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Social Media: Beneficial Or Harmful?
Anthony Banks
Southern New Hampshire Univeristy
II. Primary Argument
Social media is a fascinating platform that has changed how people communicate, share ideas, and meet and interact. However, its effects are both positive and negative, considering the magnitude of individual users. Based on Wilson & Stock’s (2021) & Robinson & Smith’s (2022) articles, the primary argument is that social media is inductive, with both positive and negative effects on its users. For instance, on the one hand, it helps communicate and raise awareness on important issues while. On the other hand, it promotes depression by increasing young people’s fear of missing out (Haidt, 2022). Therefore, balancing these impacts might be challenging, as most users are inclined to overuse social media due to its associated addictive tendency.
D. Bias
Wilson and Stock’s (2021) article, which is my primary source, lacks bias, as it remains neutral on the issue of whether social media use is harmful or beneficial to patients with long-term conditions. The article identifies that balancing the benefits and risks of social media use is important for young adults with long-term conditions. Notably, relying on one side can have dire implications, and hence, the need to control how social media impacts our lives. For instance, the article notes that social media, on one hand, contributes to social isolation, reducing face-to-face contact. On the other hand, social media use exposes people to vast knowledge due to the timely sharing of information (Wilson & Stock, 2021). However, social media users should balance the use of such platforms because excessive usage is not beneficial.
E. Credibility
This article is generally credible because the participants used in the study offered real-time evidence of their social media use and its resulting impacts. Some participants found social media use to help them fit in, mainly due to online communities. However, others felt that social media use left them out of what others have accomplished. Besides, the sources used to support these claims were credible, given that they were peer-reviewed journals involving actual studies that focused on the topic. Second, the sources were published in credible sites, such as PubMed, which offers integrated information on health and other scientific topics (Wilson & Stock, 2021). It is important to utilize such resources when addressing controversial topics because they have informed opinions based on relevant research studies. Finally, the resources support the article’s claims by providing credible information on the impacts of social media usage among different populations.
III. Counterargument
Argument Details
Social media use has more negative effects than positive ones because it can contribute to life-threatening conditions like mental illnesses. According to Robinson and Smith (2022), social media use challenges young people’s mental health if they spend a lot of time on these platforms than real-life interactions. Many young people are addicted to social media particularly because they cannot control their usage of the platforms (Robinson & Smith, 2022). Hence, the negative effects are felt individually, for example, by exposing themselves to negative experiences, such as cyberbullying.
Logic and Reasoning
The most common attribute of social media is that it is addictive, and many users tend to have no control over it. As a result, negative impacts surpass the positive ones because the long-term impact on their mental health is significant. Some assumptions I keep in mind include that social media increases competition regarding who has a better life and experiences through posts. Also, social media is exciting due to its configuration, and thus, its users tend to spend more time compared to connecting in real life (Haidt, 2022). Robinson and Smith (2022) argue that 10% of teens reported having experienced cyberbullying, which indicates that social media use has some negative effects. This source is essential in supporting the argument because it argues from both perspectives, and thus, one can weigh various opinions on the problem to have a clear stance. Its argument is deductive because it uses logical constructs to provide a credible conclusion. Based on the research, Robinson and Smith (2022), and Wilson and Stock (2021) promote the ideology that social media use has more negative effects than positive ones.
Bias
Personal experience with this topic creates emotional influences because my 16-year-old daughter holds her phone in high regard. If I take the phone away, it is the worst punishment in the world for her. Such behavior is contrary to what I experienced growing up, as I did not adore social media today’s generation. However, my personal experiences do not introduce bias against the topic, thus neutrality allows learning.
Strengths and Weaknesses
One of the strengths in this argument is the credible supporting sources and my personal experience with social media. The sources offer great insight into how social media use negative impacts overpower the positive impacts. Some weaknesses include offering a general overview of how emotional attachments, such as addiction to social media use, can influence individual lives. Further weaknesses are that some arguments, like the increase in isolation due to social media use, require support from additional research, considering that other factors, such as the environment in which a person is raised, also determine their behavior.
References
Haidt, J. (2022, May 20). Social media has broken our society, but we can still fix it. The Times (U.K). https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/social-media-has-broken-our-society-but-we-can-still-fix-it-flkk8sxt9
Robinson, L., & Smith, M. (2022, November 2). Social media and mental health. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm
Wilson, C., & Stock, J. (2021). ‘Social media comes with good and bad sides, doesn’t it?’ A balancing Act of the benefits and risks of social media use by young adults with long-term conditions. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness, and Medicine, 25(5), 515–534. https://doi.org/10.1177/13634593211023130