Emerging Roles of the Social Network: More than Just Communication - Research Paper Example

Social networking is now so interwoven into our cultural fabric that it is impossible to imagine a world without it. People turn to social networks as a faster and easier way of communication. They share thoughts, images, videos, news, et al. online with friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances, and even strangers. Social networks are online websites, services, tools, and platforms that are used by individuals to establish relationships and connections with other individuals (Dennen and Myers, 2012).

Social networks have seen explosive growth in the past few years as their appeal cuts across national boundaries (Fraser and Dutta cited in Vickey, 2011). There is a social network for every conceivable community, such as LinkedIn for professionals, BlackPlanet for African Americans, Care2 for green activists, Sermo for doctors, Flixster for movie buffs, Ancestry for a family reunion, and Flickr for photo sharing (Vickey, 2011). Social media has created a whole new method of disseminating information and creating connections between people. 1.1.

Why Individuals Use Social NetworksModern social networking emerged with the ability of websites to enable individuals to search for and connect with people they know (Dennen and Myers, 2012). These connections were labeled as "friends" and encompassed a vast array of offline relationships based on friendship, family ties, similar interests, and so on. Such websites became an extensive means of sharing and communicating with individuals across the globe. This gave rise to the social network. When people and machines are connected via a computer network, it becomes a "social network" (Vickey, 2011).

A social network builds online communities of people, who share family ties or relationships or common interests. The biggest social networks existing today are Facebook and Twitter. The social network is used for personal reasons such as sharing status updates, videos, and pictures, and also for other reasons such as professional and educational development.1.2. Social Network: More than Just CommunicationThe most obvious use of social networking is communication. However, over the past years, social networking has evolved on a more serious note.

It is employed as a means of marketing and advertising by businesses, wherein they connect with individuals and potential customers at a more personal level. It has also emerged as a space where like-minded individuals get involved with subjects such as politics.