Social Networks
Information age has given birth to new and modernized styles as well as novel structures of interacting and passing information/knowledge. Currently, social networks are useful tools for managing personal and organization activities.
The rationale behind creation of social networks was formation of interdependencies among individuals, groups or systems with the aim of sharing data or information such as ideas, trading strategies, social contacts and enhancing participation. The era of high bureaucratic controls and commands are now replaced by social systems, which are able to influence various human, physical, social, natural and financial capitals.
Through alteration of social-information content, the social networks are able to cause an impact on strategies set for projects as well as policies or procedures of undertaking a project to deliver some results. This paper addresses two major groupings of social networks namely, senior group; made of those above 40 years and junior group made of those below 40 years.
Structure of a Social Network
According to Brennan and Schafer (21), the structure of a social network depends on the bonds formed by relationships. The unique aspect of social networks falls upon the formal and informal styles of interacting and sharing information. However, various boundaries are formed to determine who ought to get specific information and the form of information media to be used for instance audio, visual or text. The networks enhancement catalyzes various social groupings to facilitate sustainable relationships within organizations and the related systems.
Benefits of Social Network Groupings
Understanding people social classes assist in measuring, monitoring, evaluating and dissemination information to enhance growth as well as social performance. Various groups are formed based on how people know one another (Brennan and Schafer, 21).
In line with Brennan and Schafer (21), ability to identify with a certain group depends on aspiration of team members, especially those with key roles such as distinguishing important information. The groups help in creating awareness and opportunities to accelerate information exchange across formal and informal communication channels. People are also able to enhance their performances through peer supports, innovative learning and refined strategies.
Social Network Groupings
The groups often occur along the age differences, generation gaps and networking growth rates. Initially those in business were reluctant to join the internet-based social sites as indicated by the table and graph below. Today’s sign-ups and social sites usage indicate that those above 50 years are having a doubled growth rate, owing to the fact that businesses are able to advertise and gather more information or feedbacks from clients through these sites. High responses by these senior groups are recorded by LinkedIn and Facebook since they use the sites for both social and work-related functions (Bradburne, 21).
Table and Graph showing the Sign up rates in various years
Qualities of Senior Groups
The senior social network groups assist people in finding those who have close connection to their areas of expertise, or those who are able to offer some expertise skills. The social sites enable businessmen/women to forms the interactive adverts and place commercials in this highly visited sites.
Social sites do not have specific content but people come together to form a well-enriched output. However, senior people rarely connect with their peers. Their concerns are focused more on their personal lives, which need security and separating of their identity from other formal business requirements.
Senior social groups are concern with the need to separate work and social lives and prefer a concealed social life. Their concerns are based on the enterprise ability to gain new opportunities for expansion.
Today, social sites have endorsed the establishment of private social sites within enterprises that enables them to avoid using public social platforms. This enhances control measures and encourages them to formulate better or customized internal social networking platforms through formulation of private policies, computation of procedures and funding.
Qualities of Junior Groups
Junior social groups are uniquely based on online compartmentalization of personal elements. Creation of a separate account for business or work related interactions make little or no sense to this group. The social sites lack features to support business involvements/solutions.
Enterprises therefore avoid publicizing intellectual property rights and other related personal details, while junior groups are ready to share their personal profiles with friends. These groups are thus more concern with friendship, social hook/link-ups, adventures, access to latest news and gossips, celebrity link-ups, luncheons, night-outs and dining-out.
Conclusion
Online social networks present quite different form of interaction compared to the reality that occur offline for instance, the social life of a teacher can easily get exposed to the students thus nullifying accorded credibility. Real life connection of people determines how people influence one another. The social identity and structure influences behaviour.
The social networks are thus not fading away but transforming and every website is attaching a customized form of social interaction for visitors as well as employees. Websites were initially designed to enhance transfer of static files, but have evolved to statuses of incorporating social media. The future sites will mainly involve identifications of visitors.
Profiles will be dynamic and mobile from one site to another during browsing. Some current websites are already indicating some future projections such as showing of visitor’s social network details and identity aspects such as photos. Will appearance of people social-sites’ profiles or identities on all sites including government website kill or improve the social networks? Currently, people are still using social networks to get required information.
Works Cited
Bradburne, Alan. Practical Rails Social Networking Sites. California, CA: Apress, 2007. Press
Brennan, Bernie & Schafer Lori. Branded: How Retailers Engage Consumers with Social Media and Mobility. New Jersey, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2010. Press