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With the advance of technology, social media has quickly become a prominent part of our lives. Online, users can talk freely to people they have never met, building valuable friendships. However, the concept of ‘internet friends’ is often stigmatized and associated with ‘nerds’ or ‘loners.’ Is this really accurate?
Social media, referring to sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, is flooded with users from all around the globe, representing different countries, races, and cultures. Users are given the chance to enter a virtual world full of diverse opportunities and meet new people with a simple tap on their devices. Many regard it as a platform to freely voice their opinions and express their identities without fearing the unique sense of embarrassment or humiliation of doing the same in front of a physical crowd. In this way, the existence of social media means that people — even those who may be shy or soft-spoken in real life — can easily find others with similar interests and passions to connect with.
On the other hand, social media interactions certainly pose questions on the issue of security and safety. The internet is known for its unreliability, which is no doubt due to the presence of catfishes, rumours, and scandals. Information on the web is extremely difficult to verify, especially if it is only based off of a single tweet or post. Furthermore, adolescents tend to be less aware of the dangers involved in sharing personal information online. Additionally, cases where teenagers are murdered at social media meet-ups are not unheard of.
Facing these dangers of social media is inevitable because the internet is so prevalent and ingrained in our generation’s culture. It is easy to forget about being ‘careful’ or ‘wary’ when we are simply scrolling through our Instagram feed or checking our WeChat messages. To combat these challenges, educators have started to place more emphasis on teaching young students about digital presence and privacy. AISG is no exception: many of us have had to sacrifice advisory time for this exact purpose.
Despite its limitations, social media can provide unique ways for users to interact and communicate with others if used the right way. Personally, I have made friends with numerous people online, including a Filipino university student living in Spain, or a passionate music fan from Israel.
Similarly, an anonymous junior student says that his experience with internet friends allowed him to be more self-accepting and express his emotions more comfortably. “I wasn’t that outgoing, so I found that it was easier to talk to people online. The anonymity that came with online friendship helped me be more open. It was more easygoing and I felt more comfortable being upset and stressed.” He also recognizes there are “risks that people will use your personal information for their own gain, but it’s easily mitigated.”
Chhavi K., a sophomore who has not experienced having an online friend, shows concern for the dangers in “sharing personal information online with someone you have never actually met.” She also adds that it is “extremely dangerous because there are people in this world who are always out to make life harder for people.”
Although the dangers of security persist, the internet has certainly given its users many opportunities to connect with people they would not have met otherwise. As the dominant users of social media, it is important for our generation to embrace the benefits and opportunities presented to us while still remembering to take precautions.
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