Social Media Friends are Not Real Friends IELTS Writing Task 2

People have stopped going out to play games or for leisure activities. They find everything in their home. Online friends are one such facility available over the internet. It is not wrong to have online friends, but building strong relationships may not be suggested. Nowadays people chat on various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, whenever a person feels alone. We have seen this increase during the lockdown phase of Covid. At a very low cost, we can chat with friends far away from us. The growth in the internet and online friends has been increasing very stupendously. In case of urgency and especially during lockdown periods there is no alternative to online communication. In such situations, we should make friends, but with a little care and caution.

There is no doubt that physical face-to-face meetings cannot be replaced with virtual online contacts. Direct physical meetings create a more emotional environment and intimate relationships. The online meetings and chats are not of that much quality and sensibility. Getting together, sitting together, dining, and many more things are not possible with online activities. Some of the online friends may be in true existence. They may be fake faces and biodata. In some cases, those fake friends may disclose our personal information and valuable data to our enemies or to the world. Wrong relationships may implicate false criminal cases or bad relationships.

I do not totally deny that online friends are not necessary. But, their data and photos should be verified well before falling into intimate relationships. In many situations, offline friends are more reliable than online friends. Chatting and exchanging important information should be done with those authentic online friends.

Online friends are common in this digital era. It is common and necessary to engage with other fellow humans on social media platforms. In case of emergency, or lockdown periods, social media helped in communicating with friends, family, professionals, and especially doctors very efficiently. It is very easy to have a con call or zoom call rather than physically going and discussing something with others. It is easy to exchange news, ideas, events, photos, and videos online within a fraction of a second at a very low price. Otherwise, this will require more time, energy, and money.

It is practical knowledge that some social media friends are more genuine than real-life friends. It is a very great tool that motivates an introverted person to express ideas and share thoughts through online means. This is a medium where both extroverted and introverted persons can mix and exchange everything they desire. It would be easy to have friendships with all the classmates and colleagues on the social platform which is not possible in real life.

Online relationships have many limitations. It is not possible to get together, share feelings, and dine online. It is not possible to understand the feelings and body language of the opposite person online. The photos, pictures, documents, and other information may or may not be true, which is shared through social media. One should be very cautious while sharing sensitive and important information online. It has been observed that many people have lost their money and future because of false friends and anti-social elements online.

Though social media is beneficial in many ways, one should be very wise in selecting online friends. It is advisable to exchange information and photos only after getting to know the true status and condition of the friend online.

Whatever be the argument, the number of online friendships is increasing at a rocket level. Every nook and corner of the world is penetrated by a worldwide network. This is both cheaper and faster. There are no such means of communication that exist on earth today. It has been a very easy and convenient way for anyone to become a part of the network with a smartphone. It gives both communication and entertainment to online friends. . Groups are made on the basis of region. language, religion, culture, sports, cinema, and much more. People are getting online friend circles as per their interests, taste, and mindset. There is an opportunity to exchange ideas and onions and several topics very fast.

Despite all this technology and virtual mode of communication, face-to-face interaction is inevitable. Offline physical contacts are helpful in mutual understanding of feelings, emotions, and a chance to get together and dine together. The same kind of advantages we cannot get in online interactions. Owing to hectic lifestyles, traffic jams, cost of transport, people prefer online mode of communication to physical get-togethers. But, one should be very cautious while selecting groups and persons as friends online. There are many chances of getting fake friendships with fake photos and wrong information.

To summarize, having a friend online is a better proposition as compared to face-to-face interactions. But, there are many chances of getting cheated online due to bad friend circles and friends. Without being convinced, avoid sharing personal information with less known online friends.