Band 6+: Some people think that being able to communicate with others online is breaking down geographical barriers and enabling peole, who would never have the chance to meet, to communicate. What are the advantages of international communication online? Are there any disadvantages to this?

With technological advances in recent decades, it is often considered that communication with other people online through smart devices is becoming popular than ever before. This helps break down territorial restrictions, enabling people to have opportunities to communicate even with those they have not met before. And this essay will explore the pros and cons to this phenomenon.

On the one hand, being able to communicate to others without the need of face-to-face interaction brings numerous advantages. Initially, working, studying and researching will be much more convenient. Meeting and asking for information as well as advices online will help people save a lot of time unlike traditional meeting in the past. Additionally, people will have more chances to make new friends via social networking sites such as Facebook, Tiktok or even through video games. Therefore, people will socialize more, leading to cultural propagation and globalization. This could be exemplified by a research conducted by the Viet Nam Ministry of Culture. The research indicates that more than 45% of people who use social media tend to make new friends online.

On the other hand, there are still several disadvantages of this phenomenon. One of the biggest drawbacks that should be taken into consideration is that this phenomenon can negatively affects people’s health. Without having to communicate directly to each other and instead just stay at home, people will have a tendency to do less exercises. This can lead to numerous health problems like obesity, weak muscle or even long-term health issues like cancer. In addition, although international communication is undeniably straightforward thanks to the internet, it has the possibility to cause cultural misunderstanding that can lead to conflicts.

In conclusion, although the ability to communicate with others online is extremely beneficial as it provides people with the convenience in working as well as in studying and helps with globalization, this phenomenon also brings many downsides like health problems and misunderstanding.