Social networking site does more bad than good Essay

Social networking site does more bad than good - Essay Example Evidence exists that the use of these sites has a negative effect on individual lives. A research done concluded that longer use of internets had a strong association with â€Å"increased depression, loneliness, and smaller social circles† (Ahn 1441). The effect occurs, as individuals are mostly isolated from their friends and families due to heavy reliance on SNS. As a result, such individuals psychological well-being is affected. Secondly, SNS have been found to affect student’s performance in schools. The effect has been noted in reduced grades to persistent users of these sites. For example, in one of a conference paper by Karpinski (2009), it noted that college Facebook users have lower GPAs as compared to nonusers of the site (Ahn 1442). The argument was that users are most likely to spend longer time at the expense of studying. On the other hand, these sites have led to cyber bullying. Perpetrators of cyber bullying have significantly used these sites (Jung 1). Hence, those that use these sites especially kids are more prone to cyber bullying. Usually, perpetrators hide their real identities to terrorize victims (Jung 1). The vulnerable kids are likely to develop mental problems and sometimes even contemplate committing suicide. Ahn, June. â€Å"The Effect of Social Network Sites on Adolescents’ Social and Academic Development: Current Theories and Controversies.† Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 62(8) (2011): 1435-1445.