'Social media divide more than unite.' To what extent is this true?
Yes-divides more
Side Score: 17
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No-unites more
Side Score: 16
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In a Newsweek article, Johannah Cornblatt explains “Social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace may provide people with a false sense of connection that ultimately increases loneliness in people who feel alone.” John T. Cacioppo, a neuroscientist at the University of Chicago, claims that social networking can foster feelings of sensitivity to disconnection, which can lead to loneliness. Many people have no idea who their 'Friends' are Side: Yes-divides more
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According to a research carried out by the CNN, there is a class divide that exists that is evident even in social media. Many of the more affluent users use Facebook while many of the less affluent ones use Myspace. This hence creates a division between the platforms used by the affluent and the less affluent to communicate. Side: Yes-divides more
Research suggests a multitude of explanations for the digital divide including, but not limited to: education, income, age, skills, awareness, race, ethnic origin, location, and gender (which is contested as being a confounding variable); political and cultural access; and psychological attitudes to Internet access and usage. Income levels and educational attainment are identified as having the largest explanatory power to explain ICT access and usage, with age being a third important variable, which means that prototypical "victims" to the digital divide can be foremost characterized as poorer, less educated, and older. Side: Yes-divides more
1
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Social media can make people more brutal about their viewpoints since there is no direct consequence of their actions. This may further harm human relationships. Side: Yes-divides more
"As social media continues to alter how people connect personally and professionally, its impact on building culture in the workplace is debatable. Examining perspectives on culture and business strategy, 41 percent of executives participating in the study believe social networking helps to build and maintain workplace culture, while only 21 percent of employees have the same view. Moreover, business leaders and employees widely differ on whether social media has a positive effect on workplace culture (45 percent and 27 percent, respectively) or allows for increased management transparency (38 percent and 17 percent, respectively)."
Supporting Evidence:
The Social Divide-Disagreement on the Role of Social Media in Building Workplace Culture.
(www.4hoteliers.com)
Side: Yes-divides more
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Social media may highlight class differences more. People with no social media due to parental restrictions or may be too poor to have access to internet may thereby feel alienated. Side: Yes-divides more
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The recent Arab Spring is seen as a statement of freedom that Arab countries have been seeking for since years ago. Many know about the success of the Arab Spring but little know about the role of social media in contributing to this success. The Arab Spring heavily relied on social media such as Facebook. Evidence of the strength of the social media in uniting people is further proven in the agreement of Twitter to help the oppressive regimes of Syria and other Arab countries to censor tweets out of Syria. The founders of social media are aware of the power of social media and hence seek to ensure that social media is not continued to be used as a medium for 'suppressed citizens' to unite against their 'government'. Side: No-unites more
1
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Social media helps to foster closer ties between people since more social events can be developed from it. It can complement real life interaction. Side: No-unites more
Social media unites people who have a common cause. The recently launched site named Neighborland started as a local neighbourhood project and has recently been adopted by the think tank of the co-founders of Twitter. This site enables people across the United States to share local ideas and opinions. The common platform unites people and hence urges them to push for a common cause. Side: No-unites more
Social media can unite many people due to its ability to connect to many people(provided there is internet access). In the case of religion, a 32-year-old associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Pontiac, Ill., electronic communications, if used properly, present a “new frontier” that can foster personal relationships, promote connectionalism and, ultimately, contribute to the denominational goal of “making disciples of Jesus Christ.” This approach is also a way of connecting with the younger generation, as evident in the General Election in Singapore. Politicians are able to reach a more diverse audience and garner more support, as well as increase awareness about their campaign aims. Side: No-unites more
Just to add on our Prime Minister has finally launched his very own Facebook account. Many ministries and government agencies also have Twitter and Facebook accounts to update their clients. Side: No-unites more
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