In the article "Do problems associated with social networking outweigh the benefits?", authors Norah Wei Tang and Elizabeth Anne Wood assume very opposing stances. Tang believes that the use of social networking sites by college students dampens productivity and is nothing more than a huge distraction and time-waster, while Wood thinks that social networking sites allow a new, effective medium for communication and the growth of ideas. There are clearly many contrasts between the two responses, such as example used, arguments produced, and even the organization, but beneath it all there are some similarities in the assumptions made by the authors.

Both authors' arguments are dictated by the assumption that college kids use social networking sites extremely frequently. Right off the bat, Tang says that "...popular social networking sites...are part of everyday life." Most of Tang's argument is centralized around this thought, as she believes the constant exposure and use of social networking eats up valuable time and established weak relationships. Wood on the other hand uses the assumption in order to explain intellectual discussion and engagement that happens over the internet. All of her examples of blogs and websites require that users are participating in large amounts. At the end of her response, Wood even says that "...we learn from our students about the technologies shaping their lives..."