An In-Depth Analysis and Discussion of Social Networks

In the modern era of widespread internet usage, technology saturation, and general tech-savvy by the masses, social networks (which is a blanket term for any sort of media on the internet created to communicate with others) have been booming in the last decade. As a result, just about anyone with an internet connection may access and create their own social network, which makes social networks extremely fluid, with the vast majority of their content being user-created. However, social networks are a wide-reaching concept and are not as simple as they might appear on the surface. There are a number of aspects of social networking that must be examined that might not seem obvious at first. To do this, it is necessary to examine a few different viewpoints so that each major facet of social networks may be covered adequately.

The first important aspect of social networks to consider is their economic value. That is to say, social networks represent an extremely lucrative business opportunity because the content of social networking, by nature, is driven by user feelings toward certain products or subjects, meaning that a company that can successfully infiltrate the social networking infrastructure can find significant profit from it. This is especially true when considering the global impact that social media possesses. For example, one study found that, across 54 different countries, 61 percent of citizens of those countries possessed and maintained some form of social network (Hosdick, 2012, p.564). Of course, people utilize social networks (also called social media) for vastly different reasons, and segregating these different motivators from one another, then creating specific marketing plans toward each of them, is key. The digital universe is a community peopled by a broad range of users—everyone from career builders and money makers to community creators and storytellers. Social media definitions such as “friend,” “fan,” or “follower” do not necessarily describe the complex interactions and relationships that exist in this environment" (Hosdick, 2012, p.566). Essentially, this means that the author believes that the polarization that is inherent in the world of social networking is extremely complex and requires specific market strategies. To do this, it is necessary to periodically survey the population of whichever social media niche is being marketed to. For example, a businessman who wants to advertise a new romance movie would do well to focus advertising efforts on websites with a reputation for being youth hotspots, such as Instagram.

This point of view by the author represents a widely-held view of social networks that could be considered cold and objective. Utilizing the globalization of social networking as an advertising platform is simply good business sense, but many consumers are averse to the idea that they are being marketed on a more personal level and for good reason. Many advertisements now, such as those seen on social networking giant Facebook, use the books, movies, music, etc. that the user "likes" and show ads that are tailored specifically to that user's personal taste. The effectiveness of this type of advertising cannot be denied and is something of a win/win for users, who are more likely to be interested in ads about things they actually care about, and marketers, who will inevitably garner more attention for their products by using social networks smartly.

The second aspect of social networking and its impact on the sharing of information. While the internet already allows for the near-instantaneous spread of information, the use of social networks allows this information to be spread even more quickly by individuals. For example, the death of Michael Jackson in 2009 was originally reported by numerous news outlets, yet word of his death spread on social media like wildfire, showing many just how quickly and effectively social networking can share information, especially news. However, social networking is actually changing the face of news itself, not merely acting as an extension of it. In fact, the shifting nature of social networking that has been taking place for around the last ten years has equated to the very outlet of news evolving as well, attempting to keep pace and adapt to these emerging forms of social networking. One article takes this point even further. Social media has broken the barrier between the average citizen and the official journalist. The source can now be a reporter by merely using a handphone to announce something on Twitter. The manner in which the discourse in news is conducted has, in turn, blurred the editor-driven distinction between what constitutes news and what does not, and at a deeper level, between the ethical and the not-so-ethical dissemination of news" (Narayanan, 2012, p.74). This article is claiming that social networks, in a way, replace the news, in a way. Since social networks have had such a perverse impact on the culture of sharing information, the news that is shared the most will be the news that becomes the most well-known, not necessarily the most important. For example, a news story about Obama being impeached would obviously be huge news, but if social networks did not spread the information, the news of it would spread much more slowly. The article also stresses the importance of the individual in the news making process. That is to say, the role of journalist, the article states, is being carried more and more on the shoulders of the bloggers, the tweeters, or the Facebook status updaters (Narayanan, 2012).

This article puts an interesting spin on the concept of social networking by stressing the importance of the individual which, when seen as part of the collective social networking culture, is an extremely powerful force. It is refreshing to see social networking viewed as something more than a mere marketing tool, as the previous author did, and more as a universal voice of the people. Essentially, social networking allows these people to communicate so effectively with one another that it is as if the media of the internet is not even there at all, which allows for seamless communication and sharing of information.

The third and final aspect of social networking is its versatility. The article in the textbook stresses that social networking can come in a number of forms. For example, the famous website Facebook.com is an easy way for users to share information about either themselves or particular brands that they are fond of (Bowles, 2013). However, these numerous forms of social networking also come with their share of downsides. In the same Facebook example, privacy is becoming more and more of an issue, as the aforementioned tailored advertisements use what some would call personal information of the user in order to create advertisements for them (Bowles, 2013). "Although there are some privacy settings, as a general rule, it is good to remember that if you post something on Facebook, there are no secrets" (Bowles, 2013). This problem is not just local to Facebook, but many other forms of social networking as well. As people become more and more centralized and integrated with one another on the social network, so, too, will their information. This is especially true in the professional setting, where employers will frequently check an employee's LinkedIn (a business networking site) profile or, in more thorough examples, their Facebook profile, which has led to some nasty encounters.

This chapter in the textbook relays a positive outlook for social networking but nevertheless urges caution with it, as these social networks mean that any information placed on them instantly becomes what is essentially public domain, to be used by anyone, for any purpose. In addition, the impact of this centralization of social media is having a profound impact on society at large, as greater and greater proportions of people use social networking for their own personal purposes and become part of the "collective." This outlook is beneficial because it portrays both sides of the story, by showing off the beneficial aspects of social networking but tempering this enthusiasm with caution by stating the numerous risks and dangers associated with social networking.

The first source, Fosdick, stresses the importance of social media as a business and advertising tool, while the second author, Narayanan, stresses its importance as a growing news outlet and general cultural phenomenon. As such, it is likely that these two authors would not agree with one another in their assessment of the overall purpose of social networking.

The author of the textbook would likely agree with both of the other authors, however. This is largely because the textbook takes a much more open and fluid approach to social networking, seeing both its advantages and opportunities, but also its downsides and possible weaknesses. This is why in today's education system, the importance of teaching students digital literacy is critical.  Bowles' stressing of the versatility of social networking means that the other two authors would likely agree with Bowles as well since both of their views fit firmly into his vision of social networking as a universal tool for everyone.

Social networking is a powerful tool, as these three authors can attest to, but it is important to understand that social networking is simply that: a tool. It should not be regarded as a replacement for either real-life interaction or actual reputable news sources. This is simply because there is no replacement for either real-life conversation and interaction, nor for a prompt, well-written, well-researched news article about any given subject.

That being said, social networking is reinventing the way humans interact with one another on a global scale. Communication with another human being has never been easier, and as it continues to evolve, so, too will the people and businesses that use it in order to maximize its effectiveness. This means that it is difficult to see social networking as a negative force, even considering its numerous drawbacks, simply because of what social networking represents for the future of humanity as a whole. In a way, it is the very pinnacle of human creation and interaction: a medium that allows for seamless interaction without having to actually be physically close to them is a concept that has been dreamed about for centuries, and now that it has finally been achieved, the best course of action to take is to simply enjoy it, whatever that entails.

References

Bowles, M. (2013). Introduction to computer literacy. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education Inc. Chapter 7.4

Fosdick, M. (2012). The globalization of social media: Consumer relationships with brands evolve in the digital space. Strategic Direction, 28(6). 564-569.

Narayanan, M., Asur, S., Nair, A., Rao, S., Kaushik, A., Mehta, D., & Lalwani, R. (2012). COLLOQUIUM social media and business. VIKALPA, 37(4), 69.