Writing to Respond

Dear Ms Samantha Taylor,

I recently read the article you wrote and how you disagree on the views expressed by the people like Jonathan Franzen and Susan Greenfield. Its not just disheartening but insulting to read the views indicated by the individuals in the article. As a teenager myself I use social media and I do use it on a daily basis and I’m horrified by the views expressed by certain individuals. I use social media sites because it’s easier for me to connect with others, but I still find time to keep my relationships intact because I regularly meet up with people. Are you and John Henley the only people with sense to see that the use of social media can expand the social experience. Personally I strongly believe that the views expressed by the other people mentioned in your article are completely wrong. Teenagers are still able to develop relationships with multiple different other young people. I believe that teenagers can make meaningful relationships, despite the frequent use of the internet to socialise.

Firstly, Jonathan Franzen said online socialising is creating a ‘uniquely shallow and trivial culture, making kids unable to socialise face to face’. What Franzen is suggesting is teenage culture is of little importance and has little depth. I strongly disapprove of the view mentioned by Jonathan Franzen as there is no evidence to support this idea. From personal experiences I can honestly say that online socialising can affect teenagers only if they do not have control.  The way that Jonathan Franzen perceives teenagers is used as a way to target our generation negatively and because of this article peoples views are changed. They have a detrimental affect on peoples views of teenagers and social media. I am disgusted because what Jonathan Franzen has said about teenagers is a succeeding attempt to frantically damage our generation with his views. Teenagers will always be able to socialise as it’s like a natural characteristic they have.

The points raised by Franzen really aggravate me as he mentions teenagers spend too much time online socialising and they cannot relate face to face. I do not believe what he is saying is credible. As a teenager myself I agree that teenagers can use the internet too much, however I don’t agree that it creates a culture of little importance. The internet allows teenagers to have a voice and they challenge authority. It allows teenagers to have freedom to develop their own expression and taste of art. To say that it creates a culture of little importance is diabolical and discouraging.

The internet is used on a daily basis by millions of people. It is unclear as to as why teenagers are constantly being targeted? Why are the views expressed by the people in article specifically targeted at teenagers, when adults are equally at fault. The fact that these views produced negatively impact teenagers and the views people have of us is horrendous. If you come to my school and you will see how teenagers interact with different people it will have a clear indication that the emoticon-addled zombies are the adults who work in a office. They are the ones who are inadequate in society as they find it harder to socialise than teenagers. The technology that teenagers use is advanced and sophisticated.

‘All those countless hours glued to Facebook has turned teenagers into screen enslaved social inadequates’. Forgive me for not understanding how hours spent socialising on Facebook can make me a social inadequate? The use of social media comes with many advantages. Using social media allows different people around the world to connect and learn about different peoples lifestyle, in addition to being able to communicate with family members around the world.  Inadequate are people who are lacking the quality or quantity required to fulfil a role. In my school, social media was used to help connect students and to entice them into completing work as they could do it while talking to friends.

“We could be raising a hedonistic generation who live only in the thrill of the computer-generated moment”. I fail to agree with Susan Greenfield as I think our generation use the most of technology because its not something that was available for older generations when they were younger. Besides 72% of 30-49 and 60% of 50-64 year olds used social media sites according to statistics in may 2013. This shows that not only teenagers use social networking sites contradicting most points made by Susan Greenfield and others. Social networking sites like Facebook can be used as a reminder. A hedonistic generation is created when people go to work and are enslaved behind a computer from 9AM-5PM. Susan Greenfield’s point clearly contradicts itself, if one generation can sit behind a computer on advanced, sophisticated technology why cant teenagers as well.

Yours sincerely Aarif Adenekan