This document summarizes a student paper on the topic of whether increased use of online social networking leads to social isolation. It provides background on internet and social media usage in Malaysia. The paper discusses arguments on both sides, noting that while some research suggests heavy social media use can replace real-world interactions, others argue it simply provides new ways to socially connect. It concludes that whether social media use leads to isolation may depend more on the individual and type of real-world social connections they have outside of online interactions.

1. PJJ SEMESTER 2 SESI 2011/2012
FIK 3042 :ENGLISH FOR COMUNICATION1
TOPIC:
The more active people are in online social networking, the more
isolated they become in the real social interaction.
GROUP:
B06(A112PJJ)
PREPARED BY:
NAME NO. ID NO. TELEFON
SYARANI BINTI MD SARIFF D20112054865 0136329970
LECTURE E-LEARNING NAME: DR AINON BINTI OMAR (ainon@fbk.upsi.edu.my)
DATE SUBMIT: 01 ARPIL 2012

2. CONTENTS
1 The more active people are in online social networking, the 1-3
more isolated they become in the real social interaction.
2. References 4
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3. 5. The more active people are in online social networking, the more isolated they become in
the real social interaction.
The Internet is already one of the most preferred alternative media instead of the mainstream
media. Thus its interactive features and fast flowing updates on information creates the
additional requirement in every peoples' life. They read, watch, communicate and even sing
through the Internet as none of us can agree more that the Internet now is the part of life. These
activities through the Internet have created a massive number of the Internet user growth. It
might doesn't matter at all on what the number of the growth means to us but the main concern
reflected to this issue is what could actually they do and how the increasing number of the users
are connected to this issue. A website known as the Internet World Stats, reports a statistic for
the Malaysian that until 31 December 2011 there were at least 61.7% or 17.73 million from its
28.73 million populations were the regular user of the Internet. The online social networking are
actually becomes a true growth of the Internet usage.
As individual constantly desires to interact each other both in personal and business contacts, the
ability of the Internet to deliver this networking capability grows stronger and stronger. In some
ways for those that use Facebook only, the general thrust of the article rings true. The social web
has evolved way beyond what the mainstream public use though. The potential is only limited
by our imagination. If the person stood at the bus stop is forever head down checking their
Facebook wall, then maybe they are only comfortable talking to people online and are not
normally that sociable. Or perhaps they are connected to thousands and just on the way to meet
a chunk of them. Just because they are not talking to the person stood next to them doesn’t mean
they are not being sociable. Social interaction online is still social interaction.
Until October 2011 there are 11.8 million Malaysian using facebookeveryday. Thus the
Facebook has become the seventh busiest website in the world. But the term isolated in this
context might seems lame enough to be agreed as the online social networking is just a new way
for getting connected with peoples.
These social networking websites are more like the virtual meeting places where people can just
chill and hang out with friends. They can discuss on different topics, share information, and

4. exchange files and pictures. There are some people who use these sites as a platform to meet
long lost friend and batch mates, whereas there are others for whom it becomes a bridge to meet
their future love. You can either reconnect with your friends and family members or search a
dating partner. Some people also use these websites to promote their blogs and services. The
professional people uses this as a medium to raise their visibility, get noticed, tell about their
company, service, and get more clients. With such a wide usage function one can be also as the
main concern especially to youth when it is about their social interaction on everything
especially on their future loves as one resulting to what we call as addition.
When there is too much online interaction for most purposes then the addiction has become
regular but however this might not remain healthy as a normal person which should be getting
good real social interactions instead of via the Internet. A strange opinion leads to what could be
thought as the reason which is the attraction to online social networking is the lack of restrictions
to express or finding whatever one desire to get, which means almost everything. The term
everything here is also involving with the misuse or false reason of using the online social
networking such as nuisance, criminal and sexual offence. But yet the cyber law has always
remained dynamically updated with the range of coverage upon different types of offences.
Today they can remain online anywhere with the evolutions on the communication gadgets like
the smartphones, tablet PC and with the laptop where the high speed broadband become the
mechanism which leads into such a craze especially among the youth. We can't really blaming
the evolutions on the infrastructure which it is all about facilitating the growing numbers of the
Internet users but rather than looking at the attitude of the users.
Some individuals are sociable and some are not. There are more people experiencing new
interactions with the social web that there are sociable types becoming ‘isolated’ like the article
suggests. Huge swathes of socially impoverished disconnected people now have a voice and it is
down to us to listen and connect.Asa human being in real socialises is always a need for us.
Getting socialise is also about getting a time for such a purpose. Sometimes in the real situation a
person range of socialising might only around the neighbourhood which resulting of spending
more time via online and yet viewing the recent updates of their contacts. However getting
isolated for this reason is really about depending on the types of friends they had both online or
in the real world. Perhaps they could really wonder how genuine that person is if they can only
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5. see them online. It would be much more beneficial to actually get out in the real world and talk
to real people and form a real friendship, than waste time on Facebook especially with those
people who lead a pretty boring life, but want to tell you what they are making for dinner. Like
seriously who cares!
The online social networking is actually a good platform to organise or to meet up with as it is
easy and all it requires is a number of clicks rather than having to look up and call or email each
individual person. And for this reason it is only rather as a great means of staying in touch with
people from now and the past. The isolation terms here might refers to the tendencies of
neglecting the real world. Or it is just a new way to replace paper? That person you see at the bus
stop staring at his phone or iPad may be me reading the SinarHarian or some other online
publication. Would I be less isolated hidden behind a broadsheet newspaper?

6. REFERENCES
Hampton, K., Goulet,L. and Raine L., (2011). Social networking sites and our lives:How people’s trust,
personal relationships, and civic and political involvement are connected to their use of social
networking sites and other technologies. Retriever March 2012 from
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Technology-and-social-networks.aspx
Harris P., (2011). Social networking under fresh attack as tide of cyber-scepticism sweeps US:Twitter and
Facebook don't connect people – they isolate them from reality, say a rising number of academics.
Retriever February 2012 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/22/social-networking-cyber-
scepticism-twitter
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