Results of my research
Socialization:
The first aspect of the social networking impact on the world that first and foremost came to my mind would be the change in how we socialize. I decided to research some different sources about how our social aspects are being changed by social media. A business website name Score OC was one of my first sources and provided me with some insight to my topic. Social media came into existence with the primary cause of making humans interact better or more efficiently. Social networks offer the opportunity for people to reconnect with their old friends and acquaintances, make new friends, trade ideas, share content and pictures, and many other activities. It also allows people to keep in contact with loved ones that might not have access to telephones in distant/isolated places. Users of these websites now get local and global news streamed right to them and can join different campaigns or activities that they like. We can even learn about all the different countries and societies in the world by connecting with others in different countries.
Sure, all of these innovations made upon our culture seem like welcome change to how we used to operate. But what about the decreasing sense of person to person interaction I have noticed within my peers? I have definitely noticed that the majority of people in today's world have become essentially slaves to their devices and especially their social media accounts. It seems to me that everyone just can not go on without the false sense of connectivity and belonging that social media is giving them. "According to Cornell University's Steven Strogatz, social media sites can make it more difficult for us to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world, and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media. By focusing so much of our time and psychic energy on these less meaningful relationships, our most important connections, he fears, will weaken." People are getting so dependent on these websites, I think a lot of people are now preferring to socialize on them instead of in person. Especially our younger generations now that they are growing up using social networking. Kids nowadays that spend most of their time on social networking are not learning how to act in real life social situations. Loneliness, shyness, depression, suicide, bullying, and violence are now at an increasingly high rate among young people as a result of a lack of face to face communication in their lives. If we do not understand the seriousness of this issue soon, we very well might lose our own sense of humanity down the road. We need to make sure our children understand that what they do on these social websites do in fact have consequences and will stay in cyberspace forever. "Cyber-bullying has spread widely among youth, with 42% reporting that they have been victims, according to a 2010 CBS News report." Kids of today can not get it in their head that just because they can say anything through social media, it does not mean they can just do what they want with no re-precautions. Bullying others through the internet does not mean you are not responsible for what you said and did. Social media letting kids be an anonymous attacker is a big negative effect of the sites.
The first aspect of the social networking impact on the world that first and foremost came to my mind would be the change in how we socialize. I decided to research some different sources about how our social aspects are being changed by social media. A business website name Score OC was one of my first sources and provided me with some insight to my topic. Social media came into existence with the primary cause of making humans interact better or more efficiently. Social networks offer the opportunity for people to reconnect with their old friends and acquaintances, make new friends, trade ideas, share content and pictures, and many other activities. It also allows people to keep in contact with loved ones that might not have access to telephones in distant/isolated places. Users of these websites now get local and global news streamed right to them and can join different campaigns or activities that they like. We can even learn about all the different countries and societies in the world by connecting with others in different countries.
Sure, all of these innovations made upon our culture seem like welcome change to how we used to operate. But what about the decreasing sense of person to person interaction I have noticed within my peers? I have definitely noticed that the majority of people in today's world have become essentially slaves to their devices and especially their social media accounts. It seems to me that everyone just can not go on without the false sense of connectivity and belonging that social media is giving them. "According to Cornell University's Steven Strogatz, social media sites can make it more difficult for us to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world, and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media. By focusing so much of our time and psychic energy on these less meaningful relationships, our most important connections, he fears, will weaken." People are getting so dependent on these websites, I think a lot of people are now preferring to socialize on them instead of in person. Especially our younger generations now that they are growing up using social networking. Kids nowadays that spend most of their time on social networking are not learning how to act in real life social situations. Loneliness, shyness, depression, suicide, bullying, and violence are now at an increasingly high rate among young people as a result of a lack of face to face communication in their lives. If we do not understand the seriousness of this issue soon, we very well might lose our own sense of humanity down the road. We need to make sure our children understand that what they do on these social websites do in fact have consequences and will stay in cyberspace forever. "Cyber-bullying has spread widely among youth, with 42% reporting that they have been victims, according to a 2010 CBS News report." Kids of today can not get it in their head that just because they can say anything through social media, it does not mean they can just do what they want with no re-precautions. Bullying others through the internet does not mean you are not responsible for what you said and did. Social media letting kids be an anonymous attacker is a big negative effect of the sites.
Addiction: Another big issue with the introduction of social media upon society is how it is affecting our mental health and well being. According to a Pew Research study, 63 percent of Facebook users visit the site at least once a day with 40 percent doing so multiple times throughout the day. The study also found that roughly 71 percent of online adults are Facebook users as of December 2013. Lemoyne College professor of psychology Krystine Batcho stated “There’s no doubt that when social media is used in place of real connections, that it can mentally cause a number of things to happen to them,” she stated. “Many people are talking about an addiction to social media and that people have become dependent on it. It has brought on anxiety and has made some people feel nervous or worried when they can’t access it.” She also said that users who view social media relationships above of real life ones might just be using the sites as an escape from reality. I think a lot of the people who use these websites to an extreme view social networking as more appealing than reality. But in all honesty, real life relationships just have a bigger sense of depth and emotion than those done through the internet. I believe we need to primarily make sure that we can interact with one another on a person to person basis and use social media in moderation, going over board with it is just not healthy. This all being said I think that social networking isn't a bad thing until you do in fact take it to extremes. Global Conflicts: Before the development of Social Networking, people in different countries didn't have many ways to connect and share their own advancements or problems. Now, with websites like Twitter and Facebook, connecting with the rest of the world has never been easier. In fact, social media is now helping rebelling countries like Syria fight their oppressive governments. Also stated in the news article is Before the development of Social Networking, people in different countries didn't have many ways to connect and share their own advancements or problems. Now, with websites like Twitter and Facebook, connecting with the rest of the world has never been easier. In fact, social media is now helping rebelling countries like Syria fight their oppressive governments. Also stated in the news article is “What’s interesting about the rebels is their use of social media to solicit donations. Hajaj al-Ajmi, a Kuwaiti sheikh, uses his 347,000 Twitter followers to call for funds for the militias. Al-Ajmi’s donation drives have been so effective that the Washington Post wrote that he is a “money machine.” An Eastern Syrian rebel group even named itself the Hajjaj al-Ajmi Pilgrims in tribute to the man behind the powerful Twitter account, according to the Post, a feat confirmed in a YouTube video featuring masked men and assault rifles.” Never before have wars been broadcast to this extent to the entire world. Now just because of how social media has changed and impacted the way we connect with each other, all the evil and wrong doing in the world is getting attention. In the past, a lot of people in need of help didn't get their pleas for change and attention heard and now that has all changed. This is one great example of the impact social networking is now spreading across the world and it's a very good and welcome one. When Hurricane Sandy hit the Eastern United States and a few other locations, Twitter helped save many lives believe it or not. People who were affected by the hurricane that needed help tweeted #sandy and rescue workers were notified their location. :To aid organisations, like the Red Cross and FEMA in the United States, social media has become central to its rescue and recovery efforts. During Sandy, 10,000 Instagram photos (#sandy) were uploaded per second, many complete with geo-tagged locations. That's an incredibly useful source for agencies desperately attempting to decide where best to focus their efforts." "The Red Cross found its social media tools invaluable during the Sandy response. The data was a real-time pipeline of information on victims' needs," a representative told us. "The organization wanted to use that data to inform its entire operation." This is a great new innovation brought on from the new social technology we have at our disposal. Sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook can now literal help save peoples lives. Without this new advancement in communication, many lives would not be saved like they can now. For that I think we can agree that being connected and having an outreach when in disaster situations is a godsend. |
Academics:
When you associate social media and school, you probably think it is just a distraction and decreases productivity. So many kids are constantly browsing it and are becoming dependent on it to connect with their peers. This is what I thought prior to researching the topic. I found a study by the University of Maryland suggests in can actually help students. Professor Christine Greenhow has found that when students use social networking, they actually form bonds with other classmates, resulting in a strong sense of connection to their school. “When kids feel connected and have a strong sense of belonging to the school community, they do better in school,” said Greenhow, an education professor. “They persist in school at higher rates and achieve at higher rates. ... It is pretty promising that engaging in social networking sites could help them to develop and deepen their bonds over time.” Also a lot of teachers feel that social media will actually give more options and resources to students as well. “The big advantage is kids can be authors, they can add links and pictures and comments and it’s very familiar to them,” said Domanico, who teaches at La Jolla Country Day School, a private nursery-12th grade school in San Diego County. “It gave them more resources and made it a little more interesting.” As a result of giving students a bigger sense of interest in what they are learning, they probably will try harder at it and get better grades. For me in school, before we had all this technology, I just did not get interested in a lot of the curriculum because I either felt like I was being forced to learn it or I was just not connected with the subject matter. But when we had the opportunity to transfer over to using computers and all this new technology, I did feel more engaged. Being on these social outlets also helps students prepare for their future as well. All over these websites students have access to many different sources of information about college and career options. Without this sense of connectivity, I feel that many people would not have nearly as many opportunities as they do now and you can really see the effect that social networking is having on the younger as well as future generations.
When you associate social media and school, you probably think it is just a distraction and decreases productivity. So many kids are constantly browsing it and are becoming dependent on it to connect with their peers. This is what I thought prior to researching the topic. I found a study by the University of Maryland suggests in can actually help students. Professor Christine Greenhow has found that when students use social networking, they actually form bonds with other classmates, resulting in a strong sense of connection to their school. “When kids feel connected and have a strong sense of belonging to the school community, they do better in school,” said Greenhow, an education professor. “They persist in school at higher rates and achieve at higher rates. ... It is pretty promising that engaging in social networking sites could help them to develop and deepen their bonds over time.” Also a lot of teachers feel that social media will actually give more options and resources to students as well. “The big advantage is kids can be authors, they can add links and pictures and comments and it’s very familiar to them,” said Domanico, who teaches at La Jolla Country Day School, a private nursery-12th grade school in San Diego County. “It gave them more resources and made it a little more interesting.” As a result of giving students a bigger sense of interest in what they are learning, they probably will try harder at it and get better grades. For me in school, before we had all this technology, I just did not get interested in a lot of the curriculum because I either felt like I was being forced to learn it or I was just not connected with the subject matter. But when we had the opportunity to transfer over to using computers and all this new technology, I did feel more engaged. Being on these social outlets also helps students prepare for their future as well. All over these websites students have access to many different sources of information about college and career options. Without this sense of connectivity, I feel that many people would not have nearly as many opportunities as they do now and you can really see the effect that social networking is having on the younger as well as future generations.
Families In Need:
Next I wanted to see how social media might help people in need in terms their health or financially. So I found this article on the Huffington Post, detailing how different families were in need and used social media to help their cause. "Young Josh Hardy, a childhood cancer fighter who was in critical condition, desperately needing an experimental antiviral drug. The drug company denied Josh compassionate use of the drug, and the social media campaign #SaveJosh was born. It wasn't long before the story took off; landing on social media as well as major media outlets including CNN. After the media barrage, the drug company relented, and now the boy who was once hovering near death is improving every day and taking strides". This heartwarming story was all made possible by everyone's involvement in the campaign on social networking. In this instance Twitter played a big part into helping this family out and trending their cause to anyone who uses the website. The family got the recognition they deserved and saved a little boys life, all because they took a stand for what is right. Huffington Post also gave the story of "Batkid is the superhero nickname given to 5-year-old Miles Scott, a childhood cancer survivor. In remission from leukemia, Miles shares a common childhood love for comic book super heroes, and when asked what his Make-A-Wish dream would be, he wanted to be Batkid, a sidekick to Batman. His wish was granted and the call went out over social media for volunteers to help. The local Make-A-Wish chapter had hoped to garner a few hundred volunteers, but instead the request spread like wildfire and an estimated 10,000-12,000 people helped to cheer on Batkid in his mission to protect 'Gotham City'. Not only did Josh get his chance to save San Francisco (aka Gotham City), but he did so in epic fashion. His day was followed by national news outlets and over 400,000 tweets were sent that day utilizing the hashtag #SFBatKid. What better use of social media than to provide a deserving child with the best day of his life?" Reading these stories makes you realize how big of a force for good social media can be. This is the proof of when a lot of people fight for a good cause, things can really change for the better. This is just amplified with the help of social networking in today's age, showing just how big of an impact it is truly making in society.