By Jake Dowling, Icon intern
There are hundreds of social networking websites. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram are just a few. That is great and all but do we really need all of these sites that share something in common?
For example, MySpace and Facebook, what is really the difference between the two? Yes, there are major differences, but here is a question older generations have always asked... why would you post something, sometimes private, and let other people see it? Who cares why do it?
Another site, Foursquare, has users share their locations and if they share enough locations, users can be a mayor of any city they want.
So? Why would you want to waste your time being a mayor of a virtual city? Why would anyone want to share with other people, some, being complete strangers, as to where you currently are?
This invites all sorts of trouble and opens the door for potential stalkers. These social networking sites also increase the chances of voyeurism, but that can be hard to enforce on the Web.
Another site, Instagram, where users can take pictures and edits them; then share them among friends seems somewhat dumb, too. You can also edit photos from your computer using an application if you have a Windows computer or Mac instead of using an online app.
The difference is, you can take pictures from your phone, quickly edit and share with others, in hopes that people actually care. Nevertheless, that is the name of the game in today's society. If people were not nosey, and actually took the time to sit down, instead of constantly being on the go, chances are some of these sites would struggle.
People are always on the go, I am as well, yet many rely, or at least use, social networking sites to share their feelings, photos and locations, among other things, to people to keep them up to date with what is going on in their lives. It is sort of a form of reality TV.
People like to share their whole life story online. I admit, I do the same thing, and many times, I think it is stupid, but I do it to stay connected with those I want in my life. Sometimes however, people get addicted, like my girlfriend, in which they are on these sites more often than they actually sleep in a week, and others use these sites, like Facebook and MySpace to pour their emotions hoping people actually care.
That leads to my next argument. The 1970s was known as the "me" decade, and I think we have seen that arise again within the last five to eight years, and social networking sites help that notion.
Too many times people use social networking for their own means. They make "look at me," or "woe is me," comments so they can gain attention. I think this is a problem. I always say, Facebook is not the cause of problems people cause problems.
However, if you're a journalist, you love these sites because you can get so much information about people, for free, at the click of a mouse. Which leads to my final argument, are we losing our sense of communication by relying too much on the social networking sites?
Face to face, communication is still the number one skill that remains highly overlooked. Though I used Facebook to get a hold of my girlfriend, my face-to-face communication skills helped me communicate who I really am and that is the main reason I am in a relationship. In addition, communication is a key component in a relationship, but relying too much on Facebook could deteriorate those communication skills.
Nonetheless, this is the affect technology has on society. There is the good, the bad and the ugly in technology. Technology helped bring long the Web, which brought social networking, and though many are for good purposes, social networking sites also lead to problems, and those seem to stand out the most.
