The Impact of Social Networking Sites on Human Social Geography

The Impact of Social Networking Sites on Human Social Geography
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The Impact of Social Networking Sites on Human Social Geography
ABSTRACT
Social Networking Sites (SNS) as a form of computer-enabled communication represent an invaluable method for information exchange in both professional and personal platforms. Socially, the inception of the Internet has created an opportunity for improved and changing social lives. The number of growing social media users has tremendously increased, but the reality of changing lifestyles is fast catching up with most people. Social networking through online sites such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Instagram among others has greatly affected human interactions. People no longer see each other face to face; instead, they chat online, date online and do many things online. The growing recognition of social networking sites among the Internet users demands an introspection of personal and social behavior of human beings, which shall be the primary focus of this discussion. This paper will explicitly look into details of how social media has changed human behavior and interactions based on literature available on the topic. Specifically, the paper will explore social media sites impacts on social behaviors of teenagers, children and adults. The nature of discussion will center on the aspect of internet brainwashing, digital intimacy through online dating and general ways through which the internet is affecting human brains. This discussion will establish a cause and effect perspective of how social networking sites have affected human interactions. The scope of this paper will encompass both positive and negative attributes of SNS from selected readings in order to establish a multifaceted opinion of the same.
Introduction
Social Networking Sites (SNS) can be described as ‘online communities' that exist on the platform of the virtual world of electronic data transfer and enable people to connect over the network using ‘Web' applications. these sites (for example Facebook and Twitter) have experienced tremendous growth in membership over the past decade hence compelling queries regarding their impact on human social geography in terms of interaction, relations and development.
Social Networking Sites (SNS) have become widely accepted by members of the public, especially over the past decade. In fact, almost all young adults currently have knowledge regarding sites like Facebook and Twitter among others. It is an accepted fact that these social networking sites have had a major impact on how people get to interact with family and friends regardless of their geographical locations all over the world. In fact, many have come to believe that these sites have become an essential part of Everyday living for people in the modern world. They also form a platform for people to establish new relationships on a personal and professional level. This is despite the security challenges posed by the use of these sites.
Indeed social networking sites are highly convenient and easy to use for purposes of socializing (Carr, 2010).
Some people also believe that these sites go a long way in helping people with low self-esteem to interact with others online, as it is completely different to connect on a one on one face-to-face basis for such people. As a result, socially underprivileged people are able to build confidence and positive attitudes towards connecting with peer and associates. With the passing of each day, the world witnesses a rapid increase in internet users who get to embrace the use of technology in their lives.
It is evident that social networking sites have greatly reduced instances of social isolation and boost self-esteem of people within the society per se (Disalvo, 2009). “The Net also provides a high-speed system for delivering responses and rewards. They call it positive reinforcements. When we click on any link, we get something new and interesting to look at. Once we Google a keyword, instantly we get a list of information to look at. If we blog, we get responses. If we send a tweet, we bring followers. In a way, we get instant nourishment and it feels wonderful” (Disalvo, 2009)
As expected, the use of Social networking sites has its own challenges. From a psychological perspective, these sites have the potential of ‘messing up' someone's ‘head'. It is without doubt that a good number of internet users via social sites get to spend huge portions of their time for the sake of curbing boredom but end up over indulging on the same hence reducing their productive capacity. A good point to note is that constant use of these sites can easily result into a form of addiction to digital media (Watkins, 2009). Unlike earlier times, social networking sites have completely changed previous conventional forms of interactions that were completely private albeit it being limited to those who are able to access the online ‘scene'.
Indeed, interactions established on social networking sites have resulted in over-sharing of personal information by many people in many occasions. The resultant effect is that people get to suffer from levels of anxiety, elevated concern and or depression, not to mention other psychological disorders. This can ultimately result in contradictory alienation from the society. Some scholars have even compared addition to social networking to that of drugs and other harmful substances. This can easily be the occasion of underdevelopment in youngsters and other users as well (Thompson, 2008).
It is also understood that young adults and teenagers form the most avid user of SNS (Watkins, 2009). According to Scheffs (2011), youngsters spend huge portions of their day time using devices with social networking attributes. Additionally, the occurrence of new technologies is greatly entangled in the minds of teenagers and youths in general. This makes them to be somehow adamant and potentially less concerned with other important areas of their lives like school for example.
All the same, SNS have notable benefits and advantages to the larger society, especially in terms of improved communication, still, the challenges they pose are nothing short of serious. Cases of identity theft and or hacking go along with the use of SNS and have been on an increasing scale over the past few years. A good example lies on how the corporate world bears great concern for their online security with SNS posing as a major threat to the same. This in one among many instances that have caused spiraling debates regarding whether the benefits of online social networking outweigh the dangers. For sure, proponents are in their place for arguing that SNS have come a long way in promoting improved communication, computer usage skills and connecting the world's populace. Their opponents however continuously cite negative media influences on children, cyber terrorism, virus attacks, low worker and student attention and productivity. (Cagle, 2009)
SNS allow people to construct profiles that contain their personal information that can be shared on a public of semi-public platform. They also allow for people to establish a list of other users with whom they share information with, these attributes are responsible for enabling SNS to have numerous users that spread all over the world. For instance, the SNS ‘Facebook' has around a billion active users around the world and it repeatedly adds other users- close to 200 million on an annual basis. Disalvo (2009) writes that, “If Facebook were a country, it would be the fourth most popular in the world, just behind the U.S”. Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook fashioned it to meet the social needs of campus students and staff at Havard University and it soon spread on the global platform. As per now, it is ranked as a top social network site the world over. Aside from Facebook and Twitter, other major global SNS include LinkedIn and MySpace among others.
A consequence of overindulgence in SNS as mentioned earlier is poor time management, this manifest in a number of forms. One way SNS take from people's time and facilitate the dangers involved is the process of signing up into these sites. The administrators require vast personal information that entails but is not limited to one's name, location, school or places of work or enjoyment and so forth. This offers the people who oppose the wide use of social sites grounds to argue that corporate bodies behind the sites use such information for commercial gains. Indeed, functions of advertisement and marketing for organizations find such information invaluable for the betterment of their business strategies.
For children and young adults that engage in increased use of social networking sites, a good portion of them have become victims of identity crises. Most of these young people have growing egocentric needs to feel accepted in society and are willing to reach undesirable extents to achieve the same; a scenario greatly facilitated by the use of SNS (Greenfield, 2009). Specifically, this is well depicted by how young people focus on creating their SNS profiles. In most cases, they shift from their true and real identities to how they would like to be perceived by society. This has created the concept of ‘Online Identity' coupled with ‘Cyber Bullying' (Watkins, 2009). As a result, young people adapt forms of confused mentality arising from the substitutions they create of themselves, which they perceive as more socially acceptable.
Another perspective of how social networks have influenced people in the society is in regards to deterior...