Social networking- the rise of a new society- by Diana Lipcanu, 18 years old, student at G. Cosbuc National College
The 21 century has been called the era of communication. For the first time, people have been able to contact one another from any place on Earth in no more than a few seconds. All this is due to the internet and its multiple uses, among which we could mention social networking. In short, social networks are sites which allow subscribed users to create their own profiles which can contain from facts promoting their work to every single event in their personal life. As far as I am concerned, I cast a strong doubt on the beneficial effect of these networks as regards the future of social life.
The main argument against social networks is that they actually have changed the meaning of “social life”, the more so, as the velocity of the change has been extremely troubling: in one year, only in Romania, the number of Facebook users has risen from 8,000 to 260,000. Now, if you don’t have a Facebook account you are considered to have a dreary life, to be obsolete and to lack social interaction. The actual meaning of socialization has turned from enjoying classical conversation in the presence of your friends to keeping everybody posted with you status and your opinion on their latest photo. I assert that this is a menace to the future of interpersonal relationship.
Another argument would be the loss of cultural identity. The fact that these sites harbor people from all over the world favors cultural exchange at mass scale, leading to cultural globalization. This not only threatens the national identity of the new generations, but it also promotes a dull society in which everybody wears the same clothes and shoes, eats and drinks the same, thinks the same and acts in the same manner. A Romanian and an American are no longer different from each other, which leads to the weaker of the two losing his real purpose and identity in life.
However, social networking has also many advantages. One of them is the possibility to exchange experience between individuals, therefore enabling developments otherwise unimaginable in fields such as journalism, arts, music and technology.
As a conclusion, although it is a matter of fact that the internet and its virtual communication represent the future, their effects on society as we know it would be disastrous: socialization will be engulfed by the virtual marshes of globalization.
Acest eseu este castigatorul unei mentiuni in cadrul 2010 Shakespeare School Essay Competition, grupa de varsta 15-19 ani, avand ca tema “Discuss the role and future of social networking sites hi5 and Facebook“. Premiul a constat intr-un discount de 50% la orice curs intensiv de vara de limba engleza la Shakespeare School, precum si in carti si alte cadouri de la Diverta si Fischer International. Dorim sa o felicitam pe Diana pentru faptul ca s-a evidentiat din peste 3100 de eseuri trimise la concursul national de creatie in limba engleza organizat de Shakespeare School si ii uram mult succes in continuare!
