Social Networking

What are some ways (corporate and otherwise) that these technologies can be used? What are the benefits of these technologies to society? Be specific. Is there a "dark side"? Make sure to include your opinion of the way these technologies might evolve in the future.

Technology exists to implement and realize our desires. It is a tool used by people to facilitate life and we embrace it to the full extent. Naturally being human, we have many desires but social interaction is the pinnacle of our mountain of desires. This is one reason to why technology is needed in society. Technology quenches our thirst for social interactions by constantly enabling new ways to communicate. Our most modern form of socially interacting is through social media. Social media, channeled through the web 2.0, has made communication easy and pocket size. Now, people don’t have to limit their communication based on time and place, it can be done by simply logging on a App like Facebook. Thus making the process of keeping multiple relationships easier to manage and makes it harder for a person to be forgotten.

Communication is crucial. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to gain employment, knowledge, or even tighten our relationship with others. It’s the reason for the desperate need to always find new ways to facilitate communication. Currently, social media has the title of most effective and easiest communication. It’s a form of communication that is shrinking the world. Stephen J. Dubner, support this idea as he mentioned on his article “Is MySpace Good for Society? A Freakonomics Quorum” that:

“for homosexual teens in rural America, they can be tools for self-realization in the battle against depression. Thanks to such tools, many teens have chosen not to take the path of suicide, knowing that there are others like them. For teens who are unable to see friends and family due to social and physical mobility restrictions, social media provides a venue to build and maintain always-on intimate communities. For parents whose kids have gone off to college, social media can provide a means by which the family can stay in meaningful contact through this period of change…As society becomes increasingly dynamic, with access to information playing a growing role, having many diverse connections will be key.”

The essence of Dubner’s argument is that social media has positively changed communication and the world. He is stating that it’s much harder for a person to feel alone and now possible to connect to other individuals, something that seemed impossible in the old world. The barriers of the old form of communicating has been eliminated. Just as Dubner mentioned, that if parents wanted to find out how their children is doing, but the distance is great between them, they can now simply access a social media app and communicate. Additionally, Dubner also mentioned that “Weak ties (e.g., casual acquaintances, colleagues) may not be reliable for long-term support; their strength instead is in providing a wide range of perspectives, information, and opportunities.” This argument is very true, and without social medial keeping up with weak ties is next too impossible. If you are one of the lucky few, then you can land a job or a career without the help of other individuals. However, for those that aren’t so lucky, social media is a tool that keeps relationships together, even the weaker ties that could potentially help you land an employment when you least expect it.

              However, even though social media is an amazing technological communication tool that benefit us greatly, it does in fact have a “dark side”. Because social media is a tool, like all tools, it is as virtuous as the person that uses it. There are people that uses social media to cause harm to others. One way, is by stealing others identity and use it for selfish intents.  According to a story posted on the BBB Newsroom by an unknown author “Scammers are tapping into the personal data available through Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn to pose as your friends in fraudulent emails.” Because social media, or the internet in general, gives anyone the power to act anonymously, people with bad intentions find ways to trick other to steal their information. The reasons behind these acts are unpredictable and subjective, but it can be assured that it’s with bad intentions.  But something to keep in mind is that “Technology does not create bullying; it simply makes it more visible and much harder for adults to ignore” ( Dubner, Is MySpace Good for Society?). Although social media has its villains, the positive effects that has in society ultimately out weights the bad.

              In conclusion, technology is humanity’s way of making the impossible, possible. With it, we have created the social media that alleviated our hunger for social interaction. The future that holds for these tools can’t be told, but I imagine that in the near future it won’t be channeled through the web 2.0, but instead it will evolve as virtual reality: it’s coming. Social media along with technology will continue to eliminate communication barriers and I strongly believe that virtual reality will be the next step.  With this evolution televisions, phones, and computers will converge to maximum capacity. I believe humanity is ready for this next big step, and I believe that no one can stop this from happening.  

Work Cited

Dubner, By Stephen J. “Is MySpace Good for Society? A Freakonomics Quorum - Freakonomics.” Freakonomics, 15 Feb. 2008, http://freakonomics.com/2008/02/15/is-myspace-good-for-society-a-freakonomics-quorum/.

Unknown author “BBB: New Wave of Phishing Scams Uses Facebook Info for Personalized Spam.” Www.cinewsnow.com, http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/bbb-new-wave-of-phishing-scams-uses-facebook-info-for-personalized-spam-188696411.html?m=y&smobile=y.