Soical Netowrking: The New Way to Comunicate

1512 Words4 Pages

As technology propels society into the 21st century, the archaic form of paper is being replaced by a digital world. Many see this shift as a positive because the world is going “green” and saving paper. Some say this change simply makes their lives easier. Others, however, are not so excited about it. The thought of everything going digital makes many people uneasy. No longer will people be sitting on their porches chatting about the evening’s newspaper, but rather, the evening’s newsfeed. Although there are many benefits to social networking, there are just as many dangers associated with it, particularly with adolescents. Social networking, while used by millions of people around the world, can be detrimental to one’s well-being when used in a negative manner.

Social networking is relatively new in the technology world. It was introduced in 1997 and several popular sites are: MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. These sites have attracted millions of users, many of whom have incorporated these sites into their daily practices (Boyd). Of these millions of users, the heaviest are young people. One study suggests that 81 percent of teenagers from the ages of 12-17 use social networking sites (Sterling). These sites allow users to express themselves through a personal profile. Once a profile is created, the user can then make cyber friends. These friends are other users who can now access the original user’s profile information, which in turn, could have negative results. However, many people find these sites to be extremely useful. From showcasing one’s interests to connecting with friends and family, social networking sites are a great way to communicate. Even people who are normally shy in person are able to comfortabl...

... middle of paper ...

...emier. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

Miller, Robert, Kristine Parsons, and David Lifer. "Students And Social Networking Sites: The Posting Paradox." Behaviour & Information Technology 29.4 (2010): 377-382. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

Sigman, Aric. “Well Connected?: The Biological Implications of ‘Social Networking’.” Biologist. 56.1 (2009): 14-20. Print. 29 Apr. 2014.

Sterling, Greg. "Pew: 94% Of Teenagers Use Facebook, Have 425 Facebook Friends, But Twitter & Instagram Adoption Way Up." Marketing Land. N.p., 21 May 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.

"Stopping Bad Behavior, Online." Education Development Center, Inc.. N.p., 19 Dec. 2013. Web. 29 Apr 2014.

Tokunaga, Robert S. "Friend Me Or You'll Strain Us: Understanding Negative Events That Occur Over Social Networking Sites." Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking 14.7/8 (2011): 425-432. Academic Search P

Open Document