Social networking is the use of Internet-based social media sites to stay connected with friends, family, colleagues, customers, or clients. Social networking can have a social purpose, a business purpose, or both, through sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, among others.
Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, digital photos and videos, posts, and to inform others about online or real-world activities and events with people in their network. While in-person social networking – such as gathering in a village market to talk about events – has existed since the earliest development of towns,the web enables people to connect with others who live in different locations, ranging from across a city to across the world. Depending on the social media platform, members may be able to contact any other member. In other cases, members can contact anyone they have a connection to, and subsequently anyone that contact has a connection to, and so on. The success of social networking services can be seen in their dominance in society today, with Facebook having a massive 2.13 billion active monthly users and an average of 1.4 billion daily active users in 2017.
The main types of social networking services contain category places (such as age or occupation or religion), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages), and a recommendation system linked to trust. One can categorize social-network services into four types:
- socializing social network services used primarily for socializing with existing friends (e.g., Facebook )
- online social networks are decentralized and distributed computer networks where users communicate with each other through internet services.
- networking social network services used primarily for non-social interpersonal communication (e.g., LinkedIn, a career- and employment-oriented site)
- Social Navigation social network services used primarily for helping users to find specific information or resources (e.g., Good reads for books)
Social networking sites have brought with them many benefits, but also downsides. I’ve listed what I consider to be the main advantages and disadvantages below.
15 Advantages of Using Social Networking Websites
- Individual users can keep in touch with friends and relatives easily. You can stay up to date with what people are doing, and also let them know what is happening in your life, using words, photos, and other media.
- Users can connect with like-minded people. Social networking makes it easy to join groups and make friends online with others who share your particular interests, even if it is relatively obscure.
- Connections with others can be made long distance and across international boundaries.
- Social networking can increase voting rates and facilitate political change. Political campaigns such as elections, boycotts, rallies, and marches can all be set up and run via social media.
- Large amounts of people can be contacted quickly in the event of an emergency event, such as a hurricane, wildfire, or terrorist attack.
- Certain groups, such as senior citizens, or the physically disabled, are able to maintain relationships and feel connected to society more easily.
- Social networking sites can be a source of entertainment. Many people use websites like Facebook for a little light relief during a break from work, or when they are unwinding at home.
- Social media offers excellent opportunities for musicians and artists to promote themselves without the need for a corporate contract. The pop star Justin Bieber was discovered on YouTube.
- Users can catch up with news and find out about local events. Provided the source is trustworthy, social networking sites can be a great source of information, whether it is international news, details of the latest bargains at the local store, or reviews of restaurants.
- The police increasingly use social media to catch criminals.
- It is generally free of charge to set up a social networking account and use it.
- Businesses and organizations can use social networking sites to promote their brand, update customers, promote products and events. They can employ direct marketing, traditional advertising, or other sales methods.
- “Crowdsourcing” and “crowdfunding” are great ways for people to participate in the collective funding of a project.
- Social networking online can be a great way to find a new job. Sites like LinkedIn are particularly suited for this purpose.
- The interactivity of social media allows for public discussions online, such as local issues, politics, and current events.
15 Disadvantages of Using Social Networking Websites
- Users cannot be sure that their personal data will be safe. It may be stolen, or even sold by the site itself in some instances.
- Scams, computer viruses, fraud, and identity theft all occur on social networking sites.
- Children use social networking sites to cheat and copy their assignments.
- People can waste a lot of time on social networking sites without any obvious benefits. Their work career, studies, social life, and even physical health can suffer as a result.
- Businesses using networking run the risk of making a faux pas or worse, and undermining the brand.
- Terrorism and hate groups use the sites to promote their views and recruit new members.
- There are privacy issues associated with social networking. It is not always clear who is able to read your profile and personal information. An embarrassing photo of you drunk at a party might be seen by a family member, or critical comments made about your workplace might be seen by your boss.
- Once information is posted on a site and shared, it can be difficult or impossible to delete or retrieve it.
- Excessive social media use can result in stress with offline relationships: family; friends; and romantic partners.
- Bullying, stalking and harassment all happen on these sites. Threatening messages can be sent anonymously. Stalkers can often glean personal information or work out a user’s location and movements. Embarrassing photographs and other media can be used to harass or blackmail.
- Unauthorized sharing can take earnings away from artists and musicians, as copyright laws are often flouted.
- Aggressive advertisements can undermine the user experience.
- Information overload causes stress and a sense of being overwhelmed for some. Much of the information is completely frivolous.
- Much of the information on social networks comes from poor sources or is just plain incorrect. Some of the information is calculated to mislead for political or other purposes.
- Some psychologists have expressed concerns about the social disconnect that happens when people swap real life relationships for virtual ones. This especially applies to young people, who are still developing social skills.
social networking sites are drugs. Once you get addicted you can’t get off them.You can’t spend even one day without them .At the same time its heplful too .
WELL SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE LIKE A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD .THAT IS TO SAY IT HAS PROS AB WELL AS CONS.HOWEVER USERS SHOULD BE ALERT AND CAREFUL OTHERWISE IT MAYBE DANGEROUS
Social networking sites are everywhere now. In other words, they have taken over almost every sphere of life.
Educational Field:
In educational field, these sites enhance education by having an influence on the learners. They can explore various topics for their projects.
Students can make use of live video that is a part of so many social networking sites to engage themselves in classes. Students can share study materials through social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram and even Whats App. … Students can make friends with friends of friends and build a strong network.
Buisness Field :
The business field benefits a lot from social networking sites. The companies use social networking sites to connect better with their potential clients and business partners. Moreover, people in search of jobs use the sites to connect better with employers and firms. This gives them a great opportunity to seek better jobs.
Famous Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites have created a massive presence in today’s world. While there are many types of these sites, some are more famous than the others.
For instance, Facebook is the largest social networking site. It has more than 1 billion users which keep increasing every day. Moreover, it also helps you promote your business or brand through ads.Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes, all of whom were students at Harvard University.
Secondly, there is Instagram. It is owned by Facebook only. Similarly, this app allows you to share photos and videos with your followers. It gives users a lot of filters to beautify your photos.Instagram is an American photo and video sharing social networking service owned by Facebook, created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and originally launched on iOS in October 2010.Instagram is a social media app that allows users to share photos and videos from their lives, add captions, edit filters, tweak settings, engage with others, explore and creep, and so.
Furthermore, Twitter is also a great social networking site. It is mostly used by celebrities. This site allows you to post short messages called tweets to share your thoughts. Twitter is a great platform to convey your message in limited words.Twitter is an American microblogging and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as “tweets”. Founders of twitter are Jack Dorsey; Noah Glass; Biz Stone; Evan Williams.
Moreover, we have LinkedIn. This is one of the most sought after sites which allow professionals to locate and hire employees. Subsequently, it is available in more than twenty languages to give a user-friendly interface.
Finally, we have WhatsApp. Though it entered the game quite late, this instant messaging app made a place for itself instantaneously. Facebook acquired this app as well. It allows you to share text messages, images, videos, audios, documents and more.WhatsApp, is an American freeware, cross-platform messaging and Voice over IP (VoIP) service owned by Facebook, Inc. It allows users to send text messages and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other media.
In short, social networking sites are a bane and a boon. It depends on us how we use to. Anything in excess is harmful; likewise, social networking sites are too. Use them for your benefit and do not let them control your life.
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS AFFECTING YOUTH ?
Too much social media use can effect self-esteem. Despite social media playing a positive role for most, the survey found the high use of social media and technology can have a negative impact on youth self-esteem. Two in three young people feel pressure to look good and nearly a third of youth have been bullied online.
■ The average time spent on social networks per day: 1.72 hours (in 2015).
■ The average number of hours a teenager spends online per week: 27 (2015).
There are a lot of positive aspects but there are many dangers as well that come with the use of the sites like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Google +, Gaming sites, Instagram and blogs. If we want to make some right and true choices then we must dig inside and research the topic thoroughly.
Here are five ways which one can say that technology is having a positive influence on youth.
Positive Impact of Social Media on Youth
- It keeps connected to their friends when they are not able to see each other always when they want to.
- Social media keeps you updates about the important things that are going across the globe currently or maybe in your locality. It is a great benefit to know about everything just by the simple click of your finger.
- The youths have the perfect place to express themselves in such a way in which they won’t be allowed to do in public. This is something which makes the youth feel better about them and they hold some position in society.
- It helps you in developing social skills and the best part is that a number of friendships can begin from the social website. Youths generally like make new friends and know about others as much as they can. All of this is possible with the social media platform.
- One more interesting impact of social media on youth is that it feels fun to interact with peers rather than talking to them face to face.
Negative Impact of Social Media on Youth
- People of today’s generation give so much importance to social media nowadays that it has become their priority. They love being in the social media sites and forget about all the things that should come first for them like family, sports and schools.
- In the platforms of social media, we can only see the virtual side of the person. This means we can only see the side which they want they want to show us. Many people try to portray themselves to others which they are not at all.
- Young people have this habit of bullying their peers which is ok to some extent. But when it comes to cyberbullying, it affects a lot to the other peer as this can be on the newsfeed of any person and can go viral easily. Sometimes such things can lead to depression as well as suicidal thoughts.
- There are some young people who are very easy to get influenced. They may feel the need to change their appearance physically and compare themselves to every next person they see in the social media.
- There is a very strong temptation in social media. It can become an addiction for the youth and begin to side-track them.
Apart from mobile and social networking look into the beautiful world around you . It will teach you all good and bad. Don’t give friend request through facebook, talk to them directly . Instead of putting stories and status in Instagram and Whatsapp enjoy the day with your family and friends . Express your feelings to your loved ones directly not through messages and emojis.
“LET’S BE HAPPY WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS “
QUIT SOCIAL NETWORKING/MEDIA https://youtu.be/ZBOMI-fBtE0
SOCIAL NETWORKING 