Talking Points: Is social media a waste of time, or good for communication?
Hate it when you can’t talk back? Well, you can with Young Post. Have your say and share with students around Hong Kong
Do you think social media is a waste of time?I think it’s a waste of time. Technology is addictive. If you look at people on the street, you’ll see them taking selfies and messaging their friends. When we chat with friends on social media, misunderstandings can happen. Words take on a different meaning because there is no tone to listen to, gestures to look at, or expressions to watch. I think we need to put our phones down and look up at others around us.
Martha Ho Wing-yee, 17, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Kwok Yat Wai College
Social media aids the communication of thoughts, opinions, and important information. For example, social networking platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp help users create and share content. These tools bring people closer. Moreover, social media serves as a platform to spread breaking news. Users can learn about news right away, all without moving or stepping out of their homes.
Acesley Chan, 15, King’s College
Yes, it is a waste of time! A study, conducted by a gambling website, found that the average American spends 382 hours per year on social media. This number is only rising. In the business world, the average worker spends 12 per cent of their working day on things like Facebook and YouTube. There are countless others that sit for hours in front of a screen, scrolling through other people’s lives. This time could be used to improve their own lives.
Lee Cheuk-ling, 13, Fanling Rhenish Church Secondary School
I think social media is a waste of time. Many teenagers spend too much time on it, and they might learn about bad things or want to do bad things because of it.
Wong Sze-in, 14, Lo Kon Ting Memorial College
It depends on what you do with social media. If you chat with your friends on it every day, you need to impose a time limit. I spend about 30 minutes on social media every day. I think I become closer with my friends through it. But spending any more time than that on social media doesn’t make me feel any closer to them – I’m just wasting my time when I should be working.
Wilson Yin, 16, Fung Kai No. 1 Secondary School
I think that social media is good for communication. You can talk to people without having to be together in the same place. On the other hand, if you stare at a screen for too long, it can cause damage to your eyes. So, make sure you don’t use social media for more than an hour at a time!
Ellie Chan, 9, St Clare’s Primary School
No, I don’t think social media is a waste of time. We can use it to improve our communication skills and make new friends. As long as we can limit our time on it, it is a useful thing to have.
Leung Wing-kei, 13, Tung Wah Group Of Hospitals Lo Kon Ting Memorial College
It depends how long you spend on social media. If you spend a lot of time on it, you might become addicted and care only about increasing your following on social media.
Lo Cheuk-kiu, 13, Po Leung Kuk Lee Shing Pik College
I think that social media is a waste of time. People use social media non-stop. They end up feeling stressed and upset when no-one comments, and annoyed when they can’t use it.
Choi Yan-yan, 14, Henrietta Secondary School
Social media is good for communication. It brings people around the world closer together. We can post photos to express our feelings, and use emoji to talk to other people. We can make friends with people we might never have, just by tapping away at a screen.
Lily Tsang, 16, Fung Kai No. 1 Secondary school
In our next Talking Points, we'll discuss:
Are school summer holidays too long?
We are now accepting your answers for this topic. To take part, email your answer with your name, age, and school, along with a nice, clear selfie (make sure it’s not blurry), to [email protected] by lunchtime on Monday. Don’t forget to include “Talking Points” in the subject line.
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