IntroductionInternet: useful or harmful for social interaction? Tonight our main topic is interaction through social media websites over the Internet. People can be instantly connected with other people through text messages, messages and on social networking sites on the Internet. The question, however, is whether these instant connections are helpful or harmful to social interaction? Some say yes and others no. These connections can help people connect all over the world, the resources available on the internet are numerous and someone can connect with people they never could otherwise, with the internet. However, with these connections misunderstandings can arise, misreading an email or misunderstanding cultural differences can be quite easy without a physical being in front of you to pick up physical cues (Baron and Branscombe, 2012). The question remains: do these instant connections make it easier for people to communicate? Explained With so much internet usage these days, are people really connecting on an organic level? Can lasting relationships be formed through the Internet, whether it is a friendship or a romantic relationship? What are the problems that arise when communicating only through cyberspace? These are some of the questions I asked while researching this topic. It turns out that there seem to be both advantages and disadvantages to communicating via the Internet. Some believe that communicating on the Internet improves relationships with others. However, some believe that communication via cyberspace does not contribute to improving relationships with others. There are legitimate factors that contribute to both arguments. Let's take a look at...... middle of paper ...... Franz, & Schutz, Astrid. (2006). Personality in cyberspace: Personal websites as a medium for personality expressions and impressions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(6), 1014-1031.McKenna, Katelyn YA and Bargh, John A. (2000). Shot 9 from cyberspace: The implications of the Internet for personality and social psychology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 4(1), 57-75.ProCon.org. (October 15, 2013). ProCon.org Social Media. Retrieved from http://socialnetworking.procon.org/Turkle, Sherry. (1999). Looking to cyberspace: beyond grounded sociology. Contemporary Sociology, 28(6), 643-648. Yu, Sen-Chi and Chou, Chien. (2009). Does authentic happiness exist in cyberspace? Implications for understanding and guiding students' attitudes and behaviors on the Internet. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(6), 1135-1138.