Introduction
The following argumentative essay is on whether the internet is changing our social
lives or not. Internet has become an important component of every day operations
and it is imperative to ensure that there is awareness about its influence and effects
on people and human relationships. This argument takes considers that internet has
indeed affected the social lives of people all over the world. The first part of this
essay presents instances where the internet has changed social lives positively or
negatively. Internet has changed the social interactions of modern day world in
a dynamic way and it has has improved the relations and friendships that were
in existence and increased more individual contacts.
Internet has changed lives in that it has affected social relationships for bad or for
good. The instance where it has improved relationships is through consistent
communication through the social networks such as face book, MySpace and twitter.
However, internet has affected relationships and people negatively especially school
children through the cyber bullying activities that happen on the internet. “There
have been cases of cyber bullying where some individuals impersonate
someone and use their profile and images to pose as someone else.”
(Anonymous 4). When people see the image in the profile they believe it is the
picture of the real person.This type of bullying has affected some of the children
whose images have been used to bully others negatively. This has led to some of
the parents developing interest in the intricacies of social networking by wanting to
know how to deal with cybercrime as well as ensure that the cyber criminals who use
the internet to bully others have been punished.
“The internet has affected people’s privacy as personal information can
be accessed friends through hacking into people’s social network accounts.”
(Anonymous 4). The internet privacy is critical in enhancing ones life and self-
confidence. Infringing on people’s privacy has led to reduced self-esteem by sharing
personal information with people who may use it against the individual.
Internet has changed social lives in undermining individual’s need for privacy.
“Although the social media has features that guarantee users’ privacy there
are many instances where friends share individual personal information.”
(Anonymous 4). Privacy over the internet is not guaranteed and any material posted
over the internet should be intended for public exposure. Instances of people being
hurt due to unnecessary exposure to the unintended audience has affected
relationships and self esteem negatively. For instance, people can use a person’s
image to create a phony account to harass and commit crime over the internet.
While the real person whose image is in use may be unaware of it, it will affect how
other people perceive such a person as well as any physical relationships that such
a person has
“It has also affected parent child relationships, as parents have to be
more vigilant on the way their children use the internet.” (Anonymous 4). This
is because internet enables children to access malicious contents such as
phornography and exposes children to prowling adults who predate children seeking
ways of exploiting them. Parents are enrolling in social media courses where they
are taught how to monitor their children’s use of the internet. “Some parents have
even installed spyware software on their family computers to monitor their
children’s use of the internet.” (Anonymous 4).
The internet especially the social media has also affected lives of people by
giving them a sense of belonging. “This sense of belonging comes through the
communities offered through the internet, where people can express
themselves, assert their values, and influence agendas of those communities.”
(Orenstei 3). The internet has therefore become a way of building self-esteem,
engaging in activities that have influence on the individual. The internet forums
provided by twitter have created families and social groups. People nowadays twit
about the country, their favorite shop, their car and any issue, which they feel is
affecting them. In fact, twitter to some people has become part of their daily activity
and they cannot afford to spend a day without twitting. This shows that the internet is
a major component of social existence.
The internet has also changed lives in the sense that people can nowadays
interrelate with others who are in different places and countries and consider them
as friends. “It is interesting that internet websites such as Face book and
MySpace provide opportunities where people can meet new people and faces
and interact with them as if they have met them before (Orenstei 2).” This
shows that the internet has changed the social sphere by increasing the acceptance
of people who are at different places. The internet has improved social networks
by creating forums where people with similar aspirations or interests can
interconnect and discuss ideas (Dunbar 2). Such forums are usually medical
forums where people who suffer from certain ailments can discuss different therapies
that they undertake and their methods of coping with those ailments. On the negative
side, there are social networks or groups that interlink criminals and act as a forum
where people can engage in crime as well as brainstorm ideas on how to commit
criminal activities. The other factor of the internet is that the social networks
Is the Internet Changing our Social Lives? 6
interlinks professionals and people who have similar career background to keep
themselves abreast with the changes that may be happening in their industry.
LinkedIn has specialized in networking professionals in similar fields. They can even
brainstorm on how to handle such changes.
The internet has brought another interesting concept of being alone but not
lonely. In today’s world most of the people spend time on their personal computers
working on projects or doing some of their work on computers. To feel
interconnected with the rest of the world even when one is alone, the social network
enables the individuals to talk and chat with other people as if they are together.
“The internet has brought togetherness of people who are apart yet they are
close.” (Dunbar 3). This has enhanced relationships that would otherwise end if the
individuals were not in constant communication.
The internet has increased interconnectedness of people by ensuring that
they develop new friends and relationships through the internet. “The internet has
affected the social lives of individuals negatively by having many people
maximize the time that they spend on the internet rather than the times that
they spend on real life relationships.” (Dunbar 3). This has led to the
deterioration of the relationships as people rarely have real life relationships.
Others have argued that even though the internet interconnects with many
people all over the world the relationships are not affected. People can only
interrelate with at most one hundred and fifty persons who are within the social
circles of an individual. This implies that even if people develop new relationships on
the internet they loose the previous physical relationships that they had developed
previously. “Out of the one hundred and fifty close friends that people
interrelate with some are relatives who are not online.” (Dunbar 4). Therefore in
Is the Internet Changing our Social Lives? 7
reality the social networks do not allow one to get more than one hundred and fifty
people. If one increased friends on the social networks, it implies that he/she has to
lose close friends who are not on the internet as well as relationships. The other
aspect of critical importance is that having internet-based relationships alienates one
from real and tangible relationships, which are critical to human existence. “The
social relationships contribute to the development of the individual’s social
life.” (Dunbar 4). Internet relationships cannot in anyway provide social support in
matters that require emotional contact, closeness or financial support, which is what
real relationships provide.
CONCLUSION
While the companies that have allowed people to interrelate through the internet
have made millions of money, it is likely that they are going to make even more
money as more people access the internet and work using computers. The social
networks are not only available using computer but also through cell phones making
internet an important aspect of daily living. The social media and the internet in
general have influenced relationships and interactions of peopleby determining who
they interact with and how they interact. Most importantly, people have to be aware
of how to use it to enhance social relationships rather than destroy relationships.
Is the Internet Changing our Social Lives? 8
Works Cited
Anonymous. As Bullies Go Digital, Parents Play Catch-Up. May. 2012.Web. 10
September. 2012.
< http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/us/05bully.html?pagewanted=all >.
Anonymous. MySpace, Face book and Other Social Networking Sites: Hot Today,
Gone Tomorrow? September. 2011. Web. 11 September. 2012.
< http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1463> .
Dunbar, Robin. You’ve Got to Have (150) Friends. October. 2010. Web. 11
September. 2012.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/opinion/26dunbar.html .
Orenstei, Peggy. I Tweet, Therefore I Am. August. 2010. Web.11 September. 2012.
