How Facebook has played a big role in the rising number of loneliness among the youths?

Argumentative Essay

Facebook’s Role in Loneliness

Social media has become ubiquitous in recent times due to advancements in technology whereby several devices, particularly internet-enabled smartphones, facilitate the interactivity of people through social networking platforms. Addictiveness to social media has resulted in many people, particularly the youth, spending a lot of time browsing and surfing on social websites such as Facebook and Twitter (Cacioppo and Cacioppo 60). For this reason, social media has various impacts on the lifestyle, character, and behavior of these individuals. In this regard, social media, especially Facebook, promotes loneliness because it poses distractions from real life occurrences, provides an illusion of companionship and social connection, and negatively affects self-image, although the opposition believes it creates strong connections between interacting parties. Facebook encourages the aspect of loneliness among its users in a number of ways. For instance, it poses distractions from real life happenings. According to Guedes et al., it is obvious that many youths tend to check their Facebook accounts regularly, despite any commitments at hand (45). This implies that social networking has changed the youngsters’ ability to focus on the real world into embracing the virtual world. Moreover, shortcomings in social settings often drive these individuals to seek solace in online websites such as Facebook (46). Instead of handling feelings due to social misunderstandings, many people often embrace their smartphones or personal computers to distract themselves. This behavior, therefore, promotes loneliness as it Last Name 2 strains immediate and real-time relationships between individuals. In sum, users are visiting the website to fill many types of voids that should be satisfied by physical human interaction. Additionally, social networking provides an illusion of companionship and social connection between people from different regions of the world. In this case, Facebook brings substitutes to actual family and friends from the virtual world. In as much as it enables people to connect with close family members and acquaintances, many young individuals nurture emotional relationships with distant people, in particular virtual strangers, without much attention to their close relatives and friends (Ryan et al. 144). As a result, the illusionary relationships take center stage of these individuals’ lives. Consequently, detaching from connections between immediate companions to virtual ones culminates in isolation and thus loneliness as well as provides opportunities for malicious predators. Moreover, Facebook affects people’s self-image negatively in a number of ways. Considering that several Facebook users post idealized videos and photos on the website in a bid to display their work and social lifestyles, the implication is that they compete with celebrities and other figures in the virtual, social world (Ryan et al. 147). As a result, other Facebook users tend to have the notion that their counterparts lead fabulous, successful, and exciting lives. Therefore, they may develop feelings of inadequacy, thereby feeling isolated and lonely. However, Walter Smith, senior analyzer at RH Housier, explains that social networking sites “increase social contact among older adults” (qtd. in Ryan et al.). An increase in social activity would seemingly yield a fulfilled social component. Surprisingly enough, those who have reported feeling lonely are under the age of 35 (Guedes et al. 15). This is quite ironical as they are the most prolific networkers of social media. One would expect the much older generation to make such complaints. Identically, about 48% of the same age group confide in Last Name 3 only one person (19). Hence, this shows that despite the fact that online social networks have increased, offline communication has been compromised in the process to some extent and no matter the age group. The use of technology has resulted in many impacts on the social lives of people around the world. In particular, it has promoted loneliness among the individuals who actively participate in social networking through social media as discussed. Facebook, for instance, poses distractions from real life happenings. It also provides an illusion of social companionship and social connection as well as negatively affecting the self-image.

How Facebook has played a big role in the rising number of loneliness among the youths?