Assignment 1-4

With technology such a large part of our lives in this day and age and the universal access the internet provides it seems that social networking through sites such as MySpace and Facebook has begun to replace or supersede face to face contact for many younger people. Social networking sites can be beneficial both socially and professionally. There are, however, hazards associated with social networking sites that people who are not familiar with the global nature of the internet may not be aware of.

Social networking on the internet can have many benefits, Sites such as Facebook can provide a way for people to stay in touch with each other over long distances and time periods and can make it possible to regain contact with people you have not had contact with for years. If many people you know are members of the same site it can be a great tool for planning events or get togethers or just to see photos of your sibling's kids. Many social networking sites also offer games and other diversions beyond simple functions like "here is what I'm doing now, here is what I'm interested in, and here are some cool pictures."

On the other hand many younger individuals especially those in junior high and high school often don't think about the consequences of things they may write. You can see one consequence at http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/12/us-student-inte.html where a student was suspended for creating a group critical of her teacher. Another hazard, although one often greatly exaggerated by the press, is that of the fearsome child molester. An individual can use the site as a way to contact impressionable children and teenagers without having to worry about someone seeing them like they would in a public area. Many parents don't closely surpervise their childrens internet activities because they either don't understand the dangers or think "something bad would never happen to my child online."

For people somewhat older another thing to watch for when participating in social networking sites is that employers more and more often are searching social networking sites to get more information about potential hires. If you belong to a radical political group or seem to have a propensity for heavy alcohol consumption it could greatly reduce or eliminate altogether your chance of being hired. Some social networks actually exist to help you get a job for example http://www.linkedin.com/ where you can find information about hiring policies and managers at various companies. You can also see which of you contacts may be able to get you an interview or give their recommendation to the company.

Social networking can be a valuable tool but has many risks associated with it that people are not familiar with. A little thought as to who may see something before putting it in the public domain, or even making it available to your "friends" can go a long way towards making social networking a much more rewarding activity.

Resources:

Student Who Created Facebook Group Critical of Teacher Sues High School Over Suspension | Threat Level from Wired.com. (December 9, 2008). Retrieved February 1, 2009, from http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/12/us-student-inte.html.