Social Networking – www.procon.org
http://wibi.us/14GPL4z
Pro & Con Arguments: "Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society?"
PRO Social Networking Sites
1. Social networking sites spread information
faster than any other media. Over 50% of
people learn about breaking news on social media.
[1] 65% of traditional media reporters and editors
use sites like Facebook and LinkedIn for story
research, and 52% use Twitter. [2] Social
networking sites are the top news source for 27.8%
of Americans, ranking close to newspapers (28.8%)
and above radio (18.8%) and other print
publications (6%). [1] Twitter and YouTube users
reported the July 20, 2012 Aurora, CO theater
shooting before news crews could arrive on the
scene [3], and the Red Cross urged witnesses to tell
family members they were safe via social media
outlets. [4]
2. Law enforcement uses social networking
sites to catch and prosecute criminals. 67%
of federal, state, and local law enforcement
professionals surveyed think "social media helps
solve crimes more quickly." [5] In 2011 the NYPD
added a Twitter tracking unit and has used social
networking to arrest criminals who have bragged of
their crimes online. [6] When the Vancouver
Canucks lost the 2011 Stanley Cup in Vancouver,
the city erupted into riots. Social media was used to
catch vandals and rioters as social networking site
users tagged the people they knew in over 2,000
photos posted to the sites. [7] [8]
3. Social networking sites help students do
better at school. 59% of students with access to
the Internet report that they use social networking
sites to discuss educational topics and 50% use the
sites to talk about school assignments. [9] After
George Middle School in Portland, OR introduced a
social media program to engage students, grades
went up by 50%, chronic absenteeism went down
by 33%, and 20% of students school-wide
voluntarily completed extra-credit assignments. [10]
[11]
4. Social networking sites allow people to
improve their relationships and make new
friends. 70% of adult social networking users visit
the sites to connect with friends and family [12], and
increased online communication strengthens
CON Social Networking Sites
1. Social media enables the spread of
unreliable and false information. 49.1% of
people have heard false news via social media. [1]
On Sep. 5, 2012 false rumors of fires, shootouts,
and caravans of gunmen in a Mexico City suburb
spread via Twitter and Facebook caused panic,
flooded the local police department with over 3,000
phone calls, and temporarily closed schools. [79]
Shashank Tripathi, tweeting as
@ComfortablySmug, spread false information in the
aftermath of Hurricane Sandy by posting on Twitter
that the New York Stock Exchange was flooding
and that the power company would cut off electricity
to all of Manhattan; the bogus information was
picked up by national news outlets including CNN
and the Weather Channel. [80]
2. Social networking sites lack privacy and
expose users to government and corporate
intrusions. 13 million users said they had not set
or did not know about Facebook's privacy settings
and 28% shared all or nearly all of their posts
publicly. [81] The US Justice Department intercepted
1,661 pieces of information from social networking
sites and e-mails in 2011. [82] The 2009 IRS training
manual teaches agents to scan Facebook pages for
information that might "assist in resolving a
taxpayer case." 4.7 million Facebook users have
"liked" a health condition or medical treatment
page, information that is sometimes used by
insurance companies to raise rates. [81] [83]
3. Students who are heavy social media users
tend to have lower grades. Students who use
social media had an average GPA of 3.06 while
non-users had an average GPA of 3.82 and
students who used social networking sites while
studying scored 20% lower on tests. [84] College
students’ grades dropped 0.12 points for every 93
minutes above the average 106 minutes spent on
Facebook per day. [85] Two-thirds of teachers
believe that social media does more to distract
students than to help academically. [86]
4. Social networking sites can lead to stress
and offline relationship problems. A
University of Edinburgh Business School study
relationships. [13] 52% of teens using social media
report that using the sites has helped their
relationships with friends, 88% report that social
media helps them stay in touch with friends they
cannot see regularly, 69% report getting to know
students at their school better, and 57% make new
friends. [14]
5. Social media helps empower business
women. Being able to connect on social
networking sites gives business women a support
group not readily found offline where female CEOs
of Fortune 500 companies are outnumbered by
male CEOs 15 to 485. [15] Many social media sites
are dominated by women: 72% of Pinterest users
are women, 58% of Facebook users, 62% of
MySpace users, 60% of Yelp users, and 53% of
Instagram users. [16] Business women useTwitter
chats to support each other, give and receive peer
knowledge, and have guest "speakers" share
expert knowledge. [17] One.org helps African
women entrepreneurs connect on social media to
grow their businesses. [18]
found the more Facebook friends a person has, the
more stressful the person finds Facebook to use.
[87] According to a Feb. 9, 2012 Pew Internet report,
15% of adult social network users had an
experience on a social networking site that caused
a friendship to end, 12% of adult users had an
experience online that resulted in a face-to-face
argument, and 3% of adults reported a physical
confrontation as the result of an experience on a
social networking site. [88]
5. Social networking sites entice people to
waste time. 40% of 8 to 18 year olds spend 54
minutes a day on social media sites. [89] 36% of
people surveyed listed social networking as the
"biggest waste of time," above fantasy sports
(25%), watching TV (23%), and shopping (9%). [90]
When alerted to a new social networking site
activity, like a new tweet or Facebook message,
users take 20 to 25 minutes on average to return to
the original task. In 30% of cases, it took two hours
to fully return attention to the original task. [91] 42%
of American Internet users play games like
Farmville or Mafia Wars on social networking sites.
[92]
6. Social media sites help employers find
employees and job-seekers find work. 64%
of companies are on two or more social networks
for recruiting [19] because of the wider pool of
applicants and more efficient searching capabilities.
89% of job recruiters have hired employees through
LinkedIn, 26% through Facebook, and 15% through
Twitter. [20] One in six job-seekers credit social
media for helping find their current job. 52% of jobseekers use Facebook for the job search, 38% use
LinkedIn, and 34% use Twitter. [21]
7. Being a part of a social networking site can
increase a person's quality of life and
reduce the risk of health problems. Social
media can help improve life satisfaction, stroke
recovery, memory retention, and overall well-being
by providing users with a large social group.
Additionally, friends on social media can have a
"contagion" effect, promoting and helping with
exercise, dieting, and smoking cessation goals. [22]
8. Social networking sites facilitate face-toface interaction. People use social media to
network at in-person events and get to know people
before personal, business, and other meetings. [23]
Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life
Project found that messaging on social media leads
to face-to-face interactions when plans are made
via the sites and social media users messaged
close friends an average of 39 days each year while
seeing close friends in person 210 days each year.
6. Using social media can harm job stability
and employment prospects. Job recruiters
reported negative reactions to finding profanity
(61%), poor spelling or grammar (54%), illegal
drugs (78%), sexual content (66%), pictures of or
with alcohol (47%), and religious content (26%) on
potential employees’ social media pages. [21]
Anthony Weiner, former US Representative, was
forced to resign after a Twitter sexting scandal in
2011. [93] Several athletes were banned from the
2012 Olympics because of their racist social media
posts. [94]
7. The use of social networking sites is
correlated with personality and brain
disorders, such as the inability to have inperson conversations, a need for instant
gratification, ADHD, and self-centered
personalities, as well as addictive
behaviors. [81] Pathological Internet Use (caused
or exacerbated by social networking use) is
associated with feelings of loneliness, depression,
anxiety and general distress. [95] The 2013
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM) is evaluating "Internet Addiction
Disorder," for inclusion. A 2008 UCLA study
revealed web users had fundamentally altered
prefrontal cortexes [96] due, in part, to the fast pace
of social networking sites rewiring the brain with
repeated exposure. [97]
[24]
9. Social networking sites increase voter
participation. Facebook users reported they are
more likely to vote if they see on social networking
sites that their friends did. [25] During the Nov. 2010
elections, Facebook users who visit the site more
than once a day were 2.5 times more likely to
attend a political rally or meeting, 57% more likely
to persuade someone about a vote, and 43% more
likely to say they will vote. [26] During the 2012
presidential election, 22% of registered voters
posted about how they voted on Facebook or
Twitter, 30% were encouraged to vote by posts on
social media, and 20% encouraged others to vote
via social networking sites. [27]
10. Social media facilitates political change.
Social networking sites give social movements a
quick, no-cost method to organize, disseminate
information, and mobilize people. [28] The 2011
Egyptian uprising (part of the Arab Spring),
organized largely via social media, motivated tens
of thousands of protestors for eighteen days of
demonstrations and, ultimately led to the
resignation of Egyptian President Mubarak on Feb.
11, 2011. [29] A July 4, 2011 tweet from
@Adbusters with the hashtag #occupywallstreet
started the American Occupy movement, which
gained traction in Sep. 2011 when protesters
gathered at New York City's Zuccotti Park and
remained there until Nov. 15, 2011. [30]
11. Social networking is good for the economy.
Social media sites have created a new industry and
thousands of jobs in addition to providing new
income and sales. [31] A McKinsey Global Institute
study projects that the communication and
collaboration from social media could add $900
billion to $1.3 trillion to the economy through added
productivity and improved customer service. [32]
Facebook posted $1.26 billion for third quarter 2012
revenue, up from $954 million for third quarter 2011
earnings. [33] Twitter, a private company, earned an
estimated $350 million in 2012 revenue. [34]
12. Social media sites empower individuals to
make social change and do social good on
a community level. Social media shares
popularized nine-year old Scottish student, Martha
Payne, and her blog, "Never Seconds," which
exposed the state of her school’s lunch program
prompting international attention that resulted in
changes to her school and the formation of "Friends
of Never Seconds" charity to feed children globally.
[35] [141] Jeannette Van Houten uses social media to
find owners of photographs and mementos strewn
from houses by Hurricane Sandy. [36] Hillsborough,
8. Social media causes people to spend less
time interacting face-to-face. A Jan. 2012
Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg
School study found that the percentage of people
reporting less face-to-face time with family in their
homes rose from 8% in 2000 to 34% in 2011. [98]
32% of those surveyed were on social media or
texting during meals (47% of 18-34 year olds) [99]
instead of talking with family or friends. 10% of
people younger than 25 years old respond to social
media and text messages during sex. [100] [173]
9. Criminals use social media to commit and
promote crimes. Gangs use the sites to recruit
younger members, coordinate violent crimes, and
threaten other gangs. [101] Offline crime, like home
robberies, may result from posting personal
information such as vacation plans [102] or stalkers
gaining information about a victim’s whereabouts
from posts, photos, or location tagging services.
[103]
10. Social media can endanger the military and
journalists. The US Army notes that checking in
with location based services on social networking
sites like Foursquare or Facebook could expose
sensitive whereabouts and endanger military
personnel and operations. [104] In 2011 a Mexican
journalist was murdered by the Zetas drug cartel
because she used Twitter to report on cartel crime.
[105] A blogger was found murdered by a Mexican
cartel in 2011 with the note "this happened to me
for not understanding that I shouldn’t report things
on the social networks." [106] [140]
11. Social networking sites harm employees'
productivity. 51% of people aged 25-34
accessed social media while at work. [147] Twothirds of US workers with Facebook accounts
access the site during work hours [107] Even
spending just 30 minutes a day on social media
while at work would cost a 50-person company
6,500 hours of productivity a year. [108] 51% of
American workers think work productivity suffers
because of social media. [109]
12. Social networking sites facilitate
cyberbullying. 49.5% of students reported being
the victims of bullying online and 33.7% reported
committing bullying behavior online. [110] 800,000
minors were harassed or cyberbullied on Facebook
according to a June 2012 Consumer Reports
survey. [81] Middle school children who were victims
of cyberbullying were almost twice as likely to
CA freshman varsity soccer goalie Daniel Cui was
blamed for and bullied about a losing season until
over 100 of his teammates and classmates
changed their Facebook profile photos to one of Cui
making a save, silencing the bullies and building
Cui's confidence. [37] [38]
attempt suicide. [46] Adults can also be victims of
cyberbullying, from social, familial, or workplace
aggression being displayed on social media sites.
[111]
13. Social networking sites enable "sexting,"
13. Social networking sites help senior citizens
feel more connected to society. [39] [40]
According to a 2010 Pew Internet & American Life
Project study, the 74-year old and older age group
is the fastest growing demographic on social media
sites with the percentage quadrupling from 2008 to
2010, from 4% to 16%. [41] Seniors report feeling
happier due to online contact with family and
access to information like church bulletins that have
moved online and out of print. [39]
14. Social networking sites help people who
are socially isolated or shy connect with
other people. [42] More than 25% of teens report
that social networking makes them feel less shy,
28% report feeling more outgoing, and 20% report
feeling more confident (53% of teens identified as
somewhat shy or "a lot" shy in general). [14] Youth
who are "less socially adept" report that social
networks give them a place to make friends [43] and
typically quiet students can feel more comfortable
being vocal through a social media platform used in
class. [44] Shy adults also cite social media as a
comfortable place to interact with others. [45]
15. Social media allows for quick, easy
dissemination of public health and safety
information from reputable sources. The US
military and Department of Veterans Affairs use
social networking to help prevent suicide. [46] The
World Health Organization (WHO) uses social
media to "disseminate health information and
counter rumours," which was especially helpful after
the Mar. 2011 Japanese earthquake and nuclear
disaster when false information spread about
ingesting salt to combat radiation. [47] The Boston
Health Commission used social media to get
information to its 4,500 Twitter followers about clinic
locations and wait times for vaccines during the
H1N1 outbreak. [48]
16. Social media can help disarm social
stigmas. The Sticks and Stones campaign uses
Twitter to reduce stigmas surrounding mental health
and learning disabilities. [49] The Stigma Project
uses Facebook to "lower the HIV infection rate and
neutralize stigma through education via social
media and advertising." [50] Gay people speaking
openly on social networking sites, like Facebook
which can lead to criminal charges and the
unexpected proliferation of personal
images. Once restricted to cell phone texts,
"sexting" has moved to social media with teens
posting, or sending via messaging, risqué photos of
themselves or others. In 2008 and 2009, US law
enforcement agencies saw 3,477 cases of youthproduced sexual images with 2,291 agencies
seeing at least one case. [112] As a result, teens
and adults are being charged with possessing and
distributing child pornography, even if the teen took
and distributed a photo of him/herself. [113] 88% of
private self-produced sexual images posted to
social media are stolen by pornography websites
and disseminated to the public, often without the
subject's knowledge. [114]
14. People who use social networking sites are
prone to social isolation. Social networking can
exacerbate feelings of disconnect (especially for
youth with disabilities), and put children at higher
risk for depression, low self-esteem, and eating
disorders. [42] The "passive consumption" of social
media (scanning posts without commenting) is
related to loneliness. [115]
15. Social networking sites encourage amateur
advice and self-diagnosis for health
problems which can lead to harmful or lifethreatening results. One in five Americans uses
social media for health care information. [116] An
American Journal of Public Health study revealed
that, "Social media may also pose a hazard to
vulnerable people through the formation and
influence of ‘extreme communities'—online groups
that promote and provide support for beliefs and
behaviors normally unacceptable by the social
mainstream such as anorexia, suicide, and
deliberate amputation." [46] A North Carolina
blogger was criminally charged with "practicing
dietetics or nutrition without a license" for offering
potentially dangerous nutritional advice about the
Paleo diet while posing as an expert. [117] Jeffrey
Benabio, MD, searched for "eczema" on Twitter and
found, in the first 100 results, 84 were spam and
several others gave harmful and sometimes bizarre
advice like using toothless fish to eat eczema
affected skin. [118]
16. Social media aids the spread of hate
site Wipe Out Homophobia, help achieve a greater
social acceptance of homosexuality. [51] [52] Jenny
Lawson, author of the blog "The Bloggess" and
New York Times bestseller Let’s Pretend This
Never Happened, has made public her struggles
with OCD, depression, and anxiety disorders, which
has lessened the stigma of the diseases for others.
[53]
17. "Crowdsourcing" and "crowdfunding" on
social media allows people to collectively
accomplish a goal. A mother was able to find a
kidney donor for her sick child by posting a video on
her Facebook page. [54] Planethunters.org, a
science social media site, discovered a planet on
Oct. 16, 2012 via crowdsourcing. [55] Crowdwise, a
social network devoted to crowdsourcing volunteers
and crowdfunding charity projects, raised $845,989
(as of Nov. 20, 2012) for Hurricane Sandy victims.
[56] [57] Followers of Pencils of Promise on social
media have helped the non-profit build 74 schools
(with 26 more in progress and 7 more planned as of
Nov. 19, 2012) and educate 4,500 children. [58]
18. Social networking provides academic
research to a wider audience, allowing
many people access to previously
unavailable educational resources.
Information previously restricted to academia's
"ivory tower" can now be shared with the public who
do not have access to restricted journals or costly
databases. Researchers from a wide variety of
fields are sharing photos, providing status updates,
collaborating with distant colleagues, and finding a
wider variety of subjects via social media, making
the research process and results more transparent
and accessible to a larger public. [59] [139]
19. Corporations and small businesses use
social media to benefit themselves and
consumers. Small businesses benefit greatly
from the free platforms to connect with customers
and increase visibility of their products or services.
[60] Almost 90% of big companies using social
media have reported "at least one measurable
business benefit." For example, large chain
restaurants are using social media to quickly
disseminate information to managers, train
employees, and receive immediate customer
feedback on new items, allowing for quick revision if
needed. [61] 80% of companies are expected to
have customer service on social media by the end
of 2012. [62]
20. Social networking sites offer teachers a
platform for collaboration with other
teachers and communication with students
groups. A Summer 2012 Baylor University study
examined Facebook hate groups focused on
President Barack Obama and found a resurgence
of racial slurs and stereotypes not seen in
mainstream media in decades like blackface
images and comparisons of President Obama to
apes. [119] Social networking sites allow hate
groups to recruit youth and to redistribute their
propaganda. [120] According to the Southern
Poverty Law Center the Christian Identity religion, a
splinter faction of the white supremacist group
Aryan Nations, uses social media to recruit
members. [121]
17. Children may endanger themselves by not
understanding the public and viral nature of
social networking sites. The 2012 film Project
X, about an out of control high school house party
due to social media promotion, prompted copycat
parties across the US resulting in arrests for
vandalism, criminal trespassing, and other offenses.
[122] Up to 600 Dutch riot police had to be called in
to break up a teen's birthday party to which about
30,000 people were accidentally invited after a
Facebook post thought to be private went viral
(quickly moving on to Twitter and YouTube as well).
As a result, at least three people were hurt and 20
people were arrested for vandalism, looting, setting
cars on fire, and damaging lampposts. [123] In 2012,
a similar incident happened in Los Angeles and
resulted in the teen host beaten and hospitalized.
[124]
18. Social networking enables cheating on
school assignments. Students in California,
New York City, and Houston posted photos of
standardized tests to social media sites, allowing
students who had not yet taken the tests to see the
questions (and potentially find answers) ahead of
time. [82] The SAT has had similar problems with
students posting parts of the exam to social media.
[125] [126]
19. Social networking sites' advertising
practices may constitute an invasion of
privacy. An ExactTarget marketing strategy report
tells companies, "When a user clicks on a
[Facebook] like button belonging to your brand,
you’re immediately granted access to additional
information about this customer, from school
affiliation and workplace information to their
birthdate and other things they like… [M]arketers
can access and leverage data in ways that will truly
alarm customers." [127] From social media sites,
simple algorithms can determine where you live,
sexual orientation, personality traits, signs of
depression, and alma maters among other
information, even if users put none of that data on
outside the classroom. [63] [64] [65] More than
80% of US college and university faculty use social
media; more than 50% use it for teaching; and 30%
for communicating with students. [66] Educators
from around the world interact with each other and
bring guest teachers, librarians, authors, and
experts into class via social networks like Twitter
and social networking tools like Skype. [67] [68]
Edmodo, an education-specific social networking
site designed for contact between students,
teachers, and parents, reached over ten million
users on Sep. 11, 2012. [69]
their social networking profiles. [128]
20. Social media can facilitate inappropriate
student-teacher relationships. The Texas
Education Agency opened 156 cases about
"inappropriate relationships" between educators
and students in the 2011-2012 school year; 86
cases were reported in 2007-2008 and education
experts blame the rise of social media for the
increase in cases. [129] Social media allows for
unsupervised interactions between students and
teachers, which can easily escalate into sexual or
otherwise inappropriate relationships. [130]
21. Social networking sites offer a way for
musicians and artists to build audiences
even if they don’t have a corporate
contract. [70] 64% of teenagers listen to music on
YouTube, making it the "hit-maker" for songs rather
than radio (56%) or CDs (50%). [71] [72] For
example, pop star Justin Bieber was discovered on
YouTube when he was 12 years old, and, in 2012
at 18 years old, Bieber’s net worth was estimated at
$80 million. [73] [74] The National Endowment for the
Arts found that people who interact with the arts
online through social media and other means are
almost three times more likely to attend a live event.
[75]
22. Colleges and universities use social media
to recruit and retain students. 87% of colleges
and universities use Facebook to recruit students,
76% use Twitter, and 73% use YouTube. [76]
Colleges and universities use Facebook apps and
other social media tools to increase student
retention. [77] Social networking sites are also being
used to give students a support system at
community colleges that tend to be commuter
based and can leave students with no in-person
social network. [78]
21. Unauthorized sharing on social networking
sites exposes artists to copyright
infringement, loss of intellectual property,
and loss of income. Social media sites have
copyright regulations but they can be difficult to
enforce. [131] Pinterest relies upon the re-publication
of images from the web and, if users do not use the
site conscientiously, artists’ content can be posted
without license, attribution, or payment. [132] Vogue
Spain was accused of stealing New York street
photographer Sion Fullana's Instagram photos and
posting them to their own Instagram feed without
acknowledging the source. [133]
22. Using social media can harm students'
chances for college admissions. College
administrators scan Facebook profiles for evidence
of illegal behavior by students. [134] [135] A 2012
Kaplan Test Prep survey found that 35% of college
admissions officers discovered information like
essay plagiarism, vulgarities, or illegal activities on
social media that "negatively impacted prospective
students' admission chances" (up from 12% in
2011). [76]
23. Social media posts cannot be completely
deleted and all information posted can have
unintended consequences. The Library of
Congress has been archiving all public tweets from
Twitter's Mar. 2006 inception forward. [136]
Information about an affair posted on Facebook, for
example, can lead to and be used against someone
in divorce proceedings because the information,
once posted, can never be completely deleted.
Facebook was named as a source of information in
one-third of all divorces filed in 2011. [137]
24. Social networking site users are vulnerable
to security attacks such as hacking,
identity theft, and viruses. Social networks do
not scan messages for viruses or phishing scams,
leading to large-scale problems like the 2012 virus
Steckt.Evl spread from Facebook's chat window.
[138] 68% of social media users share their birth
date publicly, 63% share their high school name,
18% share their phone number, 12% share a pet's
name; each of those pieces of information is
frequently used for account security verification and
can be used for identity theft. [103]
What do you think? Share your pro or con views and help us foster civil, intelligent discussion on important social issues.
If you're looking to attack, harass, demean, or impersonate others, please go elsewhere. Read the rules on submitting
comments at ProCon.org. Please note that the pro and con comments and thumbs up/down votes reflect the views of
ProCon.org readers and not necessarily of ProCon.org or society in general. Remember to enter your email address so
we can notify you if your comment gets posted. Thank you!
431b1950ffe9674
Sort by: Best | Newest | Oldest

+72+167-95Tyler BuchmanMay. 27, 2011
"this site itself is a social network!!! I am able to learn huge amounts about the world through social networking.
Like everything, there are cons to it. Kids spending too much time on it is not a valid reason however. Kids who
spend too much time on a social networking site are going to do homework or study more if the site is taken
down. Through social networking, I am able to ask students in my class about questions I have about material. On
nights before tests, I am usually on Facebook chatting to classmates about last minute questions. Facebook also
is able to unite communities, promote organizations especially nonprofit, and show misfits they are not mis, but
fits."
o
89f1486acd36a6
0+3-3Victor GreywolfApr. 13, 2012
"I agree, it is more of a forum, and alot of people spend time on here, but I don't know if you could
compare it to a social network such as myspace, facebook, or whatever have you. Most of the time, being
on a social network or whatnot is to pass the time, and have something to entertain people, right? I
wouldn't take them very seriously, since all they are in reality is a place for people to have something to
do, which is a fantasy thing, not reality. Besides, most people on here are so open, but meeting in reality,
they are so clammed up it's not even funny anymore. It is just things to do, so people can feel tough
online, since they hide behind a computer."

+50+118-68AlexanderApr. 27, 2011
"Great site. A strong pro for the existence of social networking sites is the example given of how the Iranian
protesters used twitter to organize anti-government protests recently. Just to let everyone reading this site know, it
is not just Iran that represses protesters for utilizing twitter to organize anti-government protests.
Just last month during the anti-G20 protests in Pittsburgh, anti-government protests were organized by anarchists
with the help of twitter. During the protest, Elliot Madison (an anarchist) was arrested for maintaining a twitter feed
providing information to the protesters on the street. Madison later had his house raided by the FBI and is being
charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution, criminal use of a communication facility, and possession of
instruments of crime.
When is the State Department going criticize the FBI, like it criticized Iran, for repressing free speech and the
freedom to assemble?"

c1b3a58055912d
+14+60-46KhiaNov. 22, 2011
"I reconnected with my Dad who I haven't seen since I was about two or three(I'm 17 by the way) so I have
definitely benefited from it."

20a9f372f0c2ec0
+9+45-36NicholasAug. 16, 2011
"You can talk to your friends or family that live in other countries or states and you can express the way you feel
and it keeps you in touch with friends ! =)"
"good for linking long distance friends and for putting together groups like autism groups to share experiences and
network. I say this is good in theory, but I do not have time to have an account myself. Too busy with school and
work and family and anything besides facebook"

+2+5-3Eva RodriguezMay. 21, 2013
"Social networking has had a positive outcome on our society. Many people, like me, use social networks and
benefit from it. One reason people may benefit from using social networks, like Facebook or Twitter, is to stay in
touch with people. My mom, for example, has found some of her friends and family from Mexico on social
networks. My mom hadn't seen these people in years and being able to talk to them again made her joyful. Social
networks help you keep in touch with people you hadn't talk to or seen in years. Another reason why social
networks are beneficial is because they can help you find out information about something, such as a college or a
job.
On the other hand, some people believe that social networks have had more negative outcomes. In Alexandra
Topping's article titled, "Social Networking Sites Fuelling Stalking, Report Warns," Topping explains how social
networking site users are vulnerable to security attacks, which include viruses, hacking, and identity theft.
However, most social networks give you the option of posting your information and keeping it private. A person
gets themselves into consequences by giving a lot information about themselves."
0d245fc5262cbfa
"In My personal Belief I think Social Networking can be a good thing to everyone as long as long as people use it
appropriately. Due to the fact it helps friends and family and distant relatives to keep in touch with one another. It
may also in some cases help people seek new friendships. Social networking also gives people the opportunity to
get help with your homework if you didn't have a phone and have a family computer that you have access to use."

+2+28-26Katherine WolffNov. 11, 2011
"I am on the pro side because social networking sites allow people to share information more easily.Besides
friends and family sharomg personal information and events,businesses can use it to advertise easily and cultural
groups and organizations can use it to encourage participation.Social networking sites are even more used to
prevent crimes.Sites such as Hollaback is a site where if a man commits sexual or gender-based crime,a woman
can take pictures and also upload the incident onto a social network site to warn other females via .In this
way,social networking is being used to prevent crimes."
bbaa370873fbeb
+2+42-40GenevieveApr. 27, 2011
"I think that social networking sites are good for society but people still have to be careful. The con side of this
argument has some good points that people shouldn't forget but overall, the positives outweigh the negatives."
"I disagree, ma'am. Would people lose lives without social media? Not necessarily. Do people lose lives
WITH social media? Yes. So, is the loss of a life worth the few benefits that social media gives? I guess it
depends on your values and morals. I, personally, value people more than I do socializing."
"I think that social media is very good for everyone. It helps people meet new friends, old friends, family members,
and renew friendships. Many people become closer to family members and even people in their school! It also
helps you find old friends that you lost contact. Not all family of you family member live near you. On social media
you can talk to them and get to know the better. Meeting new friends is a good thing too. You get to know them
and meet even more people. You never know who you will meet ; you could even meet you husband. Thats why i
think soical media is a good thing."
df1362388ffc839
b93b05a2cef6ec

-20-2IsraApr. 9, 2013
"Social networking sites are good for our society. Some people use the social websites in a good way, but others
are not. Social networking make us make new friends and know what's new in the person life. Sometime social
websites have true news and people make this news spread fast. For the end, i have to say ppl have to use social
websites in a good way."
"Social network websites are the faster to spread information more than other media. 65% of reporters and editors
have their own Face book and LinkedIn accounts also 52% use Twitter for story research, (Kristin Marino Apr. 16,
2012). The social net work sites a way to pursue the news for 27% of Americans, (John D. Sutter, July 20, 2012).
Social media helps people to keep touch with friends or family, make new friends, and build relationships. 70% of
adult of the people's users are used to connect with friends and family, (Brian Solis, Sep. 13, 2011) . social media
faster and easier than face to face communication such as, living far away from friend and family, or person has
compunction problems. The social media helps companies to find employees, and the people who looking for job.
By the proclamation of the companies in the social media, they can recruit huge number of applicants. 64% of
companies were announced for employment by so social media, ( Jobvite, Mar. 3, 2012)."

-2+2-4LizbethFeb. 14, 2013
"Social Networking sites are good for our society because they allow people to communicate with one another, to
help people improve relationships, and to increase voter participation."
"Tom Hodgkinson, writer for the Guardian, stated the following in his Jan. 14, 2008 article titled "With Friends Like
These...," published in the Guardian:
I read this article and while I agree with most of the philosophy in it, I have to counter with one simple point. I am
divorced and don't have visitation with my children. But my ex-wife does let my mother and sister see them. My
mom takes pictures of them and my sis puts them on Facebook. That is the only way I have to keep up with their
growth and appearance. Yeah, they could have the pictures printed and mail them, but it's just so much easier to
do it electronically. Thanks for your consideration."
"That is not totally true. All administrators of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites can look at
any of your personal information whenever they want, regardless of some foolish "privacy" settings.
Agencies like the FBI and the CIA can also access private data. How else do you think they catch "smart"
criminals that happen to post too much about where they are and what their doing on Facebook?"
"I believe that social networking is good for society. It helps people connected and allows people to share
information at all times of the day to stay connected. It has helped other countries in times of natural disaster and
could help the United States when a natural disaster occurs."
455613da002265
Sort by: Best | Newest | Oldest

+76+130-54AlaihOct. 14, 2011
"There are some social networks that are good for people, but there are also some facts about social networking
that really can't be just avoided or dropped out. For example, cyberbullying, there has been cases that cause
teens to commit suicide do to cyberbullying. It has been worse over the years. There is more cyberbullying then
there is actaul physical bullying, and as everyone knows news spread faster on web then anything. So it's easier
to spread rumors and lies on the web then in person. Yes I do admit its help when wanting to communicate with
people you haven't seen in a long time and aren't able to, but it also has a downfall."
66651ac0b05730
o
+10+100DaisukeNov. 17, 2011
"I totally agree with you, there are some advantages with having social networking, but there is a downfall
to it. People really don't communicate much in person anymore. Instead of going out and looking for
friends like people have been doing in the past 100 years or more, they look for friends on social
networking. Instead of going out and trying to find there soul mate or whatever they choose to find it on
the internet. It's really pathetic honestly relying so much on the internet and so much on social
networking."
o
+5+50MikeFeb. 20, 2012
"If we get rid of social networking sites, people will go back to physical bullying. Bullying is its own
problem, which must be stopped individually"
o
+1+10MichealFeb. 1, 2013
"I totally agree with you 100%. When someone gets on to their computer they dont expect to see
someone dispersing lies about them on a page that is supposedly "safe"and then a couple of weeks later
you see that exact person on the news for commiting suicide bcause of the idioc person who decided it
was ok to do that to that innocent person. Social networking sites are becoming the number one source of
cyberbullying."
o
+1+10ChanceJan. 9, 2013
"Yes its downfall is a huge one with teens committing suicide over things said on the internet. Everyone
should be informed of how social media is really used by some people."
o
+1+2-1VinathiFeb. 3, 2012
"If you can't trust young people with mouses and keyboards how are you ever going to trust us with the
world? Because ultimately, we're the next ones in charge."
o
+1+5-4KhiaNov. 22, 2011
"I feel like its the parents fault if a child is cyberbullying. If a parent can't teach their child that bullying is
bad and the child can't control themselves then they shouldn't have a social networking site......"
o
000DauphineAug. 5, 2013
"There are facts about life that can't be avoided or dropped out but should we discontinue that?"
o
-4+1-5don't need to knowMay. 24, 2012
"cyber bullying is a sign of weakness. If it goes too far you can delete your account, or report/block/delete
friend from facebook / twitter. All your arguments have been proven invalid."

+37+83-46Victor GreywolfDec. 6, 2011
"No, because of the fact that it only emphasises two things, no friends and loneliless. Sure, it might be great for
some aspects, such as self online promotion, but it is no substitute for actual friends. And besides, all it does is
turn kids who were picked on more than Pekka-Erik Auvinen, and Eric and Dylan into tough guys. Plus, all it is
really is just imagination the next generation. How do you know that the so-called "beautiful" or "popular" person
isn't someone you hate, or don't want to be around, right? There are lot of people who use pictures of beautiful
people to get friends. If social networks didn't exist, a lot of liars would be exposed, and no room for people to
pretend to be something that they aren't. After all, it is better to be rejeced for the truth, than liked for a lie.
Besides, if people want to be friends with you, they do it in REAL LIFE, not in cyber space. Maybe if social
networking sites weren't around, people would socialize more, instead of having imaginary friends, such as the
case with Seung Hui Cho, which in that case, it is more like Seung Hui Cho the next generation. It's about time
that we stop accepting social networking websites. End of story on my part at least."
f4154835b3d256
o
+5+50Victor GreywolfApr. 20, 2012
"Well, to a point you would be right, but since people are supposedly social animals, social networks can't
be a substitute for actual person to person contact. I mean, sure you can claim to have a girlfriend or
boyfriend, but how do you know, as I have stated before, that the beautiful pretty, preppy girl or whatnot
are who they actually say they are. There used to be a website called fakerssuck .com, I don't think it is
around anymore, and it opened up alot of people's eyes to the people they fell in love with, or attracted to,
are who they say they are. Not only that, but you will never meet that person in real life, so it is like falling
in love with a fantasy, which is not good, but you do have a good point. I have to agree with on some
parts, sns are good for say, a band who want to promote themselves, no argument there, but it really
doesn't help a regular person overall, but at least it gives them an outlet.
Thank you for your comment."
o
+5+50Melissa BrownApr. 12, 2012
"Yes, thank you for the great arguments, Victor Greywolf. However, I disagree with you. Social network
allows you to make friends. People who are lonely, and don't have friends use Twitter, Facebook, etc. as
a opportunity to make friends. Sure, there are a lot of cyber crimes, cyber bullying going on because of
these s.n.s(abbriviation for social networking sites).However, a lot of people use social networking sites
as a place where they can exchange things, and make connections. Also, even though bullying still goes
out in sns, it also decreases bullying. For example, let's say that there was a person who was so lonely,
with out friends, and wanted to suicide. But then, the person got to know sns. He made a lot of friends
there, which encouraged him to stay happy, the fact that he had made a lot of friends. See what I mean? I
mean, I'm not saying that sns is always good, but you can't say that it only does harm to people.
President Obama did a sns campaign when he was going on election, and some people say that sns did
a big part in the election, allowing him to be president."
o
-60-6KateOct. 31, 2011
"I think SNS blocked man to man communicate with other people. The more we close to SNS, The farther
with people because we don't need to meet. we can say hello by using SNS. But we can't know our
friend's facial expression. If we have a phonecall and hear, friend's voice, or meet them, we can know
their feeling easily and ask the reason but If we can't, we don't understand why they do somethings. Many
people write some their personal happened and they don't want to be watched by unknown person, but
they can be seen easily and i don't wonder someone's present situation but they can be seen easily, too.
SNS can't protect our personal situation."

+14+41-27AshleyJan. 10, 2012
"There is no certainty that the person on the internet is who they say they are. You never know who you are
talking to. It may be good for socializing with friends and family, but there is always a chance that someone could
be stalking you .At first it may be someone checking up on you every week, but then they may be doing it every
minute. They could quickly recognize your everyday routine , and something harmless, could turn into something
very dangerous....."
o
5e6d215dc361e8
+7+70Victor GreywolfFeb. 9, 2012
"You're right, Ashley. 100% There is no certainty that the person you are chatting with either via a social
network, or on a chat room is who they say they are. I remember a site called fakerssuck.com, and they
showed pictures in there of people you see in chat rooms, and social networks that people fell in love
with, and let me tell you, 99% of them were pics stolen from websites or magazines, and people claimed
it was them. No matter how many you join, or friends you claim to have on there, it isn't a substitute for
the real thing. Besides, the person you might've fallen in love with, they might be someone who bullied
you in the past and using it to harass people. I would suggest for those who say otherwise to see the
movie "You've got mail" since it is a prime example of something like this. They'd be surprised. As far as
social networks go, they aren't much, unless you are an artist, and are using it just for the sake of self
promotion. Nothing more, nothing less really. People should just look at it like that."

+14+57-43C0D3Dec. 15, 2011
"Social media isn't good. First of all, it's making people lazier than they already are. Take Tyler Buchman's post,
for example. He mentioned how he would get "on-line" the night before the test and answer questions. A good
student would put time into studying for the test BEFORE the last day until the test is given. They wouldn't get on
Facebook, hoping that Mr. Buchman is online, so they can get questions answered. For whatever reason, a lot of
people posting on the "pro" side of this debate keep saying, "It's good because they organized protests with
Facebook and Twitter!" Could they not do that with some phone calls or a letter?
Secondly, it's putting the wrong morals into peoples' heads. The majority of young people assume that cyber
bullying is okay and it won't do any physical harm. The fact-of-the-matter is kids kill themselves over things posted
online. It's not cute. It's not funny.
Finally, people spend too much time on it. Kids should be doing something productive, instead of posting what
they just ate for lunch. The need to document everything is so absurd. In all honesty, I could care less about what
slid into your gullet."
6cd63f1881a4e0
o
+11+110C0D3Jan. 3, 2012
"@Victor.
Since you're con, I don't really understand why you reposted half of what I already typed.
I know about infamy. 17-year-old female, right here. If you need a place to vent, why on Earth would you
do it on a social network? How about some real friends---face-to-face communication. What you just
posted about this only adds to the "social networking is bad" idea.
When I mentioned morals, I was talking about social media as a whole. We are morphed and transformed
to fit society, and with society claiming that a certain thing is the right thing, we'll go along with it. Humans
generally have a need for conformity and union..."fitting-in", if you will.
I appreciate your feedback."
o
+11+12-1Victor GreywolfDec. 17, 2011
"This is a very good post. However, most of them do it, just for publicity, as well as boost their egoes.
Well...that and a chance at instant fame or noteriety, depending on how you look at it. Sometimes people
need a place to vent. I am con on social networks all the way, and you do have a point.
As far as morals, some people are just that way, and it wouldn't matter if they did it on facebook or real
life.
As far as organizing protests, sure they could do it with a letter or a phone call, but I guess in that case, it
is just pure convenience, and laziness. Nothing more."
o
+10+11-1Victor GreywolfJan. 10, 2012
"@C0D3, I was more on the con side in the sense of people using it like chatting and believing they had a
clique and stuff like that. I didn't know I re-typed half od what you said. Zounds.
Anywho, as far as myself using it, I use it more in the sense of self promotion, like people when they have
a business or a product, or in some cases, free publicity. There's a bit of a difference there. This isn't a
personal attack by the way.
AS far as those go, I think people should use them only for self promotion, or a place to showcase their
writing, but I know we both agree on one thing, they shouldn't be taking the place of a real person, I agree
100% on that. Even though technology has advanced so much, there is no substitution for human
contact. Glad you appreciate my feedback."
o
+1+10kimberlychatchingNov. 28, 2012
"Nice article, as a mother, it is really alarming reading news that a teen or student killed his/herself
because of posting their undesirable photos, or maybe posting a shameful incident that happened in the
school campus. Thank you for posting this."

+13+17-4MarinaJan. 15, 2013
"The death of my brother-in-law was emailed to me. I would have preferred a phone call. My first born grandchild I
learned about via FB. I would have preferred a phone call. My daughters liver disease was texted to me. I would
have preferred a phone call."
cd1aa9fcd74d32

+11+15-4AmirahJan. 9, 2013
"Personally, I am on Facebook and Instagram everyday. Yes, I do think social networking sites are addicting.
Honestly I do think that they are not good for society. Many people have loss jobs or been rejected from a job due
to the things they posted on the internet. Teens who use social networking sites have a GPA of 3.06. Teens who
do not have a GPA of 3.28. Teens are more focused on social networking sites then getting active. Many teens
and younger are harassed and bullied online. Many fake accounts are made to be spiteful. Many teens
have/attempted to commit suicide because of online cyber bullying. Social networking sites are deffinatley bad for
society."
Martin Baily, PhD, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, stated the following in a Feb. 15, 2008 entry titled "Is
MySpace Good for Society? A Freakonomics Quorum," from the "Freakonomics" blog hosted by the New York
Times:
"Powerful new technologies provide great benefits, but they also change the way we live, and not always in ways
that everyone likes. An example is the spread of air conditioning, which makes us more comfortable, but those who
grew up before its invention speak fondly of a time when everyone sat on the front porch and talked to their
neighbors rather than going indoors to stay cool and watch TV. The declining cost of information processing and
communication represents a powerful new technology, with social networking as the most recent service to be
provided at modest cost. It can be expected to bring pluses and minuses...
But will social networking sites really improve the quality of people's lives? The pluses include easier contacts with
friends, and increased chances to make new friends and create a community, as well as find romantic relationships.
Even the advertising may be a plus, because it is targeted to the particular interests of the user.
The minuses are that all of this sharing can be dangerous, through gossip and potential abuse of the services.
Examples include reported suicides linked to malicious gossip circulated on a social network. Some people become
addicted to life on the computer screen, and withdraw from personal contact — it's a long way from people sitting on
the porch talking to friends and neighbors...
I am by inclination a technology optimist, believing that the bad things will be filtered out over time and net benefits
will emerge. But in the early stages of any new technology, the buyer must beware."
Feb. 15, 2008 - Martin Baily, PhD
David DiSalvo, freelance writer for Scientific American Mind, stated the following in his Jan./Feb. 2010 article titled
"Are Social Networks Messing with Your Head?," published in Scientific American Mind:
"These days people toss around the term 'addiction' as casually as they would a Frisbee. But whatever you call an
unhealthy attachment, people are spending ever more time on social networks, and some are getting into trouble
over it. For context, Nielson Online reports that the 70 million Facebook members in the US spent 233 million hours
on the site in April 2009, up from 28 million hours by 23 million members the previous April -- a 175 percent
increase in per capita usage. And according to a study by Nucleus Research in Boston, the most avid users are
spending two hours a day on the site while they are at work -- helping to cost companies whose employees can
access Facebook 1.5 percent of total office productivity...
Most people will not imperil their psyches if they spend a little more time on social-networking sites. For them, two
hours a day on Facebook may simply mean two hours less in front of the TV. But for people who bring a compulsive
personality to the keyboard, those hours can grow rapidly, setting off a cascade of bad consequences at home and
work... In the US, the group at risk is pretty big: one in 50 adults has some degree of obsessive-compulsive
disorder."
Jan./Feb. 2010 - David DiSalvo
Are social networking sites good for our society?
PRO (yes)
CON (no)
Nicole
Ellison,
PhD,
Assistant
Professor
of
Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at
Michigan State University, stated the following in a Feb.
15, 2008 entry titled "Is MySpace Good for Society? A
Freakonomics Quorum," from the Freakonomics blog
hosted by the New York Times:
"I believe the benefits provided by social network sites
such as Facebook have made us better off as a society
and as individuals, and that, as they continue to be
adopted by more diverse populations, we will see an
increase in their utility. Anecdotal evidence of positive
outcomes from these technologies -- such as political
activities organized via Facebook or jobs found through
LinkedIn -- is well-known, but now a growing corpus of
academic research on social networks sites supports
this view as well...
Tom Hodgkinson, writer for the Guardian, stated the
following in his Jan. 14, 2008 article titled "With Friends
Like These...," published in the Guardian:
"I despise Facebook. This enormously successful
American business describes itself as 'a social utility that
connects you with the people around you'. But hang on.
Why on God's earth would I need a computer to connect
with the people around me? Why should my
relationships be mediated through the imagination of a
bunch of supergeeks in California? What was wrong with
the pub?
And does Facebook really connect people? Doesn't it
rather disconnect us, since instead of doing something
enjoyable such as talking and eating and dancing and
drinking with my friends, I am merely sending them little
ungrammatical notes and amusing photos in
Social technologies never have predictable and absolute cyberspace, while chained to my desk?...
positive or negative effects, which is why social
scientists dread questions like these. In considering the Clearly, Facebook is another uber-capitalist experiment:
effects of social network sites, it is clear that there are can you make money out of friendship? Can you create
many challenges to work through -- the increasing communities free of national boundaries -- and then sell
commercialization of this space, the need to construct Coca-Cola to them? Facebook is profoundly uncreative.
strong privacy protections for users, and safety issues -- It makes nothing at all. It simply mediates in
but I believe the benefits we receive as a society relationships that were happening anyway."
provided by these tools far outweigh the risks."
Jan. 14, 2008 - Tom Hodgkinson
Feb. 15, 2008 - Nicole Ellison, PhD
Brendesha M. Tynes, PhD, Assistant Professor of
Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, stated the following in her Nov.
2007 article titled "Internet Safety Gone Wild?,"
published in the Journal of Adolescent Research:
"Online social networking can facilitate identity
exploration, provide social cognitive skills such as
perspective taking, and fulfill the need for social support,
intimacy, and autonomy. Whether constructing their
profiles in MySpace, creating a video and posting it on
YouTube, or talking in chat rooms, teens are constantly
creating, recreating, and honing their identities -- a
primary goal of adolescent development. This requires
constant reflection on who they are, on who they want to
become, and on their values, strengths, and
weaknesses.
Susan Greenfield, DPhil, Professor of Pharmacology at
the University of Oxford, stated the following in her Feb.
12, 2009 speech to the UK House of Lords:
"Social networking sites might tap into the basic brain
systems for delivering pleasurable experience. However,
these experiences are devoid of cohesive narrative and
long-term significance. As a consequence, the mid-21st
century mind might almost be infantilised, characterised
by short attention spans, sensationalism, inability to
empathise and a shaky sense of identity."
Feb. 12, 2009 - Susan Greenfield, DPhil
Himanshu Tyagi, MRCPsych, MBBS, Specialist
Registrar in Psychotherapy at the Springfield University
As teens prepare to enter the adult social world, online Hospital in London, UK, stated the following in an
social environments provide training wheels, allowing address to the Annual Meeting of the Royal College of
young people to practice interaction with others in the Psychiatrists, as quoted in a July 3, 2008 press release
from the Royal College of Psychiatrists:
safety of their homes."
"It's a world where everything moves fast and changes
all the time, where relationships are quickly disposed at
Nov. 2007 - Brendesha M. Tynes, PhD
the click of a mouse, where you can delete your profile if
you don't like it and swap an unacceptable identity in the
blink of an eye for one that is more acceptable. People
used to the quick pace of online social networking may
soon find the real world boring and unstimulating,
potentially leading to more extreme behaviour to get that
Christine Greenhow, EdD, Educational Researcher and sense.
Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies at
the University of Minnesota, stated the following about It may be possible that young people who have no
her research in a July 10, 2008 news release titled experience of a world without online societies put less
"Educational Benefits of Social Networking Sites," value on their real world identities and can therefore be
posted on the University of Minnesota website:
at risk in their real lives, perhaps more vulnerable to
"What we found was that students using social impulsive behaviour or even suicide."
networking sites are actually practicing the kinds of 21st
century skills we want them to develop to be successful July 3, 2008 - Himanshu Tyagi, MRCPsych, MBBS
today. Students are developing a positive attitude
towards using technology systems, editing and
customizing content and thinking about online design
and layout. They're also sharing creative original work
like poetry and film and practicing safe and responsible Sophos, a company that develops and sells computer
use of information and technology. The Web sites offer security programs, stated the following in its Feb. 1,
2010 white paper titled "Security Threat Report: 2010,"
tremendous educational potential."
posted on sophos.com:
"Although productivity continues to be the dominant
July 10, 2008 - Christine Greenhow, EdD
reason for companies to block social networks (a third of
companies say this is the reason they block Facebook),
there has been a dramatic rise since April 2009 in the
number of businesses who believe malware [malicious
Michael Marshall, MSc, Writer and Online Editorial software] is their primary security concern with such
Assistant for the New Scientist, stated the following in sites.
his Mar. 6, 2009 article titled "Why Facebook Is Good for
You," published in the New Scientist:
It seems these malware concerns are well justified, with
"Using the internet and social networking sites actually a 70% rise in the proportion of firms that report
appears to reduce loneliness and improve well-being, as encountering spam and malware attacks via social
was reported as long ago as 2002 in the Journal of networks during 2009. More than half of all companies
Social Issues. People who have difficulties with surveyed said they had received spam via social
conventional socialising, such as those with Asperger's networking sites, and over a third said they had received
syndrome, experience great benefits. As for social malware.
networking sites being a poor alternative to real-world
socialising, surveys reported at a conference in 2006
Furthermore, over 72% of firms believe that employees'
indicate that Facebook users mostly use it to maintain
behavior on social networking sites could endanger their
relationships with people they meet offline."
business's security. This has increased from 66% in the
previous study."
Mar. 6, 2009 - Michael Marshall, MSc
Feb. 1, 2010 - Sophos
The National School Boards Association (NSBA) stated
the following in their July 2007 study titled "Creating &
Connecting: Research and Guidelines on Online Social and Educational - Networking," posted on nsba.org:
"Almost 60 percent of students who use social
networking talk about education topics online and,
surprisingly, more than 50 percent talk specifically about
schoolwork...
With words, music, photos and videos, students are
expressing themselves by creating, manipulating and
sharing content online...
Only a minority of students has had any kind of negative
experience with social networking in the last three
months; even fewer parents report that their children
have had a negative experience over a longer, six-month
Michael Bugeja, PhD, Director of the Greenlee School of
Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University,
stated the following in an online debate on social
networking conducted Jan. 15-25, 2008 and sponsored
by The Economist:
"Facebook or MySpace are programmed for revenue
generation, especially the vending of marketing data and
the advertising base that can be established because of
that data. To do so, those networks rely on technology
developed by military (to surveil) and industry (to sell).
The fact that both happen simultaneously is no fluke
because the programming is designed to amass
psychographics on users too busy depicting each other
like products to notice the surveillance...
period."
July 2007 - National School Boards Association (NSBA)
Ben Parr, Co-Editor of Mashable, stated the following in
his Jan. 20, 2010 article titled "Social Media's True
Impact on Haiti, China, and the World," posted on
Mashable.com:
"With the Iranian government clamping down on
information and enforcing censorship [during protests of
the Iranian presidential election in June 2009], Twitter,
Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube became the primary
mediums for bringing information out of the conflicted
nation and spreading notes between dissidents...
Twitter's role was so important in fact that the US
government got involved in scheduling Twitter's
downtime...
After a magnitude 7.0 earthquake (and multiple
aftershocks) devastated the nation of Haiti [on Jan. 12,
2010], social media became the medium in which
everybody spread the word. Dramatic Haiti earthquake
Twitter pictures swept across the web, while tech giants
mobilized. The most impressive part of social media's
impact on Haiti has to be the charity text message
campaign that has already raised more than $10 million
for Haiti victim relief. Social media spread the word,
technology made it possible...
Real-time communication platforms like Twitter and
Facebook have spread the word about what's happening
within these nations, long before the mainstream media
prints the story. These tools have also created a level
awareness we've never seen before."
Jan. 20, 2010 - Ben Parr
428cb17764234a
To rebut examples of proactive use of social networks, I
could counter with tragic ones, including a recent hoax
by an adult 'neighbour' that triggered the suicide of 13year-old Megan Meier."
Jan. 15-25, 2008 - Michael Bugeja, PhD
Christopher Wolf, JD, former Chair of the International
Network Against Cyber-Hate (INACH), stated the
following in his opening remarks at the Nov. 8, 2007
Berlin meeting of INACH:
"On MySpace, as well as on the social networking site
Facebook.com, there are hundreds of groups featuring
the words 'Hitler' or 'Nazi,' many established to promote
neo-Nazism and other anti-Semitic feelings...
In the Internet era, it appears there are more people
interested in spewing hate than in countering it. On the
social networking sites and on YouTube, inflammatory,
hate-filled content overwhelms the limited efforts to
promote tolerance and to teach diversity. And, as we
have seen, hate speech inspires violence."
Nov. 8, 2007 - Christopher Wolf, JD