Points of View Reference Center

Title:

Point: Social Networking Websites Provide a Healthy Way to Improve Friendships.By: Whittaker, Anne, Wagner, Geraldine, Points of View: Social Networking Sites, 2015

Database:

Points of View Reference Center

Point: Social Networking Websites Provide a Healthy Way to Improve Friendships.

Thesis:Social networking sites allow for socialization, education, and a healthy outlet for creativity for adolescents and adults and can also stimulate the economy by creating advertising opportunities and mergers among and between technology companies.

Summary:The youth of America has responded to the technological revolution of the twenty-first century academically, economically, and because of social networking sites, socially. Social networking sites allow people of all ages to interact online, and give them creative outlets through which to establish and exercise their unique identities, share common interests, and relax and socialize without the pressure of face- to-face interaction. Recent legislation has responded to these changes and has made successful efforts to make the internet a safe place for young people. Benefits of social networking sites include improved social skills, increased self-esteem, and higher social capital for everybody involved. In an age when all aspects of life are becoming increasingly electronic, social networking sites are turning into a social scene that caters to young people and adults, and provides for their interactive needs while connecting peers and colleagues worldwide.

What's the Point?

A social networking site (SNS) is an online database where individuals can create profiles and login to meet other people who share their interests. Social networking sites include dating services such as Match.com, forums for music and movie lovers like MySpace.com, and online services such as Facebook.com that reaffirm offline friendships. The purpose of these databases is to connect people through emerging technology. Connections that cannot be formed due to geographical and physical restrictions and limitations are easily made via the computer, using social networking sites.

Social networking sites originated with SixDegrees.com in 1997. LiveJournal and other specialized sites appeared between 1997 and 2002. The most popular social networking sites were created in 2003 and after. MySpace launched in 2003, providing an online network where individuals could create profiles to display their preferences in music, movies, and entertainment and where they could also meet others with similar interests. Facebook was created in 2004 by a Harvard student as a social network where college students could create online communities of friends. Social networking sites are outstandingly popular with teenagers and people in their early twenties, but older adults have also discovered their usefulness. By 2007, Facebook had over 21 million registered members. In 2005, only 8% of Facebook users were over age 30. In 2009, one third (35%) of American adult internet users have a profile on an online social network site, four times as many as three years ago. Members of these SNSs create webpages and profiles where they can publicly post information and messages. The purpose of SNSs is to meet new people, make new friends, and maintain offline connections easily through an online environment.

So, What's the Problem?

Both the amount and the depth of information displayed on SNSs depend on both the site and the user. Facebook and MySpace allow users to post information such as their home addresses, telephone numbers, and course schedules, as well as pictures. Therefore, the quality and intimacy of information that is displayed to the public through these sites has raised concerns about the increased likelihood of identity theft and stalking, and the opportunities for sexual predators to seek out and harm young people. SNSs protect against these areas of danger by including privacy controls. These features allow members to limit the audience that can access their profiles. Users can restrict viewers to people they know, people within a certain network, people who have connections to their friends, and in myriad other ways. The government has also taken precautions against dangerous connections being made through SNSs. The 2006 Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA) is currently being negotiated at the federal level. When passed, this act will restrict access to social networking sites in schools and make it impossible for students to enter networking sites outside of the home without adult supervision.

Who Needs the E-Society?

While adults do use social networking sites today more than ever, 65 percent of users are young people. Studies have shown that students and youths need social outlets outside of their two primary spaces, home, and school. So-called "third spaces" include all extracurricular zones of activity, even virtual ones. Third spaces allow students to build relationships that are uninfluenced by the social hierarchy that governs schools. Third spaces also respond to the growing need among teens to socialize, and allow youths to express themselves in an area that is not dominated by adults.

Third spaces are defined by their universal inclusiveness and their welcoming nature. The opportunity to socialize outside of the home and the school in a place where everyone feels included is important to young people. Third spaces are key for socialization and development, and online networks allow for this to take place in a modern world where school commitments are becoming more demanding, homes are commonly fractured, and opportunities for physical third spaces are growing more limited.

The social benefits of social networking sites are numerous. Online networks allow young people to approach each other on socially equal ground. Through safe spaces like Facebook and MySpace, kids can practice social skills, meet interesting people who affirm their varied cares and interests, and create private spaces where they feel comfortable exploring new experiences and exhibiting aspects of their personalities that they feel they have to hide at home or in school. With this kind of networking, youths can also learn about media products and events they may be interested in and make valuable friendships. These sites also allow students to learn about technology and become familiar with the electronic resources available to them.

The world is changing to accommodate the numerous advances in technology, and the educational and business worlds are responding to these changes. The ability to succeed in school is directly proportioned to one's technological skill, and social networking sites allow kids to familiarize themselves with the internet and all of its technological resources while enjoying themselves and promoting social connections.

Social networking sites are not limited to making online connections. Studies show that Facebook follows an offline to online trend, meaning that members use Facebook to keep in touch with people they meet in person. Students moving to new areas of the country use Facebook to solidify casual acquaintances that they would otherwise not be able to maintain. Scientists refer to this process of making friends and becoming more comfortable socially as building social capital. Higher social capital causes better social health, better environments, and lower crime rates. When friendships are made in an offline to online pattern, risks of identity theft and predatory behavior are even further reduced.

And the Bigger Picture?

The phenomenon of the social networking site is affecting media, advertising agencies, corporations, politicians, and education. Pearson Education, an international textbook company, recently developed a Facebook page to market their books and merchandise to college students. Barack Obama, a leading Democratic candidate for the 2008 presidential election, is using his SNS, mybarackobama.com, to reach supporters and raise money for his campaign. Obama's website exhibits convention advertisements for supporters, allows visitors to donate to the campaign, and includes a section for bloggers who want to post their reactions.

Technology giants like Microsoft and Google are responding to the overwhelming success of social networking sites. SNSs are goldmines for advertising companies looking to address young adults. Individual profiles display a wealth of information that advertisers can use to attract people on a personal level. Other sites, like YouTube.com, are linking with Facebook and MySpace to increase interest in their products. The electronic communities, or E-communities, of iTunes, SNSs, YouTube, Google, and other electronic entertainment sources are combining strengths to send America into the digital age.

Social networking has educational benefits, as well. Studies show that students are developing more positive attitudes about technology and technology systems. They are learning to edit and customize content, while also thinking about online design and layout. Through social networking sites, they are also sharing information and creative original work such as poetry and film. By practicing safe and responsible use of information and technology, the social networking sites offer tremendous educational potential.

Conclusion

Social networking sites work on a personal level for their members by increasing social capital and introducing young people to electronic resources. In addition, SNSs are an asset to growing technology companies, corporations, and politicians because they increase advertising opportunities and integrate varied electronic resources while simultaneously marketing to their target audience. And educators are finding that they can connect more readily with their students' experiences by utilizing social networking sites as part of the curriculum. The educational, environmental and economic benefits of an electronic world are clear, and schools, businesses, and government will continue to profit and raise the standard of living in America as social networking sites continue to welcome more people into this digital age.

Bibliography

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Websites

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These essays and any opinions, information or representations contained therein are the creation of the particular author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of EBSCO Information Services.

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By Anne Whittaker

Co-Author: Geraldine Wagner

Geraldine Wagner is a graduate of the State University of New York at Fredonia with a major in Sociology and Education, and of Syracuse University's Maxwell School, with an interdisciplinary master's degree in the Social Sciences including history, political science, international law, and sociology. She has published two books,No Problem: The Story of Father Ray McVey and Unity Acres, a Catholic Worker HouseandThirteen Months to Go: The Creation of the Empire State Building, as well as numerous feature articles, newspaper columns, manuals, and web site content.

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