Many People Believe That Social Networking Sites Have Had Huge Negative Impact On Both Individuals And Society | Band 8 IELTS Essay Sample

Many people believe that social networking sites (such as Facebook) have had huge negative impact on both individuals and society. To what extent do you agree?

Here is a band 8 IELTS essay on this topic written by one of our students. Need help with IELTS writing? Get your IELTS essays, letters and reports corrected by me.

Band 8 IELTS essay sample

With the constant improvement in global internet connectivity over the last decade, several social media websites have seen a booming growth in the number of users. While this social connectivity has helped in bringing the world community closer, there are some that argue that it has had a massive negative effect on the society, especially teenagers. This essay would argue why uncontrolled social media is increasingly doing more harm than good to our society.

Social media has certainly made rapid advancements in recent times to bring people together. The biggest strength of social media is that it caters to the emotional and social needs of its users. For example, platforms like Facebook not only allow users to find out their long lost friends but also peep into their personal lives. In addition, social media has made job search easier. Platforms like LinkedIn enable virtual recruitment and eliminate the need to visit a company with a printed copy of CV.

However in the broader perspective, because social media is less regulated and controlled, it has started to adversely affect our society. Although social media has helped us in making our life simpler, we are still paying a price. For instance, as more and more banking transactions are now handled over the internet there has been a significant rise in the number of cyber-crimes and online identity theft. Also, as more and more users share their pictures and videos on social media, many teenagers face cyber bullying and online abuse. Moreover, with so many social media influencers and celebrities posting their edited photos, our perception of beauty is rapidly changing. Therefore we can see how online community is increasingly becoming more and more judgmental.

To conclude, this essay discussed / proved how popular social media networks have started to modify our behavior, perception and emotions. As we enter the rapidly transforming digital age, the society would certainly need a deeper understanding and sense of control to stop becoming “virtual beings”.

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