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Topic: Social Media

Essay Type: Advantage/Disadvantage Essay

Essay Question:

The users of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, are replacing face-to-face contact in this century. Do you think the advantages of this way outweigh the disadvantages?

Model Essay (315 words):

These days, the use of social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, is becoming more prevalent while face-to-face interaction is gradually decreasing. Although many people attest that social media has many advantages, I think it leads to more downsides.

Admittedly, people benefit a lot from using social media. One advantage is that it allows people to connect with others regardless of geographical distance. Through popular messaging applications, such as Facebook, family members who live apart can easily keep in touch with their loved ones. Additionally, it promotes cross-cultural understanding as individuals can have the chance to communicate with other people all over the world. Another advantage is that social media networks can become platforms for modern business ventures. Take Skype, a well-known telecommunication application, as an example. Since it provides users a convenient means of communication, it has been a popular medium for online courses and business transactions.

However, social networking sites can also adversely impact communication and people, in general. Firstly, using these websites frequently can negatively influence one’s communication skills. Since people spend more time online instead of mingling with others, they unconsciously unlearn how to socialize and interact with people in real life. Secondly, social media has become a platform for bullying. Nowadays, people constantly abuse their online freedom and anonymity to blatantly spread negativity. Hence, bullying and social media bashing are all over the cyberspace. Lastly, social networks have a detrimental effect on people’s mental health, especially on the youth. People have now become more self-conscious and insecure as they compare their lives with others. Similarly, some people, such as celebrities and online personalities, suffer from depression and identity loss from the constant pressure of preserving their online identity.

To conclude, social media has indeed enhanced both personal and business communication. However, it has more disadvantages as it can make people feel isolated and increasingly unhappy in the long run.

Essay Structure:

introduction – background statement and thesis statement

body paragraph 1 – general idea + specific idea (explanation/example) [advantage]

body paragraph 2 – general idea + specific idea (explanation/example) [disadvantage]

conclusion – restated opinion and general idea

Key Ideas:

opinion – these sites have positive effects on people and in businesses, but it does more harm on individual’s social skills and mental health

advantage – it benefits personal communication as it brings people from different places in the world closer; it is also used in many business transactions such as online schools

disadvantage – it affects the people’s communication and socializing skills; it serves as an avenue for cyber bullying; lastly, it is detrimental to people’s mental health

Useful Vocabulary:

attest - to show something or to say or to prove that something is true
downside - the negative aspect of something otherwise regarded as good or desirable
keep in touch - to continue to talk to or write to someone
cross-cultural understanding - the basic ability of people to recognize, interpret and correctly react to people, incidences or situations that are open to misunderstanding due to cultural differences
venture - an activity or plan of action, often in business, that involves risk or uncertainty
cyberspace - the internet considered as an imaginary area without limits where you can meet people and discover information about any subject
anonymity - the condition of being anonymous
blatantly - in a way that is very obvious
self-conscious - feeling undue awareness of oneself, one's appearance, or one's actions
isolated - having minimal contact or little in common with others

Model Essay (262 words):

The rise of social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, in recent years, has gradually decreased face-to-face communication. While this has brought about negative consequences, I think this trend provides more benefits, especially in terms of personal and professional communication.

On the one hand, people addicted to using social media can lose their interaction with the real world. They would spend hours locked up in their rooms, checking for updates, watching videos, and chatting with others instead of socializing with them. Thus, they are unable to form genuine relationships with other people, even with their families. Moreover, social media has influenced the way the younger generations write or communicate. Young people, these days, prefer using online slangs, abbreviations, and acronyms. This shortened form is different from the standard style; hence, it might negatively affect people's writing abilities.

On the other hand, social media still has more advantages. First, it is the most effective way to connect people to people. We can easily chat with other relatives and friends on many messaging applications and meet new people on online forums. Second, from a professional perspective, people now do not have a hard time growing their professional network. They can effortlessly reach out to their colleagues, mentors, and other professionals online. Lastly, social networking sites serve as a platform for people to share their thoughts, opinions, and expertise. By expressing themselves, they can attract potential personal and professional connections.

To conclude, despite its drawbacks, social media has proven itself as a vital form of communication as it enhances both social and business communication.

Essay Structure:

introduction – background statement and thesis statement

body paragraph 1 – general idea + specific idea (explanation/example) [disadvantage]

body paragraph 2 – general idea + specific idea (explanation/example) [advantage]

conclusion – restated opinion and general idea

Key Ideas:

opinion – the advent of social media has negatively affected face-to-face communication; while this trend has drawbacks, I believe it brings more advantages to society

disadvantage – one drawback is that social media can cause people to lose interaction with the real world as people these das would rather spend time online instead of mingling with others; another downside is that it has an adverse impact on young people’s writing abilities

advantage – social media has several advantages: firstly, it is still the best form of communication as it allows people to keep in touch with others antime and anwhere; secondly, it gives people the opportunity to connect with their colleagues and other professionals; lastl, it also serves as a platform for people to express their thoughts and ideas

Useful Vocabulary:

professional communication - encompasses written, oral, visual and digital communication within a workplace context
socializing - the action or practice of participating in social activities or mixing socially with others
slang - a type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people
abbreviation - a shortened form of a word or phrase
acronym - an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word
standard - a form of language that is widely accepted as the usual form
forum - a website or web page where users can post comments about a particular issue or topic and reply to other users' postings
expertise - expert skill or knowledge in a particular field
connections - people with whom one has social or professional contact or to whom one is related, especially those with influence and able to offer onehelp
vital - necessary for the success or continued existence of something; extremely important