SOCIAL NETWORKING- THE SCIENCE OF A CONNECTED AGE

INTRODUCTION

It is amazing how social networks have completely changed our habits, becoming a must-visit Web destination for all. In fact, if we find a friend not using any of the popular services, it seems strange. Thoughts like “is he/she living in today’s world” and “how can he/she afford to miss such a great thing when the entire world is buzzing around it” start coming to your mind the moment you realize your friend’s absence on the site. Such is the power of social networking today. And it only seems to grow stronger and stronger in the future. We are becoming tech-savy and the first step to achieve even more success in the field of technology and science, we do social networking.

But I think that majority of the people do not understand what exactly social networking is!

UNDERSTANDING ‘SOCIAL NETWORKING

Social Networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision. The websites used for online social networking are known as social sites. These websites function like an online community of internet users. In the communities, the members share a common interest such as hobbies, religionor politics. Once we are granted access to these social networking websites, we can begin to socialize our network more and more.

VARIOUS MODES OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

People today can’t imagine living without social networking. It has become a daily routine no matter where you are. Also, it is interesting to know how mobile phones are shaping the use of social networking. Those who do not get enough time to access their desktops often use a mobile device to stay connected with their friends. What’s even more interesting is that adults are using social networks more than the younger demographic today, something which has never happened before the last year or so.

There are many social sites on the internet which allow our access to become more socialized. For example – MySpace, FriendWise, FriendFinder, Yahoo! 360, Facebook, Orkut, and Classmates.

Out of these sites, Facebook achieved another milestone by completing five successful years over the Web. Started in 2004, Facebook had only a handful of users in its network initially, mostly comprising of Harvard students. However, with time it grew rapidly to become the leading social network throughout the world.  So, what led to its success? One of the biggest reasons is word-of-mouth or rather word-of-mouse publicity.

 

NEGATIVES

Most of the people are huge fans of these social sites but there are also people who do not support this growing trend mainly because of its negative impact on the society. The argument is that social networking is slowly taking over face-to-face communication, as people prefer expressing themselves online. I’m sure you’re aware, there are dangers associated with social networking: data theft and viruses are on the rise. The most prevalent danger though often involves online predators or individuals who claim to be someone that they are not. Although danger does exist with networking online, it also exists with networking out in the real world, too. Just like you’re advised when meeting strangers at clubs and bars, school, or work — you are also advised to proceed with caution online. By being aware of your surroundings and who you are talking to, you should be able to safely enjoy social networking online.Nowadays Communication has become rapid, but at the cost of personal interaction.

If you observe carefully, the extent of outdoor physical activity has also declined in case of school going children. As social networking becomes a topic of discussion for youngsters, most of them want to be alive and kicking on the network and share their likes and dislikes with people. This has given software developers another reason to come up with innovative applications in tune with the contemporary lifestyle, which is indeed worth appreciating. However, problem arises when youngsters overuse these applications and compromise their social life by constantly updating their profile to let people know how ‘cool’ they are. This is also one of the main reasons why personal interaction has been affected to a great extent.

POSITIVES

The friends that you can make are just one of the many benefits to social networking online. Another one of those benefits includes diversity because the internet gives individuals from all around the world access to social networking sites. This means that although you are in the United States, you could develop an online friendship with someone in Denmark. Not only will you make new friends, but you just might learn a thing or two about new cultures or new languages and learning is always a good thing. Social networking also broadens our mind and outlook. It helps in popularizing the productivity of a company. Through social networking, this world has become such a small place. It is one of the easiest ways to stay in contact with our dear ones any where in the corner of the world.

CONCLUSION

The whole discussion here is not to demean social networking. It is doing what it has to do – connect people with their loved ones. But whether to overuse it and affect our social life or not is in our hands. So we would conclude by saying that

“MEET THE WORLD, BUT WISELY!”

 

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