Beware of bad effects of WeChat

WeChat is becoming increasingly popular among Chinese people. Statistics show that WeChat, a mobile social network application, had 300 million users, 70 million of whom were outside China, in 2013. Compared with other social media apps, WeChat has developed and expanded at an amazing speed in China, strengthening its position in the market and becoming part of people's everyday life.

WeChat can be installed in multiple cellphone systems. It is applicable to a great deal of languages enabling people abroad, too, to access it. The app provides comprehensive and constantly updated functions and services to users.

The app's social function (pengyouquan) provides a wide platform for users to communicate with friends and relatives. For instance, users can share their feelings through attached photographs. Most importantly, the app is free of charge.

Given its varied features, which include better protection of privacy in its relatively restricted cyberspace, WeChat is sure to maintain its growing popularity.

But we should be warned about a negative development: a huge number of people are becoming "WeChataholics", that is, spending too much time on the app everyday. People glued to their phone screens - either texting or sending voice mails or using any of its other functions - are a common sight on the streets as well as public transport vehicles. While enjoying the benefits of social networks, we should be wary of their negative effects and desist from using them for unnecessary purposes like trying to expand our personal virtual networks. In short, we should avoid using social networks in ways that may harm our normal life and work.

RITAY, from China Daily blog

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