Social Network Companies: Riot Incitement Using Social Media - Essay Example

 Social Network Companies and the Role Played by Social Media in Riot Incitement Introduction Moral panic is a common and universal reaction to any new and unfamiliar form of communication. The arrival of television generated fears of mass idiotization. In the same way, in the early 1990’s, critics believed that the diffusion of internet was proof of individuals’ increasingly estrangement and isolation from the society as well as public life. The outlook with the recent social network sites (SNS) for example Facebook and MySpace is not any different. Social Network Social network is an internet based tool that allows the reader or user to engage with the writer or with a community online and in public. (Clapperton, 2011, pg. 3). Funk (2011, pg.8) defines social media as an umbrella term describing all web based and mobile services that give individuals the ability to establish a personal profile, connect with other users, and create, publish and respond to content- whether to share with a network of friends or with the internet as a whole. He goes ahead and differentiates social networking sites by defining thedm as services which allow individuals to create a personal or business network. They allow the user to establish a public or semi-public profile, biuld a network of friends on the site, and publish comments, messages, images, videos and other contents for their friends . Social networking services are online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences and perspectives with others( Zaphiris, et al., 2006; Wilson, et al., 2008, pg.25) social networking services such as YouTube and MySpace allow users to network and communicate with each other via social media. These social networking services through social media, allow users to form global online communities. Wilson (2008, pg. 25; Sarwar, 2006) suggests that the emergence of social media with online communities leads to the formation of complex online social networks. They have gained tremendous traction recently as popular online hangouts spaces for both youth and adults. People flock to them to socialize with their friends and acquaintances, to share information with interested others, and to see and be seen. While networking socially or for professional purposes is not the predominant practice, there are those who use these sites to flirt with friends of friends, make business acquaintances and occasionally even rally others for a political cause (Papacharissi, 2011, pg. 39). This paper will review the history and evolution of social media companies commencing from their early humble beginning to the present colossal giant that it has become. It will examine the influence which most of the popular social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn on have on the young adults, as well as the effects that it has towards sparking attitudes and behaviors that enhance public life and civic action. It will examine the influence of social network sites, given their nature and capabilities, and evaluate their potential for creating new pathways to civic and political participation, common interest in addition to coordinating and synchronizing for collective action. Brief History and Precursor to Social Media and Networks Social media or networks in general are the media we use to be social. (Safko, 2010, pg. 3). Social refers to the instinctual needs that humans have to connect with other humans. This aspect of the human race has been doing this in one form or the other since the beginning of time. Human beings have a need and desire to be around an dincluded in groups of similar like-minded people with whom they can feel at home and comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas and experiences. Media refers to the media which is being used to make make the connections with other humans. Whether they are bells, the written word, the telegraph, television email, websites, photographs, audio,video, mobile phones or text messaging. (Safko, 2010, pg.3). Media are the technologies we use to make those connections. A network is a group of like minded people who have come together in a common forum to share thoughts, ideas and information about themselves. These groups sometimes include more than 100 million registered users that host more than a billion photographs or it can be as small as a single, influencial person.these social networks develop the trust that ultimately creates influence among the public The first social networks to be recorded were the dating sites. These dating sites allowed users to create profiles and to make contact with other users. Online forums also played an extensive part in the evolution of the social web. They are considered as products of the BBSs, but which came with a more user friendly interface, this made them easier and simple to use for non technical visitors. Forums still remain a popular part of the online culture and many more have grown to add more social networking type of features. However, forums and dating sites were not considered to be true social networking sites, this was so because they did not allow for keeping friends and the users profiles were extremely limited. The earliest social network sites included Six Degrees, AsianAvenue and BlackPlanet. Major developments in social networking came in the name of Friendster in 2002, Hi5 in 2003, LinkedIn founded in 2003, MySpace in 2006 and Facebook which began as a Harvard only social network in the year 2004, but quickly expanded to other schools, businesses and finally everyone. Twitter was conceived in 2006 and since then has seen considerable growth. This was so especially during the year 2007 SxSW (South by Southwest) conference. It has developed a cult like following and boasts of famous users such as Piers Morgan, Barrack Obama, Oprah and many, many more. Existing research has showed that the young generation are motivated to join these social networks in order to maintain strong linkages with friends, to strengthen ties with new acquaintances, and to a lesser extent meet new friends online (Acquisti, et al., 2006, pg.47). On the same note, these social sites provide a platform for them to exchange ideas, discuss current trends and issues, both public concerns such as the 2008 U.S presidential election as well as private and personal concerns such as movie taste, latest music among others. At the same time, the regular interactions, exchanges and contacts between the users plays a critical role in fostering trust and norm of reciprocity, ingredients which are center antecedents of community life. Similarly, news feeds provide an opportunity for users to keep up a correspondence with what is going on “out there”. Dangers of Social Networking Sites Social networking is prevalent everywhere. It is the norm to find parents, children, coworkers as well as the elderly on some of these networks across the social media world sites, this however is not limited on the major world sites such as Twitter, MySpace or Facebook but also to other more specific websites. With the onset of social networks, individuals the world over have access to tools and options which were until recently non-existence. Nevertheless, there are just as many new opportunities to connect as there are to get involved to potential danger, and with all the users on social networks who are completely novice to technology, it is becoming more and more imperative to ensure that the user are aware of the risks. Increasingly Children below the age of 13 are being the targets of pedophiles, they are particularly vulnerable to online persons who are not of good intentions. Much as these social networks websites have a minimum age limit, to prevent children from making profiles, it is easy to cheat these systems. These leads to potential predators who can fake their profiles and claim to have the same interests and be the same age as the child. Scams, social networks provide a conducive environment for scammers to attempt to steal a user’s personal information which can subsequently be used for potential crime such as identity theft. Some web pages are programmed to appear like genuine social networks so as to steal a user’s password. Once they have the password, they can use it to send out spam messages, which could lead to irreparable damages to a user’s reputation. Another concern in social networks is the issue of privacy. Some social websites could be sharing a users information with third party companies, this is especially so with Facebook. However, in as much as social media has these negativities, it does not have to be entirely avoided. The users need to be aware that there are prospective dangers and threats. Social media is the new method of social interactions in this time and age of information, and to shove it aside would not only isolate an individual from social interactions but also miss out on the plenty of useful and enjoyable aspects of social networking. Types of social media companies Friendster was the social network that started all the social network frenzy. Before there was Facebook or MySpace, there was Friendster. It was the first of the modern social networks. (Lester, 2010, pg. 83). However, its lights faded in the United States but it is still popular in southern asia and some web experts believe the service is poised for an american comeback. My space, this was the first social network to grab the public’s attention in a big way, and with more than 100 million members, it’s still one of the most popular web destination on the planet, and it is also one of the richest social media environment in cyber space. My space has distinguished itself with a dazzling array of features and content. LinkedIn, this the oldest and largest social network developed specifically for business and proffesional networking. ( Lester, 2010, pg. 95). It is a user friendly service, which provided a platform for professional presence. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue and Konstantin Guericke. Facebook and Twitter command the current social networking spotlight in the world, but they havent always been a favorite sons of the social web The Role of Social Media in Riot Incitement Most opinions on riots and particularly on the successful revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt as well as Libya recognized the critical and vital role that social media can. Many commentators praised it and considered it important in giving a voice to the masses that had historically been muted by repressive regimes. While the outcome is yet to be seen in Syria, the long-run results of the revolution in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt are unknown, one thing however is certain, social media is very instrumental in permitting revolutionaries to connect with one another, systematize and coordinate their activities. The recent riots in the UK reflected how technology can be used and abused in order to enhance and incite criminal activity. It went to show the potential which trouble makers through the social media can be able to put the safety and order of communities in jeopardy. The incitement was predominantly carried out by the young most of whom were in their early and middle 20’s which also reflects the majority age group of the ardent and fervent users of these social networks. The manner in which people made use of social media for violence as was the case in the UK raised concerns about the impact that social media has in any society. The well collaborated and highly organized violence through social sites such as Face book shed light on the strength that social media wields in our society. Moreover, the underlying fact that nothing could be done in order to reduce communication between the perpetrators other than through the courts until after the violence has already taken places raises more concerns on the uncontrollable power of social net working sites. The London riots acted as interesting and intriguing test cases for how social networks and also social media shape and manipulate the society. It has shed more light on how the medium can be employed as a tool of both negative and positive use and influence. On a negative implication, social media sites like Facebook and twitter and BBM as well were all employed as tools to further incite and stoke the riots. However, on a positive note, these same mediums were used to strike back. Peaceable, decent and respectable citizens made use of Facebook, Twitter to plan and undertake cleanups, nurse the elderly and to raise money for those citizens who had lost their place and means of living. Additionally, through these same Medias, there were attempts to aid the police in their investigation into the prowling that took place in the course of the disturbance. These clearly portrays the social media as a two edged sword which can cut both ways. That is, it can be utilized for good as well as for evil. Other negative effects or roles which the social media plays in the course of rioting especially during the London riots include the following among others; inciting other citizens to undertake and commit violence, that is individuals posting inciting updates on Facebook or creating a page which gives the public the plan of action or direction to be followed with regards to the riots, social media can also be used to spread to spread rumors, this results to panic in the public. This is especially so, with false rumors which spread incredibly fast. During the Arab spring, a similar occurrence took place, whereby social networking sites were employed to mobilize the protestors in order to facilitate their cause. However, in these countries on several occasions access to the internet was cut off thereby effectively nipping their influence. Nonetheless, in a mature democracy like England cutting off the internet was not an option as this would have landed the government in sticky civil liberties issues. Social networks and media spaces are complex, besides playing the critical function of information sharing, news gathering as well as emotional support, they also play the role of being conduits for rumors and abuse. For example, the case of the London riots, there were surprising acts of pro-active social participation such as riotcleanup which mobilized people to clean up the street. England instituted the Riot act in 1714, it legislated this act in order to prevent cases of tumults and riotous assemblies and to facilitate a speedier and effectual punishment for the rioters. However, the statute was removed off the books in 1973. In the wake of the deadly and destructive waves of rioters and looters the has been growing concerns for the need for a riots act encompassing riotous assemblies of the online as well as social media world. Various forms of social Medias and networks are available for use in any country. In the London riots, one of the prime means of communication which was employed as an inciting tool and to pass information among the rioters was the BlackBerry messenger. However, it is worth noting that social media does not organize or plan riots, it is the population which organizes the riots. The role that social media I that it facilitates riot and other forms of violence by providing a platform through which messages of incitement are passed to the public. How Social Media Can Be Regulated. Some of the control measures which could be employed to curb the negative effects with which social media can include, there being a mechanism which would facilitate the pursuance and prosecution of proven criminal acts just as if they had been committed in the real world. Moreover, it is of importance if the public would not only recognize and respect the freedom of the internet but also practice responsibility in what they do in cyberspace. Existing laws can also be employed to enforce good behavior just as it happens in the offline world. Conclusion The role which social media played in the Arab revolution and the London riots went to highlight how social media can be used as a tool like any other. Whether used for and with good intentions or bad, it is an effective means towards an end. There are many perspectives and points of view towards how social media can be controlled in order to limit its negative influence. Social media can be monitored to prevent and avoid a repetition of the London riots from happening again, but this should be limited and not include censorship as it would contravene the patriotic act and freedom of speech. In both the Arab revolution and the London riots, Facebook was predominantly used to spread news and fan the already tense environment, while the other social media twitter and messaging were mainly used to mobilize the human capital. Therefore, the main concern which will be an issue for the coming future will be what rules and regulations to be legislated to keep watch over social media. References Read More