social values

SOCIAL NETWORKING AND ITS IMPACT ON VALUES
Social Networking – Boon or Bane to the Society

Presented by :

Miss Pragya Sharma

Abstract

Social networking is no doubt a revolution in the current times. The social networking sites have taken over in our lives. It not just keeps people connected , but it has its other gifts too. Keeping people informed is the foremost of the many boons of social networking sites The social networking websites are more like the virtual meeting places where people can exchange valuable information also, besides pictures and videos of course . Finding life partners via such sites is another popular trend these days, with quite a good success rate as well. Professionals use such sites for the purpose of visibility , marketing and getting noticed. Consequently gone are the days when it was popular only among younger generation, because of its many boons adults have certainly outnumbered them. But social networking has its cons too, just as any other thing has its merits and demerits. Since people have made it a necessity , it has amounted to immense loss of peace in their lives. It has taken priority over every other thing. Even if one is feeling sleepy , he will not forget to update his profile with “YAWN” rather than hitting the sack without any ado. Users are forgetting to respect the line which distinguishes the public life from the personal. And the biggest threat that any user faces is that of security. All what we require is – discretion to use these sites .

SOCIAL NETWORKING AND ITS IMPACT ON VALUES

SOCIAL NETWORKING - A REVOLUTION !
Social-networking sites have taken the world by a storm leading to nothing less than a revolution. A lot of concerns have been voiced about social networking sites taking over in our lives. However, one major issue that has been overlooked is the changing mind-set of the youth due to the social networking sites.

The adolescence years shape our outlook, our personality and mould us into what we are. So when we grow up in a world where our popularity is directly proportional to the number of “likes” and the “haaawt” comments we get on our photoshop-enhanced profile picture and live with people constantly competing for the coveted title of the king/queen of the virtual world, it is bound to have a profound impact of the psyche of an entire generation. The focus and time we spend on creating our brand on these social networking sites is a standing testimony to the awakening of the narcissist in us.

Social Networking – Boon or Bane to the Society?
One of the most commonly asked questions today is “are you on Facebook?” or “did you check out the latest pics on my profile?” :-
It is amazing how social networks have completely changed people’s habits, becoming a must-visit Web destination for all. In fact, if you find a friend not using any of the popular social networking services, it seems strange. Thoughts like “is he/she living in today’s world” and “how can he/she afford to miss such a great thing when the entire world is buzzing around it” start coming to your mind the moment you realize your friend’s absence on the site.
Such is the power of social networking today. And it only seems to grow stronger and stronger in the future. Just recently, Facebook achieved another milestone by completing five successful years over the Web. Started in 2004, Facebook had only a handful of users in its network initially, mostly comprising of Harvard students. However, with time it grew rapidly to become the leading social network throughout the world. So, what led to its success? One of the biggest reasons is word-of-mouth or rather word-of-mouse publicity.
People today can’t imagine living without social networking. It has become a daily routine no matter where you are. Also, it is interesting to know how mobile phones are shaping the use of social networks today. Those who do not get enough time to access their desktops often use a mobile device to stay connected with their friends. What’s even more interesting is that adults are using social networks more than the younger demographic today, something which has never happened before the last year or so.
But there are also people who do not support this growing trend mainly because of its negative impact on the society:
The argument is that social networking is slowly taking over face-to-face communication, as people prefer expressing themselves online. Communication has become rapid, but at the cost of personal interaction.
If you observe carefully, the extent of outdoor physical activity has also declined in case of school going children. As social networking becomes a topic of discussion for youngsters, most of them want to be alive and kicking on the network and share their likes and dislikes with people. This has given software developers another reason to come up with innovative applications in tune with the contemporary lifestyle, which is indeed worth appreciating. However, problem arises when youngsters overuse these applications and compromise their social life by constantly updating their profile to let people know how ‘cool’ they are. This is also one of the main reasons why personal interaction has been affected to a great extent.
The whole discussion here is not to demean social networking. It is doing what it has to do – connect people with their loved ones. But whether to overuse it and affect our social life or not is in our hands. Let technology not master you. Talk to people personally or over phone, get engaged in face-to-face communication and use social networking within limits to balance your life. Social networks are definitely a boon to the society, but too much of it can affect our social progress.

PROS AND CONS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

However, everything has a positive and negative side. Similarly, the social networking sites are also made up of their set of pros and cons.

The Pros of social networking:

The social networking websites are more like the virtual meeting places where people can just chill and hang out with friends. They can discuss on different topics, share information, and exchange files and pictures.
There are some people who use these sites as a platform to meet long lost friend and batch mates, whereas there are others for whom it becomes a bridge to meet their future love.
We can either reconnect with your friends and family members or search a dating partner. Some people also use these websites to promote their blogs and services. The professional people uses this as a medium to raise their visibility, get noticed, tell about their company, service, and get more clients.
By joining different communities, now people can easily know about the latest news related to that community. You can easily get the experts advice on any challenge you may face related to their topic of interest. And the best part of this is that the advice is free. You don 't need to pay a single paisa for it. Experts are always ready to give their advice and share information with you. These are just some of the several positive things that have contributed to make social networking really popular among people and spread smiles. It has made world a small pace and everyone can stay connected.

The Cons of social networking:

Social networking of course helps in a lot of ways but the users have to really careful to stay secure and safe. Security is one of the topmost concerns of social networking sites that you currently use. This is mainly because the social networking sites allow you to display your personal information such as name, location, and email address. There are some people who always in search of a fake identity. If they get all the information about you on internet, they may use your identity for different type of illegal activities, which may cause you problems in future. It is always advisable to don 't provide your entire identity information online.

You may get many requests for adding as friends or joining different communities. Always try to know as much as possible before adding anyone as friend or joining any community. Because they may use fake identity or may involve in some illegal activities, which may spoil your image.

IMPACT ON VALUES : Educating kids on social networking is best solution

With the beginning of a new school year, our children face new situations, from moving to a different location to meeting new teachers or deciding who to invite to homecoming.
In this digital, high-tech, always-on world, they also face a whole new set of challenges of cyberspace. Our children increasingly live their lives online: 93 percent use the Internet, 75 percent have a mobile phone, and 73 percent use social media.
What is social media For kids, it is a place to hang out, talk, share photos and music, write about events, post art — in effect, an extension of their social life on a screen.
At the same time, parents and schools are also struggling with social networking and its impact on education. Educators are being called on to be everything from online referees to cybersecurity experts. Most teachers are now teaching a subject that was not even part of their college training, across mediums that had not even been invented, to prepare our children for competing in a global job market.
Just like the Internet, social networking has changed our interaction with media, government and journalism; it will also change education.
Tech tools affect how our children connect socially, explore new worlds, collaborate on projects and basically learn the skills they will need in a digital world. Classrooms can connect with scientists or experts on other continents, use Opencourseware, or tweet with youth demonstrating in Egypt. Innovative teachers have found that technology may be the key to keeping some students in school or engaged in after-school activities and off the streets.
At the same time, we have seen students who have been bullied to the point of suicide, and teachers who have used these new communications tools in inappropriate ways with students. Facebook has also been used to embarrass teachers or administrators publicly.
Courts have begun to address some of these “digital downsides,” including through criminal prosecutions, lawsuits involving emotional distress and proposed codes of conduct. But legal efforts in this space involve complex issues including free speech, discrimination and jurisdiction.
Most cases have determined that schools do not have authority over students’ social networking outside school. Principals, school boards and legislatures are implementing rules, with the Missouri legislature banning all teacher communication on Facebook with students. Other districts have established alternative websites that can be monitored. Some of the bans on social networking may be driven by fear of litigation and monetary verdicts against economically strapped school systems.
Just like many other hotly debated issues — from banning certain books to restricting student protests — policy makers will struggle to find the proper balance. However, the best answer should be education.
CONCLUSION :-
Digital media literacy should be part of every curriculum in every school in this country. Keyboarding and research skills should be taught alongside cyberbullying and civility. Digital education for parents, teachers, administrators and students themselves should include technology’s incredible opportunities but also its very real challenges.
However, the digital rules are really not so different from the ones we teach in the real world. For example:
Don’t talk to strangers. Limit your “friends” to people you know in real life.
Remember the “Golden Rule”: Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want posted about yourself.
Do the right thing. Stop bullying when you see it — sadly, only about 10 percent of kids report bullying.
Use your time wisely. Set rules about media use.
“Lock your door”: Use and recheck the privacy settings often.
Think before you click! Millions of people can receive your communication in a matter of seconds.
In one recent survey, 92 percent of girls surveyed would give up all their social networking friends to keep their best friend. So, maybe we should look to our children and realize that perhaps they already have this figured out; or they will by the time we set up our first Facebook page.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://socialnetworkbuzz.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/social-networking-boon-or-bane-to-society/

http://www.authorpalace.com/internet-marketing/site-promotion/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-social-networking-sites.html

http://www.beingpeterkim.com/2008/09/ive-been-thinki.html http://www.slideshare.net/christianp/27-facts-and-20-examples-about-social-media http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110922/OPINION03/309220019/Schools-enter-digital-conversation

Bibliography: http://socialnetworkbuzz.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/social-networking-boon-or-bane-to-society/ http://www.authorpalace.com/internet-marketing/site-promotion/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-social-networking-sites.html http://www.beingpeterkim.com/2008/09/ive-been-thinki.html http://www.slideshare.net/christianp/27-facts-and-20-examples-about-social-media http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110922/OPINION03/309220019/Schools-enter-digital-conversation