The Effects of Social Networking on Society
Jenny Shinsky
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Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................3
Background ......................................................................................................................................3
What is Social Networking? ............................................................................................................3
History of Social Networking ..........................................................................................................4
Why use social networking? ............................................................................................................5
Who is Using Social Networking? ...................................................................................................5
The Effects of Social Networking on Society .................................................................................6
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................8
References ........................................................................................................................................9
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The Effects of Social Networking on Society
Introduction
Since the Internet was first introduced in the 1990’s, technology has been growing at a rapid
pace. The first major advancement was the use of e-mail. Later, Microsoft Corporation made a
huge leap with Internet Explorer making it easy for anyone with a computer to surf the web.
Other monumental advancements were achieved by Google and Yahoo who provided search
engines and making it easy to find anything on the World Wide Web.
Within the past two decades, an even newer enhancement was made to the Internet. Called, web
2.0, this generation of the web provides interactive abilities to share information with others.
From this interactive sharing capability, social networking was transformed and has become the
biggest technological advancement to date. From web 2.0, social networking was born. This new
advancement, like all of the others, has had and will continue to have a great impact on society
and the world.
The purpose of this study is to research the effect that social networking has on society and how
social skills are changing. Generational gaps will also be studied to understand the different
approaches to social networking.
Background
Before the Internet became a popular medium in society, a form of social networking existed that
is different from what it is today. The official term, according to pcmag.com, is “an association
of people drawn together by family, work or hobby. The term was first coined by Professor J. A.
Barnes in the 1950s, who defined the size of a social network as a group of about 100 to 150
people.” This type of social networking still exists with associations whose members frequently
meet face-to-face for conferences to discuss their common fields.
However, the Internet generation, those born in the 1990s, provide a different definition for
social networking. They describe social networking as an activity done on the Internet where one
can socialize with thousands of people. One difference is that each network is comprised of
people with different interests. Another difference is that the networking does not provide faceto-face interaction.
What is Social Networking?
Social networks are online
communities of users who share
interests and activities with each other.
Some common forms of social
networking are LinkedIn, Facebook
and MySpace (see Table 1). Social
networks provide the ability to create
groups. A group page contains
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information about a specific group, association, or organization. Members of social networks can
join these specialty groups. Within these groups, applications can be utilized to add modules
such as learning management systems and announcing events.
History of Social Networking
In the late 1970s, before computers were a staple in every household, the first social networking
site was created. Called the Computerized Bulletin Board System (CBBS), this software allowed
those with certain hobbies to share information on the Internet.
At the time, only a select few had access to the Internet, specifically the military, college
campuses, and computer companies. For this reason, the CBBS was not an instant success.
According to Simon, author of The Complete History of Social Networking, “While CBBS didn't
exactly set the world on fire--after all, only a select few could take advantage of it--other ASCII
bulletin boards followed its lead and began to pop up across a variety of platforms (including
AppleNet and GBBS for the Apple II), each with a specific purpose.”
In the early 1990s the Internet was opened for public use.
At that time, the bulletin board systems were left behind
as newer technology allowed social networking sites to
evolve. Social networking sites such as GeoCities,
Classmates.com, and Friendster became popular sites,
allowing users to connect with other users (See Table 2).
These networking sites were popular but it was not until
MySpace and Facebook were launched that the social
networking boom exploded changing the Internet
forever. Social networking had become so
popular that Google and Microsoft jumped into
the arena launching their own networking sites.
Today, there are many social networking sites for
academics, news, hobbies, professionals, and
education. Social Networking reaches across the
globe to touch every country on the planet. It is
now so intertwined into everyday life that one
wonders what life was like without it. Popular social networking sites include:
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Facebook
MySpace
Twitter
LinkedIn
Ning
Tagged
Classemates.com
hi5
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myyearbook
meetup
bebo
mylife
friendster
myHeritage
multiply
orkut
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Why use social networking?
Simply put, social networking is used to communicate with friends, relatives, co-workers,
acquaintances, and more. According to Lisa Hoover, author of How Social Networking Has
Changed Society, "Social networking services expand the pool of people we have the
opportunity to meet to near limitless possibilities. We're no longer restricted to or rely on people
in our neighborhood, church, or workplace to provide the interaction we desire."
Social networking also provides people the ability to remain connected with current friends, renew old relationships, and start new ones. Other reasons for social networking include:
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To show creativity
To entertain others
To share experiences
To Express thoughts
To belong to a community
To make new friends
To maintain current relationships
Who is Using Social Networking?
All of the generations before Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1980, were not
introduced to the Internet until they were into adulthood. For this reason, these generations,
especially the baby boomers, were initially hesitant to use social networking. However that has
now changed. According to a study conducted by PewInternet and American Life Project,
"Social networking use among internet users ages 50 and older has nearly doubled—from 22%
to 42% over the past year." The report also states, "Half (47%) of internet users ages 50-64 and
one in four (26%) users age 65 and older now use social networking sites" (see Figure 1).
While social networking is not quite
in its 20th year, we will soon be
seeing the next generation enter the
workforce; those that have lived their
entire lives with the Internet and
social networking sites at their
fingertips. The Internet Generation,
as they are called, is defined as those
born since 1994, according to
Microsoft Corporation. Another
study conducted by PewInternet and
American Life Project found that
73% of the Internet generation use
social networking as well as 72% of
those who are 18-29 years of age.
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The Effects of Social Networking on Society
It is important to study the way social skills are affected by this type of communication. With the
shift from face-to-face networking to online communication society is now interacting with each
other on a new level. Without the face-to-face interaction, people are using their computer as a
shield to the rest of the world. One does not have to be dressed in proper attire and follow the
social rules of being in a crowd.
Communication
One of the main reasons for using social networking is communication. Social networking makes
communicating easier than it has ever been. It allows flexibility. A person does not need to be
sitting in front of their computer to communicate as anyone can post to a social networking site
from anywhere using a cell phone, iPod, PDA, or laptop.
Social networking has caused a shift on how society communicates with each other. When
communicating face-to-face, one can interpret emotions through facial expressions, movements
and tone of voice. When communicating online, this element is removed. There is no way to
interpret the context of the content provided.
Because of this, users of social networks have to adapt their listening and understanding of what
others are saying. They do this through ambient awareness. Following someone throughout their
day through social networking; reading what they ate for lunch or why they grounded their child
for misbehavior is the same as observing them. These small things give a glimpse into a person's
character. This awareness was not as evident before social networking existed. Only family or
very close friends saw these small glimpses of each other that defined who they are.
Communication is also changed when participating in a face-to-face conversation with a social
networking friend. Instead of catching up on their life, the online conversation is continued as if
they were in the same room talking the whole time.
Through social networking, communication travels much faster than it once did. According to
Wheeldon, author of A Social Society: The Positive Effects of Communicating through Social
Networking Sites, "News information may also be observed online, as many news channels also
provide their information on the Internet, which users of social networking sites may peruse via
‘widget’ links and applications. These applications generally provide live feeds of current,
updated news to a user’s profile page (on a social networking site), which is further evidence of
the constant connection and communication provided by social networking sites and another way
in which they are beneficial in society."
Twitter recently proved how fast communication can travel through social networking sites. On
September 1, 2010, a man walked into the headquarters of Discovery Channel with a gun and
took hostages. Witnesses outside the building took pictures of the swat team with their cell
phones and immediately posted them to their Twitter accounts with comments on the events as
they were happening. These witnesses broke the news before the media could arrive on scene.
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Families
Social networking has changed the way that families communicate, even in their own homes. In
some households, families communicate via social networking sites from different rooms of the
home. In the case of Twitter and the Discovery Channel hostage situation, those inside the
building were able to post to their Twitter accounts to let family and loved ones know that they
were alright.
Employment
Another effect that social networking has is in the workforce. When a person opens their
networking site to co-workers some issues may arise. Their personal life is no longer personal.
It is very easy for employers to check-up on their employees to see how they are behaving while
away from work. Social networking also allows perspective employers to view the behavior of
candidates before making their decision to hire.
Ethical issues have also arisen with social networking. Medical personnel need to be careful
when communicating on a social networking site. Because HIPPA laws are very strict on
confidentiality, nurses and doctors need to be careful what they say as breaking these rules can
lead to their termination. A professional cannot always allow their true character show because
of their need to be discrete about what they say.
Businesses
Other segments of the population using social networking are corporations, associations,
universities, and celebrities. Within the past few years, this segment has realized the benefits of
using social networking to communicate with customers and fans. By participating in social
networking, businesses are giving customers the ability to become engaged and to connect with
them. Barnes & Noble, a well-known bookstore, has a Facebook account with over 300,000
followers. By commenting on their Facebook page on a daily basis, they are able to
communicate to a mass audience like they never have before at a very low cost.
The way that business markets to the public has also changed. By interacting with customers
through networking sites, companies are able to obtain feedback to make their products better.
They are making it known to customers they are listening. Businesses also conduct market
research on social networking sites to find the interests and needs of customers.
The World
In his book The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Friedman
explains how the use of technology, including social networking, has connected each corner of
the earth making it seem smaller. Through social networking, people are able to connect with
other cultures in a way they never have before. A person from the United States can become
friends with someone in Australia. At one time, communication among the two would have taken
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days or maybe weeks. Now, through social networking, they can instantaneously communicate
with each other.
Positives and Negatives
There are many people who will argue that social networking is good for society and those who
will argue that it is not. Like everything else that has changed the world, there are positives and
negatives.
Benefits
 A way for the disabled to communicate
 Allows geographical barriers to be broken down
 Builds self-esteem
 Communicate much quicker
 Cuts down on long distance phone calls
 Educational experiences from different cultures, religion, and societies
 Join groups of same interest
 Meet new people
 Provides interaction skills
Disadvantages
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Absence of body language
Deteriorates social and etiquette skills
Loss of privacy
Misuse of information
Conclusion
With social networking being fairly new, the effects it has on society may not be fully realized
for a few more years. With the Internet Generation just coming into adulthood, even more
changes and effects will be realized. Like the invention of the television, social networking has
moved society forward with no chance of looking back. Every day, new technology is being
realized that may take social networking to newer levels, effecting society in even greater ways.
The days of sitting on the front porch conversing with neighbors is now a rare sight as social
networkers sit in their air conditioned homes communicating via the Internet. From the baby
boomers to the Internet Generation, social networking has become intertwined in daily life. It has
become a dependency, a life line, to the outside world. Life cannot be imagined without it.
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