Social Networking : A New And Ever Evolving Phenomenon

Technology, especially social networking, has formed a huge part in society’s daily lives for the last several years. Facebook, one of the major social media platforms, as stated by Mark Hall in his article Facebook American Company, has become the largest social network with more than 1 billion users across the nations, and most of these users fall into the

With evolving technology comes new types of social media, people have begin to question the internet’s effect on our mentality. It is a bit difficult to compare the pros and cons of social media, it has more to do with an individual’s experience.  Some could be having a horrible time due to social media, but others could be thriving off of it.  The more negative implications of using social media could be the way that we share our personal lives and how much of it we give to the public, regardless of social relationships, to consume.  Along with this, we are deeply impacted by what we see from others based on our viewing of what they share because of the ability to create falsified identities and unrealistic interpretations of who we are

I’m eighteen years old, so thru my entire teenage years I’ve been overhearing the debate over how technology is affecting people’s ability to develop appropriate relationships. If you had asked me wjat my view was before I went to a boarding school with limited access to internet, I would have said social media is good for people; it connects them. However, after spending a year without social media, I now realize that the sites that led me to believe I was connected were false. While my friend status was high, I sat in my dark room with no ne oto actualy talk to. Robert Kuttner writes in his article ‘The Other Side of E-Mail’, of how technology “has a dark side” (243). Peggy Orenstein writes in her article ‘I Tweet, Thereofre I Am’ of how she was enjoying a beautiful day with her daughter and instead of simply enjoying the moment, she felt compelled to tweet about it (251). Living in a world filled with constant noise and desire to fit in causes a lack of real connection.

Any individual who even merely observes the society in which humans participate in today has the capability of noting how almost every aspect of life revolves around social media. Unfortunately, the growth of the era typography into the era of telegraphy and the internet has only enabled the phenomenon of a digital life to flourish and revolutionize daily life. This lifestyle receives an inconceivable amount of contempt due to its stereotype of disengaging individuals from their surroundings, but not many people consider how society may benefit from a media-saturated environment. Of course, not dissimilar to other aspects of life, a person involved with media-communication will reap what they sow, and therefore each individual’s success relies

As an outcome of the new technological innovations, many people have turned to more convenient and virtual means of developing relationships as opposed to tangible and more meaningful ones, and this is harmful as it can erode the possibility of contributing personal views to society in an effective way. Social media is a rather broad platform, and within it, lies a myriad of websites that would allow for individuals to communicate ideas, for example, through Twitter, Youtube, Facebook and many more alike. And while convenient communication may have its benefits, it is safe to argue that the consequences may outweigh them. For instance, the detriments of not maintaining physical relationships can be seen in Scott Brown’s Facebook Friendonomics, where the author notes that “people have become mere collectibles” due to the increasing dependence on social media as a mean of forming social relationships (2). This is significant because it evident the ways in which dependency on social media can be hindering in both, in maintaining a sense of individualism, for example because what is presented on social media might not always be accurate, and in contributing to society, because the relationships or ‘friends,’ that many people seem to have on Facebook, cannot truly be

Social media is different than anything the world has ever seen. It allows us to connect with anyone at any time at the tips of our fingers. We can be friends with people that we could have never connected with otherwise and see deeper into people’s lives than ever before. Through social media we can know what people are doing at any given time. It is possible to be friends with celebrities or even friends with your enemies. Social media can even become a dating platform for some individuals. However, all of these connections that are made are on a superficial level. Through the arguments of Levin, Putnam and Hayes I will argue that although the original goal of social media was to bring communities together in reality it is actually tearing

Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Instagram, and Flicker was invented to keep us in touch and keep us closer to our family and friends. But according to How Facebook ruins Friendships “we took our friendship online” (Bernstein). First we began communicating more by email than by phone and then switched to instant messaging or texting. By joining social Medias online

Facebook is viewed one of the greatest innovations of the last decade. Suddenly, everyone could connect with their friends online from anywhere. With greater mobility and customization than competitors, Facebook’s popularity exploded and was soon used by myriads of people. Emboldened by Facebook’s success, Twitter, Instagram and many others were created. The world was soon interconnected as all of these outlets were available at the click of a mouse or as a cellphone app. Almost everyone possesses some form of social media that links them to the rest of the world. Society and culture are so intertwined with social media that it is natural for “myths” to emerge. These myths include the notions that social media boosts self-esteem, that people’s privacy is protected as long as only friends are able to view their profiles, and that it is an accurate, effective news outlet. Despite the benefits of the connection brought by social media, there are serious drawbacks and many negative aspects related to its use.

“Internet and mobile technology seems to be subtly destroying the meaningfulness of interactions we have with others, disconnecting us from the world around us, and leading to an imminent sense of isolation in today’s society” (Nilles, 2012). The ‘real world’ in my considerations is decades ago we used to go in person to speak to someone yet now with enhanced technology we can address to someone with one click through social networking sites. We send wishes, information and condolences all through text and messages as before we used to go in person to send these thoughts. The basic social networking websites being accessed at school concludes to be a risk factor that affects the students and the environment around them. Social networking is frequently turning into a swap for building and setting up associations in our society today and on a very basic level it’s leading to negative impacts. Human connections are rich and chaotic. We tend to choose technology as a way to communicate rather than conversation for mere connection. (Turkle, 2012). In this paper I am going to discuss about recently developed social networking websites are destroying community.

Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In have gained a widespread audience across the world. Although the original intentions of these social sites were positive, these mediums of social interaction now have negative effects.

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.

Social networking is a way for people to communicate, spread news, and advertise. Social networking has changed the way people interact. As young adults, we tend to spend many hours on social media sites such as, Instagram, Facebook, and twitter. As people spend a large amount of time on social media, Interaction with other people has become effortless and they experience less face-to- face conversations. Social media plays such a big role in our everyday lives that some people cannot imagine not using it at least once a day. In the article, The Flight From Conversation, by Sherry Turkle states, “We live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection” (Turkle 29). In several ways, Social networking does not offer any positive aspects to individuals that use them.”41% of social media-using teens have experienced at least one negative outcome as a result of using a social networking site” (Pew Research Center, 2011). Although, social networking may be a person’s only form of communication and staying connected to family and friends, it is a huge platform for cyber bullying, invasion of privacy, and extreme usage of social media reduces the level of human interaction which creates social isolation.

Welcome to the twenty-first century where society is accustomed to staring at glaring screens rather than communicating face to face. There are infinite amounts of social networking websites; one of them, which took the world by storm, is Facebook. Facebook enables its millions of users to connect with each other worldwide, with just a single click of a button we are able to connect with whomever we desire. This gives ordinary Americans a lot of power; maybe too much that may affect us socially and psychologically. In just a small amount of time Facebook becomes a priority, users will begin to excessively check their Facebook for notifications. Gradually the addiction of Facebook will emerge. Author Maria Konnikova certainly makes her statement loud and clear about Facebook, she believes that Facebook has more negative outcomes than positive. Though, I am a Facebook user myself I can’t help but agree with Konnikova.

As adolescents and adults growing up during the advent of the new Millennium we have ourselves been privy to many of technological advancements. A slew of devices and modern conveniences have become integral parts of our day to day lives and have for the most part been a welcome addition to our lives. Of these various modern conveniences we have witnessed and in a sense played a role in the evolution of communication by way of smartphones and the Internet. A key component of this change is the manifestation and development of social networking and the various outlets that are its counterparts. Websites that have essentially become mainstays of our day to day lives and outlets for our thoughts and feelings such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the like have played a crucial role in the redefining of social norms in many spheres of our lives and interactions with our peers.

One of the primary reasons people access the Internet is to interact and socialize with others. Having numerous options to choose from including Twitter, blogs, social network sites, email and messaging, gives us instant access to friends and family. Does this give us a positive or negative impact on having a quality social relationship with others. The time we spend online has a negative and disjointed effect on our social life, family, friends, children, and well-being in general.