Heidi Bledsoe

Peggy Lopata
English 1010
May 1, 2014 Social Media, Like Facebook, Can ct!ally Enhance "!# Li$es
%& 'sed (esponsibly)
*hethe# +e like it o# not Social Media, like Facebook and ,+itte# a#e a pa#t o& o!# -ode#n
li$es) ,he inte#net is no longe# si-ply a .!ick so!#ce o& in&o#-ation) %n &act, i& !sed #esponsibly
Social Media can be an asset and #eally enhance o!# pe#sonal and p#o&essional li$es by b#inging
connections and s!ppo#t at any ho!# o& the day o# night)
,o lea#n ho+ to !se Social Media #esponsibly +e need to lea#n a little abo!t ho+ it +o#ks
and /!st ho+ inte#g#ated it al#eady is in o!# li$es, Social Media is like a big honeyco-b that
incl!des collabo#ati$e p#o/ects like *ikipedia, blogs, ,+itte#, Social ne+s like 0igg, 1o!t!be,
0aily-otion, Facebook, ga-es like *o#ld o& *a#c#a&t, and social +o#lds like Second Li&e) ll a#e
&!nded by ad$e#tise#s that a#e able to ta#get a speci&ic a!dience by t#acking yo!# in&o#-ation)2*iki3
Mo#e and -o#e, as society beco-es globili4ed, people a#e less likely to stay in the sa-e place
as they +e#e bo#n and #aised) F#iends and &a-ily scatte# to the &a# co#ne#s o& the +o#ld, lea$ing
people isolated +hich in t!#n can lead to dep#ession) Facebook and othe# Social Media sites enable
!s to stay connected +ith &#iends and &a-ily on a daily basis, i& +e chose) %t allo+s !s to #econnect
+ith old &#iends and connect +ith ne+ &#iends &#o- all o$e# the +o#ld, people +e +o!ld ne$e#
-eet othe#+ise) ,h!s b!ilding a s!ppo#t syste- that +e, as h!-ans, need and c#a$e in o!# li$es)
,he#e ha$e been #epo#ts o& people +ho clai- to &eel -o#e dep#essed and !nsatis&ied in thei#
o+n li$es beca!se o& #eading the posts abo!t ho+ +onde#&!l thei# &#iends5 li$es a#e) ,hey &eel like
they a#e &ail!#es)26!staldo3 B!t -y e7pe#ience has not been like that at all) 8!st the opposite,
people see- to be -o#e open and honest +hen +e chat online) Maybe it is the inti-ate setting o&
being able to talk +hile in o!# pa/a-as in the -iddle o& the night) % ha$e &o!nd a lot -o#e honesty
on Facebook then at -y High school #e!nion)
%n the a#ticle 9Social :et+o#king ,ips,; a!tho# Ca#oline <no## e7plains that -any child#en as
yo!ng as eight yea#s old no+ ha$e thei# o+n p#o&iles on Facebook, in spite o& s!pposed age #!les
that a#e i-possible to en&o#ce) Millions o& thi#teen yea# olds sign !p e$e#y yea#) She has
de$eloped a list o& #!les &o# pa#ents to help ins!#e the sa&ety o& thei# child#en) ,his incl!des p#i$acy
settings, -onite#ing the childs acti$ity and ti-e online and also #eg!la#ly checking the childs
&#iends list &o# any s!spicio!s ne+co-e#s) ,hese #!les a#e also g#eat g!idelines &o# ad!lts) My o+n
t+o pe#sonal #!les a#e= 1)3 % ne$e# post anything that % +o!ld not stand !p on a c#o+ded b!s and
anno!nce) 2)3 % a- /!st as ca#e&!ll +ith &#iend #e.!ests as % +o!ld be i& they knocked on the &#ont
doo# o& -y ho-e, %&, by chance, % accept a &#iend #e.!est that % &ind -ysel& #eg#etting % +ill !n>
&#iend the- /!st as &ast as % +o!ld kick an obno7io!s d#!nk o!t o& -y ho-e) ,his is not only &o#
-y o+n bene&it b!t also &o# the bene&it o& -y othe# &#iends +ho a#e e7posed to these people
th#o!gh -y page) )
%n the past yea#, Facebook #epo#ts that the a$e#age age o& ne+ -e-be#s is a s!#p#i4ing ?2)@
yea#s old and they e7pect the t#end to contin!e as Baby Boo-e#s #each senio# stat!s) 2Aa&i#3
:!#sing ho-es and ca#e cente#s a#e int#od!cing the inte#net and Facebook to thei# #esidence as a
+ay to keep the- connected +ith &#iends, &a-ily and the o!tside +o#ld) %t has p#o$ed a h!ge
s!ccess +ith -!ch less #epo#ts o& isolation and dep#ession, a $e#y #eal p#oble- &o# the elde#ly)
%n his a#ticle 9 Facebook &o# Cent!#ians,; 8aylin Aa&a# tells the sto#y o& ado#able, 101 yea# old,
Betty Lo$e 6oodykoont4 +ho ga$e he# &a-ily a p#iceless gi&t &o# he# last bi#thday, she sta#ted he#
o+n blog B :o+, she sha#es &a-ily sto#ies and he# daily li&e +ith he# &a-ily on a daily basis) She
likes to b#ag that she has +ent &#o- the ho#se and b!ggy e#a all the +ay to o!te# space B % kno+
he# &a-ily is #elie$ed that they can keep tabs on he# no+ too)
My o+n e7pe#ience +ith Facebook has been positi$e and $e#y bene&icial) Being an only child,
% &o!nd -ysel& $e#y isolated a&te# -y -o- passed a+ay) :ot a single pe#son ente#ed -y ho-e in
the yea# a&te# she died) % disco$e#ed Facebook beca!se o& the &#ee ga-es, soon % connected +ith -y
e7tended &a-ily and old &#iends that % had lost contact +ith -o#e then 10 yea#s be&o#e) E$en the
9cool; chee#leade#s +ho did not kno+ -y na-e in high school +e#e sending -e &#iend #e.!ests B
Be&o#e % kne+ it % had a la#ge g#o!p o& &#iends +ho a#e the#e &o# -e +hene$e# % need the-) % t#!ly
do!bt % +o!ld ha$e had the co!#age to take the leap and go back to college i& % did not ha$e -y
&#iends s!ppo#ting and enco!#aging -e all the +ay) *hen % ha$e a #eally to!gh assign-ent o# a-
co-pletely blocked % ha$e a selection o& P#o&esso#s, teache#s and +#ite#s +ho a#e al+ays +illing to
help)
Saying Social Media +ill change yo!# li&e is -issleading, #athe#, Social Media can help yo!
change yo!# o+n li&e i& !sed #esponsibly)