Analysis of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networks - Research Paper Example

Teachers Submitted: Social Networking: Benefits and the Possibility of Addiction Social Networking has become a phenomenon in recent years. With huge advancements which have been made in technology and the decreasing costs of owning personal computers, the idea of social networking has become an increasingly popular and widespread concept. The advantages of social networking are numerous, mainly in the area of speed of communication, instant information sharing, education, reuniting with loved ones, commercial marketing and obvious social perks. However, engaging in social media activity also has its drawbacks, of which the possibility of addiction and over-reliance is a primary concern, particularly for teenagers and young adults. When the social media site Facebook was launched in the early 21st century, it was joined by an array of other similar sites such as Twitter and MySpace. The initial purpose of these sites was to provide a free technical platform which users could join and interact with their friends (and meet new ones) on a global scale (Nations). Engaging in instant message and photo exchange, as well as the exchange of other media such as videos, files, music, web links and images, was seen as an effective way to communicate with friends and this appealed primarily to teenagers and young adults. Features such as setting up your own ‘profile’ page was and is of particular appeal to this demographic. It is a way to identify and introduce yourself, by describing your interests, personal tastes, likes and dislikes in a fun and simple manner. The concept of ‘friends’ also took on a new meaning as more and more people ‘added friends’ to their profile despite the fact that many would have not met or engaged in any contact with each other previously. Scrolling through other friends social media pages, photos, friends lists and statuses (regular updates describing feelings, actions, ideas or thoughts) is another beneficial and popular feature of social networking as it enables an instant update and serves as a means of personal expression. Other advantages of social networking sites surround the speed of information exchange. Text messages and other media are transmitted instantaneously and this has obvious benefits in a variety of ways. This can help in getting immediate answers, conveying important information, and even educating people on any subject. New ideas and concepts can be promoted using social networking sites and Facebook in particular, via the ‘like’ feature. This enables members to ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ something based upon their opinion of it. The more ‘likes’ something receives, the more publicity it gets. Charitable organisations and new ideas or causes can really benefit from this as it is a means of instant and free marketing for causes which may not have otherwise been advertised successfully. The educational benefits of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have been thoroughly researched. In 2008, the University of Minnesota investigated the educational aspects of these sites by researching the internet usage of students aged between 16-18 years over a period of six months. The researchers found that the students themselves asserted that they learned a lot in areas of technology, creativity, communication and different perspectives on many ideas, as a result of using social networking sites. “Students are developing a positive attitude towards using technology systems, editing and customizing content and thinking about online design and layout. They're also sharing creative original work like poetry and film and practicing safe and responsible use of information and technology. The Web sites offer tremendous educational potential" (University of Minnesota). Other research in the area of educational benefits of social networking has been carried out globally, including a study in China in 2011. Researchers engaged in discussions with students with a view to understanding the experience of social networking and the students attitudes toward the educational aspect of social networking. They discovered that “in terms of learning, students reported that Facebook allowed them to connect with the faculty and other students in term of friendship/social relationship, provide comments to peers/share knowledge, share feelings with peers, join Groups established for subjects, collaboration: notification, discussion, course schedule, project management calendar and to use educational applications for organizing learning activities” (Inderscience Publishers). This demonstrates that students actually are aware of the educational possibilities of social networking sites and deliberately use them for these purposes. The social aspects of social networking were also found to be supportive of these educational benefits also, according to the study. By breaking down barriers, enhancing communication skills and offering a type of virtual support network, the social functions of these sites further support education as these factors help in promoting a framework for personal educational accomplishments. Another quite obvious and vital advantage of social networking sites is the fact that they allow people to stay in constant contact when they are geographically dispersed. Instead of relying on expensive phone calls which have other limitations, social networking sites allow families and far away friends to upload and share thoughts, opinions, messages, photos and updates in a free, fast and effective way. This is vital especially for younger people who move away or go a long way to college and may feel isolated or homesick. The ability to comment on photos and view uploaded personal videos is hugely beneficial in this way and can be of great comfort to those who live separate to their loved ones or circle of friends. It also allows people to reconnect with each other who may have lost touch or lost contact information even decades earlier. For example with Facebook, the ability to search for people using only snippets of information such as last name, high school or hometown means that people can be reunited very easily. This is especially relevant to family members who have lost contact or even those searching for adoptive parents or biological children and siblings. Despite the substantial benefits of social networking sites, there is the possibility of addiction which is a problem within itself. In 2012, the Economic Times reported on a study of 1000 social media site members across the United States, that found that peoples addiction to social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter in particular, was on the rise at an extremely rapid rate. The study found that 53% of participants checked their social media accounts every morning before doing anything else, often even before getting out of bed. The majority also admitted to not being able to go for more than a couple of hours before checking their accounts. The study also found that people under the age of 25 were more likely to actually lose sleep by keeping an eye on their friends postings as they cannot relax their mind when thinking about it. Addiction Treatment Magazine has described the potential addictive aspects of social media networking as being a very viable and real possibility, especially for addictive personalities. The site describes the statistics of Facebook as highlighting the potential addictive aspects of the network, reiterating that Facebook currently has over 400 million active members who spend more than 500 billion minutes on Facebook each month. The article describes the reciprocal nature of messaging and commenting on Facebook posts, as where a lot of the addictive potential lies, “Whenever a user interacts with a story in the stream, say they “Like” the content, comment on it, or just click on it, the person who shared the content instantly becomes part of the user’s active network. On any given month, according to the organization’s Data Team, users keep up with between 2 and 4 times more people using the active network than through more traditional communication” (Addiction Treatment Magazine). The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has debated whether or not to include internet and social networking addiction into its updated category of behavioral addictions. The DSM-V is a manual which outlines the categories, divisions, symptoms and treatment of every type of psychological disorder known to currently exist, for the benefit of medical professionals. However, due to lack of quantity of research, the APA decided to put it in the index of the manual instead of the body, with a view to re-examining its inclusion upon the completion of further research and investigation. The fact that this professional institution already recognizes social network usage as a possible cause for addictive behavior highlights the potential that these site have for creating an addiction to them. Social networking usage is a relatively new concept with rapidly increasing rates of activity across the world. The benefits of these sites are numerous including educational support, instant information exchange, communication and technological skill enhancement, personal expression, keeping in touch with family and friends in a free and effective way, promoting ideas and concepts, enhancing peoples social circle, discovering old friends, reuniting with family and sharing media files. However, the possibility of addiction to these sites has also become a problem which must be addressed. Research into the area has supported the possibility of addiction, as statistics relay increasing numbers of users who admit to being addicted to these sites in some way. In order to combat this, the possibility of addiction must be acknowledged and conveyed in a more effective manner so that users can be made aware of the possibility and understand how to moderate their usage so that the time spent on such sites is within a healthy and reasonable scale. Annotated Bibliography Addiction Treatment Magazine. “Watch Out for Addiction to Social Networking Sites.” Web. 8 Apr. 2012. This online magazine offers advice and information on various addictions with a view to informing the general public. The article describes the potential within social networking sites for creating addictive behavior and suggests ways in which to prevent such addiction. American Psychiatric Association. “DSM-V Proposed Revisions Include New Category of Addiction and Related Disorders.” Web. 8 Apr. 2012. This article published by the APA describes the possibility of including internet and social networking usage as an addictive category within the addiction section of the latest DSM-V manual. Inderscience Publishers. "Social Learning: Can Facebook and Related Tools Improve Educational Outcomes?." ScienceDaily, 9 May 2011. Web. 8 Apr. 2012. The authors of this study in China describe their focus of research as the educational possibilities of social networking usage. The authors examine the way in which these sites are used by a student demographic for educational purposes via discussion. Nations, D.”What is Social Media?” About.com, Web. 8 Apr. 2012. This article defines social media in relation to describing it as a term, its functions, purposes and uses. The author describes all aspects of social media very briefly, in order to inform the general public on the subject. The Economic Times. “Peoples Addiction to Social Networking Sites on Rise: Study”, Web. 8 Apr. 2012. This newspaper article describes the results of a research study which was conducted in the US about the level of peoples social networking activities. The authors describe the results of the study as worrying due to the fact that participants admitted to lengthy and prolonged use of social networking sites. University of Minnesota. "Educational Benefits Of Social Networking Sites Uncovered." ScienceDaily, 20 Jun. 2008. Web. 8 Apr. 2012. This article summarizes the findings of a study which was carried out in order to ascertain the educational benefits of using social networking sites. The author describes the results of the study as being indicative of these sites as having excellent potential to support educational skills and enhance knowledge in users in several areas. Read More