Social networking sites have become a huge part of people's everyday lives. There are millions of users on blogger, facebook, myspace, twitter, and many many more. These sites have made it easier to stay in contact with old friends and family members that we don't get to see as often as we would like. Because of networking sites users are able to stay updated on what is going on in their friends and family members lives.
Personally, I am a user of facebook. I really enjoy the fact that I am able to talk to old friends who went out of state for college, as well as family members that I see maybe once a year. It has been very interesting to see how the users of facebook, myspace, and other sites differ when it comes to age. Recently, many of my aunts and uncles, as well as my mom has joined facebook. I never thought I would have a friend request from my mom. Different generations use different social networking sites to connect with one another. It is also interesting to see some of my friends and family members refuse to join a social networking site because they feel like they are exposing their entire lives to the world. Which in some way you are, anyone is able to look at your pictures, unless you adjust the privacy settings. One out of four employers now, check facebook or myspace to get an idea of who a person is before they consider hiring them? Are privacy rights still the same on facebook and myspace? When in reality you are posting your information and pictures for almost anyone to see.
Not too long ago when I logged onto facebook, there was a notice stating that they had changed their users agreement which let users know that now anything that you upload to facebook, pictures, videos, can be used by facebook any way they deem fit, forever. I personally don't like this rule. If I ever decide to delete my account, I want my pictures deleted as well. What do you think of this new agreement?
In the article Do Artifacts have Politics by Langdon Winner, he says, "Consciously or unconsciously, deliberately or inadvertently, societies choose structures for technologies that influence how people are going to work, communicate, travel. consume, and so forth over a very long time. Today, social networking sites are so influential in many people's lives. Its a way for them to escape from reality, and for some pretend to be someone else. These sites are also a way for for example, public relations people to come into contact with colleagues and hear other people's insights on a topic.
Personally, I am a user of facebook. I really enjoy the fact that I am able to talk to old friends who went out of state for college, as well as family members that I see maybe once a year. It has been very interesting to see how the users of facebook, myspace, and other sites differ when it comes to age. Recently, many of my aunts and uncles, as well as my mom has joined facebook. I never thought I would have a friend request from my mom. Different generations use different social networking sites to connect with one another. It is also interesting to see some of my friends and family members refuse to join a social networking site because they feel like they are exposing their entire lives to the world. Which in some way you are, anyone is able to look at your pictures, unless you adjust the privacy settings. One out of four employers now, check facebook or myspace to get an idea of who a person is before they consider hiring them? Are privacy rights still the same on facebook and myspace? When in reality you are posting your information and pictures for almost anyone to see.
Not too long ago when I logged onto facebook, there was a notice stating that they had changed their users agreement which let users know that now anything that you upload to facebook, pictures, videos, can be used by facebook any way they deem fit, forever. I personally don't like this rule. If I ever decide to delete my account, I want my pictures deleted as well. What do you think of this new agreement?
In the article Do Artifacts have Politics by Langdon Winner, he says, "Consciously or unconsciously, deliberately or inadvertently, societies choose structures for technologies that influence how people are going to work, communicate, travel. consume, and so forth over a very long time. Today, social networking sites are so influential in many people's lives. Its a way for them to escape from reality, and for some pretend to be someone else. These sites are also a way for for example, public relations people to come into contact with colleagues and hear other people's insights on a topic.
Today, it seems like if you do not participate in some kind of social networking site you are out of the loop and don't really know what it is going on. Millions and millions of people are users of these sites.
Facebook, was originally intended for college students. Recently they branched out and now anyone can join. They have 150 million users.
Myspace has the largest membership of any social networking site on the Internet. They have 191 million users.
Twitter is a free social networking service that allows users to send "updates" (text-based posts that are up to 140 characters long) via SMS, instant messaging, email, the Twitter website, or an application such as Twitterrific. The site has become very popular in only a few months -- a lot of people are watching it. Many celebirites twitter, such as Ellen DeGeneres, Demi Moore, Kim Kardashian, any many more.
http://www.selfgrowth.com/socialnetworkingwebsites.html
The primary concern with social networking sites is that people will unwittingly invite threats into their lives by revealing too much personal information. Because people comment on each other's pages, posting in the comment section of one friend's page can allow a stalker to find out details that most people consider fairly private, such as school schedules and phone numbers. An increasing problem with social networking sites is that the past will haunt the poster. Future employers and college admissions personnel can research the sites and discover an immature, wild side of a teenager.Read more: Teens, Privacy, and Online Social Network Sites: Parents Need Understand the World of Internet Friendship.
Social networking sites have morphed into a mainstream medium for teens and adults. These sites encourage people to exchange information about themselves, share pictures and videos, and use blogs and instant messaging to communicate with friends, others who share interests, and sometimes even the world-at-large.
The primary concern with social networking sites is that people will unwittingly invite threats into their lives by revealing too much personal information. Because people comment on each other's pages, posting in the comment section of one friend's page can allow a stalker to find out details that most people consider fairly private, such as school schedules and phone numbers. An increasing problem with social networking sites is that the past will haunt the poster. Future employers and college admissions personnel can research the sites and discover an immature, wild side of a teenager.Read more: Teens, Privacy, and Online Social Network Sites: Parents Need Understand the World of Internet Friendship.
Social networking sites have morphed into a mainstream medium for teens and adults. These sites encourage people to exchange information about themselves, share pictures and videos, and use blogs and instant messaging to communicate with friends, others who share interests, and sometimes even the world-at-large.
I thought it was really interesting how you mentioned what Winner had said in his article. I had never thought of Facebook as a model of politics whether it be intentional or unintentional. I wonder if the creator had intended for the site to be such a daily routine for people in their everyday lives? And if that person had intended it in that way,did he consider both the repercussions AND benefits the site might have in society? I think that it would be interesting to learn about the history of our different technologies,because some like the low brides built in Long Island are intentionally built for a political reason.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is fun that your mom started a facebook account. I read somewhere that more people above the age of 30 are starting to join. Why not though? It is a great way for parents, aunts or uncles, or other family members to see what is going on in your life besides just your friends.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that it is kind of wierd to think that they can do whatever they want to with the photos or whatever I post on facebook.
It is interesting to think of facebook on a political basis. Just like Winner said many forms of technology can be political. Facebook can either bridge the gap or divide them. There are so many people that don't have the chance to be apart of facebook because they are either scared, uneducated, or from a lower social class and these all tie back to politics.
Facebook and sites like these have become so widespread and popular. Spreading to the workforce and through friendships. I think they will only get larger.