Impact of Using Social Networking Sites for Young People - Essay Example

Social Networking Name Institution Date Impact of Using Social Networking Sites for Young People Introduction The use of Social Networking Sites (SNS) has grown tremendously in popularity over the last decades especially among the youths. Some of the popular sites include but not limited to Renren, Bebo, Face book or Twitter and can be accessed through mobile phones or computers almost on a daily basis. As a new field, studies have not been exhaustive. Few studies done so far are rather vague concerning the various impacts of SNS. Again, the youths have been neglected in this domain yet they are one of the groups highly attracted to the use of SNS. Furthermore, most scholars have been rather pessimistic on the role of Social Networking Sites focusing mainly on their negative impact on the lives of the youths. Nonetheless, there is considerable evidence of numerous advantages linked with SNS use, but has been highly ignored in public arena. It is against this backdrop, that the paper, drawing from a range of sources, seeks to discuss and summarizes current evidence concerning the numerous costs and benefits associated with the young people’s use various Social Networking Sites; the kind of information which can be of great significance to policy makers in the areas of information technology. The paper also aims at contributing to the on going debate about the role of SNS on the lives of the general youth population around the world. To this end, the paper also includes a selected resource list to assist with further reading and discussion. The paper proceeds as follows. Section 1 of the paper is a brief introduction on the subject matter. The empirical analysis is conducted in Section 2 where various literatures are reviewed in light of the impact of SNS on day to day lives of the young people. Lastly, Section 3 gives concluding remarks drawn from the discussions The importance of SNS in young people’s everyday lives is an indisputable fact. SNS is one of the vital medium of communication. As a form of virtual communication which helps people to connect or link up with each other (Das and Sahoo, 2011, p. 222) or a web based service that facilitates construction of public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, SNS enables individuals articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection while also viewing and traversing their list of connections and those made by others within the system (Boyd & Ellison 2007 cited in Collin et al, 2011, p. 8). This can take many forms but not limited to updating personal profile, checking on others’ posts, sending messages to others’ wall or posting messages to public viewing. The popularity of SNS in communication is illustrated by the fact that between 1997 and 2010 alone, there were about one and half billion SSN subscribers probably due to its ability to enhance independency and self esteem (Das and Sahoo, 2011, p. 222). Also connected to communication is the role of SNS in health promotion and individual wellbeing (Burns & Morey, 2009 cited in Collins et al 2011, p.20). Although peers and parents are considered main sources of advice in health issues for the youths, SNS is also ranked highly in terms of health advice thus promoting well being of our youths (CHPWCHN, 2012,p. 20) through the establishment of a digital and social contours surrounding health conversations’(Blanchard, Metcalf & Burns, 2007.p.12) However, as much SNS is important in communication, it also tends to interfere with privacy making personal information and public life a digital document leading to risks of predation and cyber crimes through direct contact or public attacks via social networks (Collins et al., 2011, p.11). The second benefit of SNS concerns the academic lives of young people. For instance it plays a complimentary role to the formal education thus enhancing Students’ learning outcomes mainly through distance learning where learning institutions, teachers and students across the globe are able to have academic sharing and interactions while raising the leaner’s awareness of some subjects (Gafni and Deri, 2012, p46). It helps student get academic information and support thus increasing their chances of achieving good grades and excelling in their exams (Gafni & Deri, 2012.p,54) and assist students in articulating themselves confidently particularly when faced with various cultural, social, language or learning barriers (Blanchard, Metcalf & Burns, 2007, p.32). Besides, SNS has been described by Mohamed and Helal (2012:28) as an attribute reflecting a blueprint of information-processing behaviors used to attain skills and prepare students for an expected test of memory and learning approaches which have significant impact in their knowledge acquisition process. The second benefit of SNS is linked to the establishment of good interactions with their colleagues whom they can discuss with and even obtain information from one another about the different subjects. This in the long run saves time and money (Gafni & Deri, 2012.p,54) . The role of SNS in the academic lives of the young people is not without challenges. One the key challenge is linked to reduced productivity (Das and Sahoo, 2011, p. 224). For student using SNS, the net productivity may be linked to the number of hours spent on it. Student tend to have emotional attachment to some social networks; hence, they tend to spend more time using it(Gafni & Deri, 2012.p,57) as it becomes a compulsive habit to visit SNN several times which in the long run tends to diverts the students’ attention especially away from the classroom work. The other advantage linked to the use of SNS is that of development of new form of collective identity through assisting youths of diverse gender and culture link up with others learning and helping them establish a strong feeling of belonging (Collin et al., 2011, p.18). This is attributed to the fact that SNS provide opportunities for social connection and greater control over aspects of self-presentation which facilitate youths’ friendship formation and impression management. It is believed that the frequent sharing and connection significantly alleviate social isolation; an idea supported by the Social reconnection hypothesis which states that, social exclusion encourages people towards seeking social attachments in alternative ways which in this context of this study is SNS (Szwedo, Mikami & Allen, 2012, p.2). At the same time, SNS significantly encourage reserved youth to feel less shy and be able to forge new friendship and socially anxious youth who received positive online communication from friends tend to improve in terms of closeness within their friendships. However, it is also possible that the same benefit of SNS in relation to development of new identity among the youths might also detract them from the richness of interactions particularly those who are more socially successful. SNS tend to reduce face-to-face interaction which may interfere with the normal working of genes and tends to alter immune responses, hormonal balance, and functions of arteries as well as impacts of mental performances; causing cancer, heart ailments, strokes and even dementia (Das and Sahoo, 2011, p. 224.). At the same time, youths addicted to SNS may also degrade their overall quality of social interaction and are less likely to experience the buffering effects of social interaction upon symptoms such as anxiety and depression, hence becoming susceptible to psychological difficulties with time (Szwedo, Mikami & Allen, 2012, p.3). This paper aimed at exploring the cost and benefits of SNS on lives of the young people. From the foregoing discussion, it is clear that SNS plays important roles in their lives of young people in the world today especially by controlling how the youths communicate and share information their day to day lives. This paper has pointed out the various benefits associated with the use of SNS while also bringing to the fore its major risks and challenges. In overall, SNS has more benefits relative to risk involved. Nonetheless, the few challenges can mitigated in a way that ensures the full realization of the benefits associated with SNS be their role in their communicative role like complimenting education and development of new identities and friendship or their transformative roles in youths socialization , many of the risks, such as reduced face to face interaction and enhanced risks heart diseases, cancer, strokes and dementia as well as other drawbacks like issues of confidentiality/privacy, cyber-bullying and predation. The paper has also underscored the fact that SNS can also damage the learning process, a fact that should not be ignored. A case in point is the excess use and overreliance on SNS where student spend a good proportion of their time surfing the internet thereby diverting their attention away from the class work .The various changes can be minimized only if approaches to this end are underpinned by best practices available while at the same time making sure effects of SNS are understood and responded to appropriately. It is important to take stringent measures like coming up with Cyber laws to guide against violators. In addition, there is an urgent need to be cautious while posting any content on the site by keeping information accessible to only trusted friends but not strangers References Blanchard, M., Metcalf, A. and Burns, J.M. (2007). Bridging the digital divide: creating opportunities for marginalized young people to get connected report for the Inspire Foundation & Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne, and Melbourne. Centre for Health Promotion Women’s and Children’s Health Network (2012). Social media use in youth health promotion: An analysis based on a literature review and survey of the youth sector in South Australia, Government of South Australia Collin, P., Rahilly, K., Richardson, I. & Third, A. (2011). The Benefits of Social Networking Services: A literature review. Cooperative Research Centre for Young People, Technology and Wellbeing. Melbourne. Das, Biswatjit and Sahoo J. Shankar (2011). Social Networking Sites-A Critical Analysis of Its Impacts on Personal and Social Life, Educational Journal of business and Social Science, Vol. 2(14):222-228 Gafni R and Deri M (2012). Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management Volume 7, 2012Special Section on Social Networking, Teaching, and Learning Costs and Benefits of Facebook for Undergraduate Students, Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management Volume 7:45-61 Szwedo D. E., Mikami A.Y. and Allen J.P. (2012). Social Networking Site Use Predicts Changes in Young Adults’ Psychological Adjustment, Journal Of Research On Adolescence, pp1-4 DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-7795.2012.00788 Read More

It helps student get academic information and support thus increasing their chances of achieving good grades and excelling in their exams (Gafni & Deri, 2012.p,54) and assist students in articulating themselves confidently particularly when faced with various cultural, social, language or learning barriers (Blanchard, Metcalf & Burns, 2007, p.32). Besides, SNS has been described by Mohamed and Helal (2012:28) as an attribute reflecting a blueprint of information-processing behaviors used to attain skills and prepare students for an expected test of memory and learning approaches which have significant impact in their knowledge acquisition process.

The second benefit of SNS is linked to the establishment of good interactions with their colleagues whom they can discuss with and even obtain information from one another about the different subjects. This in the long run saves time and money (Gafni & Deri, 2012.p,54) . The role of SNS in the academic lives of the young people is not without challenges. One the key challenge is linked to reduced productivity (Das and Sahoo, 2011, p. 224). For student using SNS, the net productivity may be linked to the number of hours spent on it.

Student tend to have emotional attachment to some social networks; hence, they tend to spend more time using it(Gafni & Deri, 2012.p,57) as it becomes a compulsive habit to visit SNN several times which in the long run tends to diverts the students’ attention especially away from the classroom work. The other advantage linked to the use of SNS is that of development of new form of collective identity through assisting youths of diverse gender and culture link up with others learning and helping them establish a strong feeling of belonging (Collin et al., 2011, p.18).

This is attributed to the fact that SNS provide opportunities for social connection and greater control over aspects of self-presentation which facilitate youths’ friendship formation and impression management. It is believed that the frequent sharing and connection significantly alleviate social isolation; an idea supported by the Social reconnection hypothesis which states that, social exclusion encourages people towards seeking social attachments in alternative ways which in this context of this study is SNS (Szwedo, Mikami & Allen, 2012, p.2). At the same time, SNS significantly encourage reserved youth to feel less shy and be able to forge new friendship and socially anxious youth who received positive online communication from friends tend to improve in terms of closeness within their friendships.

However, it is also possible that the same benefit of SNS in relation to development of new identity among the youths might also detract them from the richness of interactions particularly those who are more socially successful. SNS tend to reduce face-to-face interaction which may interfere with the normal working of genes and tends to alter immune responses, hormonal balance, and functions of arteries as well as impacts of mental performances; causing cancer, heart ailments, strokes and even dementia (Das and Sahoo, 2011, p. 224.).

At the same time, youths addicted to SNS may also degrade their overall quality of social interaction and are less likely to experience the buffering effects of social interaction upon symptoms such as anxiety and depression, hence becoming susceptible to psychological difficulties with time (Szwedo, Mikami & Allen, 2012, p.3). This paper aimed at exploring the cost and benefits of SNS on lives of the young people. From the foregoing discussion, it is clear that SNS plays important roles in their lives of young people in the world today especially by controlling how the youths communicate and share information their day to day lives.

This paper has pointed out the various benefits associated with the use of SNS while also bringing to the fore its major risks and challenges. In overall, SNS has more benefits relative to risk involved. Nonetheless, the few challenges can mitigated in a way that ensures the full realization of the benefits associated with SNS be their role in their communicative role like complimenting education and development of new identities and friendship or their transformative roles in youths socialization , many of the risks, such as reduced face to face interaction and enhanced risks heart diseases, cancer, strokes and dementia as well as other drawbacks like issues of confidentiality/privacy, cyber-bullying and predation.

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