Social Media Society

SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIETY 1 Social media is changing everything Social media is changing how we communicate, how we do business, and how we live in society. People use it to stay in touch with others, to get people’s attention and to check the news. People can connect with celebrities and even communicate with members of the government through their social media profile. When we consider this is only 20 or 30 years after the start of the Web it is not surprising that it is considered one of the biggest ever changes in modern society. So, has social media been a positive or negative development for society?2 People are less connected Many people argue that social media makes young people antisocial. In 1998 psychiatrist Tamaki Saito invented the term “hikikomori” which translates into English as avoiding social contact. It describes a growing number of young men who shut themselves away in their bedrooms from society and use technology more and more. Some people think there are between a quarter and one million people like this in Japan. Research around the world suggests this is not only a Japanese problem but one that exists around the world.3 The only way to socialize However, other people believe that social media is not more popular because young people are more antisocial. In comparison to the past, many children are not allowed out as much to play. As a result, many use social media to stay in touch with friends because they are not allowed to see them as often. Teenagers want to spend time together and social media is allowing them more contact than they could normally have. It also allows them to feel part of a wider world.4 Not just for young people Some think the Internet is just for young people, but this trend is slowly changing. One of the fastest growing groups of social media users is now grandparents who are using it to keep in touch with other people. Since people now move around a lot for work, many grandparents use it to keep in touch with their own children or grandchildren. It also provides the opportunity to socialize when people cannot move around as much as they once did. From reconnecting with old friends to adding new ones, social media has a big positive effect on how we communicate.5 Online profile Though social media helps us to communicate with other people, it can also change how we see ourselves. Some argue that social media makes us compare ourselves more to other people because we often just post the highlights of our lives. This makes us feel anxious about what other people think of us and can make people depressed. When we see the lives of celebrities and profiles of companies, many people forget that it is carefully created and not real. Both the companies and people use social media to create an image and a version of themselves. Like these people, even most normal people only show the interesting parts of their lives. Selfies are rarely the first photo someone took. People take hundreds until they get the right photo that gets the attention and comments they want.6 Being popular Equally, social media is now often considered a popularity contest. From how many people follow us to how many “likes” we get, it can have a big effect on how we feel about ourselves. People often feel anxious about how many “likes” they get on a picture or comment. Many people feel hurt if people don’t like their pictures or posts. People are often so worried about displaying their life in a way that makes them look interesting that they spend less time actually doing healthy activities with other people. This is connected to our human need to feel part of a group. Unfortunately, many connections and friendships online are not real friendships. Of course, many people do have good friends online, but at the same time we can have many false connections just to make ourselves feel more popular.7 Wanting everything now Social media also makes us want everything now. The idea of wanting something immediately is connected to another basic human need for food, water, and shelter. However, this need means we now want the latest phone, tablet, or car straight away. Social media increases this feeling. We can upload videos, photos, and updates and get quick feedback from our network. We reply almost immediately to e-mails and posts. There are many instances where certain things in life are better. We no longer have to send letters and wait days or weeks for a reply. Smartphones mean we don’t need to wait for a cab or a table at a restaurant. Movies and TV play immediately. Unfortunately, we are now becoming much worse at waiting for things and social media is in part making this issue worse.8 Time to stop? On the one hand, social media makes our world more connected than ever. On the other hand, it also makes many people feel more anxious about their own image, creates false friendship groups, and many people are less patient. People can be so focused on their online lives that they lose time and sleep and ignore the world around them. People who give up social media can feel more connected to their work, their relationships, their family, their friends, and themselves. Perhaps we all need to take a break. Read the text and write two sentences that show an argument and two sentences that show opinion is being presented. (Read the instruction below and see what an argument is) Arguments can be in the same paragraph, or a positive paragraph can be followed by a negative paragraph. You can identify an argument with key words and phrases such as: some people believe, many people argue, however. Which words below are used to:a) mean “I think”b) emphasize how strongly you believe somethingc) show which side of the argument you are on?agree withcompletely disagreeI feelI findin my experiencein my opinionto some extentPlease match these in your answer. Sorry, but I .......... with you. I think it’s rude to arrive late. agree disagree I ...... it strange to eat out so late, but it’s normal here find agree with I ......... agree with you. It’s fine to use your phone on the train. completely feel I think you’re right ........... but perhaps the language has changed. completely to some extent ............ older people really aren’t any more polite than younger people In my experience completely I ........... you. I think people should always remove their shoes before they go into someone’s house. to some extent agree with ........ , polite behavior is always changing and people need to change. disagree in my opinion ........ it is fine to e-mail during meetings. I agree with I feel Discuss these opinions with your sentences. Try to use the phrases and words from the exercise above. (I feel, in my opinion etc.)1 Polite behavior is the same throughout the world.2 You should judge someone who is late for a job interview.3 Technology has made people ruder. Match the words with the correct definitions. appropriate suitable or right for the situation or purpose attitude someone’s opinions or feelings about something factor one of the things that influence whether an event happens or the way that it happens ignore to not listen to someone or to not give something attention network a large system with many connected parts reaction the way that you feel or behave as a result of something that happens trend a gradual change or development version a form of something, such as a computer program, that is different to other ones Complete the paragraph with the words from the exercise above. When you create an online profile it’s important to check that the content is appropriate for work. This is because there is a growing trendfor people outside of your networkto check your profile. One factoremployers consider before interviewing someone is their online profile. An employer’s reactionto your profile can decide whether you get an interview or not. Despite having good qualifications, you might not get an interview if your online profile suggests you don’t have a good attitudeto work. If you ignorethis fact you might not get the job you want. 1 ........... older and younger generations are affected by social media. though like both 2 Some people believe younger people are not as polite. ....... , it is simply because polite behavior changes over time. likewise however though 3 ...... e-mail is an efficient way to communicate, some companies are using other messaging services however although both 4 ............. social media sites have some advantages, there are also many negatives. while similarly both 5 Social media started only a few years ago. ........., nearly a third of the world uses it today. a Equally b Though c However equally though however 6 In southern Europe, meetings are likely to start with a long conversation not related to work. ............ in Latin America, it is common to speak about your private life first, before discussing business . both equally however Students find cell phones in the classroom rude. Teachers find cell phones in the classroom rude. (both) Rewrite the sentence using the discourse markers in parentheses. Talking loudly on the train is rude. It is often necessary. (however) Rewrite the sentence using the discourse markers in parentheses. People should not worry about “likes” and negative comments on their social media. (similarly) Rewrite the sentence using the discourse markers in parentheses. People need to stay connected through social media. They should limit their use. (on the other hand) Rewrite the sentence using the discourse markers in parentheses. Please write an essay using compare and contrast words. Here is the essay topic: “Young people today are not polite. To what extent do you agree or disagree?” Plan :1 Choose two arguments to agree and think of an example for each.2 Choose two arguments to disagree and think of an example for each.3 Which arguments do you agree with the most?Using your answers to the questions above, write an essay. Use some comparison and contrast phrases to connect your ideas. ( You may check the Compare and Contrast Video again)Pay attention to the organization of your arguments. Your text should be about 100 words long.