Prompt: Nowadays people make new friends through social networks and internet chat groups. Some people think this is good. Others think that face-to-face interaction is essential. Ċ Discuss both views and give your opinion.

There is a widely held perception among many people that making new friends via social networks and internet chat groups is good. Others opine that face-to-face conversations are important. While there are certainly valid arguments to the contrary, I am strongly inclined to the view that that face-to-face interactions are indeed essential and better. Ċ On the one hand, befriending people through social networks or chat groups helps a person to get acquainted with the culture and norms of a foreign country. For instance, by using social networking platforms like Twitter or Facebook, many people have learned about different country's cultureSuggestiona different country's culture by talking to people of other countries. Moreover, chatting groups are becoming famous on the internet and with the help of this, people find a way to connect with each other through similar interests. In this way, a person's knowledge can be increased as they are being exposed to different point of views. Ċ On the other hand, for a sociable population, it is salient that people engage in face-to-face conversations on a daily basis. In addition, using social media requires the use of a laptop or a smartphone, which can make a person follow a sedentary lifestyle and can also worsen eye health. Furthermore, one point which I believe to be absolutely pivotal is the safety concerns when using the internet to make new friends. Countless cases have been reported where people on social media lie about their identity and cheat naive people by deceiving them to meet them in real life. According to a report of the CBN, numerous ingenuous young girls have gone missing in the past 2 years because of meeting fake people on the internet. Ċ By way of conclusion, I reaffirm my position that face-to-face interaction is fundamental. Even though making friends through social networks and internet chat groups has some perks, communicating face-to-face is safer and hence, better.