Is social networking good or bad, Are Social Networks destroying society?
By Ghostwolfe
Social network sites are one of the most popular ways to connect to the rest of the world and stay connected with friends and family. Sites such as Facebook offer people a unique way to get in touch with friends and family and make new friends according to likes, things in common and even through current friends. The rise of networking isn't really new because before the internet had myspace and facebook you would network through friends and family meeting other people and even joining the work force that way.
Though the old ways are gone we as a society now turn to these websites to find new ways of getting known for our skills. Social networking sites can help out with promoting yourself and your skill (s) through meeting people and 'friending' them you can build a nice little network of associates across the fb network. Through places like Twitter one can post updates to statuses and also updates to perhaps current hubs they have written. This is a way to get the word out but twitter is also a good way to find out about current events and also hear what your fav. person is up to.
Facebook is growing in popularity as is twitter and with millions of people having accounts on them both seems to be something that people have a need for more than a want.
The Good, the bad, the ugly
Social networking is a venue in a sense of popularity and the more friends you have on your facebook the more popular you seem to be, but is this good? How many of your 'friends' on facebook do you actually know and how many of them do you interact with? Many people have taken to adding anyone they think they have something in common with on facebook for one reason or another, they might find that some individual in London likes the same type of tea's as they do so they add them. Just because they added them does not mean they will ever communicate with them.
The bad part of all this has to do with status and in a society where people want to be more than just 'that person' we have come to want more friends on facebook.
Twitter is the sameway but can be ugly as many people ad their favorite stars to the list of followers and don't get a follow back. Some people take it personal and use twitter to attack and bash others in a negative way. Both the big two can also be a way to destroy someone in ways that doesn't seem right. For high school students Facebook and Twitter have become the new rumor outlet and the new bully way, because almost everyone who is in high school has a twitter or facebook account and will use it to take out those they don't like.
The ugly truth is that no matter who you are if someone doesn't like you they can destroy your reputation, social status with a few simple words and pictures on the two big social networks.
Google Plus
Google Plus is the newest in the social network world and with it comes just as many people that are on facebook. You might find that with google plus though you are being added to circles by tons and tons of people every day. This is because Google plus is rumored to track the amount of people one has in its circles and indexes them. I am not sure how true this is but who knows, it's google.
Social Networks and Employment
A while back a research company did a survey on employment status and as you know most jobs that you apply for have a background check. Some companies and small business take to facebook and twitter to check out someone. Why do they do this you ask, because as one company said if you trash talk someone or don't have a lot of friends on a social network what can you offer our company. Some companies will even go as far as not to hire someone who doesn't have a lot of friends on facebook or following or have a lot of followers on twitter.
Current employers also use the big two social networks to check up on employees to see if they are bashing the company or it's employees. If you have your fb private you might get a friend request from someone who works at your company or from someone you don't know and once you add them, your whole life outside of work is open to discussion. This is illegal practice in the United States, but as some have said what someone doesn't know wont get the company in trouble.
So next time you add that random friend to facebook from a request, think about what you are posting and if you have bashed you current employer at all in a post.
Passwords & Usernames
An article came out recently talking about employers asking for potential employees passords and usernames to the big three social sites. If potential employees give there password and username they are freely offering there private and personal information and can't take action later. IF you refuse to give this information, you might find that you aren't going to get the job. This is something that has been going on for a few months and employers are now working on getting passwords and usernames from current employees to snoop. Remember, this is personal information and you don't have to give it up to anyone under and circumstances.
Final Thoughts
Social Networking is big and will only get bigger, but if the people know how to handle it and use it the way it is meant to be than it is something great. If we use it as a weapon to destroy others or bash people than it is a bad thing. I have found that facebook, twitter and even youtube have helped me out over the years grow in my love or writing and making of videos. I am also one of those people who wont just add people to have more friends on my fb and I don't follow ever star out there on twitter. Due to this I have found that I have more followers on twitter than those I follow and for me on a personal level that is all I need.
I use both my twitter and Facebook to relax and also promote myself, and with the good promotions have come the followers that I am pleased with getting. Big names following an average person like myself.
Having a social network profile is a responsibility that comes with having the sense not to use it to hinder someone else. The fact that so many people can make a social network a weapon for them to bash others is outrageous and this can cause our teens to have problems not only in school but on the internet as well.
Comments
Thank you for the comment Rebecca and yes I have people that I don't know but they are a small amount of people. Personally I think they are friends of my wife and some might even be former friends from school. I tend to clean out my FB a lot these days as I am trying to keep it more friends I personal know and family.
According to me, good or bad results of social networking sites are completely depends on its user. A user can use it in a positive or negative way. Nice hub.
Thank you for the comment Avinashrk.
Love it!!
Thanks
Thank you for the comment Abby
good hub
Thank you for the comment Anusujith.
Social Networking is very good as per my idea. You can share any thing and that news or ideas may go viral if other users like it too. News even can reach to more than millions all over the world that too free of cost.
Nice Hub...
As I read your hub, in particular the "Social Networking and Employment" part I couldn't help but picture someone in an interview and in the end that someone could not get the job because he/she didn't have the required amount of friends on facebook :D.
Sorry, I get carried away and usually day dream about utter nonesense. I guess that's why the days go by very quickly in my world.
Great hub, really enjoyed reading it!
Thank you for the comment @Johnakc and @KiwiMax, if you utilize the tools for social networking it can be a great free way to promote yourself and your work. I have done it and it does work. As for the employment kiwi. I had a friend who applied to a job and the didn't give the interviewer their facebook information and the next day they called him and told him he didn't get the job.
This was a really good piece. To be honest, I resisted facebook for a long time. I am now seeing how important it is, whether I like it or not. My dislike is only because of the misuse that can occur and now it seems even employers are using it. Hmmm!
Anyway, great article.
Thank you for the comment Cyndi10 and you are right as I said in the article there are a lot who misuse social networks to cause problems for others, but if used correctly it can give you a name for yourself. The employment thing is a little crazy but a few states are working to pass a law to prevent interviewers from asking for this information.
@Ghostwolfe
I agree with most people here, it all depends how you use it. Though lot of people will use it to hurt others and get advantage for their own pleasure. We'll have to guide and teach the new generation the proper use of it because it can certainly get out of hand.
Thank you for the comment gregoriom. Learning how too use social networks for the right reasons are going to take some people time.
this is a timely hub ... reminded me to think before clicking :)
Social networking is good to connect with people, but it is better to avoid sharing more personal information...
socieal media present risk & benifits to human who try to secretly moniter their times online are wasteing their time but if we take social media as good it gives benifits too. Nowdays teen are ruined by socieal media, we sould avoid a number of porn site in my point of view.
Thank you for the reply Aston
I think social networking is good for some, bad for others! There are those who don't get out much, or who are confined to their homes--these people connect with family and friends and maybe even make new friends through social networks. Then you have those who used to be out enjoying life but now they sit behind a computer and gain weight!
Social networking can be bad as some people have been hacked and had identity theft and bank info taken!
I think social networking is okay as long as you are careful of what information you put in your profile and be careful of strangers!
Good Hub!
Thank you for the comment Libby and yes knowing how to use it makes it a good thing. To many people though use social networks for the wrong reasons and that could make it bad.
Very true. Maybe awareness will help those who are truly innocent to the dangers.
Thank you for the comment Libby, awareness is a great tool, but you have to actually want to be aware of what is going on in order to be concerned. A lot of people just don't care and that is where the problem comes in and wny SN could be bad.
I think Social Networking can be a good thing, it has certainly helped me keep in touch with (and get back in touch with) former friends, colleagues etc. I think the trend of sharing updates with everyone you are friends with (including lots of people who are only 'friends' in the loosest sense of the word) and doesn't mirror real life. Google Plus Circles and Friends Lists on Facebook allow you to share with specific sets of people which is better, but these haven't caught on in a big way yet.
You do have to be careful on Facebook however, employers do check up on current and prospective employees. It's like anytime you are talking to people who aren't your closest friends and family, you have to be careful about what you say and what you share with whom. Facebook just magnifies the effect of any mistakes in this area!
thank you for the comment Nakmeister and yes with the employment thing keep your FB private if they request a friendship you can deny them because employeers don't have the right to snoop into your personal life.
rebeccamealey 3 months ago
Very good review of the pros and cons of social networking. Like you I tend to not just add any body as a friend, but some how there are a few people on my fb that I don't know!
Voted up!