Social networking has permanently altered how people engage with one another. The first social networking platform was email, a 1975 invention that is still in use today. However, social networking has developed to the point where a profile is used to provide details about a user and his or her interests, and it now incorporates email.
Nowadays, social networking encompasses exchanging photographs, stories, and other media with others while also utilising applications and messaging services. It wasn’t until 2003, when MySpace and Friendster were introduced, that this form of social networking started to gain popularity.
After a short while, Facebook was introduced, but it wasn’t made available to the public until 2006, after which time it quickly rose to the top of the social networking sites.
These networks provide a variety of advantages, including the convenience of mobile access, keeping in touch with friends, meeting new people, and offering educational advantages.
Identity theft, cyberbullying, a decline in in-person social connection, and social isolation are some more negative outcomes. Increased mobile social networking could lead to health issues in the future.
Email was the first kind of social networking to be developed and it was created in 1975 (Email). Since then, social networking has developed into a profile with many usable features and has incorporated email use.
Social networking is currently altering how individuals communicate with one another and has given everyone access to numerous helpful tools. These popular websites will continue to expand in size as these social networks continue to develop in order to provide users better services.
Even though social networks can be time wasters, they also have positive effects on people by making it easier for them to stay in touch with friends and communicate.
An online community that allows people to develop profiles of their backgrounds and interests, communicate with friends and strangers, and share thoughts, photos, Internet links, music, and more is the definition of social networking (also known as social media).
After signing up for a social network, users are asked to list the other members of the network they consider to be “friends.” The features that social networking sites offer vary widely, and this is what distinguishes each site from the others. Launched in 1997, Six Degrees was the first significant social network of its kind, comparable to social networking today.
After the launch of Friendster, MySpace, and LinkedIn in 2003, social networking as we know it today gained popularity. When Facebook eventually started in 2004, it was exclusively accessible to college students with active university emails.
Before it became available to the general public in 2006, Facebook was a network exclusive to college students for two years. Facebook has since surpassed all other social networking sites in popularity.
Social media’s beneficial effects
Social networking services make it possible for users to connect with old friends and make new ones. These websites make it possible for users to connect with others who share their interests in order to build relationships and get to know one another.
In order to find people who share your interests and worldview, you can join or start groups. By using tools like blogging and messaging to submit thoughts and tales, social networking enables creative expression (Are social networking sites helpful for our society, 2009).
Poems, interests in music, TV shows, hobbies, images, and many other things are also shared by users. Instead of mailing invitations, event invitations may be created and sent to friends. Friends can also RSVP for an event online.
It is used to converse with friends as well as to discuss academic subjects. According to certain studies, social networking can improve a person’s quality of life and lower health risks. Many people claim that social networking has not been a bad thing for them, and schools are beginning to view it as a teaching tool.
Students’ technological proficiency is enhanced by using social networking, which also exposes them to a wide range of viewpoints. Additionally, it has improved communication abilities and makes it possible to learn about different cultures from users around the globe.
Additionally, students use social media to connect with peers online to discuss homework topics and request assistance with assignments. Students claim to communicate about education on social media in 60% of conversations, with 50% of those conversations focusing particularly on homework assignments.
These pupils appear to possess an exceptional combination of both conventional and modern skills, such as technology competency, teamwork, creativity, leadership, and communication.
Parents anticipate that schools will use online social networking to educate students, but in a secure manner. For their pupils to communicate with other students in a safer manner, some public schools have developed a secure social network.
Social networking is advantageous to not only people but also to businesses. A profile can be created for free on these websites, which enable businesses to advertise and offer their services to a big audience.
In order to advertise in an inexpensive manner, several firms have developed profiles that offer comprehensive information about the business. Due to the fact that the business profile is visible to all social network users, businesses will attract greater attention on these platforms.
Businesses frequently utilise social media to research potential hires and base judgements on the information supplied on the profile of the individual.
Social networking has already fundamentally altered how individuals communicate with one another, but it is also developing further to make it more accessible. Now that social networking is becoming mobile, cell phones can be used to access it.
Since many people always have their phones with them, it is believed to be a great idea and would increase the use of social networking. Mobile phones allow users to update their profiles, send messages, upload images, post comments, and update their status virtually anywhere.
This enables individuals to do tasks while also finding time to check on to social media. It is anticipated that making social networks mobile-friendly will significantly boost the number of users.
Social networking on mobile devices has so far seen greater usage than social networking on personal computers. Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo are the most popular websites that people access on their mobile devices.
The full potential of social media is unlocked and it is made easier for individuals to use when it can be accessed from a cell phone. Users have increased as a result of the convenience of use, and mobile social networking has grown dramatically.
Impacts of Social Media negatively
While social networking does have drawbacks, they pale in comparison to the benefits of using it. These websites substitute online engagement for face-to-face socialising, which is thought to lead to relationships with other people that are of lower quality.
Teenagers overshare private information with the public, and merely deleting the material is insufficient to protect them from potential harm when applying for jobs. There are instances of cyberbullying as well, which is when someone is bullied publicly online.
Online social networking users are more likely to experience social isolation, which can worsen depression and social skills. Users of social networking sites that have a false sense of security are more susceptible to security breaches including hacking, disclosing private information, and spreading malware.
When a cybercriminal utilises the network to obtain publicly available personal information about people, identity theft may result. Additionally, it has been asserted that social networking websites put kids in danger by enabling paedophile recruitment.
Additionally, because they are becoming mobile, it may encourage people to access these websites on their phones while driving, just as texting while driving was common.
Mobile social networking will lead to an increase in cell phone use, which is problematic because electromagnetic radiation from cell phones has been discovered to be absorbed by the body and brain.
Confusion and forgetfulness may result from this absorption, which disturbs the memory and learning centres in the brain. Although little attention has been paid to it, it has also been claimed that electromagnetic exposure from cell phones to other body parts can lead to cancer.
The primary health risk associated with cell phones is the development of brain cancer, while social networking on a mobile device does not expose the brain to radio frequency radiation.
Additionally, although cell phones emit small amounts of radiation, it would take extensive use over a long period of time before they began to cause cancer. Research is required to offer proof of the actual health danger that cell phones pose.
Like everything else, social networking has its benefits and drawbacks. The websites are always developing and updating to address the issues. One illustration would be using a cell phone to visit social networking sites so users don’t have to use a computer at home.
The majority of users claim that they have only ever had nice interactions with social networking sites, and very few people really suffer cyberbullying. Although there are still issues that need to be resolved, it appears that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Social networking is a highly useful tool that people may use to make new friends and stay in touch with old ones. Social networking has a good impact on the world by enabling people to interact and stay in touch with friends in an effortless and practical manner, despite the fact that it can be time-wasting.
