PRO TEAM

(Introduction)

Good afternoon/morning to all attendees, honorable jury and opposing teams

Before we debate our motion this morning/afternoon, please allow us from class 12 science 2 to
introduce ourselves. I am Aurea Rosemary Sanit Naisoko as the first speaker, I am Stefania Serly
Mauloko as the second speaker, and I am Maria Richarda Usfinit as the third speaker.

(Speaker 1) => Nona Naisoko

Thank you for the opportunity given, today we will discuss the topic entitled: The Impact of Social
Media on Literacy: Good or Bad?

Before we enter into a discussion of the impact of social media, let's look at how communication
methods have evolved over time. From book printing to digital media, we are now facing the
dominance of social media platforms as a primary means of communication. Social media has played
an important role in increasing access and exposure to a variety of written materials, strengthening
shorthand writing skills, and enabling the formation of communities of readers and writers. In
addition, educational platforms on social media provide space for learning and sharing knowledge,
while literacy campaigns and discussions about literacy on social media can increase awareness of
the importance of reading and writing skills in society. The reasons why, in our team's opinion, social
media has a good impact on literacy are:

• Wider Access to Information

• Community Formation and Discussion

• Promotion of Reading and Writing

• Useful Educational Content.

From the several reasons I explained above, social media has certainly had a good impact on
literacy. overall, social media has a significant influence on literacy. They expand access to various
forms of writing, encourage shorthand skills, and facilitate the formation of communities of readers
and writers. With a balanced approach and a deep understanding of the dynamics of social media,
we can exploit its positive potential to increase literacy in this digital era.

(Speaker 2) => Serly Mauloko

Thank you for the opportunity. I once again emphasize that we from the pro team still adhere to our
argument that social media has a good impact on literacy. The importance of digital literacy in the
increasingly dominant era of social media cannot be ignored. In this context, digital literacy refers to
an individual's ability to understand, evaluate and use information critically and effectively in a
digital environment. digital literacy in the era of social media allows individuals to become
intelligent, critical and responsible users in consuming, sharing and participating in digital content.
As previously mentioned by our team's first speaker, the reasons why social media has a positive
impact on literacy are:
• Wider Access to Information

Social media provides broad access to information and news through subscription, sharing,
discussion and news curation features. This broadens the scope of information, enables rich
interactions and discussions, and makes it easier for users to access topics that are popular or
important.

• Community Formation and Discussion

Social media enables communication and discussion that promotes literacy by facilitating the
exchange of ideas, building communities of literature fans, sharing literacy resources, and publishing
creative works. This expands access to various forms of literature and advances literacy skills.

Promotion of reading and writing

Social media platforms encourage more reading and writing with sharing features, book
recommendations, reading challenges, writing opportunities, and literature discussions. They
facilitate access to reading content, provide incentives to read more, and provide a space for sharing
writing and personal experiences.

• Useful Educational Content

Social media provides wide access to educational content from various sources. They enable
educational institutions and experts to share educational materials for free, as well as facilitate
communities where members can exchange information and discuss. The platform also provides
online courses and webinars for flexible learning. Direct interaction between teachers and students
is also supported, promoting collaborative learning.

Thus, social media has actually had a positive impact on literacy among its users. Thank You

(Third Speaker) =>Charda Usfinit

Thank you for the opportunity given, now I as the third speaker will provide the conclusion of our
argument.

After listening carefully to the arguments of the first speaker and the second speaker, it can be
concluded that the impact of social media on literacy has many significant positive aspects. They
firmly present the fact that social media has become the main communication tool in the digital era,
replacing even printed books. This phenomenon has opened wide doors to access and exposure to
various written materials. Not only that, social media also plays a key role in strengthening short
writing skills, offering a platform for communities of readers and writers to grow, as well as being a
space for learning and sharing knowledge.

The importance of digital literacy amidst the dominance of social media cannot be ignored. Digital
literacy, as stated by the second speaker, includes the ability to understand, evaluate and use
information critically and effectively in a digital environment. These capabilities enable individuals to
be intelligent, critical, and responsible users in consuming, sharing, and participating in digital
content.

Wider access to information, the formation of communities and discussions, the promotion of
reading and writing, and the availability of useful educational content are the main elements that
confirm that social media has played a positive role in literacy. They expand access to various forms
of writing, encourage shorthand skills, and facilitate the formation of supportive communities of
readers and writers.

However, amidst all this goodness, it is important to remember that digital literacy plays a central
role in ensuring that social media users are able to assess information critically and responsibly. By
honing digital literacy skills wisely, we can maximize the positive benefits of social media to improve
overall literacy. Therefore, prioritizing a balanced approach and a deep understanding of the
dynamics of social media is a wise step in navigating this digital era. Thank you for your attention and
participation in this discussion.

CON TEAM
(Introduction)

Good afternoon/morning to all attendees, honorable jury and opposing teams

Before we debate our motion this morning/afternoon, please allow us from class 12 science 2 to
introduce ourselves. I am Aurea Rosemary Sanit Naisoko as the first speaker, I am Stefania Serly
Mauloko as the second speaker, and I am Maria Richarda Usfinit as the third speaker.

(Speaker 1) => Nona Naisoko

Good morning/afternoon/evening, thank you for the opportunity given, to talk about our topic
today: The Impact of Social Media on Literacy: Good or Bad?

I want to bring a different perspective, that although social media provides benefits, there are also
challenges that we need to overcome.

Social media often promotes fast and ephemeral content consumption. This can reduce interest and
ability to read more in-depth material. Long books and articles are often less attractive than short
videos or memes that can be enjoyed in seconds. Some of the reasons why we oppose our motion
today are:

• Reduction of Attention Endurance

Social media tends to promote fast and short content consumption. Users are often used to
information that is easy to digest in a short time. This can reduce the ability to focus on longer and
more complex passages.

• Spread of Wrong Information

 Social media is a place where information can quickly spread, whether true or false. Fake news,
extreme opinions and unverified claims can often be confusing and affect the ability to differentiate
between fact and opinion.

• Impact on Writing Quality

Good writing skills require practice and dedication. However, social media with its emphasis on
short, informal writing can reduce the ability to write with the depth and structure required in
broader literacy contexts.

• Social isolation

While social media allows us to connect with people from all over the world, it can also
sometimes lead to isolation social. Some people tend to prefer interacting in cyberspace rather than
in the real world, which can affect interpersonal communication skills and the ability to read non-
verbal expressions.

The adverse impacts of social media on literacy include reduced attention span, spread of false
information, influence of informal language, reliance on visuals, reduced critical thinking skills,
distraction from irrelevant content, social isolation, and impact on writing and literary skills. Social
media distances people who are already close and conversely, face-to-face interactions tend to
decrease, making people addicted to the internet, causing conflict, privacy problems, and being
vulnerable to the bad influence of other people. Therefore, we from the counter team are very again
stated that social media actually has a bad impact on literacy. That's all.

(Speaker 2) => Serly Mauloko

Thank you for the opportunity. I once again emphasize that we from the pro team still adhere to
our argument that social media has a good impact on literacy. As explained by speaker 1 of our
team, several reasons why social media has a negative impact on literacy are:

• Reduction of Attention Endurance

Social media tends to promote short, quick content that triggers an instant desire for
information. Users are used to short messages, memes or video clips that can be consumed in
seconds. Over time, this habit can reduce your patience and ability to focus on longer, more complex
texts such as books or articles that require more time and concentration to understand. This can
hinder the development of deep reading and literary analysis skills that require intense focus and
reflection.

• Spread of false information

Social media allows information to spread quickly without having to go through strict verification
or validation processes. This can result in the spread of fake news, hoaxes and inaccurate
information. Often, sensational or controversial content is more likely to gain attention and be
shared widely, even if it does not have a strong basis in fact. According to kemenkeu.go.id, at least
30% to almost 60% of Indonesians are exposed to hoaxes when accessing and communicating via
cyberspace. Meanwhile, only 21% to 36% are able to recognize hoaxes. Most of the hoaxes found
were related to political, health and religious issues.
• Impact on Writing Quality

Social media tends to promote the use of more informal language, abbreviations or popular
phrases. This can reduce the tendency to use formal language and more complex writing skills.
Principal Legal Analyst Bambang Iriana Djajaatmadja expressed his concern regarding this condition.
“I feel sad about the current condition of our creative works which has reached its lowest point.
"Especially young intellectuals today are starting to lose media or vehicles to convey and express
their thoughts," said Bambang when giving a message at the Employee Morning Call at the National
Legal Development Agency (BPHN) on Monday (24/07/2023).

• Social isolation

People tend to prefer interacting via screens rather than communicating directly in the real
world. This can result in a lack of physical interaction with friends, family, or coworkers. According to
https://ameera.republika.co.id/, those who choose social media images have a greater impact of
social media on their social lives and report spending more time on social media sites. Social media
appears to be social, but in fact causes greater feelings of loneliness by limiting opportunities for
real-life socialization.

Therefore, we from the counter team emphasized that we still adhere to our argument, social
media has a bad impact on literacy.

(Third Speaker) => Charda Usfinit

Thank you for the opportunity that has been given. I want to emphasize that we should not
underestimate the serious challenges faced in the context of the impact of social media on literacy.

Intensive use of social media does pose a risk to our literacy. As the first speaker outlined, quick,
short content often grabs more attention than more in-depth reading. This can reduce patience and
focus on long texts. Additionally, the spread of false information on social media is a problem serious
things that can affect our ability to sort out correct and accurate information.

Not only that, the arguments from the second speaker are also important to consider. Reduced
attention span and the spread of misinformation are two important aspects to be wary of. Social
media does encourage an instant desire for information, but this can hinder the ability to read and
analyze information in depth. Moreover, the spread of false information can undermine the correct
understanding of a topic.

Apart from that, the influence of informal language on social media can also have an impact on the
quality of writing. Bambang Iriana Djajaatmadja has given a serious warning regarding this, that our
language and written works are experiencing a decline in quality due to the influence of social
media. Lastly, social isolation due to dependence on social media is something that should not be
ignored. Physical interactions and involvement in real-world social activities are important for
building healthy connections.

Thus, we must admit that there is a significant negative impact of social media on literacy.
Therefore, it is important for all of us to use social media wisely and critically. Thank You.