Social Networking - Essay Example

Rasheem Williams March 29, Essay # 2 Social Networking Introduction The pervasive nature of the Internet has added a new dimension in the manner in which people interact and communicate with others. This new dimension is called social networking and is built on friend-based web sites. In the opinion of Magsino (2009), “social networking tools enable individuals and groups to engage in social networking by monitoring and interacting within their networks”. In the last few years, there has been a rapid expansion in the number of social networks.

In 2010, there were more than 400 million people on the Facebook, a social network. Though social networking is possible between all kinds of people with common interests, the usual norm is to find that in social networks people tend to remain within their own language groups, and the social networks have become extremely popular with the younger generation including young adults. Merits and Demerits of Social Networking through Friend-Based Websites Social networking through friend-based websites has both merits and demerits.

Social networking sites can be classified into sites that provide space to build a special niche for individuals with common interests and passions to share a single platform. Friendster and MySpace are two such friend-based websites. Other social networking websites like Twitter or LinkedIn have a more profession based orientation about them. Friend-based websites can be viewed as virtual meeting that allows individuals to chill out and meet friends. Discussions can be held on topics of common interest, information on various topics can be exchanged and files or pictures exchanged between the groups of friends connected through the social networking website.

The social networking websites act as platforms to meet and remain in contact with long lost friends or schoolmates irrespective of the distance between them. For some others it acts as a bridge for meeting family members of finding a suitable partner for life. Among students it acts as a platform for exchange of information pertaining to their studies. Information can be spread quickly and across wide areas. These sites will prove useful when relevant information, like disasters, have to be disseminated across a wide range of people across a wide area.

These web sites can also be used for promoting written works of current and budding or new authors. Professional sites like LinkedIn are also utilized by business organizations for studying customer preferences and promoting products or services. In short, friend-based social networking websites have reduced the world to a small place, where people can remain connected to one another. The major concern with friend-based websites is related to security aspects. In social information several bits of personal information are posted, like name, location and e-mail address.

Unscrupulous people can obtain and use this information for purposes they were not intended for, like for illegal activities or terrorist activities. Friend-based social networking web sites lay the onus of responsibility in safeguarding personal information on the users of the social networking websites. Conclusion Friend-based social networking web are growing very fast. This popular growth is based on the many benefits that friend-based social networking web sites provide. There are several merits attached to friend-based social networking web sites, accompanied with demerits of security of personal informal posted on these sites.

Outline I. Introduction a. Definition of social networking b. Statistics on social networking users II. Merits and Demerits of Social Networking through Friend-Based Websites a. Merits 1. Provide space to build a special niche for individuals with common interests and passions to share a single platform 2. Allows individuals to chill out and meet friends through virtual meeting 3. Information on various topics can be exchanged and files or pictures exchanged between the groups of friends 4. Act as platforms to meet and remain in contact with long lost friends or schoolmates irrespective of the distance 5.

Acts as a bridge for meeting family members of finding a suitable partner for life 6. Acts as a platform for exchange of information pertaining to their studies 7. Disseminates disaster information across a wide range of people and area 8. Promotes written works and those from budding and new authors 9. Business organizations study customer preferences and promote products or services b. Demerits 1. Security breaches 2. Unscrupulous people can obtain and use this information for purposes they were not intended for, like for illegal activities or terrorist activities III.

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