Posts tagged Digg

Throughout the last few years, I’ve heard lots of different opinions on the controversial topic of Social Networking. It’s a growing phenomenon that people are participating in whether they realize it or not. Even people who refrain from using sites like MySpace or Facebook still participate in social networking. Online chatting and email have been around for quite awhile now. As broad as those two things may seem, they are part of social networking.

From Wikipedia (The complicated definition)

“A social network is a social structure made of nodes (which are generally individuals or organizations) that are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as values, visions, idea, financial exchange, friends, kinship, dislike, conflict, trade, web links, sexual relations, disease transmission (epidemiology), or airline routes.”

Social Networking is becoming a huge communication tool. Today, it seems like the lack of communication is putting more and more people “out of the loop” so to speak. Depending on the situation, the blame can’t be put on just one person. Communication is a collaborative effort.

The College scene thrives on social networks like Facebook and MySpace. Students seem to check those accounts more than e-mail. Being fresh out of college, I’ve witnessed my instructors and advisors hopping on the MySpace/Facebook band wagon due to their popularity. Some of them use it to establish relationships with their students, and some don’t.

The negative side of Facebook and MySpace, is people can say and post whatever they want. It can cause problems if people don’t watch out. The element of personal responsibility goes along with any social activity.

The big plus of anything Social Networking is being able to reach out to the world. I think it’s amazing to develop new relationships with people I’ve never met in person, and apply the same concept to keep current relationships intact.

The things we do and feel on a daily basis, there’s always someone else out there who’s doing and feeling the same things at the same time. This creates so many possibilities to connect with people.