Dear Ms Samantha Taylor,

I have recently read your article ‘Clive Thompson says the digital age is making teenagers uniquely shallow’, and I support and agree with your idea to an extent. Your idea of these men’s claims might be true to an extent of some teens but not representative for the entire of us youth. I am writing this letter because I most importantly feel that the argument is irrelevant, as adults can not really know how it feels to be in the position of a teen in this age, as this current youth generation has changed immensely compared to some other our mothers and fathers generation. I also think that I should express my view points, and as a 16 year old teenager can relate more to the reality of if this is true between me and my fellow peers. I feel that it is essential and necessary that I oppose such wicked claims against us teenagers.

Firstly, I do not agree that too much socialising online between teenagers has created a generation who can’t relate face to face. We now live in a society in which we teenagers are highly exposed to social networks which lead to meeting new people, but this does not mean the destruction of real life association between teens. I believe that socialising online is a positive way to encourage us youth in engaging with others, especially for those who suffer from being shy. These are difficulties that socialising online has the potential to conquer therefore should be encouraged. As a 16 year old teenager myself living in south London, I believe that I have adopted social networking as a way in which to build confidence in communicating with people face to face. I can vouch that this technique works and am sure others would agree with this statement. Some people are socially awkward and freeze when encountering face to face conversations, so social networking is the key towards building confidence for some. Furthermore, some suffer social communication difficulties such as autism which brings the challenge of speaking publicly. Do you want to live in a world in which your child suffers from social awkwardness ? Do you want us youth who shall be leaders and politicians of this world one day to be restricted of being able to socialise properly? Limited of confidence ? That’s something I believe Clive Thompson and any other agreeing adults should think about.

In addition, it was stated by Clive Thompson that ‘All those countless hours glued to Facebook has turned teenagers into screen – enslaved social inadequates’. I counter this statement and fully disagree with it. I can say in confidence that as a user of Facebook myself I have not been subdued from engaging in any social activity. I use Facebook everyday yet I have undertaken things such as leadership courses and even run my own youtube channel, in which I perform my own music on the streets of London and interview random people for their opinions afterwards.  Despite this, it is not to say that everyone is like me and can control their addiction towards social networking, but this is a prime example of how social networking has encouraged me and many other teenagers in being bold when communicating with others.

In conclusion, I strongly recommend that we go about this by allowing us teenagers to continue to use these social networks as it brings out a more bold and enthusiastic side towards us. Of course too much social networking can lead to being enslaved social inadequates and I agree with that, but this is where the jobs of parents come in. Parents are responsible for the hours spent by their kids on social networking and what they are doing on it, however social networking is a seed of communication planted in humans as a whole’ life, used for productive things such as sharing information, keeping up to date with world interest, keeping in contact with family in any part of the world. I hope you take on board my opinions shared in this letter and act accordingly.

Your Sincerely, David Tayo