Gonzlez 1

Dariana M. Gonzlez Avils

Profesor: Ellen Pratt
English: 3103-036H
Date: October 7, 2014

Internet and Social Media Brings People Closer or Apart?

In recent discussion of how Internet and social media bring people closer or apart, a
controversial issue has been whether the communication is helpful or not. On one hand
Keith Hampton, Lauren Sessions, Lee Rainie and Kristen Purcell argues that social
networking sites are increasingly used to keep up with close social ties. Looking only at
those people that SNS report as users in their discussion; only 40% of users have friend all
of their closest confidants. This is a substantial increase from the 29% of users who
reported in 2008 survey that they had friend all of their main confidants. On the other hand,
Sherry Turkle contends that people expect more from technology and less from one another
and are more astrictive from technology because it makes people feel less lonely. Social
media makes an illusion on people minds, and: that illusion is; you will never feel alone,
you will always be heard and you can put you attention to whatever you want. These new
social media and technology had helped us to never feel alone. Others even maintain that
social media and technology is affecting our social interactions in what way? My own view
is that, in the years to come this will become more prevalent. Social media has changed our
lives dramatically. These days we are able to communicate using Internet and social media
without obstacles. These have helped us communicate with families and friends that live far

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away. Definitely they have pros and cons and communicating can be one pro. If people use
Internet and social media wisely it can benefit them in so many ways.
We can see many factors of Internet and one of them can be how it benefits us in
our work or school; these days the Internet is used for everything and in every place. It is
good to stay updated and learn every day from the advances of technology. Business
people, professors and teachers also like to be In and they like to use Internet as a way to
communicate with their coworkers or students. Its simple or even easier for them to send
an email about work or assignments. This has benefitted us in so many ways, some can
work at their home or even take their work every were they go. They are able to work
without having to deal with people. Students are able to ask questions to professors or
teachers, about assignments or material from classes. The Internet is an easy way to
communicate for work or in general without having to leave your house. It can help us
develop communications in work or classes.
The other factor or benefit can be that it helps us feel closer with our families and
friends that live far apart. Internet can help people do so many things, for example get some
information, read some news, use social media and last but not least, communicate. Some
people that live far apart from family or friends are not able to communicate with each
other every day. One way to communicate for them can be by using Internet or social
media. Sometimes it is the only way for them to communicate because since they live in
different countries calls and airplane tickets are expensive. With the help of Internet and
social media they are able to communicate. With social media like Skype they are able to
actually see each other. This can make our lives so much easier in so many ways; thanks to
Internet and social media we dont have obstacles for communication. It is fast and easy

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and people dont have to wait for letters or to see each other in person. With the help of
these, people are able to be closer than ever. The general argument made by the BBC News
in their work, "hi-tech brings families together" they are trying to explain how internet
actually brings people closer instead of tearing them apart; helping them be in touch every
moment. More specifically, BBC News argues that technology and Internet help people that
live far communicate with each other and it also helps the ones that live closer. They write
Many people use their mobile phones to keep in touch and maintain social ties with
parents, siblings, and children. Seventeen percent of couples that both own a mobile use it
every day to chat or say hello. In addition, it found, 42% of parents contact their children
via their mobile every day. In this passage, BBC News is suggesting that Internet and
technology is not a negative thing, instead it is positive in so many ways. In conclusion,
BBC News belief is that thanks to Internet and technology, and there advantage is that
people are able to keep in touch with each other.
In my view, BBC News is right because thanks to technology improvement we are
able to communicate every day. More specifically, I believe that sometimes Internet is
necessary for us because it allow us to communicate. For example, it helps parents, lovers
and friends to keep in touch with each other. Although BBC News might object that
Internet has no negative impact, I maintain that it does have a negative impact in our lives
because some people us it obsessively. Therefore, I conclude that people need to learn to
use Internet not obsessively because it is a positive thing if we learn how to use it.
As we know, the Internet has many benefits and one of them is communication. The
general argument made by author Renee Chan is his work The advantages and
disadvantages of using the Internet", is that Internet has its advantages and disadvantages

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but sometimes people dont see that. More specifically, Renee Chan argues that internet
have a lot of good qualities that are helping us in so many ways but it also haves a lot of
negative things. He writes" Internet provides us with new chances to widen communication
and deep relationships. We can stay in touch with family and friends across the globe via
using chat-rooms and Facebook, a very popular site that allows people to share photos with
others. More ever you can meet friends worldwide and exchange different cultures. In this
passage, Renee Chan is suggesting that one of the advantages of Internet is helping people
communicate worldwide. In my view Renee Chan is right, because definitely is one of the
many advantage that Internet bring us. More specifically, I believe that Internet has a lot of
negative things but it also haves positive, like in this case it help us communicate. For
example, Internet is the reason that we don't have to wait for a letter to communicate with
others. Although Renee Chan might object that Internet conversations lack emotions, I
maintain that even if they lack emotions sometimes are the only way to communicate.
Therefore, I conclude that Internet will keep growing and helping us communicates even
better if we used it wisely.
Now days people not only use Internet to communicate but for self-advertising.
Sometimes people spent hours using Internet but in most of the cases the least that they are
doing is communicating. In some cases, people use the internet too much and this maid
cause obsession and a lot of other problems. Internet obsession is not healthy for a person;
nothing used excessively is good. People that use this internet obsessively tend to have
anxiety, depression, lack of social support, lose track of time online, have difficulty
completing task like work or homework, isolate from family and friends, and they feel
defensive on the time they had being on internet. The obsession of Internet can be a big

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problem for a person and because of these they can lack communication. The general
argument made by author Sherry Turkle in her work, The flight from conversation, is that
people are replacing actual people with technology, social media or cellphones. More
specifically, Sherry Turkle argues that people prefer to talk to online friends than to real
friends or family, people used there devices to never be alone because it provide us illusion
of company when we dont have actually company. She writes, When people are alone,
even for a few moments, they fidget and reach for a device. Here connection works like a
symptom, not a cure, and our constant, reflexive impulse to connect shapes a new way of
being. Think of it as I share, therefore I am. We use technology to define ourselves by
sharing our thoughts and feelings as were having them. We used to think, I have a
feeling; I want to make a call. Now our impulse is, I want to have a feeling; I need to
send a text. In this passage, Sherry Turkle is suggesting that people actually dont use
technology, internet or any way for communication; when they actually need to
communicate. According to Turkle these days people use internet or social media like an
addiction and not because they need to say something to a person, mostly they use it to not
feel alone. In conclusion, Sherry Turkles belief is that social media or Internet is being
used wrongly because it is affecting our social interaction and people prefer talking to
artificial friends then with actual one, ones that they can see. In my view, Sherry Turkle is
wrong, because social media or inter are helping us and expanding our possibilities to
communicate. More specifically, I believe that thanks to social media or Internet is that we
are able to communicate every day with the people that live close to us or far apart. For
examples, Internet and social media has grown so fast that we are able to interact with
people that we dont see every day without problems. Although Sherry Turkle might object
that Internet or social media is replacing our social interaction and our actual friends, I

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maintain that people have the power to control the way that they use Internet and social
media. Therefore, I conclude that maybe social media or Internet are not the actual
problems, instead we are the properly because we are not using Internet properly. People
that are obsessed with social media tend to ignore their family or friends because they or on
Internet, and they prefer to communicate with their Internet friends. Because of this we can
see that Internet obsession can destroy our social interactions.
In conclusion, we can see that Internet and social media has its pros can cons, it all
depends in how you used it. Internet and social media definitely has helped us
communicate and also destroy any type of barriers between people. Social media allows us
to communicate and people may think that social media brings us apart but I think that it
doesnt because social media has brought communication to a new level, letting people
communicate every minute from so many places. Internet and social media are great
inventions; sometimes used wrongly and sometimes not, if people use them properly they
will become great instruments for their social lives.

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Work Cited

Berstrom, Andreas. How Communications Technology Brings Generations Together Like

Never Before. The Huffingtun Post, 13 August, 2013. Web. 24 September 2014.
Chan, Renee. The Advantages and Disadvantages of using Internet. Budding Writers,
ND.Web.2 September, 2014.
Eroberts. The Internet: Bringing People Closer Together Virtually or Pushing Them
Away Physically. Cs20 Project, ND. Web. 2 October 2014.
Tukekci, Zeynep. Social Media Smalls Positives Role in Human Relationships. Web.
25 April 2014.
Turkley, Sherry. The Flight from Conversation. The New York Times Company, 21 April,
2012. Web.15 September 2014.