Social Media and its effects

 

Social Media and its effects

Teacher: Good morning, dear viewer, welcome to the English Speaking Practice class. how are you doing?

Student: Good morning, Sir. I am doing well. And you?

Teacher:  yes, I am perfectly fine. Today our topic of discussion is social media and its effects”. I think it is discussed in a colloquial way than professional. Moreover, I am looking forward to your participation in this because as a youth, you are more indulged and participate in social media networks.

Student: yes, this is a burning question. As with the advancement of technology, every person is literally on the internet either it is social media sites, business platforms, or e-commerce.

Teacher: Now a day’s social media has been an important part of one’s life from shopping to electronic mails, education, and business tool. Social media plays a vital role in transforming people’s lifestyles. Social media includes social networking sites and blogs where people can easily connect.

Student: Since the emergence of these social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook as key tools for news, journalists and their organizations have performed a high-wire act [1]. These sites have become a day-to-day routine for people.

Teacher: as I have figured it out that around Three billion people, 40% of the world’s population, use online social media – and we’re spending an average of two hours every day sharing, liking, tweeting, and updating on these platforms

Student: Multitasking has become a common theme in our lives and no one can deny it. It’s a wonder how we manage it all at the same time. We depend on our mobile phones for work, school, our personal and social lives.

Teacher:  yes, I agree.

Student: what do you think about social media advancement.

Teacher: I think it is good if we use it properly. Social media is a tool to connect society uniformly.

Student: okay, keep on speaking.

Teacher: but, in the last decade, we have seen a lot of changes both in positive and negative sense about social media usage.

Student: I think excessive use of social media is not good. Excess of everything is bad.

Teacher: interestingly for your kind information, social media don’t force us to sit and spend hours on different sites. It is us, who waste our time. The real application of social media is now forgotten.

Student: so, what was the real use of social media? enlighten me about this.

Teacher: the real purpose of social media is to impart education, social skills, and connectivity which it should do and it is doing. People who like glamour, fantasy, and fashion have corrupted this environment.

Student: but sir, these sites are fascinating, lucrative, and inspiring for everyone. Our happiness is now in the control of these social sites. We would not feel good if we don’t use it for some hours. We will be anxious enough.

Teacher: yes, our happiness realized glands named dopamine are controlled by the internet. We feel good when we have access to these sites and feel bad when these go down.

Student:  if we use it adequately, then these are also excellent. Teachers like you can enhance their knowledge skills. Social networking sites also conduct online examinations which play an important role to enhance the students’ knowledge.

Teacher: yes, I have seen such application which involves, mental and cognitive skills and improves learning of students.

Student: The impact of social networks on young people is significant. It is becoming increasingly clear that social networks have become part of people’s lives

Teacher:  oaky. Tell me something more.

Student: Social media and technology offer us greater convenience and connectivity: staying connected with family and friends worldwide, quick access to information and research, banking, online learning, job skills, and great marketing tools opportunities for remote employment. If you have a skill you can earn as well.

Teacher: it is published in an article that the researcher found that while the most-used social platforms for adults are Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook; teens prefer Snapchat and Instagram, while TikTok is reportedly the fastest growing social network among younger users especially in Subcontinent.

Student: The effects of social networking are twofold. On the positive side, social networks can act as invaluable tools for professionals. They achieve this by assisting young professionals to market their skills and seek business opportunities. Social networking sites may also be used to network efficiently.

Teacher:  oh, great. This is amazing. And do these sites have some drawbacks as well.

Student: On the negative side, the internet is full of several dangers and risks associated with online communities. Cyberbullying, which means a type of harassment that is perpetrated using electronic technology, is one of the risks.

Teacher: it is said that the amount of time spent on social sites is alarming. One report indicates the average teen ages 13 to 18 spends about nine hours on social media each day; tweens ages 8 to 12 are on for about six hours a day.

Student: Oh my goodness, these statistics are alarming.

Teacher: okay. Let's play a general knowledge game with you. I’ll give you a word and you have to describe it. Okay. Ready let's start. The word is “Facebook”.

Student: Facebook: This is the largest social media network on the Internet, with around 1.59 billion monthly active users. Moreover, Social media itself is not the problem. It is the most popular application which connects us with friends and family. But, be aware “Friends” on social media may not be friends, and may even be strangers.

Teacher:  we believe that Social Media is addictive. Okay, what do you know about social media sites? Twitter.

Student: Twitter: it a social app that allows us to communicate with each other. Twitter was founded on March 21, 2006. Governments, Professionals, and  Celebrities use this application to connect with their followers. This site has more than 320 million active monthly users who can build use of the 140 character limit to pass on information.

Teacher: Okay, that is quick and great. Now tell me what do you know about Google.

Student: Google+ is one of the popular social media sites these days. Everyone is now connected with Google because of its productivity and effectiveness. Its SEO value alone makes it a must-use tool for any small business

Teacher: Yes, both Quantity and quality matter in this field.  Now tell me something about another fantastic application named Youtube.

Student: YouTube is the biggest and most well-known video-based online networking site. You can upload videos and content for education, business, and entertainment purposes.

Teacher: and Instagram?

Instagram is a visual online networking stage. Here mostly, people upload their pictures. The site has more than 400 million dynamic users and is owned by Facebook. Pinterest, Tumblr, Flicker, and Reddit are also some famous social media sites of the same level.

Teacher: Social media also allow one to share a thought with another helps a man toward one side of the world to interface, converse, and trade thoughts with a man on the other side of the globe. With the rise of social media, now students can easily communicate or share information quickly with each other through various social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, and Instagram, etc

Student: yes it is true. Social media also affected the Education sector.

Teacher: there are many positive effects of Social Media on Education as social media gives away to the students to effectively reach each other in assignments, or for help on homework. Many of the students who do not take an interest consistently in class might feel that they can express their thoughts easily on social media which removes shyness. Access to social media provides the opportunity for educators to teach good digital citizenship and the use of the Internet for productivity. Teachers may post on social media about students, class activities, school events, homework assignments which will be very useful to them. It is seen that social media marketing has been emerging as a career option.

Student: Social media marketing prepares young people to become successful marketers.

Teacher: yes, it is true.

Student: There are many drawbacks of using social media platforms for a longer time.

Teacher: yes, I have seen and observed these drawbacks. Kindly tell me about some of the drawbacks.

Student: The first drawback that comes to mind is the kind of distraction to the students present in the class. As teachers were not able to recognize who is paying attention in the classroom [12]. · One of the biggest breakdowns of social media in education is the privacy issues like posting personal information on online sites, inappropriate information posted, students lose their ability to engage themselves for face-to-face communication. Many of the developers, bloggers, and writers post wrong information on social sites which leads the education system to failure.

Teacher:  Even social media controls our emotions.

Student: yes, researchers have found that excessive use of social media produces negative emotions, mainly envy, frustration, bad relationships, low self-esteem, addiction, depressions, and irregular sleep patterns.

Teacher: of really is it true.

Student: yes, I am saying true. I have taken this information from a BBC article named “Is social media bad for you? The evidence and the unknowns”. You can check it.

Teacher: okay dear, I will read it out. This looks informative to me.

Student:  Social media is used in various business functions. Marketing is one of the most important and common uses of social media in business. It works because today every brand has a target section of an online audience. Many sites like LinkedIn help the business by connecting with experts who can share some strategic plans. Business Development- Professional

Teacher: interestingly, I recently read a research article where the main theme of the title was that “Parents should educate themselves on their child’s use of social media, videos, apps, or games. Ask your child to teach you about a game they play or a show they watch. Parents can evaluate and set rules for better use of technology.”

Student: Parents and children need to remember that not all childhood memories need to be formed in the glow of a smartphone. Make time for family activities and encourage your child to put down tech gadgets.

Teacher: theoretically it is amazing. But practically now it is impossible.

Student: No, It is not, Sir. It is possible.

Teacher: but, how?

Student: Parents should keep an open eye on their children. Many of the social media sites are most popular on the web. Some social media sites have transformed the way where people communicate and socialize on the web.

Teacher: yes, exactly,

Student: Social networking sites render the opportunity for people to reconnect with their old friends, colleagues, and mates. It also helps people to make new friends, share content, pictures, audios, videos amongst them. Social media also changes the lifestyle of a society.

Teacher: Social media is a platform for people to discuss their issues and opinions. Before knowing the aspects of social media people must have to know what is social media? Social media are computer tools that allow people to share or exchange information’s, ideas, images, videos, and even more with each other through a particular network

Student: There are many positive effects of social media on society's connectivity. The first and foremost benefit of social media is connectivity. People from anywhere can connect with anyone. Regardless of the location and religion.

Teacher: The prettiness of social media is that you can attach with anyone to learn and share your thoughts.

Student: It also benefits the Education system. Social networking provides various benefits to students and teachers. It is very easy to educate others who are experts and professionals via social media. One can follow anyone to learn from him/her and enhance his knowledge about any field. Regardless of our location and educational background, we can educate ourself, without paying for it.

Teacher: yes an educator, I have observed this notion that technology helps us in this regard. Most educators and teachers are using these gadgets to improve the learning environment.

Student: now, we are well informed. Television and print media nowadays are one-sided and do not pass on a genuine message. With the assistance of web-based social networking, you can get the actualities and genuine data by doing some  internet exploration

Teacher: some drawbacks of social media on society are cyberbullying, hacking, personal reputation, addiction, fraud, and scams. We should focus on these because these are great threads.

Student: I agree with the thought that social media is already an irreplaceable part of our daily life. But I also believe that it is highly addictive in our society.

Teacher: Media today has a huge influence on teenagers. Be it television, computers, video games, social networking sites – it hugely impacts all aspects of a teen’s life. Everything is not bad with the media. If used in the right way, media can transform the lives of the youth from good to better.

Student:  In my opinion, people should try to avoid those sources, and spend their time on more productive things. I believe that there should be a balance between social media and real life.

Thank you again for enlighting me. See you again in a new video. Take care.