Many people use social media every day to get in touch with other people and news events. Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Communication has never been so effortless since social media entered the daily routine of people all around the world. With just a few clicks and scrolls, everyone can interact with others or get updated on global events. While this presents various advantages, I believe that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. In this essay, I shall analyze both sides of the issue to clarify my point of view.

On the one hand, social media has upgraded people’s lives tremendously. First, it serves as a means of communication and enables individuals to stay in touch with family, friends, and acquaintances regardless of geographical barriers. This facilitates meaningful relationships by allowing individuals to share experiences, thoughts, and emotions in real time, thereby strengthening social bonds and nurturing a sense of community. Second, social media platforms offer convenience and accessibility when it comes to staying informed about news events and updates. With a simple scroll through their feeds, users can access a diverse range of news sources and perspectives, allowing them to stay aware of current affairs on a global scale. This immediate access to information not only raises awareness but also makes citizens more informed and educated about the world around them.

On the other hand, it is understandable that people perceive social media as disadvantageous, especially for teenagers. First, although social media can facilitate interactions, excessive use may reduce real-life communication. For example, when an individual types a message, a single-word text such as “omg” or "lol" can still express a whole long sentence, which can lead to misunderstandings or curtailed conversations. Furthermore, excessive use of social media for communication may result in a popular mental syndrome called FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out. Uploading a picture, liking a post, or replying to messages seems to have become a must to stay engaged with the community. One tends to feel the pressure of going through the same cycle every day to maintain their “presence” in society and avoid falling behind. Second, both legitimate and misleading information may travel quickly via social media, having a significant impact on those who wish to keep updated about news and developments. The anonymity provided by social media platforms may also lead to cyberbullying, harassment, and online abuse, which pose major concerns for people's mental health and well-being.

In conclusion, while social media has improved people's lives by allowing them to stay in touch with loved ones and stay informed about current events, it has also had negative consequences for communication quality and exposure to false information. Therefore, the advantages cannot outweigh the negatives, and individuals should use social media in moderation and increase awareness about its potential risks.

(442 words)

New vocabularies:

- tremendously (adv): rất nhiều, rất lớn.

- geographical barriers (n): khoảng cách địa lý.

- a sense of community (n): tinh thần cộng đồng

- facilitate (v): tạo điều kiện / thúc đẩy

- curtailed conversation (n): cuộc trò chuyện cụt lủn/ bị cắt ngắn.

- legitimate information >< misleading information (n): thông tin đúng đắn >< thông tin sai lệch

- anonymity (n): sự ẩn danh