Response to an older post- Social Networking

After going back through my blog posts, I found a framing post I never responded too and I read my questions and surprisingly, they related to my interactive presentation and a project I am completing in another class. Social networking is all around us and it is changing advertising in many different industries. Facebook and other social networking sites have changed socialization in many different societies and the privacy component has changed it as well but in a good or bad way? There are many components that contributed to the positive expansion of certain industries but it is harming many other areas of society. I actually watched a story on Good Morning America this morning that talked about facebook breaking up marriages and causing quite a few relationship issues because of the heavy reliance on the media.

1. Are social networking sites negatively hurting interpersonal communication by providing a technology mask that does not allow some to show who they really are?

In my opinion, facebook is helping in some ways with relationships and helping people meet new people and reconnect with old friends but interpersonal, face to face communication is not what is used to be. I love the fact that I can sit next to a human being and have a conversation with them but for some people, it might be tough to conduct a conversation with a complete stranger because they hide behind a computer screen all the time. Come on people, get out and socialize, facebook will not be around forever!

2. Does the term “friend” take on new meaning in this day and age because people are more prone to accept a complete stranger because they know a friend of a friend? Is that friendship at all?

The term friend takes on new meaning when it comes to social networking but the term “friend” is very broad in itself. There have been many studies that talk about how people think kids do not understand the meaning of the word friend because of facebook but I think the term friend has be very indecisive in its meaning for quite some time now. I feel like social networking is blamed for anything that goes wrong in the social world these days and in many cases, they are wrong!

3. Are privacy settings on certain SNS’ effective if companies and/or professional organizations can get around them? Therefore, is facebook a means of truly expressing yourself if it is used as a deciding factor when getting a job?

It is wild how so many companies have hired people to be in charge of searching facebook and twitter accounts of potential employees. People love facebook but not very many realize it could be the deciding factor for a job one day. There are ways to get around privacy settings and in some instances, they are not even needed but it is the thought that counts, or is it?

Tags: social networking