Staying Away From Social Networking Sites as a Communication Platform

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Should we do away with Social Networking Sites as a Communication Platform?
The modern society has had the privilege of incorporating some of the most advanced technologies in their daily life routines. Some of the advanced technologies include mobile devices and the internet, which have allowed people to stay in touch, acting as a bridge between people miles away from each other. The use of mobile phones and the internet have also allowed instant delivery and feedback on messages, thus circumventing the time and distance barrier. This is where the concept of social networking sites (SNS), which are web-based services that enable people to create an online profile which is visible to other users in the same system, and allows them to stay connected (Edwards 3), comes in. While some people may contend that the use of SNS as a communication platform is destructive, there is irrefutable evidence indicating that SNS allows for open discourse in both the social and professional lives of individuals.
First, SNS allows employers to reach out to potential employees. This is especially helpful when employers need to fill a vacant position urgently because they can post the information on SNS and get instant applications from interested candidates. According to Carroll and De Back (4), lately, recruiters are looking for candidates through SNS way before they post a vacant position officially. This is an indication that SNS is an easy way for recruiters to obtain information on candidates and by the time they officially communicate about open positions either through the company’s website or mainstream media, they have already gathered enough information about the type of candidate they want. Also, the presence of professional SNS such as LinkedIn has made it easier for recruiters and job hunters to connect. Through LinkedIn, individuals who are looking for employment create an online profile indicating their skills and professional qualifications, and employers examine those profiles for potential recruits. Carroll and De Back (5) note that through networks such as LinkedIn, individuals can build networks and through these networks, they are introduced to potential employers and other professionals in the same field of expertise. Job hunters are also encouraged to update their profiles frequently, and more importantly, they are advised to keep clean personal profiles on sites such as Facebook since employers have a tendency of looking at those personal profiles during their search for recruits. Thus, SNS has promoted an open discourse between employers and potential employees by allowing them to quickly and easily share information about open vacancies and professional qualifications respectively.
Second, people can stay informed on current issues across the globe, making SNS the most potential source of news. According to Khosrow-Pour (6773), globally, a majority of the people have access to SNS, and as such, more people can access global news. People have been able to spread awareness on current issues through sites such as Twitter and Facebook where an issue can remain trending for days, allowing almost everyone to get information on the issue. Further, people can access news on places and issues where the mainstream media is unable to report on due to various restrictions. As noted by Khosrow-Pour (6776), people in countries where the concept of free media is almost non-existence have used SNS to inform the world of what is happening in those countries. As such, everyone can stay informed, regardless of the restrictions placed by certain governments.
Further, the information shared is instant, and people can record or stream live events as they occur, thus sharing multimedia content (Khosrow-Pour, 6776). This is especially important because such live streaming and voice recording increases the credibility of the information being shared, and being instant, it leaves no room for alteration. People have been able to receive live feeds of events as they happen from others who are at the center of the events. This information shared through SNS has also been used by mainstream media, indicating that sharing of information through social sites has become a contemporary method of obtaining information on different issues around the globe. As such, in the absence of mainstream media, people are still able to access and share information through SNS, making it an appropriate platform for open discourse.
Third, the existence of SNS enables people to manage and maintain long-distance relationships. For instance, it allows parents and their children to keep in touch, especially when children go to college away from home. According to Rowan-Kenyon and Martinez (51), students in their first year of college depend on social media to communicate with their parents back at home. Further, they use the same medium to keep in touch with their pre-existing friends once they go to college. As such, it has helped them maintain an open discourse where they share information about their progress with families and friends back at home. Also, SNS have enabled students to establish new relationships once they join college, which is essential in supplementing their well-being given that they are miles away from their family and pre-existing friends (Rowan-Kenyon & Martinez 51). Students can connect with like-minded people within the campus by checking the profiles of people within their existing connections. Other than that, SNS allows students to establish a relationship with the college because the information that allows them to familiarize with the institution are shared through SNS, as indicated by Rowan-Kenyon and Martinez (53). This eases the transition period for students joining campus and allows them to form a connection with the school and people in the institution. Thus, other than promoting open discourse, SNS has also enabled new students to cope with changes in their lives and establish new bonds and connections.