The advantages of social networking
Why do most people sign up to social networking sites? The main reason is to stay in touch with other people. These sites also help people to find their childhood friends that they have lost touch with. Renewing these long-lost friendships is just a click away. It is very exciting to be able to catch up with friends and keep up with their news on an almost daily basis thanks to frequent updates.
Keeping up-to-date, however, doesn’t have to be restricted to friends and acquaintances (相识的人). What many people tend to forget is that they can also use networking sites for professional reasons. It is actually a great way of finding out about upcoming job opportunities. Friends might know about job vacancies that may not be advertised elsewhere or they can even recommend their friends for certain jobs. Even people already employed can promote their business online. This is particularly important for artists, actors and musicians who can create pages devoted to their band or theatre company, and inform fans about their gigs (现场演唱会) or latest exhibitions. In addition, the sites can be used to allow the public to give instant feedback on the artists’ work and to interact with their favorite artist.
Another great advantage of social networking sites is how easy it is to organize an event with your friends. Thanks to different settings people can organize their friends by different criteria (标准). These criteria could be how close friends they are, common interests and hobbies or where they live. This means if a certain event takes place, for example, an open-air concert or a football match, all they have to do is invite the right group of friends to attend. Some networking sites offer a range of quizzes and games, so friends living on opposite sides of the globe can invite each other to participate and compete in a variety of games without leaving their homes.
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2 . Researchers have been trying to uncover the cause of a steady decline of drug and alcohol use in teens. Some suspect it’s due to anti-drug campaigns or the decline of cigarettes as a gateway drug. But another theory has begun to surface. Is a new drug replacing the old ones? Are smart phones taking their place?
I noticed that using my smart phone took away so many life experiences. I hadn’t minded before when my own phone could distract me, but now I felt annoyed when my friends or family used their phones when we were together. Sure it was uncomfortable at first, not having a clutch (紧握) to fall back on when I didn’t feel like talking.But we shouldn’t use our devices as the universal conversation avoider, or as our distraction from the discomfort of human interaction. How can we learn to interact when our phones are on hand at all times to prevent ourselves from doing so?
Still, smart phones can sometimes be wonderful tools. They allow us to take beautiful photos and help us connect with old friends and maintain long-distance relationships. They allow us to have an endless amount of information at our fingertips, and give us directions to whatever destinations. But we must consider how every tool smart phones provide us with can also influence our lives. Not only does smart phone and screen use have an effect on relationships, it can also shape an individual and the brain. Studies have shown that excessive Internet usage can cause increased depression, loneliness, and anxiety in adolescents.
So my advice to teens who feel the same way as I do? My decision to go without a phone was definitely extreme, considering our generation. So try ditching your phone for a week. Observe how it affects your relationships, your mood, and your presence. You just might end up feeling less stressed, happier, and more connected.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By presenting study findings. |
| B．By creating a new theory. |
| C．By asking questions. |
| D．By doing research. |
| A．They are perfectly designed. |
| B．Their features are striking. |
| C．Their operations are too complex. |
| D．They have an impact on social life. |
| A．Bad family relationship. |
| B．Too much Internet time. |
| C．Easy access to smart phones. |
| D．Harmful online information. |
| A．Giving up. | B．Giving away. | C．Turning down. | D．Turning back. |
