Essay.

Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighbourhood subdivision. (1) They can be found through a theoretical meaning, linking to many topics such as families, social cliques and clubs. Social networking encourages new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people. Following up on the recent trends in technology, social interaction has taken on a more theoretical essence; these days it is much more common when referring to social networks to be talking about online networks such as email and instant messaging services. Whilst it could be said that socializing between peers is a positive amongst many social networkers; there is however other people who seem to deviate from that initial reaction towards these networking sites.

The most popular sites, which everyone pretty much knows would have to be Facebook, MySpace, Blogger, Twitter, YouTube, Bebo, LinkedIn and many more. With the recent transformation in technology, there are indeed groups of people who are satisfied with their own means of socializing without using social networks online. Social networks public usage has increased rapidly year after year with the top 10 social networking sites increasing collectively 47% of people from 2005 to 2006 (2). Today’s generation is indeed the main users of socialising online; having the mainstream of people from the teens years right through to about the 40’s using these networks. There is nothing wrong with having the elder generation mixing amongst the teens online using networking site such as Facebook; it just gets a bit strange when your own mother tries to be-friend you and then starts commenting, liking and poking you even though she is downstairs.

But even if your own parents start adding you online, a social networking site’s main objective is to build communities, which is basically assembled through features which may possibly take place in reality. Each person has their own online personal profile; each network contains user-generated content giving an insight to other of what the individual is like. Some networks include tagging preferences; tagging being something that links each individual to another individual, giving them each something in common. For example if you where at a party the other night and this one person was taking all these photos, all you would have to do is go onto their online profile, find the pictures with you in it and tag yourself to have the picture on your profile; or however they might have already tagged you, so the picture would be on your profile already.

Social networking isn’t just for teens and individuals up to in their 40’s; studies more recently show that social networking sites are being used by various government agencies. Social networking tools serve as a quick and easy way for the government to get the opinion of the public and the keep the public updated on their activity. Similarly, NASA has taken advantage of a few social networking tools, including Twitter and Flickr.

With every great invention there has to be concerns; amongst worried parents and the government there have been concerns about misuse by child and teenagers of social network services, evidently in relation to online sexual predators. A certain number of actions have been engaged by governments to better understand the problem and find some solutions towards issues that have emerged through online social networks. In May 2008 it was confirmed that technological fixes such as age verification where put into use in attempt to catch out apprehending online predators. Online predators aren’t the only reason that there are concerns towards social networking sites. The relative freedom present by some social networking services has caused concern regarding the potential of its misuse by individual patrons. In October 2006, a fake MySpace profile created in the name of Josh Evans by Lori Janine Drew led to the suicide of Megan Meier (3). The incident led to global concern regarding the use of social networking services for bullying purposes.

Apart from incidents happening on social networking sites, they still are popular more then ever now. Each and every social networking site is designed to suit different people’s needs. For example MySpace appeals more to the youth of our society, focusing on the latest trends and ‘what is in’. Yet on the other side, sites like LinkedIn are created to show professional-based information allowing people to add suggestions and references to another profile. Networking sites such as MySpace display the information that is put onto the user’s profile, which can detail basic information (occupation, height, weight and even income). However MySpace has died down a bit after Facebook sky rocketed to being an easier option to MySpace. Facebook even allows you to Instant Message people online, comment their ‘what’s on my mind’ and like their status’. These types of online social networks have many features to communicate through including commenting, messaging, instant messaging, and even bulletin boards, most of which are all displayed publically (and most the time these bulletins have no point what so ever). Some form in commenting can be pasting a YouTube clip on in individual’s photo; for example see below.



Likewise to other social networks where people are their true self, game-players of the online world may have another identity through their game characters; which can also be seen as a problem to social networks online. Games such as World of Warcraft or the most recent addiction by my brother being the game Call of Duty can be seen as a social network just like MySpace and Facebook through its gamer community. Yet alongside MySpace having deaths from misuse, similar stories have emerged amongst the gamer community. 15-year-old, Brandon Crisp from Canada ran away from home on Thanksgiving in 2008 after his parents took away his Xbox 360 due to falling grades and excessive play of Call of Duty 4. He was then last seen alive on a bicycle trail and his body was found weeks later, about 3 miles away, by a party of hunters; an autopsy determined that he died in a fall from a tree. (5)

In conclusion technology may be considered a negative to some people and a positive to others who just want to socialize online. One thing that is certain is that new social networks will emerge in time and most likely they will become a hit; hopefully with the acceptance of this, new things will be put in place to make it easier and concern free to those who may have problems with features amongst these social networks.


REFERENCES:
(1) What is Social Networking.com? [homepage on the internet] Sydney; 2003 [updated 2007 November 1; cited 2009 October 19]. Available from:
http://www.whatissocialnetworking.com/

(2) Bausch S, Han L, editor, Successful Sites Drive High Visitor Retention Rates [monograph on the internet] New York; Net Ratings Inc; 2006 [cited 2009 October 18]. Available from: http://www.nielsen-online.com/pr/pr_060511.pdf

(3) "Verdict in MySpace Suicide Case". New York Times. November 26, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/27/us/27myspace.html?_r=1&hp. Retrieved 2008-11-26. "The purpose of the hoax, several witnesses testified, was to use Megan’s e-mail exchanges with "Josh" to humiliate Megan in retribution for her unkind acts toward Sarah."


(4) YouTube clip “perfect MySpace picture”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z91sPwHwrTE

(5) Robyn Doolittle (November 07, 2008). "Brandon Crisp autopsy today". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/article/532437.


OTHER REFERENCES:

• Else, Liz, and Turkle, Sherry. "Living online: I'll have to ask my friends", New Scientist, issue 2569, 20 September 2006. (interview)

• Book: Alemán, Ana M. Martínez; Wartman, Katherine Lynk, "Online social networking on campus: understanding what matters in student culture", New York and London : Routledge, 1st edition, 2009

websites:
• Harrison R, Thomas M. Identity in Online Communities: Social Networking Sites and Language Learning [serial on the internet]. 2009 [cited 2009 October 18]; Vol. 7, No. 2, 2009, pp: 109 – 124. Available from: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/hosting/ijets/journal/V7N2/pdf/Article4-HarrisonThomas.pdf

• Barbovschi M, Meet the “e-strangers”. Predictors of teenagers online-offline encounters. [serial on the internet]. 2009 [2009 October 20]; article 4. Available from: http://www.cyberpsychology.eu/view.php?cisloclanku=2009061603&article=4

• Fuchs C. Social networking sites and the surveillance society [serial on the internet]. 2009 February 9 [cited 2009 October 18]; [145]. Available from: http://fuchs.icts.sbg.ac.at/SNS_Surveillance_Fuchs.pdf

iReport.