Many people believe that social networking sites (such as Facebook) have had a huge negative impact on both individuals and society. To what extent do you agree?

In the present day, social media platforms, for example Facebook, **are thought by some to have had a detrimental effect on both** individuals and societies. However, I believe that the advantages of social media platforms outweigh the disadvantages.

To begin with, I have to admit that social networking sites have some negative impacts on 1individualsindividual people as well as the whole society, which is grounded in reasonable considerations. One of the arguments supporting this view is that residents in their local communities rarely 2engage in offline social activitiesdo social activities offline or 3formmake close relationships with their neighbors. As a result, **society as a whole is becoming increasingly disjointed and fragmented. Thus it is hard for communities to improve their social unity and cohesion. Meanwhile, using social media has become 4a major part of individuals' daily livesthe major part of individuals’ daily life. According to a social survey, 5over 73% of respondents spendthere are over 73% interviewees spending more than 13 hours on social media. For students without mature 6judgmentconception and world views, these online communities which include too much complex information are likely to 7have adverse effects on thembring them negative effects. 8For example, the conflicts, violence and extreme thinking.**

**By contrast,** an opposite concern that arises from the fact that social networking sites also have many 9significant benefitsmore convenient benefits. The most crucial one is that the Internet 10bridges geographic and temporal dividesbridges the gap of region and time so that individuals can interact with people from other countries on their phones instead of going abroad. Meanwhile the explanation for this lies in the fact that people usually find it difficult to make 11closeclosed friends or soul mates in their real lives due to limited 12social circlessocial interacting circles. 13A further consideration that social media groups have provided an increasing number of people with various job opportunities. The logic underpinning this point is that 14due to a severely competitive job marketdue to severe competitive employment environment, many young people choose to be independent bloggers on social networking sites, which not only offers various job opportunities to individuals, but also helps governments 15relieve unemployment pressurerelease the pressure of unemployment. Social networking sites have already become 16an essential outletthe necessary method for people to release their pressure and negative emotions. It is only by considering these two factors together that we can fully appreciate the strength of this standpoint.

In conclusion, although social media sites remain a matter of debate, I believe that they have brought more positive development and progress to both residents and societies rather than negative effects 18which can also be resolvedwhich also can be resolved through all of our efforts.