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Role of Information Technology in the Formation of Social Networks

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Social Change in a Network Society The Role of Information Technology in the
Formation of Social Networks

Contemporary society has built itself around new networks, both social and physical, which allow for more and more information technology to facilitate interaction. How will society instigate social change in a world where networks shape how we interact and the technology driving these networks is shaped and controlled by a specific group in society. The fact is, communication is increasingly dependent on information technology, which has been monopolized by a relatively few, largely american corporations. More and more information is produced and distributed at a global level, by means of new forms of communications and media …show more content…

The emmergence of new social networks has been noticed throughout the world, and organizations have sprung up to address these concerns. There are symposiums of computer professionals addressing the affect of networks, along with the National Communications Associaton, and in particular there is an online journal, "Connections" which is devoted to social network analysis. One article in this journal discussed the role of networks in matching political media opinions and perspectives with individuals and their corresponding social groups.The article says that society's concept of itself has been expanded and fractured by new social networks, and that these social links can be analyzed to better understand societies inner workings.

"Each individual, each social group, possesses a network of opinions on social conflicts that are not arbitrary but tied to one another to form specific, coherent networks whose ties show a strong resistance to deformation by external events. Specific networks of opinions on social conflict can be associated with individuals and social groups, and the network ties show strong resistance to change over time. There is even the possibility of measuring the "resilience" of these network ties." (4)

The network ties refered to in this quote are increasingly reliant on information technology, thus the strength of this technological infrastructure corresponds with the

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