Social networking - a viewpoint by NinthElement 2013/07/05 22:54
The rise of social networking and interacting with others online is more than just the evolution of the internet, it also forms part of the evolution of mankind and redefines our way of life. This is the age of connectedness which heralds a new era in communication, and as with all such advances this will be positive in many ways but negative in some, with various shades of grey.
Although most of us now take it for granted, it is an amazing achievement for our species that we can now connect with people on a global level and in a matter of seconds. Not only does today's technology allow us to reach people we already know who live far from us, but it actually allows us to form new friendships and relationships in a way that only a century ago would have seemed like fantasy. This of course is a hugely positive thing, so can there be any negative aspect to that?
An observation I'd make in this regard, which has been made by others, is that the definition or value of a friend has been skewed slightly by social networks. Many or most people online have friends, followers, followees or buddies they don't really know very well and probably never will. The meaning of friendship can be undermined further when it is so easy to 'unfriend' (a word which has in fact entered the English dictionary) someone with a click of a button, perhaps for as simple a reason that you don't really talk to them much when in real life such an action would be unnecessary.
However, the above downsides are in my view outweighed by the fact that many true and lasting friendships and relationships will be formed or maintained thanks to social networking and online communities that would otherwise not have been possible, and such friendships have been made richer by being able to share so many things so easily over the web.
The other big aspect of this new connectedness is its ability to allow people and groups to organise, and the contrasts of the ways this can be used is far more profound. Businesses and other organisations that intend to be taken seriously all have social networking strategies, and while this can be very commercial it can also be a force for good in the right hands. But there are even greater implications for this powerful way of communicating. In this decade alone, governments have been overthrown and a civil war started following protests which began after being organised online, with very mixed consequences. Politicians in democracies around have the world have also realised the importance of appealing to younger voters through social networking, one notable example being the current US president.
Both globally and locally, the people of the world are coming closer together and this is just the beginning.
The rise of social networking and interacting with others online is more than just the evolution of the internet, it also forms part of the evolution of mankind and redefines our way of life. This is the age of connectedness which heralds a new era in communication, and as with all such advances this will be positive in many ways but negative in some, with various shades of grey.
Although most of us now take it for granted, it is an amazing achievement for our species that we can now connect with people on a global level and in a matter of seconds. Not only does today's technology allow us to reach people we already know who live far from us, but it actually allows us to form new friendships and relationships in a way that only a century ago would have seemed like fantasy. This of course is a hugely positive thing, so can there be any negative aspect to that?
An observation I'd make in this regard, which has been made by others, is that the definition or value of a friend has been skewed slightly by social networks. Many or most people online have friends, followers, followees or buddies they don't really know very well and probably never will. The meaning of friendship can be undermined further when it is so easy to 'unfriend' (a word which has in fact entered the English dictionary) someone with a click of a button, perhaps for as simple a reason that you don't really talk to them much when in real life such an action would be unnecessary.
However, the above downsides are in my view outweighed by the fact that many true and lasting friendships and relationships will be formed or maintained thanks to social networking and online communities that would otherwise not have been possible, and such friendships have been made richer by being able to share so many things so easily over the web.
The other big aspect of this new connectedness is its ability to allow people and groups to organise, and the contrasts of the ways this can be used is far more profound. Businesses and other organisations that intend to be taken seriously all have social networking strategies, and while this can be very commercial it can also be a force for good in the right hands. But there are even greater implications for this powerful way of communicating. In this decade alone, governments have been overthrown and a civil war started following protests which began after being organised online, with very mixed consequences. Politicians in democracies around have the world have also realised the importance of appealing to younger voters through social networking, one notable example being the current US president.
Both globally and locally, the people of the world are coming closer together and this is just the beginning.
#74 Trash Zone
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