Expository Essay

How far do you agree that weblogs are more beneficial than harmful to individuals and society?

Type of Essay: Cause –and- Effect Relationships & Argumentative

Annotations/Definitions

1.) Weblogs: A Shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies.
2.) Beneficial: Conferring Benefit; Advantageous; Helpful
3.) Harmful: Causing or Capable of Causing Harm; Injurious
4.) Individuals: A single Human Being, as Distinguished from a Group
5.) Society: An organized group of persons associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic or purposes

In today’s modern society, with the evolution of Internet, weblogs revolve around us. On April 19th, Channel News Asia (CNA) reported an insurance scam, involving a 45-year-old former freelance insurance claims advisor Hamzah Karim. He told his accomplices to lie, and make “fake” recounts, which he would get money for every case reported. This is one of the harms users of weblogs will face. From food blogs to business blogs, there is a wide range of weblogs today. However, we are unaware of what is “behind the scenes” that could be injurious or advantageous. Different weblogs serve different purposes and we gain new knowledge from every blog.

First, weblogs update people based on one’s interest. Interests differ from person to person, such as current affairs and one’s life. Once a weblog is set up, people having the same interest with you will read your weblog. Most importantly, it is to update people on information, such as your lifestyle or the specific interest chosen. Besides, weblogs can be used as a platform to discuss the specific interest as people with different opinions will provide valuable pointers which could be of use to you. Thus, both sides benefit, gaining new knowledge.

Next, weblogs are used as a platform to earn money. Besides working in the day, one can earn bonuses of money. Whenever, wherever one is, as long as there is Internet, one can control the weblog and put on more items for sale. It’s a convenient way of business, and the most basic platform for a young budding businessman, people in the society planning to be an entrepreneur. Although it may be a small business, if promoted well, one could rake in a steady sum of money from weblogs.

However, weblogs have been used as a platform for fraud. Although weblogs are deemed as “business opportunities”, it could be detrimental to users. Online transactions take place in business-based blogs and carried out through means such as Paypal and credit cards. We are unaware of what’s happening behind the scenes and who knows one could be cheated of money? The money was sent to the blogger, but the item never reached them and this, is a common situation in today’s world of greed and evil.
Lastly, weblogs are too dangerous a platform to reveal one’s emotions. Emotions of people overwhelm their actions; these emotions take control of their minds, resulting in their words being a symbol of their feelings. Once your emotions are made known to this public blog, it could hurt the feelings of others and result in one getting in hot soup. These incidents could have to do with prejudice and political issues.

Ultimately, weblogs are both a beneficial and harmful platform. Participation in weblogs will allow one to constantly gain new knowledge and for us to reflect and reveal our emotions and actions. These values will go a long way, keeping us in check of our emotions and build one’s moral values in the many more years to follow.

Words: 500