Social Networking Distracts People - Essay Example

Social Networking Distracts People Duane Keth U3 IP             Social Networking Distracts People  Introduction: The term “social networks” is used to describe a culmination of various web based services that serves as online platforms for individuals or organizations to develop either a public, semi public or sometimes even both within a specific system and build a network of friends or associates for social or business exchanges. At the same time, it also enables them to gauge a list of users with whom they can connect, view or even traverse and share common interests. However, the nature and the categorization of these connections may, in fact, vary from website to website. Social network analysis examines the social structure by applying the Theory of Graphs and identifying the entities as "nodes" or "vertices" and relationships as "links" or "edges". The structure of the graph resulting is often very complex. However, the fact remains that technology plays a crucial role in such networks in the modern day and their sophisticated networks attract people and entice them to indulge in such activities. Thus, people at work or at school, and even those in places like churches get distracted by different forms of technology. Therefore, the largest form of technology distracting people today can be perceived as social networks. With photos and status updates about one’s daily thoughts and actions, these social networks are a way for people to keep up with their friends, family, and even favorite celebrities on a daily basis (Leigh, 2011). Services such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, and the newly added Pinterest and instaGram are swiftly growing and taking over the attention and time of today’s generation  Thesis Statement: While social networking sites can provide a place for positive interactions, unfortunately, they have becomes a places for people to be not only distracted from more important tasks but also to cause personal and public harm to others.  Discussion and Analysis: The first recognizable social network site, six degrees.com was launched in the year 1997 and it has had the facility of enabling its users to create profiles and list and surf their friends. Though some forms of profile sharing and social contacts existed through dating and community sites prior to the advent of social networking sites, these were not so popular or common place. Besides, they were also found to be lacking many of the features that the social networking sites presently have. AIM and ICQ buddy lists supported lists of friends, although those Friends were not visible to others. On the other hand, today these same social media and social networking sites have many advanced utilities due to which they have become highly popular and thus they are taking the world by storm. Although social networks are highly entertaining and useful in many ways, they ultimately are one of the biggest distractions for people today. Social networks somewhat rule the world in a media context. Thus, in order to tap the full potential of social networking and to avoid wastage of time or distraction, people should use it with discretion and avoid spending time on trivial matters. One should stop and pay attention to the things which are more important and social networks will always be there, which can be used when one has completed all the important tasks and has some free time to spare.  Benefits of Social Networks: The positive effects of social networks can be found in many aspects of life. Hundreds of people have known the love of their life through such platforms. Thousands have found help in support groups. Works of unknown artists have been released through the networks and the internet, making them popular. Many business organizations have been able to promote their products or services through these networks. Besides, they also offer the capability to nullify geographical borders and to reach out to a wider segment of audience. Thus, social networks also provide excellent avenues for artists and writers to showcase their creations and gain popularity. However, using social networking remains a dilemma for some people and they become confused. Some are apprehensive about interacting with others through a computer and they prefer face to face meetings over a cup of coffee. On the other hand, life keeps evolving with technological advances and people will have to adapt to the changing trends in the society. In this context, the most significant thing is that one should use technology to tap positive results, avoid unnecessary indulgence and use social networkings in a responsible manner (Goldie 2007 para 13).  Article review: Social Networks Distract At Work: In his article Chris Nerney emphasizes how social networking is distracting people and affecting their work.  He has conducted a survey, which reveals that nearly 60% of work interruptions now occur either due to using tools likes email, social networks, text messaging and IM, or switching windows among disparate standalone tools and applications. His observation shows that the use of twitter and Facebook prevent employees from working with full concentration. Besides, remaining continuously connected to such sites may increase stress, affect relationships and even cause sleep disorders, according to a study in the US. Consequently, social media has been banned in the whole campus. Many people find that social media is essential for retaining contacts and relationships, though it poses the threat of vulnerability to hackers and other internet predators. The main issue is, social media consists of personal information, and therefore, users should exercise extreme caution while providing confidential data to these sites. Although some sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Orkut and Google, etc., are extremely popular, they also face the threat of exposure of information as some of them are unaware of safe practices on the Internet.  Negative Aspects of Social Networks: The use of social networking is common in all walks of life, in the present day. Like most of the things in life, this trend also has both positive and negative. According to the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, this social network has been created to enable users to stay connected with friends and family. Although today the use of social media use has become so varied, interesting and diversified it has resulted in different effects (Leigh 2011 para 2). After banning the use of Facebook, Twitter, instant messaging and other means of social networking for a week, the University of Science and Technology, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, concludes that the technology has been concealing some major pitfalls. Studies further reveal that sites like Twitter and Facebook are a threat to productivity. They encourage people to indulge in various activities, which consume a major part of their time which could otherwise have been utilized for more productive activities. For example, employee productivity increases by 1.5% when they do not participate in social networking. But that is assuming that people work rather than try something like Face book for fun. The idea that companies are able to ban these sites is ambitious. However, further developments in technology like smart phones and iphone still enable people to use their personal phones for social networking which will still reduce their productivity. Effects of Social Networks in Everyday Life: The effects of social networks do not merely confine to limiting one’s productivity. These further extend to inducing physical inactivity, reducing time and interest in actual relationships, physical and mental stress etc as one remains glued to the computer monitor for long durations of time for different activities on networking sites. Some users feel the compulsive need to remain connected to social networks via computer or wireless devices. There is competition between users of social networks to see who has a larger number of friends in their profile; see who collects more birthday cards on the wall or who has the best decorated personal profile page. Emotional relationships have now been transformed into the virtual, birthday cards that were received by mail, are received by email, the greeting is sent to the social web, and the long conversations accompanied by coffee, are reduced to short messages via Twitter (Tamyra 2011).  Conclusion There is no doubt that social networks afford individuals and organizations the opportunity to interact and exchange ideas in a cheap and fast manner. These platforms are also useful for creative artists and writers to reach out to a wider audience. However, statistical data and other evidences suggest that users of this media remain exposed to several threats such as hacking, internet predators, compromising security of personal information etc. Besides, such sites also are addictive, alluring the users to indulge in trivial activities that entail wastage of time and reduced productivity. Therefore, people who use this media need to exercise a high degree of discretion to avoid the pitfalls and tap the best advantages of social networking. Reference List Goldie, Luan (2007). New Media Age. p11-11, 1/3p. Retrieved from Leigh Goessl, (2011). The negative effects of Facebook. Retrieved from Tamyra A. PIERCE, (2011), Distracted: Academic Performance Differences between Teen Users and Non-Users of MySpace and Other Communication Technology, pp 45-87   Annotated Bibliography Tamyra A. PIERCE, (2011), Distracted: Academic Performance Differences between Teen Users and Non-Users of MySpace and Other Communication Technology, According to Tamyra, social networking has affected the young generation adversely, becuse they are addicted to it and waste a lot of time, which otherwise would have been used productively. He has conducted a study in which he distinguishes differences in academic performance between teen users and non-users of various communication technologies. Goldie, Luan (2007), New Media Age; p11-11, 1/3p, Retrieved from As emphasized by Byron Acochido in Hackers Probe for Twitter and Facebook Holes, the persistence of hackers and spammers is seemingly unstoppable. This is easy for anyone to call bad business on social networks. Precaution and preventive measures seems to be the only solution for this virtual soliciting. Many experts in this field say that the networkers with good ethics will have to follow “slowly but surely systems” to enforce justice in the cyber marketing world. Leigh Goessl, (2011), the negative effects of Facebook, Retrieved from As endorsed by Goessel, there are many reasons that attract people to become Facebook members. However, those registering and interacting on the site should be aware of the negative effects that exist. Understanding the drawbacks and risks associated with Facebook use can be helpful in avoiding the pitfalls. If people use discretion, the benefits of membership can be optimized. Part 2: The Process of Writing and Editing My Essay The process of compiling information for this research paper and writing the same, while taxing, has been a rewarding experience. The research done during this process has enabled me to understand the real implications of social networking and how this habit affects the lives of individuals in the modern world. I have been able to gain access to a treasure of reliable resources during this process and my involvement, sifting through a vast variety of information relating to the topic, has helped me gain valid insight into the subject. I have also drawn on my personal experience while writing the paper as I have seen many of my friends/colleagues indulging in social networking for prolonged durations, at the cost of compromising important commitments. Therefore, I believe that the research paper I have compiled will create awareness in social networking community and encourage them to use discretion while engaging in such activities. Besides, it will also help in making them recognize the pitfalls while engaging in social networking. The main strategy that I have applied while writing the paper is to have a clear focus on my thesis and locate sources that adequately support my theory. From personal experience, I have realized that indulging in social networking is a major distraction for people and this indulgence takes their focus away from their core activities. Thus, I have built up the research paper on this premise by choosing relevant evidence from other researches. While writing the paper, I have paid meticulous care to ensure that I write my argument coherently and clearly explaining my thesis for the audience, emphasizing the problems that occur when one indulge overly in social networking. To avoid bias in writing, I have also included a discussion on the advantages of social networking. My editing strategies included an overall evaluation of the coherence of the paper, the validity of my arguments and ensuring that each argument is supported by relevant evidence. I have also focused on choosing appropriate words for sentence level clarity, by correcting grammatical errors and maintaining tense consistency to render seamless flow to the text. After revising the paper, I read it aloud to ensure clarity and fixed the issues that I have encountered. Finally, I have proofread the paper for eliminating typographical errors and other minor problems in my writing. Read More