Social Networking

Social networking has become a main part of the online activities of Internet users. Sites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter now have a diverse user base and are not just limited to a particular age or local demographic.  There are numerous uses of these technologies to users with most of the advantages relating to keeping constant contact with friends, family and associates.  Social networking makes staying in contact simple and eliminates the problem of locale.  The internet and these social networking sites has enabled us to stay in contact with friends, make new associates and engage in forums with people of similar interests and lifestyles across the globe.

Businesses and corporations can also benefit from social networking.  Many corporations have their own profiles on social networking sites.  These profiles can provide another outlet for communication with customers and potential customers.  New products have another mode for exposure.  Some companies have used the huge database of user profiles such as those in LinkedIn to offer job interviews to highly qualified and potentially valuable talented individuals.  In the article Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting, a recruiter is quoted as saying “Social networking technology is absolutely the best thing to happen to recruiting — ever”.  In today’s competitive world, having the best and the brightest working for you can make all the difference in the direction your company goes. 

There are, however, a few drawbacks of this technology.  Privacy issues are a growing concern.  Users desire privacy of various degrees.  The ability to easily customize privacy settings is not yet perfect.  The enormous amounts of data that are being collected and stored are a great cause of concern.  Many users are concerned as to who has access to this data and how it is being used.  The changing landscape of how we communicate and how we value friends can also be a cause for concern.  William Reader, a professor of psychology, commented on the blog Freakonomics, "Anyone can post "u r cool", on someone's "wall" or "poke" them on Facebook, but genuine smiles and laughs are a much more reliable indicators of someone's suitability as a faithful friend". Traditional means such as face-to-face communication and interaction are suffering as a result of new high tech means.  Traditionalists will lament the lack of this interaction and the effect it could have on the next generation’s ability to properly communicate with each other.

The future of social networking might involve a more involved business sector, that may use the networks as a hiring gadget linking people of various skills to appropriate jobs in a more efficient and numerous manner.  Social networks with more efficient advertising placements are becoming a reality and they will continue to improve as we share more information.  This can be seen as mainly a good thing but the privacy issues will arise.  Hopefully the future holds some sort of fix to the way our privacy is handled and results in a more eased minded world of social network users.