Social interaction through social networking sites
I do not believe in the values of a social networking site. I am currently not a member of any social networking site by choice. However, I am a member of LinkedIn, a business networking site, as a requirement for my BizX group. I believe that social networking sites hold some merit, but have more negative aspects and behavioral changes than positive. I believe that by being a member of a social networking site, you slowly change your attitude and ways of meeting new people.
From my personal experience, social networks have deteriorated friendships and human to human communication gave way to chatting only online. Many of my friends who became MySpacers and Facebook junkies would communicate solely via these means. This meant less actual contact with real people because of the convenience provided. Another feature that I do not like about websites like Facebook is the constant updating of your status. Does everyone really need to know if you are currently in class or eating dinner? Facebook makes it much easier to virtually stalk a person. The level of communication on networking sites is completely different than that of what you would have in a face to face conversation. The attitude and language is much more direct, forceful, and tactful. The barrier placed by negating face to face communication causes people to say things they would not normally say to someone’s face. As noted by the case of suicide by a teen in Texas caused from messages received on her Myspace, extreme cases of social network website addiction can have disastrous consequences.
I believe that the article printed recently in the BG News accurately described what social networking sites have done to society. As I mentioned above, the rise of social networking sites has lead to the decline in traditional face to face contact, however that does not mean that these websites are without merit. They present the ability to communicate cheaply and easily with people you want to keep in contact with but cannot because of moving or simply losing contact with.
If I was a member of Facebook or Myspace or the like, I would have specific guide lines for who I set as my friend. Some people I know just add everyone they can to their friends list, even if they do not know these people or have anything in common with them. I find this shotgun approach to social networking impersonal and personally ineffective. There is no reason for me to “friend” a person I will never meet or talk to, except for this venue. I would use my account only to contact and talk to my friends and other people I knew. I would sometimes venture out to a friend of a friend situation, but not every time. If I have had no contact or will never have contact with that person face to face, then there is really no point in adding them as a friend online.
While I see fewer benefits from sites like Facebook and Myspace, certain social networking sites, such as LinkedIn have more beneficial features and less short comings than your traditional social networking site. The professional atmosphere created by the website LinkedIn sets it clearly apart from Myspace and Facebook. Here, the purpose is not a shotgun approach for friends, but to find information on prospective people, whether it is as possible future employees or clientele. The capability to quickly network and find the needed person online is a great asset social networking technology has provided.
Overall, social networking sites have increased communication among my family, friends, and my community. My mom has reconnected with old friends and far away family with her Facebook account. This has caused her to call these people more often and cultivated an otherwise dormant relationship. While I do not have firsthand knowledge on the majority of the benefits and short comings, I am familiar enough with Myspace and Facebook to say that the overall effect created by social networking sites is determined by the user. You will get back what you put in. If you want to find as many people as you can, you will. If you want to stay in contact with people you know, you can. The capabilities of social networking sites are vast and can be utilized by the users to create their desired outcome.
