Taking A Look At Social Networking

Social networking has become one of the most popular activities in the world, with billions of people actively participating in it every day. It allows people to share photos, videos, and more with the people they know and love. Such as family, friends, and colleagues no matter where you are in the world. It has revolutionized the way we live, to the point where many people now rely on it to be able to function properly within their day-to-day lives. There are numerous social networking sites that all have millions or even billions of members. Three of the largest social networking sites are: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter which have 1.5 billion, 400 million, and 360 million members respectively. Social networking can be accessed by many …show more content…
Due to the invention of wireless devices, social networking can be done pretty much everywhere; for example, the journey to and from work, at work, and at home. The usage of social networking has increased rapidly and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. In July 2012 Americans spent 74.0 billion minutes on social media via a home computer, 40.8 billion minutes via apps, and 5.7 billion minutes via mobile web browsers, a total of 121.1 billion minutes on social networking sites. Social media allows so many people to stay connected by communicating and sharing thoughts with friends and family as well as allowing them to reconnect with old friends from the past; it strengthens relationships and allows new friendships to be created. It is easy to share information such as pictures, advertisements, videos, and text messages through the different social media platforms. The main purpose of social networking sites is to enhance communication, making it easier to connect with people all around the word; however, many people use it as a form of entertainment. Games and videos are a couple of the ways people spend time using the social media sites for entertainment purposes. Social media and social networking is also positively affecting companies and businesses. Small businesses benefit greatly from the free platforms to connect with customers and increase the visibility of their products or services. …show more content…
One of the biggest problems is Cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is a problem due to the fact people can take advantage of the way that there is no one who can effectively stop the bullying when it happens, as everything is being performed behind a screen. The only way for a bully to be stopped is if he or she is reported, but victims may be too intimidated to do it. Another big problem is how people can pretend to be someone they’re not. People can create false accounts and live online as if they are someone they are actually not; they can do this by posting other peoples pictures and providing false information. This has a negative impact on the people who are unlucky enough to socialize online with these people and believe they have a found a new friendship with what is basically a lie. In a similar way to people creating fake accounts; social media enables the spread of unreliable and false information. This information has the potential to cause users to worry and panic about news that may affect them personally.
Social media, and social networking sites are a controversial topic that plays a huge and vital role in our lives today. They are now a permanent feature of our society and have changed the way we live. In the future, I expect that they will continue to develop and expand; further changing our lives. Overall, I believe that social networking is like most things in life; too much of it can be bad for you, and used