Social Networking
In the recent past, social networks have become a central aspect of life among the American youth. Social networks are not limited to social interaction per se, but also have a number of uses amongst the youths of the country. These uses include making new friends, research, source of news, entertainment and studying. It is due to these reasons that I develop my thesis statement: Social Networks are a fundamental need to teenagers and young adults. I choose teenagers and young adults as my sample population since they are the most affected by social networks.
The reasons supporting my thesis are drawn from statistics obtained from earlier studies on social networks. A basic need is that which is required for human survival. Social networks are a fundamental need because most Americans have incorporated social networks into their lives such that they have to depend on it in going about their normal life routines such as shopping and social interactions. Teenagers and young adults’ addiction to social networks have brought about this dependency. They include:
Social networks account for 27.8% of news as compared to newspapers, which accounts for 28.8% of the news, radio that is at 18.8% and print publications (6%). Thus, it means that social networks come second only to newspaper (Social networking).
Social networks help in increasing the quality of life. Social network improves the quality of life by improving relationships between users, entertainment, providing larger interaction forums, promoting unity, improving permeability of new cultures and discussion of important matters such as politics and health. In everything, Americans teenagers and young adults do, internet and most likely social networks must be involved (Haythonethwaite 125-47).
84% of US state Governor and every major candidate for the presidency have twitter accounts. Twitter is associated with class and sophistication and its important these candidates be associated with it and the many people on twitter. The governors represent the whole state, and that means that if he/she is on social networks then most likely the people he/she represents are also in them (Social networking).
The reasons opposing this thesis include
Teenagers and young adults’ addiction to social network cause laxity as much as it promotes activity. For example, teenagers and young adults opt to interact with the social network instead of performing their duty in obligations. The fact that social networks have many users ensures a lot if activity in these sites hence elicit contribution from the teenagers and young adults. Therefore, it contributes to teenagers’ negligence of their usual activity to contribute to online activities such as discussions (Scott and Carrington 30-32).
Secondly, not every teenager and young adult in America uses social media. Even among the users, the level of dependency values. All people should depend upon a basic need and, therefore, if some people can survive without social networking, then its reference as a basic need is questionable. Social Networks are a significant part of the daily activities performed by the teenagers and young adults, but that do constitute fundamental needs (Scott & Carrington 43).
My thesis is still justifiable because teenagers and youth have become highly dependable on social networks. They do their research, make their friends, have intimate relationships, do businesses, and even seek advice from the social networks. In addition, social networks are at the blink of eliminating face-to-face interactions, which are deemed crucial to the well-being of a human being. Humans are social beings, and social networks are slowly replacing face-to-face interactions. In my thesis, I hope to show the impact of social networks in teenagers and young adults and determine how primary the social networks are to their lives.
Works Cited
Haythornthwaite, Caroline. “Social networks and Internet connectivity effects.”Information, Community & Society 8.2 (2005): 125-147.Print.
Scott, John, and Peter J. Carrington, eds. The SAGE handbook of social network analysis. SAGE publications, 2011.Print.
Accessed on Social Network, http://socialnetworking.procon.org/. Accessed on
