Problem-Solution Essay Draft 2

The increasing prevalence of the Internet and social networking sites has broken down existing geographical barriers, leading to the condensation of time and space. The Internet has provided an accessible platform for all kinds of activities, ranging from ibanking to online video conference call, thus bringing about great ease to our daily lives. We are heavily reliant on such online tools, so much so that we have subconsciously isolated ourselves from the real physical world as we invest too much time on the intangible online world.

The imperative issue at hand regarding the Internet and social networking sites would be its impacts on youths in today’s society. The widespread use of social networking platforms among the adolescents nowadays has led to their unprecedented detachment from social life. The pervasive use of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms among the technological savvy teenagers of the 21^st century can inevitably lead to the creation of an apathetic society. The depravation of social life means that youths nowadays are unable to receive social cues and interact with people on a face-to-face basis. As such, relevant parties, especially the family, friends and schools, have to take measures to reintegrate teenagers into society once again.

According to Sproull and Kiesler (1985) (Bargh and McKenna, 2004), computed-mediated communication (CMC) is an “impoverished form of communication”. It will reduce the availability of social cues, resulting in the production of a “behaviour that is more self-centered and less socially regulated”. This can have negative impacts on social interaction among the youths. The over-reliance on the Internet as a tool of communication will eventually erode youth’s ability to carry out a proper face-to-face conversation. This makes it even harder for youths to integrate into a society that thrives on real time interaction. What makes the matter worst is that “social media sites can make it more difficult for youths to distinguish between the meaningful relationships they foster in the real world and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media” (Jung, n.d.). It gives rise to this false sense of connection that will only encourage the detachment of youths from the real physical world.

No proper solutions have actually been given to curb this surging problem. There have however been a lot of suggestions online, ironically, to inform parents and hopefully youths about the negative effects of investing too much time on the Internet and social networking sites. These articles urged parents to “save their children” by engaging them in activities that will allow them disconnect from the online world (Loh, 2015). It has been said that many turn to the Internet to release “unpleasant feelings such as stress, anxiety, loneliness and depression” (“Internet and Computer Addiction”, n.d.). As such, parents can encourage their children to pick up a new hobby that will not involve the Internet, or carry out family bonding exercises like swimming and running because such activities can serve to distract youths from the contrived online world and also provide an alternative platform for them to manage their “overwhelming feelings”. Schools on the other hand can emphasise on the disconnection from the online community by actively encouraging students to take part in school-based activities such as representing the school in a sport or performing art, organising field trips and even conducting camps. Such varieties of programmes will focus on the engagement of youths, which will then serve to forge a greater interaction between youths and the society. Youths will also be able to gain more appreciation towards their surroundings, and hopefully one day they may forgo the intangible online world.

However, the above given suggestions have long been used and applied before. Schools do provide activities, camps and field trips for students, and many parents do value family bonding sessions. Yet, youths are still spending way too much time on the Internet and social networking sites. This problem could be largely due to the fact that the Internet is easily accessible, especially on their mobile phones. In 2012 and 2013, a game, know as the ‘Phone stack game’, became popular in many parts of the world. The game requires diners to stack their phones in the middle of the table, and whoever touches their device first will have to foot the bill (Tell, 2013). Such a practice will not only allow youths to momentarily disengage from the online world, but will also effectively give them the chance to conduct real time communication with their friends and forge a more substantial relationship with their peers. In addition to this, there are a few other applications such as Rescue Time, Minutes Please and Facebook Limiters, which can serve as an intervention to limit the time spent on social networking sites (French, 2012). Perhaps, what we need to do most is to set aside solid rules that will help to reintegrate youths back into the society, instead of just advising them and the relevant parties on what they should do. In response to this, it might be more useful if parents and schools make it an imperative for youths to engage themselves in activities that will improve their overall well being and interpersonal communication skills, instead of merely giving them a choice between being involved in the above mentioned activities and ignoring the opportunities to participate in such activities.

Youths’ lives are heavily reliant on the Internet as technology advances. It has become almost impossible for people to isolate themselves from the online world, but fortunately it is still possible for them to acknowledge the importance of forming tangible relationship with one another. Such awareness is vital in making sure that youths will not detach from the society. The creation of such awareness will them be the most useful solution to curb this impending problem.

(940 words)

References

Bargh, J.A., McKenna, K.Y.A. (2004). The internet and social life. Annual Review of Psychology,55, 573-590.

French, A. (2012, April 3). Programs that limit your time on social media. Sheknows. Retrieved from http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/955407/programs-that-limit-your-time-on-social-media

Internet and computer addiction. Helpguide.org. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/addiction/internet-and-computer-addiction.htm

Jung, B. (n.d.). The negative effects of social media on society and individuals. Small Business. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-individuals-27617.html

Loh, S. (2015, February 27). Spare the tablet and save the children. The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/digital-life/more-digital-life-stories/story/spare-the-tablet-and-save-the-child-20150227

Sproull, L., Kiesler, S. (1985). Reducing social context cues: electronic mail in organizational communication. Management Science, 11, 1492-1512.

Tell, C. (2013, September 20). Step away from the phone! The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/fashion/step-away-from-the-phone.html?_r=0   

An Influential Event

An influential event that has changed my perception of the world happened when I was selected to represent Singapore in a youth environmental conference held in Brazil when I was 15 years old. The conference has broadened my perspective and has also introduced me to the different cultural practices from around the world.

The Children and Youth International Conference – Let’s Take Care of the Planet brought young adults from all over the world to discuss about global socio-environmental problems, with a special focus on climate change. The conference gave me the chance to meet youths from different countries who believe that they can be the agent of change. It gave me the opportunity to learn from them, and also gave me a platform to convey my thoughts. Most importantly, it cultivated my passion towards such issues and that is the reason why I am majoring in Geography now instead of Science although I had always been a Science student since secondary school.

The conference also provided me with the rare chance to interact with people of different race, religion, and nationality. I managed to learn about the different cultural practices, especially those in Brazil. I also managed to experience a different landscape and climate since the place I went to, Brasilia, has a tropical savannah climate.

It was undeniably my most memorable experience. The conference has made me a global citizen, and one day, I will definitely travel around the world to witness everything I have been told about during the conference.

(252 words)

Problem-Solution Essay Draft 1

The increasing prevalence of the Internet and social networking sites has broken down existing geographical barriers, leading to the condensation of time and space. The Internet has provided an accessible platform for all kinds of activities, ranging from ibanking to online video conference call, thus bringing about great ease to our daily lives. However, such ubiquitous use can result in the infringement of privacy, harassment, circulation of false information and many other criminal acts that will affect the wellbeing of individuals. The online community was never a safe place to be in in the first place.

The imperative issue at hand regarding the Internet and social networking sites would be its impacts on youths in today’s society. The widespread use of social networking platforms among the adolescents nowadays has led to their unprecedented detachment from social life. The pervasive use of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms among the technological savvy teenagers of the 21^st century can inevitably lead to the creation of an apathetic society. The depravation of social life means that youths nowadays are unable to receive social cues and interact with people on a face-to-face basis. As such, relevant parties, especially the family, friends and schools, have to take measures to reintegrate teenagers into society once again.

According to Sproull and Kiesler (1985) (Bargh and McKenna, 2004), computed-mediated communication (CMC) is an “impoverished form of communication”. It will reduce the availability of social cues, resulting in the production of a “behaviour that is more self-centered and less socially regulated than the usual”. This can have negative impacts on social interaction. The over-reliance on the Internet as a tool of communication will eventually erode youth’s ability to carry out a proper face-to-face conversation. This makes it even harder for youths to integrate into a society that thrives on real time interaction. What makes the matter worst is that “social media sites can make it more difficult for youths to distinguish between the meaningful relationships they foster in the real world and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media” (Jung, n.d.). It gives rise to this false sense of connection that will only encourage the detachment of youths from the real physical world.

No proper solutions have actually been given to curb this surging problem. There have however been a lot of suggestions online, ironically, to inform parents and hopefully youths about the negative effects of the Internet and social networking sites. These articles urged parents to save their children by engaging them in activities that will allow them disconnect from the online world. Parents can encouraged children to pick up a new hobby that does not involve the Internet, or carry out family bonding activities like exercising or playing board games that can serve to distract youths from the contrived online world. Schools on the other hand can emphasise on the disconnection from the online community by actively encouraging students to take part in school-based activities such as representing the school in a sport or performing art, organising field trips and even camps. Such a variety of programmes will focus on the engagement of youths, which will then serve to forge a greater interaction between youths and the society. Youths will also be able to gain more appreciation towards their surroundings, instead of constantly immersing themselves in the intangible online world.

However, the above given suggestions have long been used and applied before. Schools do provide activities, camps and field trips for students, and many people do value family bonding session. Yet, youths are still spending way too much time on the Internet and social networking sites. This problem could be largely due to the fact that the Internet is easily accessible on their mobile phones. In 2012 and 2013, a game, know as the ‘Phone stack game’, became popular in many parts of the world. The game requires diners to stack their phones in the middle of the table, and whoever touches their device first will have to foot the bill (Tell, 2013). Such practice will not only allow youths to momentarily disengage from the online world, but will also effectively give them the chance to conduct real time communication with their friends and forge a more substantial relationship with their peers. As such, influences from friends will also encourage the detachment from the virtual world. Perhaps, what we need to do most is to set aside solid rules and regulations that will serve the purpose of reintegrating youths back into the society, instead of just advising them and the relevant parties on what they should do.

Youths’ lives are heavily reliant on the Internet as technology advances. It has become almost impossible for people to isolate themselves from the online world, but it is possible for them to acknowledge the importance of forming tangible relationship with one another. Such awareness is vital in making sure that youths will not detach from the society. The creation of such awareness will them be the most useful solution to curb this impending problem.

(828 words)

References:

Bargh, J.A., McKenna, K.Y.A. (2004). The internet and social life. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 573-590.

Jung, B. (n.d.). The negative effects of social media on society and individuals. Small Business. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-individuals-27617.html

Sproull, L., Kiesler, S. (1985). Reducing social context cues: electronic mail in organizational communication. Management Science, 11, 1492-1512.

Tell, C. (2013, September 20). Step away from the phone! The New York Times. Retreived from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/fashion/step-away-from-the-phone.htm

Problem-Solution Essay Outline

Main Problem: the widespread use of social networking platforms among the adolescents nowadays has led to their unprecedented detachment from social life, which will no doubt affect how they integrate into the society in future

Affected group/stakeholder: Youths (primary schools and secondary schools)

Agent of change:  Parents and family members, Schools

Solution 1 (already implemented): reintegration of youths into the society, more activities that will encourage one to appreciate and immerse themselves in their surroundings (i.e. camps, field trips)

Evaluation: not only allows one to appreciate the nature and surrounding, it also allows youths to momentarily disengage from the online community.

Solution 2 (already implemented but needs improvement): activities such as the ‘Phone stack game’

Evaluation: effectively allow one to disconnect from the online world and relish in moment surrounded by friends and family, thus interacting with people on a face-to-face basis

Implication/Conclusion: ‘Phone stack game may not be as effective, because honestly, we are all “too weak to play” such game. The reliance on the Internet and social media has proven to be so great that it is almost impossible for us to disengage from it. As such, it is more important for youths to realise the importance of interacting with one another of a face-to-face basis, and inculcate such practice with the help of schools and family members.

Thesis: The ubiquitous use of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platform among the technological savvy teenagers of the 21^st century can inevitably lead to the creation of an apathetic society. The depravation of social life means that youths nowadays are unable to receive social cues and interact with people on a face-to-face basis. As such, relevant parties, especially the family and schools, have to take measures to reintegrate teenagers into society to make it an inclusive place just like the olden days.