Social Networking

           
            Social networking has become a big part of today's society and this new wave of technology can be both beneficial and disadvantageous. Many corporations have started using social media as a way to market their products and/or their business. The average user might use social media as a way to stay connected with friends, share pictures, or watch funny videos. There are many benefits to the introduction of social media; many people can actually make money on Instagram by endorsing different products to their followers and receiving compensation from various companies.
            Despite the benefits of social networking, there are also many negative aspects as well. Using social media means a loss of privacy because so much of what we put online is public. Also, social media might be a reason for many people to be anti-social because they feel more comfortable talking to someone behind a computer screen. Stout states, "Fifty-four percent said they text their friends once a day, but only 33 percent said they talk to their friends face-to-face on a daily basis." Another issue that arises is cyber-bullying; many young teens get cyber-bullied via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. and sometimes it can lead to suicide. Young states, "Unlike slurs scrawled on bathroom walls, online posts can be more public, and more lasting."
            Social networking is still a growing concept and there is definitely room for new technology to emerge. In a few years, I don't see too many people using Facebook anymore as it has already lost many users to Instagram, Twitter, and now Snapchat. I also expect YouTube to continue to be successful and possibly start creating more original content (such as YouTube original series) much like Netflix.


Links used:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/fashion/02BEST.html?_r=0
http://chronicle.com/article/Theyre-BackTheyre-B/48220/