Introduction
Social networking can be termed and described as the groping of individuals. This is done into specific groups. In this case, it should be known that social networking is most popular online than in any other place. We can not rule out the existence of social networking in other places like workplace and schools but it has been more popular on the internet and this is a fact that we all need to agree to.
The internet is filled with millions of people who are looking for new experiences as far as meeting others and making friends is concerned (Kelsey 13). Other aspects of sharing information have also picked up in recent years and this means that social networking has brought about a new approach to human beings relationships. This means that it has come with various impacts that need to be evaluated and looked at.
Such impacts and effects can be looked at from different perspectives depending on what we expect to see and evaluate. As much as social networking often involves grouping individuals together for a common goal, we need to critically evaluate the social networking sites that have been shaping the whole aspect of socializing as time goes by.
This therefore brings us to the important topic and aspect of social networking sites. In this case, a social networking site lays more emphasis on building social relations (Powers 21).
This can be amongst people who share different interests or have some specific characteristics that they can be distinctly identified with. Social networking sites have also been known to provide a virtual community that revolves around specific aspects. In this case, people with common and shared interests can communicate without any problem.
Discussion
Social networking sites
It should be known that social networking sites have had various effects on individuals’ lives. This paper will therefore focus on the effects of social networking sites on an individual’s life. This is because social networking sites have been know to have a number of effects depending on the user.
For example, social networking sites can affect a students learning in a brood way. On the other hand, social networking sites can also have an impact on an individuals work life (Kelsey 19).
These are the effects that this paper seeks to analyze and evaluate. It should be known that social networking sites have positive and negative effects. It is therefore important that such aspects are looked at for long term sustainability.
Social networking sites have various impacts on the society, individuals, relationships, the youth, students, teenagers, communication and others. These sites have changed our lives in a broad and they will continue to change the way we relate as time goes by. We are described as social animals and this is based on our ability to form social groups.
Face book, YouTube, My space, Twitter and others have enabled individuals to form clusters that have revolutionized their interaction. With this kind of services around us, you can be sure that they will ultimately change the way we relate with each other (Baron 9).
Social networking has enabled people to meet with others without necessarily having to travel to different locations. This can be a long lost friend or school mate whom you have not seen in a while.
Overview
In this case, you can connect and re-connect with a number of lost friends. This is as far as students and workmates are concerned. Social networking sites have brought confusion about our weak ties and strong ties. In this case, there is no distinction between genuine friends and other acquaintances and this should be a worrying trend as far as individuals’ lives are concerned.
It should be known that most individuals take time to maintain relationships with people that they have never seen. In this case, they waste a lot of efforts to maintain these relationships yet they have never known each other personally (Barham 17). Social networking sites have led to electronic relationships and this has made people to misrepresent themselves.
Most individuals struggle and strive to show their best side and this is a bad precedent. There are individuals who maintain anonymity on social networking sites and this can be dangerous. It should be known that social networking sites have a high connectivity and these changes the way individuals react to other people.
This topic can be squarely focused on individual students and workers who are on social networking sites (Wilson 27). In this case, the impact and effects of social networking sites can be in the classroom and at work.
The dependency on social networking sites has increased in recent years and this is not good as far as the social aspect of individuals is concerned. Most individuals and students lack social skills because they are generally anti-social.
Effects and impacts
Social networking sites have affected and reduced productivity in the workplace and this cane be proved beyond reasonable doubt. These sites create distraction in the workplace and they have cost various organizations a lot of money. In this case, individuals will spend their time networking instead of being productive as far as their work is concerned.
There has been an argument that most employees spend almost an hour at work on social networking sites and this time can be used on something else (Baron 34).
Social networking sites have become part of employees’ lives and organizations should come up with better ways of approaching this issue. A business can only benefit from social networking sites as far as promoting their business is concerned. This is because it offers a large platform to promote businesses and this should be capitalized on.
Most employees face low performance scores because of social networking sites and this should be evaluated. Students are the most active lot on social networking sites and this means that they have been affected in a broad way. Students have been addicted to these sites and this has affected their concentration both in class and at home.
There is an argument that if you have not talked to a person for a year, you can tell his/her life by following his page or updates (Kelsey 25). Most students indicate and imply that there is a big relationship between satisfaction and social networking sites. In this case, they are implying that students who use such sites are more satisfied with their lives than those ones who do not use them.
It has been noted that most students use social networking sites to follow on specific topics that are even beyond their age. This is a bad precedent in the society because such students have ended up knowing things that they are not supposed to be aware of.
Most people do not read traditional newspapers because they can access them on social networking sites and this has an impact on the normal business traditions.
It has been proven that the general understanding of the term social networking has been misrepresented by individuals as time goes by and this needs to be well understood (Powers 37). Misleading and misunderstandings on social networking have brought a lot of problems in our society and this should be demystified.
Chatting does not translate to sharpening of social skills and this means that individuals have been doing it all wrong. Most individuals are highly dependent on technology to interact and this affects their personality in a broad way. Individuals should interact with the world around them and this can not be enhanced through social networking in any way.
As much as they provide an outlet for people to express themselves this can always be abused because there are certain ethics that have not been adhered to (Wilson 36). Other people use abusive language on social networking sites and this can be very disturbing. In this case you can not control what others say on such social networking sites.
People have different personalities as far as social networking sites are concerned. In this case, an individual can present a different personality online than what he/she is well known for. This will therefore cause chaos when the two personalities interact in any way. An example is the escalation of crimes that have increased because of social networking sites.
Online dating has been increasing as time goes by and the negative effects are mostly seen when couples meet face to face for the first time (Barham 37).
This is because an individual can be disappointed in what she or she is seeing as they can meet a different person from what they were meant to believe is the true picture. We all agree that it is easier to type the information that somebody wants rather than what you truly stand for and this is bad.
Conclusion
These are some of the effects that social networking sites have had on individuals’ lives. In this case, you can easily cheat about your true character and this has duped people and led them into serious problems. Some teenagers have met people who can harm them online.
In fact, there are cases where a teenager can meet with somebody online and then go on to be impregnated yet she does not know his other life (Powers 27).
Some individuals post nude and bad pictures on social networking sites and this has been disturbing to other users. It should be known that most users disregard their privacy and this has always exposed them to predators. Managers can easily stalk on an individuals profile ands this can open a new window of conflict on an employees life.
Students and workers have been lazy because of social networking sites and this is a fact that we have all faced in our lives. It should be known that the use of social networking sites can provide a good learning experience if they are used well. In this case, they can easily inspire themselves as time goes by.
Most students who rely on social networking sites lack learning skills and this is a worrying trend (Barham 32). We have seen that social networking sites have negative and positive effects on an individuals’ life. This topic is likely to generate a lot of debate in coming years because the use of social networking is likely to gain pace as time goes by.
Works Cited
Barham, Nick. Disconnected: Why our kids are turning their backs on everything we thought we knew. New York: Ebury Press, 2004. Print.
Baron, Naomi. Always on: language in an online and mobile world. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print.
Kelsey, Todd. Social Networking Spaces: From Facebook to Twitter and Everything In Between. New York: Springer-Verlag, 2010. Print.
Powers, William. Hamlet’s Blackberry: A practical philosophy for building a good life in the digital age. New York: Harper, 2010. Print.
Wilson, Charles. Child porn ‘social networking site’ busted by feds. New York: Associated Press, 2010. Print.