Disadvantages of social networking

Editor's Notes

• #2: Social networking sites like facebook, twitter, etc are like the most famous sites nowadays. Every single person, no matter of what age, usually have an account in any one of these sites. There are various advantages to make an account on these sites, such as it make us socially active, keep us posted about everything, helps to grow our business as we can promote our business free of cost, helps to build credibility and trust, helps to keep in touch with everyone and many more. But since every coin has two sides, therefore, with the positive impact there comes a negative side also. And what I am going to tell infront of you, are the top 13 disadvantages of social networking sites
• #3: Social networking sites like facebook, twitter, etc are like the most famous sites nowadays. Every single person, no matter of what age, usually have an account in any one of these sites. There are various advantages to make an account on these sites, such as it make us socially active, keep us posted about everything, helps to grow our business as we can promote our business free of cost, helps to build credibility and trust, helps to keep in touch with everyone and many more. But since every coin has two sides, therefore, with the positive impact there comes a negative side also. And what I am going to tell infront of you, are the top 13 disadvantages of social networking sites
• #4: Did you ever experience being hacked? Like every piece of you wanted to have your facebook back because of the personal information you have there? Do you know why you are hacked? Life is so complicated with these social networking sites that could anytime expose your information. Did you never doubt the applications like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? Never did you think how those applications affect you? Then let us do the roll and keep your eyes open – and if you cannot concentrate very well.. I might say you are one of the early victim of these social networking sites.
• #7: One of the major demerits of these sites are increment in criminal activities, as there is no hard restrictions on creating account on these sites. Another disadvantage of social networking sites is loss of productivity. People keep on posting status and photos and do not give complete dedication to their work which can effect their business. Also, people are so into these sites that they often sleep less because of these as they are busy trolling the sites. Thus lack of sleep can also cause a lot of problem at their workplace as their mind will not be able to concentrate and focus on the work because of inadequate sleep. Thus, social networking sites decrease the productivity of an individual to a great extent which is a very big disadvantage.
• #8: Directly affects health. Picture 1 shows how people neglect proper way of eating or balanced diet since she is so busy with her laptop. Picture 2 shows hurting of the eyes due to long exposure to the monitor. This event or illness is also called Computer Eye Strain
• #9:   Another important issue is security of our personal data and information, as its free to everyone, most of the users create face accounts and misuse the personal information of other users/celebrities. Whether you like it or not, the information you post on the Internet is available to almost anyone who is clever enough to access it. Most thieves need just a few vital pieces of personal information to make your life a nightmare and if they successfully steal your identity, it could cost you dearly. A report on CNET reveals over 24 million Americans put their personal information at risk by posting it on public sites such as social communities. Fake profiles are very common these days. Photos can easily be downloaded and can be used to create fake profiles. It can destroy the image of an individual to a great extent. Till the time the person knows that a fake profile from his or her name have been created and is active, a lot of damage would already have been done. People can post status, can send messages, can comment and can do a lot of other things to hamper someone’s social and personal life. This can even effect someone’s career, can destroy relationships and friendships and can even cost someone’s life. -
• #10: Unless parents are diligent to filter the Internet content to which their families are exposed, children could be exposed to pornography or other inappropriate content. The Pew Center, in their Cyberbullying 2010 report, states that 93 percent of teens aged 12 to 17 use the Internet. Of that 93 percent, 63 percent of them use the Internet daily. Such high usage increases the risk of their being victims of cyberbullying or other cyber crimes. (more chances of viewing pornographic materials)
• #11: Social networking sites are a complete time waster. We don’t even realize how much time we waste using these sites. Uploading photos, chatting, going through different profiles, posting status, commenting on every single status and photo, playing games and many more things that are available in these sites are a complete waste of time. When we go online, we think that we will only check updates and will then close the site. But it usually never happens and we just keep on using the site. A lot of other productive work can be done instead of checking updates and posting status and pictures. But people usually don’t realize this and keep on wasting their time. So, wasting time is one of the disadvantage of these sites as time is the most important aspect and time once gone, never comes back. So we should try and utilize our time instead of wasting it in social networking sites.
• #12: Online bullying is very common nowadays. Posting harsh comments on status and pictures can be seen very often. Confession pages have added to it, as people can anonymously abuse or criticize anyone without being known. Even if we lock our settings and unfriend them or block them, they can post harsh status about us, and can tag us in it. This online harassment that people face can lead them into depression and sometimes people also commit suicide when things get even worse. This online bullying that people do to make fun of others and to make someone a laughing stock can thus cost someone’s life.
• #13: Addictions of these sites can even affect our mental conditions, sometime is became a big reason of depression and tension.  Although Social Networking has many advantages, it also has multiple disadvantages. Time spent on social networking increases the risk of teens smoking, drinking and using drugs, according to a national survey of American attitudes on substance abuse. On a typical day, 70 percent of teens ages 12 to 17 -- 17 million teenagers -- spend from a minute to hours on Facebook, Myspace and other social networking sites, according to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. But for this same age bracket, social-network-savvy teens are five times more likely to use tobacco; three times more likely to use alcohol; and twice as likely to use marijuana than teens who do not spend any of their day on social networking sites. 
• #14: Many people are the victims of online scams these days. Most common online scam of social networking sites is downloading malware in which people unknowingly either download spyware and viruses to their computers or post it on their profile page. False identity is also an online scam where the scammers use the identities of genuine people to set up a profile for having fun or to establish friendships that will consequently lead to face-to-face meetings or even to send invitations to adult sites. Identity theft is another scam where scammers try to steal identities via social networking sites. Hacking our profile is also considered as an online scam where hackers hack our profile page and then misuse it in our name. Sending and receiving spam is also one of the online crime. All these online scams that are discussed above can endanger the reputation of someone to a great extent which is thus a disadvantage of social networking sites.
• #15: According to Larry D. Rosen, Ph.D., professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and technology researcher also says "According to studies, middle school, high school and college students looking at Facebook at least one time during a 15 minute study break made lower grades. In addition, many young Facebook users show more tendencies to be narcissistic. The new research suggests that overuse of media and technology can negatively affect health of children and teens, especially with psychological disorders- making users more likely to experience anxiety and depression.
• #16: A huge advantage of these social communities has a reverse side effect that is also a big disadvantage of social networking: they reduce or eliminate face-to-face socialization. Because of the autonomy afforded by the virtual world, individuals are free to create a fantasy persona and can pretend to be someone else. It is hard to say no, be rude, or ignore someone when you are looking them in the eye. It's incredibly easy and quick to unfriend or unfollow someone or simply block their efforts to make a connection. Just one click of the mouse and your problems are over. Unfortunately, this feature of online socialization cheats people of the opportunity to learn how to resolve conflicts in the world outside the Internet and it could retard or cripple one's social skills developments. Tweens and teens are at higher risk because those years are when they are learning to interact with others or build and maintain relationships. A report from the National School Boards Association shows that of the children in these age groups that use a social network, 41 percent spend their time posting messages. They are not spending this time in face-to-face interactions with their peers or others nor are they developing the necessary social skills for future success.
• #17: While on the surface it appears social networking brings people together across the Internet, in a larger sense it may create social isolation, according to a BBC News report. As people spend increasing amounts of time on social networks, they experience less face-to-face interaction. Scientists have evaluated social isolation in many studies, and have determined that it can lead to a host of mental, psychological, emotional and physical problems including depression, anxiety, somatic complaints and many others. In fact, a University of Illinois at Chicago School of Medicine animal study showed social isolation impaired brain hormones, which is the likely reason socially isolated people experience tremendous levels of stress, aggression, anxiety and other mental issues.
• #18: Along with the benefits, Connolly cautions that students who use social networking tools might pay significant hidden cognitive costs. Facebook, Google, and other web services simultaneously seize and fragment our attention. They can subvert higher-order reasoning processes, including the kind of focus, concentration, and persistence necessary for critical thinking and intellectual development. Some researchers have correlated heavy Internet use with greater impulsivity, less patience, less tenacity, and weaker critical thinking skills. The need to rapidly shift from object to object online can weaken students’ ability to control their attention. Prolonged Internet use exposes students to interactive, repetitive, and addictive stimuli that produce permanent changes in brain structure and function. The more one uses the Internet and social media, the better the brain can skim and scan. But research suggests that these gains degrade the capacity for concentration, reasoning, and reflection—in fact the very sort of critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning needed to honestly appraise the full costs of using social media.
• #19: >In addition, many young Face book users show more tendencies to be narcissistic. ***SELF EXPLANATION***