Blog: Social Networking
What are some ways (corporate and otherwise) that these technologies can be used? What are the benefits of these technologies to society? Is there a "dark side"? Make sure to include your opinion of the way these technologies might evolve in the future.
Social networking platforms such as, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, etc. are used by many people for different purposes. Some uses would be connecting with friends, meeting new people, sharing personal experiences, gaining an internet presence, and company advertising. The usage of these platforms are beneficial because they allow people to stay connected even when they are physically apart. Whether it is through messaging or through posts, a person can get updates from friends or even strangers and know how they are feeling. It also allows people to gain a sense of community that they might or might not gain elsewhere and provide people an outlet to express their opinions and emotions. Social networking can also aid companies by saving them time. In the article, Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting, a recruiter says he could scout a whole group of job candidates in just a half an hour. By utilizing LinkedIn, recruiters had access to the candidates' profiles and past experiences and check if it matches the job position that he or she is trying to find candidates for.
The downside of using these platforms is that even though a person has a lot of friends or has a lot of followers, does not mean that they are all meaningful relationships. Sometimes seeing many updates and posts from these weak relationships about how they feel can "spread your emotional energy too thin, leaving less for true intimate relationships" (Thompson). The use of social media can also negatively affect peoples' mental health, especially on platforms like Instagram where people are exposed to the perceived standards set by society. In the future I hope social media platforms evolve by developing filters that can aid in reducing the exposure of impressionable audiences to toxic environments and their contents.
Works Cited
Langfitt, Frank "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting"
Thompson, Clive "Brave New World of Digital Intimacy"
Social networking platforms such as, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, etc. are used by many people for different purposes. Some uses would be connecting with friends, meeting new people, sharing personal experiences, gaining an internet presence, and company advertising. The usage of these platforms are beneficial because they allow people to stay connected even when they are physically apart. Whether it is through messaging or through posts, a person can get updates from friends or even strangers and know how they are feeling. It also allows people to gain a sense of community that they might or might not gain elsewhere and provide people an outlet to express their opinions and emotions. Social networking can also aid companies by saving them time. In the article, Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting, a recruiter says he could scout a whole group of job candidates in just a half an hour. By utilizing LinkedIn, recruiters had access to the candidates' profiles and past experiences and check if it matches the job position that he or she is trying to find candidates for.
The downside of using these platforms is that even though a person has a lot of friends or has a lot of followers, does not mean that they are all meaningful relationships. Sometimes seeing many updates and posts from these weak relationships about how they feel can "spread your emotional energy too thin, leaving less for true intimate relationships" (Thompson). The use of social media can also negatively affect peoples' mental health, especially on platforms like Instagram where people are exposed to the perceived standards set by society. In the future I hope social media platforms evolve by developing filters that can aid in reducing the exposure of impressionable audiences to toxic environments and their contents.
Works Cited
Langfitt, Frank "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting"
Thompson, Clive "Brave New World of Digital Intimacy"
I enjoyed reading your post and I loved that you pointed out how mental health can also be affected by their use of social media. Social networking has tons of benefits and you did a great job outlining the good and bad sides of it such as being exposed to toxic environments or not making any true connections.
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