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Dangers of Online Friends - Key To The Questions

The document discusses the impact of online friendships on childhood development. It notes that traditional friendships help children learn social skills like cooperation and problem solving, while providing emotional support. Some experts argue that online relationships undermine real-world friendships by satisfying social needs virtually. However, others believe online and offline friendships can coexist and even enhance each other. The document cautions that excessive social media use could encourage narcissism and reduce empathy, though moderate use may still provide social benefits to children.

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84 views10 pages

Dangers of Online Friends - Key To The Questions

The document discusses the impact of online friendships on childhood development. It notes that traditional friendships help children learn social skills like cooperation and problem solving, while providing emotional support. Some experts argue that online relationships undermine real-world friendships by satisfying social needs virtually. However, others believe online and offline friendships can coexist and even enhance each other. The document cautions that excessive social media use could encourage narcissism and reduce empathy, though moderate use may still provide social benefits to children.

Uploaded by

ane.insausti
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ONLINE FRIENDS

Are online friends a threat to development?

Higher English for Communication, 2nd Year


Reading Component
Prof. Aitor Ibarrola-Armendariz
Online Friends. Question 1

Childhood friendships are essential to our development. They


help us develop our confidence with people who are not part
of our family. We also learn how to come to agreements or
compromise with others, tell them about our thoughts and
ideas, solve problems.
When we are growing up, our friends can be the emotional or
practical help that gives us some knowledge about ourselves.
This way, we are able to cope with our own lives and we grow
up and change. Our friends help us mature as human beings.
Online Friends. Question 2

It does not come as a surprise that so many sociologists and


psychologists are willing to give their thoughts on how
technology has/is having an impact on our friendships. As
more time than ever before is spent online: social networks,
mobile phones and so on, this is having a negative impact on
our society, according to the writer.
As the writer says: “if Facebook were a country, it would be
the largest in the world in population,” something which may
be shocking to some people and that may be part fact and
part fiction. Evidence is needed to separate these two.
Online Friends. Question 3

The main criticism aimed at social networking is that young


people are losing their real friends to the virtual ones. The latter
are not capable of offering the same amount of emotional help or
pleasant feelings/gratification that the former can give.
In spite of this, the writer thinks that most of these ideas are
unfounded: psychologist Kelly Allen states that people are not
substituting their virtual friends for real friends but what they are
doing is use online friendships to improve their offline ones. Also,
there is clear evidence that social networks permit people to enjoy
a much more diverse group of friends.
Online friends. Question 4

Young people can improve their psychological well-being by


using/enjoying their experiences with virtual friendships,
according to a study carried out by Michigan University
(2010). In other words, the new connections that are provided
by social networking may be very helpful/useful for them.
Online Friends. Question 5

In the writer’s opinion, the fact that we live in a world which is highly
connected can be seen as something worrying: everybody is online
many hours a day and they “expose” all details of their private lives
all the time. This can have a damaging effect on, among other
things, their character.
Professor Rosen affirms that social networking is turning us into
narcissists. Young people who spend much of their time online can
become too interested in their own appearance or achievements
(become vain), too determined to win or succeed (aggressive) and
even antisocial in their real lives as a consequence of their many
hours spent online, and not in the real world.
Online Friends. Question 5(2)

According to Professor Rosen, another very important


repercussion of this “invasive” networking is that we may be
losing our capacity to feel empathy. This could be seen as a
terrible loss as this emotion is one of the main characteristics
in human beings: our capacity to feel with the other, to see the
world from the other´s point of view, to connect. It is a quality
that makes us social beings.
Online Friends. Question 6

Professor Turkle has observed that as we are all the time


“plugged into our smartphone,” we can have complete control
over/be in charge of our friendships. We can choose who we
communicate with, when and how. There is little room left for
spontaneity or unpredictable responses or reactions.
Everything is strictly kept under control. We can even “erase”
a friend by simply clicking them out. This does not happen in
the real world.
Online Friends. Question 7

Professor Turkle (2011) uses the term “alone together” in her


book to refer to the fact that people no longer feel comfortable
on their own. Professor Turkle affirms that, even if this is so, it
is when we are alone that we have time to reflect on ourselves
and understand us better. This will help us make more
valuable, serious friendships.
At the same time, Professor Turkle states that parents should
bear in mind that “alone together” is something children learn
from their parents: they imitate/copy behaviours they see in
their elders/family. (-----)
Online Friends. Question 8

The main behaviours of young people that may be


problematic or damaging have to do with their wrong use of
social networking to make friends. They should stop their
narcissistic attitudes, try to be more empathetic and spend
more time on self-reflection. These changes will help them
grow into happy, reasonable adults: well-balanced people, as
the writer sees it.

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