Social Networking - Essay Example

Social Networking If you have never used a social networking site, would you consider using one now? Why or why not? Write an essaypersuading the readers that using a social networking web has positive or negative effects on relationships.  Social networking websites have become a norm in the recent times. Individuals of all ages indulge in the activities and attractions offered by such websites. Social networking websites have a very vast effect on the individual using it. I have been using social networking websites since the last four years.

Social networking has both positive and negative effects on the education, personal development, interpersonal skills, relationships and psychological aspects of the individual. Social networking web has emerged as a remarkably significant form of communication and socializing amongst the youth. Some utilize the social networking for playing their favorite online games, while others use it for communicating with their friends through pictures, videos and chatting. Human relations are another aspect that is affected by the social networking usage.

This aspect has its own flaws and positive points that can affect the individual using the websites. Human beings always show a deep interest in the nature and personalities of their friends and peers. They are curious about their activities, pastimes, current incidents, feelings and opinions. People are always in an effort to “know more” about the people around them and intrude in their private information. Social networking web has given an opportunity to the users to display their personal information, feelings and life events on the internet.

Thus, they also get an equal chance of viewing and interfering in other people’s information as well. With the transparency this social web offers, people claim to have an opportunity to learn and know more about their peers which help them to build a better level of understanding and communication (Atwood 2011). According to a poll carried out amongst women, 70% of them believed that internet chatting can lead to development of an emotional relationship and this can help them in finding their potential mates.

Hence, a large amount of people, join the social networking web in search of their potential partners (Atwood 2011). However, building such strong relations on the mere basis of online chatting and social networking website information is considered quite unreliable and untrustworthy. Infidelity is the main issue that is associated with social networking. Online information can be conveniently forged or faked to deceive the other users. Moreover, two people cannot connect and communicate on a more personal level just through a social networking website.

Relationships originating from this source might result in an undesired ending. Another negative aspect of social networking web is social addiction. A person gets so addicted to logging in to a website that he or she might feel anxious or frustrated if he fails to do so because of any reason. With social networking addiction, an individual’s personal skills of interacting in the real world are quite deficient and he may lack self-confidence. Plus, his or her relationships with friends, siblings or friends are also affected as they start feeling ignored or neglected.

This might create a breech in their relationships because of their addiction and unjustified attention for their peers. Researches have showed that people who have large social networking circles have comparatively smaller offline social circles, which is a reflection of the negative effects of social networking web on a person’s real life (Atwood 2011). But if we look on the brighter side of the picture, internet chatting and online romance offers those people an opportunity to mingle and communicate who are offline introvert and shy.

Such people have a small offline social circle and hence mostly find it difficult to find a perfect match for them. Social networking web offers such people to come out of their shell and interact with their online peers more openly and frankly (Atwood 2011). However, social networking web enables a person to expand his social circles and interact with more people instantly and quickly. Through the social networking websites, new relationships are built on the foundations of business motives, friendships and love.

College students use social networking web to maintain relationships with their fellow students and seniors to keep themselves updated about the current events in their campuses and surroundings. Corporate people also use social networking web to keep a record of their business acquaintances and keep in contact with them constantly. Similarly, people looking for potential mates use the sites in search of future partners. Hence, in spite of its privacy and infidelity issues, social networking has indeed established itself as a very popular and quick method of contacting your peers and colleagues.

People should not completely restrict themselves form the social networking web, as it is a quick method of communicating for several purposeful reasons, however, they should always be careful regarding privacy of their personal information. References Atwood, J. D. (2011). Effects of the internet on social relationships: Therapeutic considerations. S.l.: Iuniverse Inc.