Debate: what is better: to make friends in real life or in social networks?
Side: in real life

It's better to make friends in reality then in social networking sites. To start off, I would like to define social networking sites as a social network service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks. And face to face as reality. Although to some extend I do agree that it is easier to talk online as it is not as awkward to bring up topics there. However, when we do not really know the person well, we would not know what the person might be thinking. They might even have ulterior motives. Statistics from National Cyber Security Alliane (NCSA) - MacAfee Online Safety Study, 2011 have shown that 15% of Americans have never checked their social networking privacy and security account settings. This allows strangers or people who you do not recognize all over the world to get hold of your particulars. This may bring harm to yourself, putting yourself in danger zone. Statistics from Pew Research Center, FOSI, Cable in the Classroom, 2011 also haven shown that 69% of social media-using teens think that peers are mostly kind to each other on social networking sites, however, 88% of teens have seen someone be mean or curel to another person on a social networking site. 12% of teens say they witnessed cruel behavior "frequently" on social networking sites. 15% of social media-using teens say they have been the target of online meanness. 41% of social media-using teens have experienced at least one negative outcome as a result of using a social networking site. -25% have had an experience that led to a face-to-face argument or confrontation.-22% have had an experience that ended their friendship with someone.-13% have had an experience that caused a problem with their parents.-8% have gotten into a physical fight with someone else because of something that happened on a social networking site.-6% have gotten in trouble at school because of an experience on a social networking site.This means that people might think that so-and-so is friendly because he/she seems friendly to you. That person might be mean to people who they know in real life. And this is called cyber bullying. Also, statistics from Journal of Adolescent Health 27, 2010 have clearly shown that 29% of Internet sex crime relationships were initiated on a social networking site. In 26% of online sex crimes against minors, offenders disseminated information and/or picutres of the victim through the victim's personal social networking site. 33% of of all Internet-initiated sex crimes involved social networking sites. In half of all sex crimes against a minor involving a social networking site, the social networking site was used to initiate the relationship. Cases of Internet sex crimes against children involving social networking sites were more likely to result in a face-to-face meeting. This was true of 81% of Internet-initiated crimes involving a social networking site. With all these harms that you might face while making friends with someone whom you completely do not know, will you still choose to make friends online? Hence, i strongly feel that making friends in real life is better.