and drawbacks to everything and as this essay will discuss, social networking applications are no exceptions.

  

On the plus side, social media seem to have the potential to assist individuals in building relationships and strengthening their connections. Twitter, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, as well as a plethora of other similar sites can help an array of people not only be reunited with old intimates but also pour out troubles anonymously. To be precise, remaining anonymous while sharing concerns with whomever you may or may not know is another distinct advantage of interacting with others via the newly- emerged mediums as some find it more relaxing to express their problems openly when nobody is aware of their real identity. For instance, there are those in developing countries, suffering from sexually transmitted infections like AIDS, who would easily seek for specialists’ help with a false identity on social media chatting services.

 

  Nevertheless, the very same features that convert social media into practical tools are likely to make them potentially hazardous. Take anonymity as a case in point that might result in a number of cyber-crimes, the most hideous of which are cyber-bullying and phishing, which could be especially problematic for vulnerable adolescents should they not be careful enough. Furthermore, social websites and applications are bound to be addictive. According to World Health Organization issued reports in 2017, internet addiction has been classified among psychological disorders, leading to sedentary lifestyles and sleep deprivation in a large number of juveniles even in far-flung corners of the world.

  

All things considered, whether internet-based media is healthy or unhealthy would directly be contingent upon how they are utilized. The key to reaping benefits of the cutting-edge technology while evading problems is to take advantage of such tools productively and in moderation.

 

 Hamid Mollazadeh

Word count: 330

Time: 55′

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