Impact of Online Social Communities and Online Social Networking - Essay Example

IMPACT OF ONLINE SOCIAL COMMUNITIES AND ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKING By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Table of Contents Internet since its emergence has procreated scores of networks for sharing information, such as World Wide Web. Lately, online social networks, which are new information networks class have become more popular and currently have surpassed conventional Web based on usage. Besides that, social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn are a number of examples of social networks that are widely utilized for networking, communicating, and socializing. Other social networking sites like Google Video, YouTube, and Flickr are utilized for sharing multimedia content while others like BlogSpot as well as LiveJournal are utilized for blogs sharing. Without a doubt, online social networking and online social communities impact day to day life in numerous ways, which includes learning, self- expression, communication, bullying, and interaction. For this reason, the report seeks to discuss the impact of online social communities as well as online social networking. 4 Table of Figures Figure 1: Important Social Media Platforms (socialmediaexaminer.com) 6 Figure 2: Social Networking Sites used for marketing (bluewindowmedia.com) 8 Figure 3: Cyber Bullying Statistics (safety.lovetoknow.com) 11 Impact of Online Social Communities and Online Social Networking Abstract Internet since its emergence has procreated scores of networks for sharing information, such as World Wide Web. Lately, online social networks, which are new information networks class have become more popular and currently have surpassed conventional Web based on usage. Besides that, social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn are a number of examples of social networks that are widely utilized for networking, communicating, and socializing. Other social networking sites like Google Video, YouTube, and Flickr are utilized for sharing multimedia content while others like BlogSpot as well as LiveJournal are utilized for blogs sharing. Without a doubt, online social networking and online social communities impact day to day life in numerous ways, which includes learning, self- expression, communication, bullying, and interaction. For this reason, the report seeks to discuss the impact of online social communities as well as online social networking. 1.0 Introduction Different from traditional Web that is to a large extent organized by content; online social communities and social networks personify users as unrivaled entities. In this case, users through registration join the network, and are free to publish and share content, as well as generate connections to their friends within the network (Mislove, 2009, p.1). As mentioned by Mislove (2009, p.1), this simple user-to-user connecting structure eases interaction through offering a platform for organizing both virtual as well as real-world contacts, for searching other users having the same interests, as well as for finding knowledge and content, which has been endorsed or contributed by the friends. According to Marla and Varma (2013, p.1343), the ever-increasing popularity as well as fast growth of such online social networks signifies a matchless prospect of studying, comprehending, and leveraging their properties. Basically, a comprehensive knowledge of online social network growth and structure do not just facilitate in analyzing and designing the existing systems, but also can result in improved future designs of online social networking systems and also to unfathomable comprehension of the online social networks impact (Mislove, 2009, p.1). Generally, Social Networking Sites have resulted in novel means of maintaining and managing social networks, wherein social networks and individual profiles are being disclosed and visualized to others. In addition, the boundaries between the real and the virtual are vanishing, and consequently, both concerns and opportunities are arising. Figure 1: Important Social Media Platforms (socialmediaexaminer.com) 2.0 Positive Impact 2.1 Education Impact Online social communities and social networks are turning out to be more and more crucial in education sector, given that the course delivery format has changed to include online learning models. According to Arndt (2012), the social network provides learners a means of staying connected, generating conversations that are similar to face-to-face communication, in addition to other interactions far from the physical learning environment. From this viewpoint, social communities and networks are principally crucial for students, especially in institution of higher education who frequently have multifaceted, demanding schedules that cannot allow them to physically attend their lessons (Arndt, 2012). In this regard, participation in online social media can take place anywhere, anytime, and satisfy the learning desire of working or distance learners, who still feel connected with their institutions, instructors, and classmates. 2.2 Marketing Impact Online social networks have an increasing marketing role, which according to Anderson (2010, p.80) has crucial significances for how companies, channels, and consumers perform. In social networking environment, consumers offer instant online response through reviews or ratings concerning products, and the response offered is discernible to other agents, which includes channel partners, other consumers, investors, as well as competitors (Anderson, 2010, p.80). Furthermore, there is integral diversity on how the consumer feedback is received as well as processed, as well as the media wherein it is offered. Basically, the innumerable features of online social networking environments impacts interest outcomes of the marketers as well as the decision-making practice. The online social networking sites offer a thrilling and vital platform for development, which consequently alters the dynamics of firms as well as markets. Figure 2: Social Networking Sites used for marketing (bluewindowmedia.com) 2.3 Political impact and Source of News Furthermore, social community and networking sites have created a platform for greater political awareness, where politicians campaign in various sites to get elected in sought-after political seat. These sites have largely been utilised by top leaders such as Obama for his re-election and Iran elections, and was also used to inspire the Egypt and Tunisia political unrests. Besides that, these sites have developed to be a crucial source of news. Even though, the reliability of a number of sources may visibly be disputed, mainstream multimedia companies use social networking sites to offer updates pertaining to various happenings across the globe. Their accessibility on such sites has made it easy for users to access news promptly and ubiquitously. 2.4 Socialization Social communities and networks provide a platform for persons to easily re-connect with their acquaintances as well as old friends, get new business ideas, meet new friends, and also share information/content. As a consequence, users remain updated with the latest local and global developments, and take part in activities and campaigns they desire. Additionally, professionals make use of social networking sites such as LinkedIn so as to improve their business and career prospects. Furthermore, learners may use social networking sites to join forces with their age mates to enhance their communication skills as well as academic proficiency. Through social communities one can learn different societies and cultures by linking with persons from different nations. 3.0 Negative Impact 3.1 Privacy Whereas numerous users believe that their personal information is secure on social communities and networking sites due to the high levels set of security settings, but this is not the case. This was evidenced in 2010 by a research conducted by Max Planck Institute for Software Systems as well as Northeastern University, whereby an algorithm was created by researchers so as to examine the users’ personal attributes through analysis of their friend list. By the help of the algorithm, the researchers managed to understand scores of personal traits just from list of their friends, which included the level of their education, where they live in addition to other personal information (Kornwitz, 2010). Majority of social networking sites, especially Facebook and Twitter often update their security system, which as a result, need the users to make changes into their security settings so as to maintain their privacy, but this is always difficult and so privacy infringement is always easy. This is attributed by the fact that majority of the users lack knowledge on what information they should make public and which not to, this consequently creates an easy target for identity theft and hacking. 3.2 Cyber-bullying As stated by Görzig and Frumkin (2013, p.1), the immediacy offered by these sites is accessible to hackers and attackers. In this case, users, especially children are more exposed to cyber-bullying wherein the offenders, anonymously intimidate or bully users, which may result to mental problems. In a number of well-publicized instances, victims have been bullied to an extent they want to commit suicide, considering that cyber-bullying bring stress and isolation. Figure 3: Cyber Bullying Statistics (safety.lovetoknow.com) 4.0 Conclusion In conclusion, it has been argued that social media tremendously impact our culture, both positively and negatively. In positive way, it promotes online learning, news dissemination, socialisation, and marketing while in a negative way it results in privacy infringement and cyber-bullying. Evidently, social communities and networks have revolutionized the manner through which people socialize and communicate online. Social media has changed the way people interact. 5.0 References Anderson, E., 2010. Social Media Marketing: Game Theory and the Emergence of Collaboration. New York: Springer Science & Business Media. Arndt, A., 2012. How Social Networks Can Positively Impact the Experience of Adult Learners. [Online] Available at: http://www.evolllution.com/program_planning/how-social-networks-can-positively-impact-the-experience-of-adult-learners/ [Accessed 23 April 2015]. Görzig, A. & Frumkin, L.A., 2013. Cyberbullying experiences on-the-go: When social media can become distressing. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, vol. 7, no. 1, pp.1-10. Kornwitz, J., 2010. Researcher finds “network privacy” an online oxymoron. [Online] Available at: http://www.northeastern.edu/news/stories/2010/02/alanmislove.html [Accessed 23 April 2015]. Marla, S. & Varma, P.V.R.R., 2013. An Access Control Model for Online Social Networks. International Journal of Modern Engineering Research (IJMER), vol. 3, no. 3, pp.1343-45. Mislove, A.E., 2009. Online Social Networks: Measurement, Analysis, and Applications to Distributed Information Systems. New York: ProQuest. Read More

 

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