Debate

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Debate: social media
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Affirmative Case: Social Media Does More Harm than Good for Society
Definitions:
 Social Media: Digital platforms that enable users to create, share, or exchange
information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities.
 Harm: Physical, mental, or societal injury or damage.
 Good: Beneficial or advantageous to society.
Type of Round: Lincoln-Douglas debate focusing on the moral implications of social media
on society.
Value: Societal Well-being - The overall health and prosperity of a society, encompassing
physical, mental, and social aspects.
Criteria for Evaluation: When making a decision on the outcome of this debate, it is very
essential to judge the impact social media has had on society as well-being by looking at both
positive and also negative effects. It requires a critical analysis of the effects that social media
has on the different aspects or sectors of society, including mental health information
transmission and communication to determine whether all these impacts ultimately promote
positive general societal well-being.
Contention: Deterioration of Social Fabric
Subpoint A: Mental Health Crisis The wide-scale adoption of social media has been
closely linked to the growing cases of depression, anxiety and loneliness particularly in the
young adult population which is a group that is characterized by their heavy usage on these
sites. In particular, a study by Nagata et al. (2023) found that there was a significant
correlation between the use of social media and the worsening mental health suggesting how
digital engagement directly affects psychological well-being. This result highlights the
adverse impacts that unrestrained and long-term use of social media might cause to both
emotional character building as well as cognitive development thereby

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Subpoint B: Spread of Misinformation - The social media is a fertile ground for
spreading misinformation which has resulted in a public health calamity (covid- 19
conspiracy theories) and also political polarization. According to the study conducted at MIT
(2018) false news travels much faster than real stories (Sharma, 2023).
Subpoint C: Erosion of Privacy - Privacy invasion in social media provide companies
could erode the user privacy for profit and also infringe individual rights, this can create a
surveillance-like environment. The Cambridge Analytica scandal is a good example.
Negative Case: Social Media as a Beneficial Force for Society
Counter Contention: Advancement of Democratic and Social Engagement
Subpoint A: Enhancing Communication - Social media is a medium for free speech and
expression, where people can communicate freely around the world. Social media serves as a
catalyst in the many political changes that occurred during the Arab Spring.
Subpoint B: Education and Awareness - Social media helps to educate the individuals about
crucial issues while also raising awareness (Yuan et al., 2023). Movements like #MeToo have
demonstrated its power in the social change.
Subpoint C: Economic Opportunities - Social media is a real necessity for the businesses and
entrepreneurs to provide new economic opportunities as well as further innovation.
Responses to Affirmative Case
Against Mental Health Crisis: Though social media makes the mental problems worse, the
main cause of this is inappropriate usage. These effects can be mitigated by the responsible
use policies and also digital literacy.
Against Spread of Misinformation: Fact-checking and content moderation policies are being
progressively introduced by the many social media platforms against misinformation (Vinhas
et al., 2023). The position of education in distinguishing the legitimate resources plays also
an important role.
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Responses to Negative Case
Against Enhancing Communication: Social media communication is quite very superficial
and leaves much to be desired, which results in the diminishing of meaningful interpersonal
relationships as well as also issues with real-life communities (Turan et al., 2023).
Against Education and Awareness: Echo chambers can be brought about by social media
whereby individuals get to know about ideas and information that put into place their recent
beliefs an hence limiting the real awareness of various opinions.

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References
Nagata, J. M., Chu, J., Zamora, G., Ganson, K. T., Testa, A., Jackson, D. B., ... & Baker, F. C.
(2023). Screen Time and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Among Children 9–10
Years Old: A Prospective Cohort Study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 72(3), 390-396.
doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13673
Sharma, D. K., & Garg, S. (2023). IFND: a benchmark dataset for fake news
detection. Complex & Intelligent Systems, 9(3), 2843-2863.
Turan, M. E., Adam, F., Kaya, A., & Yıldırım, M. (2023). The mediating role of the dark
personality triad in the relationship between ostracism and social media addiction in
adolescents. Education and Information Technologies, 1-17.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12002-1
Vinhas, O., & Bastos, M. (2023). The WEIRD governance of fact-checking and the politics
of content moderation. New Media & Society, 14614448231213942.
Yuan, Y. P., Dwivedi, Y. K., Tan, G. W. H., Cham, T. H., Ooi, K. B., Aw, E. C. X., & Currie,
W. (2023). Government digital transformation: understanding the role of government
social media. Government Information Quarterly, 40(1), 101775.

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1

Debate: social media

information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities.

 Harm: Physical, mental, or societal injury or damage.

 Good: Beneficial or advantageous to society.

physical, mental, and social aspects.

positive general societal well-being.

Contention: Deterioration of Social Fabric

emotional character building as well as cognitive development thereby

Subpoint B: Spread of Misinformation - The social media is a fertile ground for

spreading misinformation which has resulted in a public health calamity (covid- 19

Subpoint C: Erosion of Privacy - Privacy invasion in social media provide companies

surveillance-like environment. The Cambridge Analytica scandal is a good example.

Negative Case: Social Media as a Beneficial Force for Society

Counter Contention: Advancement of Democratic and Social Engagement

demonstrated its power in the social change.

entrepreneurs to provide new economic opportunities as well as further innovation.

Responses to Affirmative Case

use policies and also digital literacy.

Responses to Negative Case

Against Enhancing Communication: Social media communication is quite very superficial

beliefs an hence limiting the real awareness of various opinions.

(2023). Screen Time and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Among Children 9–10

detection. Complex & Intelligent Systems, 9(3), 2843-2863.

adolescents. Education and Information Technologies, 1-17.

of content moderation. New Media & Society, 14614448231213942.

W. (2023). Government digital transformation: understanding the role of government

social media. Government Information Quarterly, 40(1), 101775.

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