A Discussion On Social Media

Sarah Demers

15 November 2012

Web Development

Online Networking: The Promoters of Social Interaction

            Facebook and MySpace are excellent sources for social interaction. These sites are social networking tools; they provide access for people to connect with others whom they would not normally be able to communicate with. Not only are Facebook and MySpace tools for networking, they encourage people to connect with others. As according to Vincenzo Cosenza, author of The World Map of Social Network, “Facebook is the leading social network in 111 out of 131 countries.” Whether it is to re-connect with old high school friends, bring businesses together, or sell a product, social networking sites, like Facebook, are an excellent promoter of social interaction.

            We are now able to talk with people who live halfway around the world because of sites like Facebook. This promotes global business, in addition to connecting us across different cultures. If we did not have access to a social media site like Facebook, many people would be deterred from communicating with those who live far away. Social networking provides us with an outlet to reach out and connect with others whom we would otherwise never get to know.

            While sites like Facebook and MySpace provide a social network for us to utilize, there also lies the danger of people becoming too invested in spending all their time using these websites. This is not an issue with the social networking sites themselves, however, but an issue with how people use them. If someone spends so much time on Facebook that they stop interacting with those around him, it becomes a problem. Their direct communication skills can weaken so that they do not feel comfortable communicating with people on a face-to-face basis. Spending too much time on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace can be dangerous. It is up to us to become educated on this issue, and keep our usage of social media sites balanced with our personal interaction with those around us.

            Our world has become much more connected because of the explosion of networking sites. We are now able to communicate with people virtually anywhere in the world. Businesses have taken off because of social media sites like Facebook, allowing them to promote their products and get word out to the public. Although it is a potential problem for people to become too invested in social networking sites, leading them to shy away from personal connection with those around them, this issue lies with the person, not the networking sites. As long as people are aware of how much time they are spending on social networks, then they are likely going to lead a healthy social life involved with those around them. All in all, websites like Facebook and MySpace are wonderful and helpful promoters of social interaction, because they act as outlets for us to connect with one another, no matter the distance that lies between.