The Goods and Bads of Social Networking

Today, the leading median for socialization is the internet/network. Before the drastic expansion of the internet in the 1990’s, the only way to socialize and communicate was through the use of a telephone, mail or in person. With the advancements of modern technology and the internet you can now socialize and communicate with others through blogs, social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace, email and even video games. Though the advancement of modern technology and networking has brought about obvious benefits to the world it has also brought harm to the world.

Before President Franklin D. Roosevelt began to use the radio as a means of communication and comfort to the American people, no presidents of the US had ever communicated with the people as much. A few decades later, President John F. Kennedy used the television for the first time ever in a presidential campaign to his advantage and won the election in part due to the television. In 2008, President Barack Obama used the internet to gain popularity for his presidential campaign. Barack Obama used social networking websites to communicate to the people of the US and due to his innovative thinking, he was able to snag the title of President of the United States. While many people ignore political channels such as CNN and NBC, almost everyone in the US now have easy access to the internet, making it much more popular than other forms of media. Due to this, Obama was able to amass a large group of followers online that would then help when it came time to vote. All this was done through the simple use of the network to interact and communicate with others.

Social networking, as demonstrated by Barack Obama, can be a powerful tool of progress, but it can also have its negative side effects. Due to the easy accessibility of the internet now, the young population is able to become involved in social networking. AIM, MySpace and Facebook, to name a few, are social networking tools that almost every teenager today uses. With so many tools to use to socialize, many teenagers find it hard to detach themselves from the “virtual world” and interact with reality.

MMO’s, short for Massively Multiplayer Online Games, are another huge social networking tool. Games such as Second Life, who have about 4 million subscribers (4 million?? WTF??) are a huge social networking center. As stated in this article, many people who have a hard time connecting and socializing in real life enjoy and stay playing the game because they aren’t embarrassed or ashamed of anything. Some organizations help to establish “safehouses” for people who feel the need to communicate without being embarrassed. The leading MMO, World of Warcraft, leads all other MMO subscriber rates with a rising population of over 11 million (Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!!???). Games like these are known to “suck people in and never let go”. Those who find these games fun have a high chance of becoming addicted to these games and cannot go a day without playing. Though it might help some communicate and establish online friendships, it also separates them from the real world. Real life friendships and socialization for many MMO gamers suffer tragically due to the addiction of the game.

Social networking is great in many ways and horrible in many ways as well. The best advice to give anyone is to take all things in moderation. Don’t spend the whole day playing MMO’s or browsing for friends and “HOT” girls on Facebook. Remember that your virtual world doesn’t exist when you turn off your computer but the real world exists 24/7.