Social Networking Sites: Are They Changing Human Communication?
It is hardly news that people are using the Internet to communicate with others more and more. Some people fear that someday we will no longer feel the need to talk to one another face to face. However, some recent studies suggest that people communicate, or stay in touch, even more than they used to. Whichever side you fall on, what is clear and without a doubt is that human communication has changed in the 21st century. But results of recent scientific studies may have us reconsider just how much our new communication forms have changed our world.
In June 2008, a British psychiatrist, Himanshu Tyagi, warned that communicating on social networking sites could have a negative effect on the generation of people born after 1990. This generation has never known a world without the Internet. Tyagi says that these people use the Internet to communicate with others so much that they may have trouble forming real relationships. Tyagi is concerned that people may start and end relationships over the Internet. Describing the Internet he said, “It’s a world where everything moves fast and changes all the time, where relationships are quickly ended at the click of a mouse.”
Another psychologist, Dr. Aric Sigman, warned of the physical effects that come with using social networking sites. He suggests that the reduction in the amount of time we spend interacting (互动交流) with people face to face could have biological effects on the human body. The results of his study suggest that, without real personal interaction, the body does not react the same way it would if people were meeting face to face. As a result, immune responses, even hormone levels, can be changed. These changes may lead to the development of illnesses, such as cancer.
Despite these warnings, studies can be found that show the positive sides of social networking sites. The results of one study show that using social networking sites has increased the self-esteem (自尊心) of young adults. Another suggests that college students using these sites feel more “connected” with people when they use them. In addition to scientific studies, there are many who feel that the benefits of social networking sites outweigh the possible negative sides. Many people, especially those who spend a lot of time at home, for various reasons, find the Internet a lifeline. They are able to communicate with many people using these sites.
Perhaps the key to this new communication style is self-control and common sense. If someone spends all of his time on the Internet, and never actually sees friends face to face, that seems like an unhealthy way to live. But if someone spends time on the Internet, some of which is spent arranging meetings for “real” time together, then it seems almost complementary (互补的). Balance is the key to keeping communication alive and well in the 21st century.
38. Which of the following ideas may Himanshu Tyagi agree with?
A.Social networking sites harm people of all ages. |
B.The Internet weakens young people’s relationships. |
C.The use of the Internet improves people’s immune system. |
D.The online world pushes people to live a faster and better life. |
39. What is Dr. Aric Sigman’s major concern about using social networking sites?
A.It will stop the face-to-face interaction. |
B.It reduces the self-esteem of young adults. |
C.It may cause some serious health problems. |
D.It makes people feel less connected with others. |
40. What does the underlined word “outweigh” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Are greater than. | B.Are heavier than. |
C.Are more effective than. | D.Are more difficult than. |
41. Which of the following shows the development of ideas in this passage?
CP: Central Point
P: Point
Sp: Sub-point(次要点)
C: Conclusion