Problems Associated with Social Networking - Research Paper Example

? Social Networking Submitted to, Submitted By, of the Submitted on, [July 14th, SUMMARY Information and Communications Technology is an essential part of every human being life in the present world. This report discusses that from the first blink of a human eye in the morning to the last before he retires into his bed humans are encapsulated into a life that belongs to a high-tech society that is socially bound via virtual social connections. This society that humans currently belong to is pretty advanced as compared to its contemporary times as technologically advanced communication means are inevitable in it. Social connections are an inevitable part of the lives of human beings now. This study is aimed at highlighting various aspects of these endless social connections that exist virtually. Besides pros there are several cons of maintaining these connections as well. This is a very grave issue as these side effects are negatively shaping the human society and leading it into a dangerous future. The current report mentions what negative effects these advancements are having on the individuals of the society and thus on the society as a whole. Some future trends of the so called social web are also highlighted along with addressing some measures that should be looked up by governing authorities. This is essential for a safer and prosperous future. INTRODUCTION SOCIAL NETWORKING Social networking can be termed as an act of getting connected to and participating in a network of users connected virtually via a network. The network is often established by a portal or a website that enables users to create their profile on it and lets them get connected to all the other users who are logged into the site. This network of virtual individuals is tremendously large in magnitude and is a source of a number of advantages and disadvantages. Examples of platforms supporting social web profiles are Facebook, Twitter, Orkut LinkdIn etc. The globalization of today’s world sees it as such that virtually every human being is connected to the web in one way or the other. People connected to the internet have the privilege of accessing all other sorts of information on it. Via the Internet anyone connected to it can stay up-to-date with the very latest information, can telecommute, check stock prices, compare prices and shop online, communicate with others in chat rooms or on bulletin boards, take different online learning courses, learn how to cook food, book airline, train tickets and even earn an accredited degree. AIMS AND SCOPE The aims of Social Networks are numerous. Ranging from the spreading out of information and that too in an efficient and timely manner, the maintenance of timely runtime contact with individuals across the globe irrespective of their physical locations etc. Primarily, it is the foremost concern of social networks to interconnect individuals whether they may be for personal or professional purposes. The social impacts of Information and technology advancements have turned the present human society upside down from what it used to be just about a little more than a decade ago. The scope of social networks varies extensively. From personal updates to the marketing of your officially launched professional product, social network does it all for you. Its usage in E-Commerce and specifically E-Marketing is widespread as well. SOCIAL WEB AND E-COMMERCE E-Commerce is conducting business activities online. The exposure of social web to E-Commerce enhances the prospects of a business environment to all the users that are connected to the social web. It enables comprehensive integration of business processes, provides several outsourcing facilities and also opens a grandeur horizon of prospective buyers for the business’ products. SOCIAL WEB BASED MARKETING AND ADVERTISEMENT. The inception of social media or the social web was initially meant only to enhance the connectivity of people. This field has shown a great progress over the last four years. Currently the social websites have emerged as a new horizon for computational marketing and advertisement. Google’s dominance over the internet is beyond doubt. Being ahead in all aspects Google enjoyed a long supremacy. Be it the economic share in the e-market or the market share of total internet traffic, Google has always proven to be invincible. Hats off to the social media that now it is no more an as impressive giant as it used to be. In August 2010, Facebook toppled Google as the top online destination. Google is at par with its new competitor, The Social Media. The social media offers some prominent features that highly influence the marketing and advertisement of the products. Few of them are as follows, Targeted marketing to the similar interest based communities. Replication of word of mouth at manifolds and within no time (Viral Marketing). Virtually inexpensive and yet, most effective. Real time results with guaranteed feedback. High connectivity with the market. Along with the Search Engine Optimization (SEO), a new factor that needs to be taken into account for the promotion and value enhancement of a website is Social Media Optimization (SMO). This is related to the socialization of website to a greater extent through social media. CONS OF SOCIAL WEB The human society, at present, is suffering from a number of drawbacks of the social web. A brief evaluation of the disadvantages, that is done below puts a little insight into how these facts have negatively shaped the society into its current insecure and unstable form. Effects on Life Style Youth, on the whole, are the backbones of a society. They way they adapt to the changes in their surroundings are the ways in which a society is eventually shaped in the years to come. The PRESENT DAY youth are exposed to the internet and via it to unsecure data to a degree that has never been seen previously. The impacts of this exposure on them are the most long-lasting. These impacts are usually more adverse than beneficial. This mainly is because youth lack the insight and experience of their elders and thus are very likely to indulge into a myriad of endeavors that may prove to be lethal for them and eventually for the generations to come. Since technological literacy is indispensible, the high-tech lifestyle that the youth adopt nowadays is embedded with numerous hazards to themselves and to their surroundings. Health Hazards The youth use the internet and remain signed into their social profiles round the clock. They often stay up at nights so that they may not miss any update from their connections over the internet. Risky Exposures and Privacy Breach Besides health hazards the excessive dependence of youngsters on the social web has other various disadvantages as well. These include risk to their life and identity and also to their individuality. The social web is a platform where information can very easily be misused as there are no checks and balances in it. Youngsters enter their personal information on various chat software and other social networking portals. This personal information can very easily be misused by frauds that mask the social web. Anyone can easily fake any other’s identity over the social web and put the former’s reputation at stake. It is because of several reasons that the social networking portals on the social web are considered extremely hazardous to the youth. Psychological Effects The excessive use of social networking sites can cause personality and brain disorders in children, such as the inability to have real conversations, limited attention spans, and a need for instant gratification, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and self-centered personalities. “The fast pace of the sites may rewire the brain with repeated exposure because parts of the brain used for traditional, offline activities become underused.”(Waldez, 2010) Studies show that teens spend an average of nine hours per day only on social networking sites (National School Boards’ Association, 2007.). Moral and Ethical Issues Adolescents also attempt to see strangers personally without notifying their elders. They have no clue to these strangers’ original identity and thus become subject to physical assault most of the times. Unrestricted access to pornographic data over the social web has also become widely common. Unhealthy Social Trend The society with adolescents having the above mentioned traits has been shaped such that the hours per day of face-to-face socializing have declined as the use of social media has increased. Both elders and adolescents who are hooked up to these sites frequently are prone to social isolation. Parents usually spend less time with their children and couples spend less time together even when they live in the same house. This is because they are busy socializing virtually over the social web instead of interacting with each other. (Sigman, 2009) CONCLUSION and RECOMMENDATIONS Social web is a phenomenon that is a need of the hour. The benefits associated with it outweigh its cons. Youngsters and adults are inclined towards the social web in an indifferent manner. The need of the hour is that social ethics be made prevalent on the social web. If the cons are administered social networks are inevitable from the lives of humans. Recommendations for social networks are primarily for youngsters. Youngsters are advised not to share their personal information with strangers on public social networks. Moreover, it is recommended that social networking should be practiced along with maintenance of physical relationships with friends and family. Linking to study and professional groups over social networks is far more beneficial than indulging in worthless lame talks that are often a source of personality degradation for youngsters rather than any building up of character. Social Networking is a very beneficial and is an extremely inevitable tool but only if put to authentic use. REFERENCES: Peggy, S., 2006. "Science And Invention - Who Invented The Telephone?." History Fact Finder. Ed. Julie L. Carnagie. UXL-GALE, 2001. [Online] Available at: [Accessed September 4 2011]. Lee, K. R.., n.d. Impacts of Information Technology on Society in the new Century [Online] Available at: [Accessed September 4 2011]. Waldez, A., September 24, 2010. The Disadvantages of Modern Technology among the Youth. [Online] Available at: [Accessed September 4 2011]. National School Boards’ Association, 2007. “Creating and connecting-Research guidelines on Online Social-and Educational-Networking”. Sigman, A. "Well Connected?: The Biological Implications of 'Social Networking'," Biologist, Feb. 2009. Sheldrake, P., 2008. The Social web analytics ebook 2008. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 4th September 2011] Read More