Discuss the Influence That Social Networking Plays in Society Today? How, and to What Extent, Has It Re-Defined Social Relationships and Is This Generationally Specific?

In the last ten to fifteen years accompanying the dawn of social media, means of communication among friends and strangers have been easier than ever. Since its creation in 2004, Facebook has grown into the largest social media site on the Internet with 30 million users and counting. The ability to catch up with former high school friends who are now across the country or see how an aunt in Pittsburgh has been doing since the birth of her son are now as simple as the click of a mouse. However, the amount of “friends” acquired on social media may not be an accurate reflection of how many close relationships one truly shares. In an article from Bigthink.com titled “Do You Have Too Many Facebook Friends?”, Steven Mazie gathers research from Pew Research Center about statistics surrounding Facebook

hroughout history, sociological developments such as the Industrial Revolution and Agricultural Revolution have paved the way for the creation of new and innovative advancements in the expansion of society. Today, society is subject to an all-encompassing Communication Revolution. Thanks to the plethora of technological improvements and communication technology released almost routinely, it is easier than ever before to stay in touch with people from all over the world through multiple means of communication. Perhaps one of the most prevalent sources of correspondence today is social media, particularly Facebook. In developing and maintaining friendships with others online, relationships are both strengthened and weakened by the barriers and networks formed through social media. As a result, sites like Facebook create a communication gap between those whose friendships are dependent upon social media, leaving numerous traits of the individual and the group up for debate. Most importantly, the influence of social media sites is slowly working to redefine the meaning of terms such as “community” and “friendship,” which have an overwhelming affect on an individual’s development and presentation of the Self, both online and offline. Together, these aspects of social interaction have a meaningful effect on the development of the individual and their social relationships.

Social networking is the mainstream way to communicate with anyone. Teenagers are obsessed with social networking, no one calls each other unless it’s extreme circumstances or their mother. Sharing pictures, sharing life stories, and sharing opinions online has been the way of life and the norm for kids growing up with computers and smart phones. The parents to this generation have not grown up in the same environment and have different standards for online activity. In the Article “ 10 Reasons Why I Avoid Social Networking Services” written by Alan Norton, he lists why he does not use social networking services. His personal beliefs are backed up with statistics and hold true to many people in his generation but not in the younger ones.

A prevalent issue regarding social media and interactions exists between researchers and social network users. Social media is currently changing how relationships between people are created. Relationships can exist through people across the world through social media and can produce more emotional bonds with friends that you can see everyday. On the other hand, social media also could present conflicts due to the fact that some of these relationships can become unhealthy and that people could change to be more dependent on internet friends, becoming introverted.

There have been numerous other studies’ that have found similar negative findings on the impact of social media such as news reports that have detailed several incidents of suicides as a result of isolation and depression being caused by Facebook postings. Weaknesses are that the findings were built a small sampling of Facebook users as they now number over one billion Morrison (2014). Counterarguments can be made that other studies have found the opposite affects of Facebook and other social media. A study of more than 1,000 teenagers by Common sense media reported that “28% said social networking made them feel more outgoing versus 5% who said it made them feel less so”. Wallace

Social network technology does not create havens for people with narcissistic tendencies and/or poor self-esteem. In the article, “Are Social Networks Messing with Your Head?”, David Resalvo is asking if social media is messing with mental health. He writes about how social media networks have evolved from a fad to a trend. He expresses the possibility of a relationship between loneliness and the use of social media networks. The article also expresses that people may use social media networks to boost their self-esteem.

Social networking sites (SNSs) have made up an important area of research for those interested in online communication technologies and their impact on individuals interactions (Steinfield, Ellison & Lampe, 2008). The use of these technologies are said to have mixed effects on loneliness and connectedness. While these sites create a more convenient avenue to stay in contact with people (Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe, 2007) they also limit the depth of genuine relationships (Kraut et al., 1998). It is difficult to determine whether it is these SNSs that are making people lonely or whether these sites are reconfiguring our notions of loneliness, as these are not static concepts (LaRose, Connolly, Lee, Li & Hales, 2014). Research has also found that individuals who have high levels of conscientiousness are less like to engage with SNSs as they promote procrastination (Hughes, Rowe, Batey & Lee, 2011).

The rapid growth of technology in our society has become more dominant than it was in the 17th and 18th century. Today, technology is used for almost everything in our day to day lives. But the most common usage of technology is for communication and industrialization. However, every good thing has its disadvantage if it is over used, and since technology has become very dominant, it is used by both young and older people but more predominant among the youth of the today. Even more, technology has brought about social networking such as Facebook, Twitter, my space, piazza.com, instagram, tango, and last but not the least texting. According to socialnetworking.procon.org, “47% of American adults used social networking sites like

Social networking can connect strangers across the world. As the evolution of communication continues, technology progresses and social networking grows. Social networks like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook have grown to have billions of users. In fact in today’s society, it is necessary or nearly expected to use one if not all of these technological communication networks. The increasing use of social networking has had both a negative and positive effect on communication in relationships. The purpose of this literary analysis is to answer if social networks are helpful or harmful to relationships.

Social networking has become a major part of society. Many people wake up each day and check social media websites specifically throughout Twitter and Facebook first thing in the morning instead of reaching for a newspaper. Since people are spending such a large amount of time surfing social networks, it is important to point out some of the positive and negative effects that social networking can have on a society. The positive effects of social networking sites are allow people to create new relationships and reconnect with friends and family. Increased communication, even online, strengthens relationships. And the other   is social networking sites make people share everything that they want and   bring people with common interests together, offer exposure to new ideas from around the world, and lower inhibitions to overcome social anxiety.

Social network sites (SNSs) such as such as Friendster, CyWorld, and MySpace allow individuals to present themselves, articulate their social networks, and establish or maintain connections with others (Ellison, 2007). These sites could be used for work related situation, romance, connecting with individuals with shared interest, or creating a connection amongst college students. Facebook enables its users to present themselves in an online profile, accumulate ‘‘friends’’ who can post comments on each other’s pages, and view each other’s profiles (Ellison, 2007). Individuals can write on the wall of friends, send private message, comment on posts, as well as chat via instant messaging. Much of the early research on online communities assumed that individuals using these systems would be connecting with others outside their pre-existing social group or location, liberating them to form communities around shared interests, as opposed to shared geography (Ellison, 2007).

Society is constantly changing and will continue to change in the future. The change is predictable because people change their ideas, routines, and views frequently. One of the topics that is typically brought up when discussing the influences on how society is changing, is social networking. There are two sides to every story. One side of the effects of social networking is that it is beneficial to society by informing people on particular situations in the world and on current important events. The other side views social networking as dangerous and drama filled. While there are benefits and dangers to social networking's effects on society, I will argue that social networking has changed society more negatively than positively.

Facebook, a social networking website, has changed the way people communicate with each other. A social networking website is an online platform that allows users to create a public profile and interact with other users on the website. Facebook has even changed our most personal and private conversations and how they are conducted around the world. Since the internet’s birth in 1983, this trend of online communication has been growing. Created in 2004, now registered with more than one billion participants, Facebook’s user numbers surpass even the top four social networking websites combined. According to Wikipedia statistics, Instagram has 300 million registered users, LinkedIn has 200 million users, Classmates.com has 50 million users, and Flickr has 32 million registered users. To be further convinced of the claim that Facebook indeed changes the way we communicate, you would only need to create your own Facebook account and start participating in their social networking experience. Technology and internet usage is fused into every aspect of our society including the style of communication. The launch of Facebook in 2006 also enabled other devices such as touch phones, interactive tablets, and even advanced cars with their own networking capabilities starting in 2007. Facebook is a multibillion-dollar company and is highly recognized for connecting more people than other networks. Facebook’s long-term success can be attributed to providing entertainment, world news, and

From the beginning of the Internet’s growing popularity, it continues to provide a way of communication that allows for mass access and transfer of information. However, this convenience also comes with negatives such as the ability for abuse by users—harassment, stalking, illegal content—as well as other psychological problems such as addiction and poor self-esteem (Yang and Tung, 2004; Armstrong, Phillips, and Saling, 2000). Communication on the Internet is further expanded by websites such as Facebook—an online social networking site—along with numerous other social media platforms, changing the way we socially interact with others and creating similar issues as the ones internet use brought. Facebook’s popularity is constantly

Today’s youth generation, has a strong attachment to the online world. Many adolescents spend most of their time online versus offline. Therefore, one can consider these adolescents as a social network addict, a person who spends a fair amount of time on one or many social platforms. Throughout the three articles, “Social Networking Addiction: An Overview of Preliminary Findings” by Mark Griffiths, “Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship” by Nicole B. Ellison and “Taking Risky Opportunities in Youthful Content Creation: Teenagers’ use of Social Networking Sites for Intimacy, Privacy, and Self-expression” by Sonia Livingstone, show how this addiction has changed people’s communication among people. While there are