Social Networking, Privacy, and Self-Identity - Essay Example

SOCIAL NETWORKING, PRIVACY, AND SELF-IDENTITY Author’s name Institutional affiliation Social Networking, Privacy and Self-identity General background and Introduction Social networks are the vital part of online activities such as advertisement, connecting with friends and getting new information. Additionally, the common social networks used in day to day life include LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest and Twitter (Aïmeur et al, 2011, 13). The social networks are online websites where users are given a platform to establish relationship and connections other friends, relatives and acquaintances who are also Internet users (Aïmeur et al, 2011, 13). The information on the social networks is stored remotely as compared to the information storage on a user’s PCs. The main functions of social networks are to establish a connection with friends to facilitate interaction, meeting new people and connecting with similar individuals with analogous ideas and interests. According to research, the use of social networks has risen since 1990 when they were overwhelmingly embraced on a large scale. The same research indicates that that the number of mature Internet users with a social networking profile in the year 2008 was four times as much as the individuals with social network accounts in 2005. Since 2008, the number of individuals using social networks is increasing at an alarming rate. In 2012, Facebook alone recorded a billion users’ accounts globally (Bumela 2012, 37). The social media are also increasing in number, and there is a stiff competition in social networking with each provider trying to increase the quality of services by incorporating more applications (Bumela 2012). The issue of social networking and challenges However, other than sharing information with friends and acquaintances, many other individuals are engrossed in the information posted by persons who do not bear any relationship. Data security and privacy is a challenge to every social network. The number negative traits associated with social networks such as online scams, theft instances and conmen is also increasing at a higher rate (Aïmeur et al, 2011, 13). The People have gained experience from social networking through the prevalence of above cases. People are using The internet for various reasons. While other people use the Internet for education, entertainment and communication, scam artists, thugs, stalkers and debt collectors are utilizing the Internet abusively. They use the social networks to unfold information other users and use data such as contacts, and location details selfish financial gains. There is a need to understand the risks to privacy and security posed by converging technologies (Bumela 2012, 37). There are fast and vast developments in the field of the social network making it hard to stay on par with trending technology as well as predicting future developments. The growing privacy and security issues is a possible threat and key aspects that may lead to diminishing of social network value in the business environment and government (Gross 2005). There is evidently little information about knowing people intention and attitudes towards internet security risks. It consequently affects users’ attitudes and behavior. There exists little research in internet security and privacy for a better understanding of possible implications and ascertaining strategies for managing the risks. Available solutions to social networking issues and trends The social networks have significant strategies of minimizing such issues but the greatest responsibility lies with the users. The social networks thus have instilled knowledge to individuals on how to manage privacy (Bumela 2012, 37). The users know the type of information to share through the social networks, the consequences and implications of breaching security aspects. The article explores ways through which social networks is continuously changing the ways in which users manage privacy as they connect with other individuals. The paper also gives a diagnostic view of the various ways in which the social networks influence how internet users make sense of self-identity and соnstruсt public реrsоnаs. Managing Privacy The social network has changed how users manage privacy through the adoption of better communication styles. Interpersonal communication is currently preferred over the use of public networks. Interpersonal communication entails the use of personal networks where users are given the chance to create personal detailed online profiles that are unique and to be used in establishing a connection with other users. The Privacy is increased with more highlights on social connections that include friendship (Bumela 2012, 37). When the personal networks are compared with status update networks, privacy aspect is improved on the former. An example of personal networks includes MySpace, Facebook and Friendster and platforms where communication is only inclined to communication with friends that users share their contacts (Madejski 2012). The social network of the above kind helps users to manage their privacy since they allow information sharing with only other permitted users. The aspects used in analyzing the personal network of friends to have free access to information include employment, education, age, and gender. Status update networks such as Facebook profile status is a public network since anyone can access the information presented in the profile. Whatever a person posts in the profile statuses is available for anyone to see (Aïmeur et al, 2011, 13). However, the social networks facilitate privacy in such networks through the introduction of customized setting that allows users to dictate the type of persons who access their account details. Users have the capability to restrict the people who access their accounts. Users can choose to share their information with public, friends or with nobody (Krishnamurthy 2011). The ability of the social media to manage privacy through the inclusion of security and privacy settings has improved the users’ data security management in a positive way. The social networks have educated people about different types of networks that include shared-interest networks (Aïmeur et al, 2011, 13). The privacy management is improved by having a clear understanding of social networks that revolve around mutual interest and targets a definite group of individuals. Most of the social networks have features that are prejudiced towards a particular subset of personalities Examples include people who share similar common hobbies, religious views educational backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds and political affiliations. Such social networks include Black Planet, LinkedIn, Gay.com, Goodreads and deviant ART (Aïmeur 2011). The ability of social networks to differentiate and group individuals in terms different aspects has enabled people to manage privacy and thus improving internet security. The social networks have been seen as the platform where people express their ideas, feelings and views in different aspects. However, through the rapid advancement of social network technology, users can now manage the type of contents that they need to share. There was a time when private chat logs in Facebook network was public and anybody could access the information. The social networks have educated people on managing privacy through protecting personal notoriety on informal organizations (Bumela 2012, 37). It is through experience that people know that whatever is posted online stays on the web. It is good to reconsider before posting pictures that one would not need their folks or future head honchos to see. The recent research found that 70% of employment spotters rejected competitors in light of data they discovered on the web (Aïmeur 2011). The personal online notoriety can be something to be thankful. Recent research likewise found that enrollment specialists react to an in number, constructive individual brand on the web. So demonstrate person’s smartness, attentiveness, and dominance on the web, social networks have shown that is good to keep individual data, individual (Aïmeur et al, 2011, 13). Care must be taken about the amount of individual data that one give on interpersonal interaction destinations. The more data that one post, the less demanding it might be for a programmer or another person to utilize that data. Social systems can be used for a mixed bag of purposes. A fun's portion is making a huge pool of companions. That does not mean all companions are made equivalent. Utilization instruments to deal with the data for imparting companions in distinctive gatherings. The social network has provided a platform for utilizing personal profile to keep genuine companions more synched up with individual day to day life. Individuals have diverse resilience for how much the world thinks about them in regards those distinctions. The effort of managing privacy involves realizing the kind of move to make (Dwyer 2007). Self-Identity and Public Persona Online social networking offers new open doors for sharing self-presentational substance, and exposing oneself on the web. One such frame is through the dedication to sending and keeping up one's online way of life as though it were a marked decent, with the desire that others do likewise. It involves developing an online practice that includes making a persona, offering individual data around oneself to others and performing personal associations with making the figment of kinship or closeness (Dwyer 2007, 45). It also encompasses recognizing a group of people and review them as fans and utilizing key uncover of data to expand or keep up this gathering of people. The courses in which character is built and experienced online is not fundamentally not the same as how personality works in the disconnected from the net social world. Researchers contend that the foundations of personality do not definitely change in the Facebook realm (Bumela 2012). The social character remains unequivocally set up, yet rather may be interceded in new ways. While the innovation or interface figures out what sorts of representations individuals can build, whatever the interface's confinements, the interface is still ready to intercede personality and mirror the disconnected from the net characters. Characters are additionally developed and confined given a group of people yet when on the web; this gathering of people is imperceptible (Dwyer 2007, 45). Individuals are aware of who is seeing their online developments and along these lines; they effectively build the perfect self-arrangement by how they need to be seen. Hence, the online evolution of the self is impacted by the individual's disconnected from the net social characters. In cutting edge, social networking has quickly taken off to turn into a standout amongst the most well-known routes for individuals to trade messages, dialog and offer data (Chatora 2010). Presently, there is mixed bag of online networking applications to empower correspondence between young people thus determining public persona. Because of the self-image driven nature of these requests, long range interpersonal communication destinations permit young people to extend their actual identities to the online world while additionally including onto them (Dwyer 2007, 46). The unoriginal way of imparting from behind a PC screen can permit young people to make totally new and unreasonable identity that they would never demonstrate, in actuality. Individual website Pages give individuals the control to present themselves in whatever way they decide to a genuine gathering of people that is additionally controlled and far less scary than appearing in individual to attempt another conceivable personality (Bumela 2012, 36). Interpersonal organization destinations like MySpace and Facebook serve as the platform that mirror public persona. Similarly as with unmediated publics like parks and shopping centers, youth utilization arranged publics to accumulate, associated with their companions, and comprehend help assemble the way of life around them (Bumela 2012,33). Conclusion In conclusion, social networking has influenced the way people handle their online services. Data security and privacy is not the role of social network provider, but it is the role of the Internet user to control how information is disseminated and the type of individuals who access their profiles (Aïmeur et al, 2011, 13). Internet users utilize the interpersonal organizations to unravel data different clients and utilization information. There is a need to comprehend the dangers of protection and security postured by joining advancements. There are quick and boundless advancements in the field of social networking making it difficult to stay at standard with inclining innovation and in addition to foreseeing future improvements. The developing protection and security issues are a conceivable risk, and key viewpoints may prompt decreasing of informal community esteem in the business environment and government. There is little data about knowing individuals goal and demeanors towards web security dangers. It thus influences clients' states of mind and conduct (Bumela 2012, 37). There exists little research in web security and protection for better comprehension of conceivable ramifications and finding out procedures for dealing with the dangers. The type of contents that people post online reflects their thoughts, views, and ideas (Madejski et al, 2012,77). The above aspects determine the self-identity of a person. The ability of the social media to manage privacy through the inclusion of security and privacy settings has improved the users’ data security management in a positive way. References Aïmeur, E. G. S. &. H. A., 2011, Towards a privacy-enhanced social networking, The Fifth, pp. 172-179. Bumela, L., 2012, The Construction of Social Identity on Facebook. Detroit: GreenHaven Press. Chatora, A. T., 2010, Social Relationships And Identity Online, New York: Wiley Pub. Dwyer C., H. S. R. &. P. K., 2007, Trust and privacy concern within social networking, A comparison of Facebook and MySpace, pp. 3(2): 123-129. Gross. R., &. A. A., 2005, Information revelation and privacy in online social networks, Alexandria, Virginia, USA: Krishnamurthy, B. N. K. &. W. C., 2011, Privacy leakage vs. Protection measures, Oakland CA: Madejski, M. J. M. &. B. S. M., 2012, Online social network privacy settings, Detroit: GreenHaven Press. . Read More

The growing privacy and security issues is a possible threat and key aspects that may lead to diminishing of social network value in the business environment and government (Gross 2005). There is evidently little information about knowing people intention and attitudes towards internet security risks. It consequently affects users’ attitudes and behavior. There exists little research in internet security and privacy for a better understanding of possible implications and ascertaining strategies for managing the risks.

Available solutions to social networking issues and trends The social networks have significant strategies of minimizing such issues but the greatest responsibility lies with the users. The social networks thus have instilled knowledge to individuals on how to manage privacy (Bumela 2012, 37). The users know the type of information to share through the social networks, the consequences and implications of breaching security aspects. The article explores ways through which social networks is continuously changing the ways in which users manage privacy as they connect with other individuals.

The paper also gives a diagnostic view of the various ways in which the social networks influence how internet users make sense of self-identity and соnstruсt public реrsоnаs. Managing Privacy The social network has changed how users manage privacy through the adoption of better communication styles. Interpersonal communication is currently preferred over the use of public networks. Interpersonal communication entails the use of personal networks where users are given the chance to create personal detailed online profiles that are unique and to be used in establishing a connection with other users.

The Privacy is increased with more highlights on social connections that include friendship (Bumela 2012, 37). When the personal networks are compared with status update networks, privacy aspect is improved on the former. An example of personal networks includes MySpace, Facebook and Friendster and platforms where communication is only inclined to communication with friends that users share their contacts (Madejski 2012). The social network of the above kind helps users to manage their privacy since they allow information sharing with only other permitted users.

The aspects used in analyzing the personal network of friends to have free access to information include employment, education, age, and gender. Status update networks such as Facebook profile status is a public network since anyone can access the information presented in the profile. Whatever a person posts in the profile statuses is available for anyone to see (Aïmeur et al, 2011, 13). However, the social networks facilitate privacy in such networks through the introduction of customized setting that allows users to dictate the type of persons who access their account details.

Users have the capability to restrict the people who access their accounts. Users can choose to share their information with public, friends or with nobody (Krishnamurthy 2011). The ability of the social media to manage privacy through the inclusion of security and privacy settings has improved the users’ data security management in a positive way. The social networks have educated people about different types of networks that include shared-interest networks (Aïmeur et al, 2011, 13). The privacy management is improved by having a clear understanding of social networks that revolve around mutual interest and targets a definite group of individuals.

Most of the social networks have features that are prejudiced towards a particular subset of personalities Examples include people who share similar common hobbies, religious views educational backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds and political affiliations. Such social networks include Black Planet, LinkedIn, Gay.com, Goodreads and deviant ART (Aïmeur 2011). The ability of social networks to differentiate and group individuals in terms different aspects has enabled people to manage privacy and thus improving internet security.

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