Problem Solution Essay Draft 2

Nowadays, social media deeply penetrates young people's daily life. From sustaining friendships to expanding social circles, teenagers are heavily dependent on social media to construct their relationships with other people. In “Alone Together” by Turkle (2012), she mentions while social media was used as a tool to connect people, it is now causing wider separation. This isolation is extremely harmful to teenagers as they are in a crucial age of developing self awareness through interacting with other people. The only effective solution is for Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (iDA) to pose regulations that draw clearer distinctions between individual's online social life from real life.

In order to gain public usage, social network providers are making their services as close as possible to people's real life. Social media application link users’ online identification to their phone numbers. Locating services that can expose the users’ locations and also provide the information on other people around the same area. Real life friends become online follower and online followers become real life friends. Teenagers growing up in such environment do not observe the difference between online social and offline social. As social media appears to be more efficient and powerful, they tend to put all their attentions on social media and at the same time sacrifice their offline social life. It is not shocking to see teenagers putting their heads into their phones whenever they are left alone even for just a few seconds. Nowadays, it is also more common to observe groups of young people gather together but each one of them still put their heads into their phones. As the definitions of virtual and real are not clearly defined and differentiated, there is high chance that teenagers will isolate themselves from other people and even the society

It is true that social media provides a fast channel for people to reach out to one another and easily get connect to people across space. While people start to rely on social media to develop their relationships, they also let the technology led them to undesirable places,  slowly without notice. People begins to build their relationships merely for the sake of connections. Social media only provide a mental relief but leave people physically and emotionally alone. Online information can be created, edited and deleted in a way that people can choose how they are perceived. People begin to hide their true self from one another and as such even though they are able to conduct communications in any place and at any time, they cannot truly understand each other. The purpose of communication has lost due to the pursuit of more connection. Thus social media generates a wider separation among people..  

Social isolation caused by social media largely affects teenager's communication skill. The methods of communication used in social media are largely in the form of texts or pictures. As efficiency is the priority in online social media communications, the language used is generally short, plain and straight to the point. When conveying a message, some details are skipped in order to obtain fast response and feedbacks. Wrong interpretations and false information are easily arise due to such fast food type of communication. Effective communication is not only about words. Other factors such as body language, eye contact, the tone of voice are crucial in conducting an effective communication. None of these can be seen in social media communications which opposite parties interact with each other through a flat screen and digitized information.

Solution proposed by Jones in ‘Technology: Creator or Savior of Social Isolation’ suggests that, technology can provides a platform to bring people together, to tighten social bonds. But the author does not realise that it is the same technology that is causing all the trouble. As people demand more on technology and less on each other, there will be absolutely no way that technology can reverse the situation no matter how advance it will be. Instead, it will only exacerbate the problem.

In order to solve the problem, it is necessary to target at its root cause. iDA should restrict social media providers from allowing their teenage users to access their full services. Some ways include limit the time which teenagers are allowed to access their social network accounts and do not disclose their profiles to the rest. The main purpose of this is to break the connection between online social life and real life. When teenagers start to realize they cannot apply what they obtain from online to real life, they will begin to move their focus away from virtual world.

Such measures cannot go without education. Societies, schools and families have to reinforce the importance of real world interactions and communications, through activities such as outing and family gathering, to reconstruct the lost bonds.

Individuals must not forgo their real social life in exchange for greater dependence on the virtual. Teenagers been a most vulnerable group will easily being carried away and become isolated and at the same time losing their communication skills. It is necessary for powerful authorities such as iDA to reverse the situation. As such, teenagers are able to enjoy the benefits of social media while minimize the harm associated with it.

Reference

Turkle, S. (2012). Alone Together. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Jones, C. Technology: Creator or Savior of Social Isolation [Supplemental material]. De Vry University Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/6879244/Technology_Creator_or_Savior_of_Social_Isolation

Problem-Solution Essay Draft 1

Nowadays, social media deeply penetrates young people's daily life. From sustaining friendships to expanding social circles, teenagers are heavily dependent on social media to construct their relationships with other people. In “Alone Together” by Sherry Turkle (2012), she mentions while social media was used as a tool to connect people, it is now causing wider separation. This isolation is extremely harmful to teenagers as they are in a crucial age of developing self-awareness through interacting with other people. The only effective solution is for Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (iDA) to pose regulations that draw clearer distinctions between individual's online social life from real life.

It is true that social media provides a fast channel for people to reach out to one another and easily get connect to people across space. While people start to rely on social media to develop their relationships, they also let the technology led them to undesirable places,  slowly without notice. People begin to build their relationships merely for the sake of connections. Social media only provide a mental relief but leave people physically and emotionally alone. Online information can be created, edited and deleted in a way that people can choose how they are perceived. People begins to hide their true self from one another and as such even though they are able to conduct communications in any place and at any time, they cannot truly understand each other. The purpose of communication has lost due to the pursuit of more connection. Thus, social media generates a wider separation among people.

In order to gain public usage, social network providers are making their services as close as possible to people's real life. Social media application link users’ online identification to their phone numbers, locating services that can expose the users locations and also provides the information on other people around the same area, real life friends become online follower and online followers become real life friends. Teenagers growing up in such environment do not observe the difference between online social and offline social. As social media appears to be more efficient and powerful, they tend to put all their attentions on social media and at the same time sacrifice their offline social life. It is not shocking to see teenagers putting their heads into their phones whenever they are left alone even for just a few seconds. Nowadays, it is also common to observe groups of young people gather together but each one of them still put their heads into their phones. As the definitions of virtual and real are not clearly defined and differentiated, there is high chance that teenagers will isolate themselves from other people and even the society.  

Social isolation caused by social media largely affects teenager's communication skill. The methods of communication used in social are largely in the form of texts or pictures. As the efficiency is the priority in online social media communications, the language used is generally short, plain and straight to the point. When conveying a message, some details are skipped in order to obtain a fast response and feedback. Wrong interpretations and false information are easily arise due to such fast food type of communication. Effective communication is not only about words. Other factors such as body language, eye contact, the tone of voice are crucial in conducting an effective communication. None of these can be seen in social media communications which opposite parties interact with each other through a flat screen and digitized information.

According to ‘Technology: Creator or Savior of Social Isolation’ by Christopher Jones, technology provides a platform to bring people together, to tighten social bonds. But the author does not  realize that it is the same technology that is causing all the trouble. As people demand more on technology and less on each other, there will be absolutely no way that technology can reverse the situation no matter how advance it will be. Instead, it will only exacerbate the problem.

In order to solve the problem, it is necessary to target at its root cause. iDA should restrict social media providers from allowing their teenage users to access their full services. Some ways include limiting the time which teenagers are allowed to access their social network accounts and setting quota on the number of followers and friends teenagers able to add into their accounts. The main purpose of this is to break the connection between online social life and real life. When teenagers start to realize they cannot apply what they obtain from online to real life, they will begin to move their focus away from the virtual world.

Such measures cannot go without education. Societies, schools, and families have to reinforce the importance of real world interactions and communications, through activities such as outing and family gathering, to reconstruct the lost bonds.

Individuals must not forgo their own skills and abilities in exchange for greater dependence on social media. Teenagers been a most vulnerable group will easily be carried away and become isolated and at the same time losing their communication skills. It is necessary for powerful solutions such as government intervention to reverse the situation. As such, teenagers are able to enjoy the benefits of social media while minimize the harm associated with it.

873 Words

Reference

Turkle, S. (2012). Alone Together. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Jones, C. Technology: Creator or Savior of Social Isolation [Supplemental material]. De Vry University Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/6879244/Technology_Creator_or_Savior_of_Social_Isolation

An Influential Event

I was never a sport fan, but to my surprise, Japanese high school baseball game had shaped my character and influenced my perspective.

Years ago from a comics book, that was where I first encountered Japanese high school baseball. It appeared strange to me that the story characters were so obsessed with baseball. Curiosity drove me to discover more about it. I searched for the rules of the game; watched a couple of previous years games; followed some famous high school players. By the time I realised why the Japanese are so much into baseball, I was considered one of them too.

Baseball is highly competitive among high schools. Players usually started their training from a very young age. By knowing how much hard work they needed to put in, in order to fulfill their dream of representing their school to play in Koshien Stadium (Japanese National High School Stadium), really motivates me.

It encourages me to put in extra effort in everything I do, and never give up to achieve my goals. It also changed my way of seeing things. Competition to me is no longer about winning or losing. It is about the bond between team mates and the support from family and friends. I really hope one day such characteristics can lead me to my own Koshien. 

Reader Response Draft 3 (Final)

According to ‘The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Networks’ by David Emm (2014), there are

increasing worries about the invasion of privacy while using social networks. Emm emphasizes that over-reliance on the internet will expose people to online criminals. The information which people are sharing online may be collected by the ‘prying eyes’ and poses potential threats against them offline. The article also mentions that people tend to overlook the danger while using mobile network devices. Since it is not a common aim of an attack, it creates a “false sense of security”. Various ways to minimise the risk has suggested by Emm include installing internet security software and using distinct passwords for different  accounts.

What the article is trying to convey is not a totally foreign idea as cases of undesirable consequences caused by over-reliant on the social networks are clearly evident in people’s daily lives.

Most of the people indeed understand the negative impact of using social networks but they all believe such tragedy will not fall on them. The author uses examples to illustrate how harmless online posts can lead to negative consequences. As people’s social media is being closely but quietly monitored by their employers and government, they have no idea when will their comments be interpreted in a totally different way and used for a totally different purpose.

Emm mentions in his article that the information people choose to share online will affect their real lives. This is because people tend to believe the internet is an unrestrictive zone where they can freely express themselves. However, this is not true. The internet is regulated by various authorities. If they regard certain information as offensive, they might take actions against the uploader. In Yahoo news “ NUS student Sun Xun punished for ‘dog’ comment” by Sim (2012) proves that people have to bare the consequences for their insensitive comments posted on the internet. Even if the internet provides a convenient platform for people to exchange their thoughts, the users should still be careful about the information they shared online. Whatever goes online will not just be online.

Emm also mentions in his article that it is more risky to access internet through mobile devices. Due to the conveniency of smartphones and tablets, people are storing increasingly more personal information into such devices. In addition to that, there are actions taken unintentionally by the users which further expose themselves. Such actions include location enabling, in-app purchasing, and phone number verification. The consequence will be more severe if people use mobile devices for internet banking. Once the device is lost or stolen, it is impossible to safely retrieve the data back.

In conclusion, I agree with Emm's argument that over-reliance on the internet is dangerous. There are many loopholes on the internet security that criminals can take advantage off. Internet user's personal behavior such as over-sharing their personal information and inappropriate comments will further enhance the negative impact of using the internet.

Reference

David Emm. (2014, March 21). The Peril of Over-sharing in Social Networks [Web log post]

Retrieved from :

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-emm/the-perils-of-over-sharing-in-social-networks_b_5005276.html

Sim. F (2012, March 27). NUS student Sun Xun punished for ‘dog’ comment. Yahoo News Singapore.

Retrieved from:

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/chinese-scholar-sun-xu-s-scholarship-terminated.html

Reader Response Draft 2

According to ‘The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Networks’ by David Emm (2014), there are increasing worries about the invasion of privacy while using social networks. Emm emphasis that the over-reliance on the internet in people’s daily lives expose them to online criminals. The information which people are sharing online may be collected by the "prying eyes" and pose potential threats against them offline. The article also mentions that people tend to overlook the danger while using mobile network devices. Since it is not a common aim of an attack, it creates a "false sense of security". Various ways to minimise the risk suggests by Emm include installing internet security software and using distinct passwords for different  accounts.

From my point of view, what the article is trying to convey is not a totally foreign idea. Most of the people indeed understand the negative impact of reliant on social networks, but they all believe such tragedy will not fall on them. The author uses examples to illustrate how harmless online posts can lead to undesirable consequences. As people’s social media is being closely but quietly monitored by their employers and government, they have no idea when will their comments be interpreted in a totally different way and used for a totally different purpose. Therefore, I support Emm’s claim that over-reliant on the social networks will generate negative impact on people’s daily lives.

Emm mentions in his article that the information people choose to share online will affect their real lives. This is because people tend to believe the internet is an unrestrictive zone where they can freely express themselves. However, this is not true. The internet is regulated by various authorities. If they regard certain information as offensive, they might take actions against the uploader. In Yahoo news “ NUS student Sun Xun punished for ‘dog’ comment” by Sim (2012) proves that people have to bear the consequences for their insensitive comments posted on the internet. Even if the internet provides a convenient platform for people to exchange their thoughts, the users should still be careful about the information they shared online. Whatever goes online will not just be online.

Emm also mentions in his article that it is riskier to access internet through mobile devices. Due to the convenience of smartphones and tablets, people are storing increasingly more personal information into such devices. In addition to that, there are actions taken unintentionally by the users which further expose themselves. Such actions include location enabling, in-app purchasing, and phone number verification. The consequence will be more severe if people use mobile devices for internet banking. Once the device is lost or stolen, it is impossible to safely retrieve the data back.

In conclusion, I agree with Emm's argument that over-reliance on the internet is dangerous. There are many loopholes on the internet security that criminals can take advantage off. Internet user's personal behavior such as over-sharing their personal information and inappropriate comments will further enhance the negative impact of using the internet.

502 Words

Reference

David Emm(2014, 21 March), The Peril of Over-sharing in Social Networks [Web log post]

Retrieved from:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-emm/the-perils-of-over-sharing-in-social-networks_b_5005276.html

Sim. F (2012, March 27). NUS student Sun Xun punished for ‘dog’ comment. Yahoo News Singapore.

Retrieved from:

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/chinese-scholar-sun-xu-s-scholarship-terminated.html

Reader Response Draft 1

According to ‘The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Networks’ by David Emm (2014), there are increasing worries about social networks privacy. Emm emphasis that, the information which people are sharing online will pose potential threats offline. The over-reliance on the Internet in their daily lives expose them to online criminals. The article also mentions that people tend to overlook the danger while using mobile network devices. Since it is not a common aim of an attack, it creates a “false sense of security”. Various ways to minimise the risk suggests by Emm includes installing Internet security software and use distinct passwords for different  accounts.

I supports Emm’s main claim that over-reliant on the internet will potentially generate a negative impact on people’s daily lives.

Emm mentions in his article that the information people choose to share online will affect them in real life. This is because people tends to believe the internet is an unrestrictive zone where they can freely express themselves. However, this is not true. The internet is regulated under various authorities. If they regard certain information shared by the internet user as offensive, they might take actions against the uploader. In Yahoo news “ NUS student Sun Xun punished for ‘dog’ comment” by Sim (2012) proves that people have to bare the consequences for their insensitive comments posted on the internet. Thus, even if the internet provides a convenient platform for people to exchange their thoughts, the users should still be careful of the information  they shared online. Whatever goes online will not just be online.

Emm also mentions in his article that it is more risky to access internet through mobile devices. Due to the conveniency of smartphones and tablets, people are storing increasingly more personal information into such devices. In addition to that, there are actions taken unintentionally by the users which further expose themselves. Such actions includes applications with location enabling, in-app purchasing, and phone number verification. The consequences will be more severe if people use mobile devices for internet banking. Once the device is lost or stolen, it is impossible to safely retrieve the data back.

In conclusion, I am agree with Emm's argument that over-reliance on the internet is dangerous. There are many loopholes on the internet security that criminals can take advantage off. Also, internet user's personal behavior such as over-sharing their personal information and inapporate comments will further enhance the negative impact of using the internet.

Reference

David Emm(2014, 21 March), The Peril of Over-sharing in Social Networks [Web log post]

Retrieved from :

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-emm/the-perils-of-over-sharing-in-social-networks_b_5005276.html

Sim. F (2012, March 27). NUS student Sun Xun punished for ‘dog’ comment. Yahoo News Singapore.

Retrieved from:

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/chinese-scholar-sun-xu-s-scholarship-terminated.html

Summary

According to ‘The Perils of Over-sharing in Social Networks’ by David Emm (2014), there are increasing worries about social networks privacy. Emm (2014) emphasis that, the information we share online will pose potential threats offline. The over-reliant on the Internet in our daily lives expose us to online criminals. The article also mentions that people tend to overlook the danger while using mobile network devices. Since it is yet a common aim of an attack, it creates a false sense of security. Various ways to minimise the risk suggested by Emm (2014) includes install Internet security software and use distinct passwords for different  accounts.

Reference

David Emm(2014, 21 March), The Peril of Over-sharing in Social Networks [Web log post]

Retrieved from :

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-emm/the-perils-of-over-sharing-in-social-networks_b_5005276.html