Opposing Opinions

How to avoid using social networking as a replacement of real world relationships

The proper use of social networking is hard to define because there are so many opinions of what the "right way is" of using this median. Many people would say social networking is a waste of time and pulls us away from how connecting with people used to be. "...research by Mehrabian (1981), claimed that only 7% of communication was the words. The other 93% came from body language and tone."

If there are not any boundaries placed, in advance, on the amount of time that should be spent on social networking, it will easily consume the hours of your day. Social networking should never be considered a replacement for getting out and building face-to-face connections with people. Social networking can easily be taken advantage of and used improperly.

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Competing Companies

Maneuvering around different social medias, knowing that there are competing companies doing the same networking you are, should be done with caution. There has been many instances on Yelp of competing companies giving a rival business a bad review. Warning customers and lying about the integrity of the company. The Internet will always lie about something or someone, so your best option is to keep your integrity by the work you do. Not by being paranoid that someone will say something negative toward you through a social networking site.

In The New York Times the issue of Yelp was discussed. David Segal wrote, "As a consumer review Wed site, Yelp is so big and influential that it has given rise to a small, semi-underground group of entrepreneurs who, for a fee, will post a rave about your company. Others will post a negative review about your rivals." 

  

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Over recent years, because of the constant use of social networking, businesses and individuals have centralized their focus on the Internet. Having accessibility through phones, computers, Iphones, Ipads and Ipods only increases peoples need to feel involved in what is happening in the cyber world around them. "On Twitter the conversation never stops. You start to feel that if you're not involved in it, you're missing out." Your need to belong should be fulfilled with human interaction not a temporary Internet fix.

Also, parents may have concerns about their children using social networking. The Internet is hardly rated G! Since social networking has evolved, the world has seen a mass amount of what we've coined as cyber-bullying. Some may know the name Phoebe Prince, age 15, that went to South Hadley High. But if you don't, you would have missed a story of a young girl that committed suicide because of constant cyber-bullying. A concern for this generation is that they have yet to understand the power that is within their ten fingers to type words that can literally kill. If you do not respect the Internet as a gift, you will abuse the power handed down to you from generations of hard work and intelligence.