Social media have become omnipresent all over the world.Although they can help us to stay in touch and catch up with others’ lives, staying informed with the latest news, our personal information may confront the risk of being stolen. I firmly believe that the demerits of this development outweigh its merits.
Admittedly, social media can bring the whole world closer. For example, with the advent of many virtual platforms such as Facebook or X, we can contact other friends who come from foreign countries, facilitating the way we keep in touch with others and building our relationships. Furthermore, we can easily get access to the latest events happening around the globe. A live video of the music concert in Vietnam shared by a person,for instance, could be witnessed by all members of the friend list, regardless of where their positions are. Overall, this undoubtedly brings people closer and makes the world more accessible.
On the contrary, our personal information may be prone to cybercrime, facing the hazard of being stolen. The rate of cybercrime has risen at an unprecedented level, leaving technophobes vulnerable to being scammed. The elderly groups of people in the USA, for instance, were shown to be the main victims of hackers by a report conducted by Harvard university in 2018. This is mainly because they often share their private information such as bank account numbers or home addresses. Hackers can hack the accounts and may misuse the data shared by social media, stealing a substantial amount of money. Additionally, not only does cybercrime cause financial damage to the users, but the phenomenon of cyberbullying may also lead to mental damage. Social media platforms such as Facebook allow users to hide their identities, which may create a toxic environment since people can ridicule others without the risk of being criticized. Hence, social media affects people adversely, leading to many financial and mental troubles.
In conclusion, although networking sites provide people with many benefits, it may lead us to fall into aforementioned problems. I strongly believe that the disadvantages of social media overpower its advantages.