The Effects Of Social Networking On Society

Facebook was launched on February 4, 2004 by nineteen year old named Mark Zuckerberg (Carlson). In 2010 it became one of the most popular websites in the world, visited by over 400 million people per month. The sudden popularity of Facebook was so extraordinary, that a movie called “The Social Network” came out telling the story of its development (The Social Network). This site created an innovative way for its users to exchange messages, post status updates, post photos, and join common interest groups. In addition to that users can like and comment on

This annotated bibliography investigates several sources that discuss the positive and negative effects of social media usage in order to present an argument on the influence of social media on society. My position is that overall social media can have a negative impact if used irresponsibly, however given the prevalence of social media in today’s society, it is impossible to avoid.

Like technology, our species has adapted to fit modern times. Through these adaptations, we have begun to communicate through our newly developed technology by means of social media. In today’s society, we are surrounded by sites such as Facebook, Twitter, E-Mail, and various other websites that can often times consume our lives. While social media has plenty of advantages, it also has disadvantages that often times get ignored. As Internet users, it is important to examine these disadvantages and make sure we understand the negative sides to social media.

    Social media is a website or application that allows people to share content and communicate with people all over the world. Applications such as: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have opened a way for people to really be themselves. Although, social media is a large portion of pop culture, it has positive and negative impacts on those who use it. These platforms can affect students, society and even our mental health.

Social media has become prominent parts of life for many young people today. Most people engage with social media without stopping to think what the effects are on our lives, whether positive or negative. Are we as a society becoming more concerned with Facebook "friends" than we are with the people we interact with face-to-face in our daily lives? What will the longterm effects of today 's social media use be? There are many positive aspects, but there are equally as many dangers that come with the use of sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google +, Tumblr, Instagram, gaming sites, and blogs. Social media has both negative and positive effects on society, it is up to the user to decide what impact they want to make. In order to make the right choices, we must dig in and research this topic thoroughly.

Social media is any website that allows social interaction. Social media is growing rapidly throughout the world. More adults and teenagers are joining sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to interact with friends, family, and strangers. The introduction of social media has changed the world in many ways. It affects each individual in different ways. Today it can be used as a very helpful tool in changing a person’s life, but at the same time cause such conflicts which can negatively impact a person. While there are some negatives associated with social media, the positives in communication all around, has made the world stronger and a better place to live in.

Social networking sites have revolutionised communication, and are now one of the main sources of communication used today. Facebook was created in 2004 by Harvard student Mark Zuckerburg, and is estimated to have over 175 million members (Hovi, Pitkanen, Tuunainen, 2009).

Social media popularity has risen over the past years. The majority of the population of the age, now possesses one or more social accounts. Various articles and news sources have indicated that social media deteriorates person to person interaction and are gateways for cybercrimes to occur. However, behind such negative statements social media does provide a plethora of benefits to society. In fact, social media permits individuals to communicate, provides opportunities for businesses, and educates society.

In a broad sense, Social media refers to elements such as websites, television, blogs, IM, and other applications that enable users to create and share various forms of content such as messages, pictures, and information, or to be able to participate in social networking. Social media depends on web-based applications, which allow a high level of virtual interaction on various levels such as social, professional, and educational levels.

Social media has become the center of society over the last decade. So much that now the President of the United States now subtweets about certain people. It can be used has a form of communication, entertainment, and advertising. The very thing that people are centering their worlds around might be more harmful than they think. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr points out that social media is changing the way users think, learn, and read. In a different approach, “Jesus Is a Brand of Jeans” by Jean Kilbourne, says that advertising is objectifying people to sell their product. Lastly “Social Media is a Weapon” by Sean Carnew and Jason Furlong, explains that social media is invading users privacy and one single person can have a long-reached effect on society. It is up for discussion that social media is going to have positive or negative side effects on society, but one thing for certain is that it is here to stay.

As the years progress, social media had become more popular. According to Social Media (2017), “The average person has five social media accounts and spends around 1 hour and 40 minutes browsing these networks every day, accounting for 28% of the total time spent on the Internet” (p.1). Social media sites began in 1995 with the website called Classmates, and Sixdegrees. In 2002, Friendster became popular followed by Myspace, Bebo and Facebook. As of 2017, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook are the most popular social media platforms.

One of the most frequently asked questions in today's society is if social media is beneficial or harmful. Many argue that social media is a revolutionary invention while others argue that it has a negative impact on society. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, were created to stay in touch with friends exchange photos, and to be able to share news and multimedia content with them. Along with these positive aspects of Facebook, there are some negative consequences as well. Often times, Facebook and other social media sites aid in depression, jealousy, selfish attitudes, and addiction. With these major negativities, Facebook is no longer beneficial but, instead, is rather harmful to society.

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.

Almost everybody is aware of some impact social networking sites have had on their life. Whether one comes from the generation before the advances in technology, the generation during the technological advances, or the generation born into the world full of technology, it is all the same; technology has impacted their life. The impact, however, may either be positive or negative. With the way today’s social networking sites (SNS) are working, there seems to be more negatives around than the positives. Some of the negatives within SNS include cyber bullying, lack of privacy, and the adverse effects of screen time.

Social media is a term that does not need to be defined, everyone knows what social media is. Even people in the most distant of places have heard, or even use, social networking sites. People today use social networking sites on a regular basis. Today’s society uses sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as a way to stay in touch with current events, family members, and with their friends. According to the Pew Research Center, “seventy-six percent of [today’s society] uses social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, as of July 2015, up from Twenty-six percent in 2008” (Pew Research Center). Since so many people use social networking sites, controversy has risen on whether social networking sites are good or bad for society. Research shows that social networking sites affect society is very negative ways, which include: terrorists’ attacks, identity theft, cyberbullying, online predator attacks, sexting, addictions, and personality and brain disorders. Among the positive effects of social media are; small business success, finding new and old friends, and the spread of breaking news moments after the news happens. Despite social media’s many positive effects, research shows that social media does more damage than good to our society.