Social Networking: What Is It and Helpful or Not?

Social Networking is a game changer. It can be useful to anyone who simply wants to keep in touch with families and friends all the way up to boosting sales in small businesses. The vast majority of content on social media is also outstanding, as it is created by individuals and empowers them rather than solely relying on corporations for information. This allows us to stay informed in our ever changing world almost instantaneously. Furthermore, people can connect with others around the globe such as a business owner in China or a friend in Columbia so there is literally no limitations on obtaining information on a global scale.

However, this is not all handy dandy. Is there a "dark side" to social networking? Let's think about it. We are given a tremendous amount of power and control over what the world views about us. Say, for example, a bully wants to display his domination over others. Without social media, it is only those in his surroundings who will be affected by his bullying. Also, the bully is exposed to people which make it more difficult for him to attack others. However, what happens when he gets access to a large amount of people, and has the ability to post anonymously? For example, in an article by The Chronicle of Higher Education, it is mentioned that "Students have more ways than ever to post anonymous attacks on classmates, thanks (or rather, no thanks) to new and expanded online forums promising to be bigger and juicier than the infamous JuicyCampus, which drew fierce protests from harassed students before it shut down earlier this year." This obviously can cause tremendous negative effects on the individual, and ultimately society as well.

Regardless of the positive and negative aspects of social networking, it is undeniable that it is evolving rapidly. In an article by the New York Times, it is stated that Facebook is developing a new graph search, which allows users to "tailor their searches, such as by specifying music and restaurants that their friends like, or their favorite dentist. The reverse is also possible, such as discovering friends who have an interest in a particular topic." Will it be good or bad for society? We don't know yet. But we do know that it is an amazing step forward in terms of technological advancements, and will allow for more personalization than ever before.



Sources:

 http://www.chronicle.com/article/theyre-backtheyre-bad-/48220

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-01-15/news/chi-facebook-01152013_1_ceo-mark-zuckerberg-social-network-long-term-money-making-prospects