Response on “Is Social Networking Killing You?”

Submitted by Zannatun Tabassum Binte Zaman ID: 13104146 Sub: ENG 101 Sec: 01

Submitted to Mr. Nihal Bin Hasan

Nomita is one of my cousins. She is a student of class eight and she is studying in holy cross school. Among all cousins we are good friends. Every year during Eid-ul-Fitar we meet together and have fun. But in last Eid I was surprised at something. Nomita was talking with me but I can sense that she was not with me. She was taking with me and at a time she was typing in her mobile. Suddenly she asked me what status she will post in facebook wall. All of her talking was facebook related and I was being bored and moreover our taking was interrupted by her texting. I understood that she wanted to use facebook rather enjoying my company. So I told her to finish her job and join me. Long time passed but she did not come and I was shocked because it never happened before and what I saw make me astonished that she is completely absorbed in facebook. I guess she has a relation in facebook and it really seems to me ridiculous to wind up with a relation just seeing a profile. One may give wrong information about oneself to attract others. I became concerned if she has a relation and concern if she does something wrong. It is easy to done something wrong because people of this age are easily driven by their whim and curiosity. I discussed it with her .She said nothing and smiled. I also see the same scenario in my friend circle. When my friends are altogether passing time I observe that someone is using facebook, someone is listening music and some are playing game in mobile. I observe they are behaving like unsocial in a social communicating place. Another striking matter is about my brother, who is a student of standard five , is a very inattentive not only in his education but also most other matters except enjoying cartoon in TV and playing games in laptop. My mind was in a mess and I was being severely concerned about all these incidents. Coincidentally I read a article at that time named Is Social Networking Killing You. In the article Susan Greenfield, a professor of pharmacology at Oxford University and the director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, mentioned that young brain that is exposed to rapid action and reaction of new images flashing with the press of a key. These rapid change of images may have harmful effect over his brain and she show is as a reason of occurring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder shortly ADHD. Another person Dr. Aric Sigman , a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, tell that social interaction that take place face to face is better than that of face to screen, may be good for both body and mind . He also stated another thing that socializing electronically separates us from our physical network. In the article we see that Sigman has complete negative impression over facebook and twitter. I utterly disagree with this because I believe that facebook and twitter has some good sides. In the article writer mentioned a game named Grand Theft Auto briefly GTA may help building up relationships because of similarities in real life. However after reading the whole article I think writer want to aware all internet and electronic media users about the detrimental effects of social networking.

I think this article is for the people aged between 13 to 35.Because when a person reach teenage he/she become curious about facebook and other social networking. Below teen agers are not so vulnerable to internet using. And after 35 people become more responsible and busy with their family, so I think that social network does not bother much.And I think that author wanted to make people aware about the danger of electronic device. Now a days people uses this

electronic device so much.We can see the uses of this device everywhere, even if people are in a social meeting.This devices are affecting both our mind and body.

I agree with Susan Greenfield fear of being infantilizing by technologies. According to the neuroscientist brain is the controller of our every doings both internal and external and it is shaped by environment around us. Our brain takes inputs from environments. Every doing create a positive or negative feeling in our mind. So, a person who is engaged in social networking for a long may have harmful effect over his brain in the long run. So practicing this long time may slower ones maturity which may cause infantilizing behavior. She also mentioned detrimental effect of games. Most of the games have no learning matters rather full of murders, violence, destruction etc. So it may shape our brain badly. Excessive using of social networking and games may lower ones attention span. As a result ADHD may occur in child. People who enjoy social networking and obsess by it may become loner and socially disengage. A person using electronic device during gossiping time with his friends may lessen interactions between his friends and if this characteristics persists he may be disengage from his friends and family in the long run. Real interaction with friends and neighbors can grow some maturity, which is impossible through social networking.

My first disliking about the article is the repetition of author. He mentions that social network make people unsocial and unhealthy again and again, I agreed with this statement. Another strong dislike is about game. Author wants to tell that the game has some real effect and it will help for socializing. But it is not possible. When a child play this game continuously it is obligatory that he will adopt something bad in his mind. As my younger brother is having problem in his daily life with his real friends. Because virtually he is a murderer and he also enjoys robbery, bribery and some other unsocial acts that are forbidden and against the law. There are a handful of examples that these types of game inspire violence. In 2003 some people were shot and killed by some young people and investigator claim that they were inspires by GTA. In 2005 the game caused a young teenager to shoot and kill three members of police in Alabama police

department. Though author has severely criticized social networking, I find some good uses of facebook and twitter. I found a lot of school friends from facebook. In facebook there are some useful groups too. As for example a group of our school friend has formed and by this it is been easier to reach any information to all. So to arrange a get together is being easy and cost free due to facebook group. Another useful example is our academic group. In there any one can get a lot of information.

Finally I think the article made me think another aspect that every matter has good and bad sides and help me refrain from bad consequences of social networking. In the article the writer may mention some more matter about facebook and games. Recently some armature children are using facebook to make a relation. I am not telling to have relation is bad but to make relation with somebody by only knowing in facebook seems to be ridiculous to me. Facebook may induce some freaky users to tell a lie as they want to show themselves as an important figure. However it is a long controversial discussion whether social networking is good or bad. it is obvious that social networking has some unavoidable bad impacts but life is tough to continue without mobile or internet. We should try to absorb only good sides of social networking and parents should be aware of this. I tried to make clear all matters about electronic media towards my cousin and brother. And I observe some significant change of my cousins and I hope all will try to understand both good sides and bad sides of social networking sites.

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