Social Networking Sites - Facts, Advantages & Disadvantages

Social Networking Site?

Social networking sites can be defined as a virtual place available on the internet basically on the World Wide Web (www) through social media, where users can create communicate within their interested social network, they can share ideas, activities, events, watch and listen music, play games send and receive messages and many more other interesting activities. It also gives a platform to the users to create their own virtual social space where they can upload or publish their own information. 

Revolution in Social Networking Sites

Before the second Millennium social networking sites does not had any deeper impact on users of internet, even there were very few websites that offer internet users a virtual place on internet to interact with other users. But after the year 2000 a kind of internet revolution came, and especially a huge increase and improvement has been seen in social networking sites. Many new sites came into view, these sites had very interesting user interface with lots of features to attract it users.

 
Gone are the day when World Wide Web were just a place to search some information, social networking sites has revolutionized the meaning and use of world wide web, now it's a great source to link and be in touch with those who are sitting miles apart geographically. These sites have given a platform to find out our long-lost school and childhood friends. These sites, not only growing the number of users of these sites, but also helps to shape a new dimension to the marketing industry! The most important factor behind the success of this revolution is the freedom of expression of thoughts. People freely express their thought with the world, by accessing from any corner of the globe. Millions of users use these sites daily and take part in huge numbers of various activities on these sites. These activities are itself a good example of Revolution in social networking sites.

 

Some popular social networking sites:

Here are some popular social networking sites which are leading the cyber world.

·  Facebook

·  Twitter

·  LinkedIn

·  Zorpia 

·  My Space 

·  Google Plus+ 

·  Ibibo

·  Orkut

·  Tagged

·  Pinterest

and there are many more.

Advantage of social networking sites:

These sites are running and used successfully in whole world, because of their advantages and benefits. What are these benefits? I have listed here,

·  These sites give users a platform across the globe to express their feelings and views.

·  It helps users to get interact with other users, no matter from where s/he operates these sites in world.

·  These sites help users to organize and participate in any events.

·  Social networking sites help us to find our long-lost and childhood friends and relatives. 

·  These sites help many love birds to find and meet their soul mates. 

·  It is a great source of communication between two users, irrespective of the distance between them. 

·  These sites help users to refresh their mind and mood, as it is a great source of entertainment and gaming.

·  It helps to give rise some newcomers in the world of music, acting, drama, and other arts. 

·  SNS boosts many organizations and business, through their promotions on these sites.

·  It helps in building credibility amongst the customers.

·  It helps to make people and community aware of any issue.

·  It helps to bring social change in society.

·  It helps to be in touch with our interested, loved ones, relevant group or people or community. 

·  These sites are not only a source of creating social activities but also a great way to participate and enhance our skill through participating in many contests and activities. 

·  Many people even can win many prizes through these sites. 

·  These sites also help in terms of educations awareness and motivations though many educational groups and communities. 

·  Through these sites, users can easily get in touch with many celebrities and their updates.

And there can be many more other benefits of using these sites.

  

Disadvantages of social networking sites:

·  One of the major demerits of these sites are increment in criminal activities, as there is no hard restrictions on creating account on these sites.

·  Another important issue is security of our personal data and information, as its free to everyone, most of the users create face accounts and misuse the personal information of other users/celebrities.

·  Sometime some non genuine and face account users attacks to some religious communities and political groups. 

·  It encourages porno activities, and attacks many children and youths. 

·  These sites unnecessarily waste our valuable time, when user spend time on these sites and get addicted.

·  Addictions of these sites can even affect our mental conditions, sometime is became a big reason of depression and tension. 

·  It also affects our health directly.

·  User's reliability is not sure; it's very hard to trust on any stranger on these sites. 

·  Many of time it has been seen that it became the reason of one's death, as it becomes the medium to get in touch with the victim.

·  It affects children and youngster's studies. As they spend their valuable time on these sites and loss their studies and concentration. You can read about these bad effects of internet on children , and step of preventions. 

·  It encourages many scams.

Step that can be taken to avoid and prevent its disadvantages!

·  Impositions of some restriction on these sites by the government and cyber department of that country!

·  Proper counselling should be given to addicted users and students, regarding its bed effects and proper utilizations of these sites.

·  Social awareness programs can related to many scams running on these sites can also help users.

·  Parents-children interaction and counselling is also a good idea to prevent children from excessive use of these sites.

·  User's activeness is also necessary, if a user sees anything illegal, unnatural, and a kind of criminal activity they can "Report Abuse" that content. Report abuse is a feature in almost many sites to report a suspicious and non social content and activity, then the site admin would like onto that matter.

·  Avoid unnecessarily uploading of your personal data, including information's, pictures, and other things.

·  Setting time schedule for using these sites can also help in unnecessarily waste of time.

There can be some other ways too. 

Conclusion

Social networking sites are playing very significant role in today time; it has a direct impact on all age group people. Though it has many cons but still these are like an effective tool in communicating millions of people and spreading our expressions and view worldwide. We all need a change in the pattern of use, in order to prevent miss-happenings on these sites. If we will be active and aware these sites will serve us their batter and will bring some more revolution in the world of cyber technology.

Learn more here.

Fight against cybercrime in Europe

10 Notorious Cyber Crimes

What happens in the Internet in 60 seconds?

Internet evolution

As more and more people join the connected world, what are some of the biggest challenges we face when it comes to the future of the Internet? What will the Internet look like in the next 10 years? 

The Internet

In a relatively short period of time, the Internet has had an amazing impact on almost every facet of our lives. With it, we are able access to new ideas, more information, unlimited possibilities, and a whole new world of communities. It has grown and evolved to influence how we interact, how we conduct business, how we learn, and how we proceed day to day. And as much as it has changed our lives, in the process, the Internet itself has changed too.

 

What Is the Internet?

Learn about the varying perspectives on the history of the Internet and read A Brief History of the Internet, written by those who created it.

 

How Does the Internet Work?

Gain a stronger appreciation of how the Internet operates as a network and how each of its essential components make it work.

 

Who Makes the Internet Work?

Explore the Internet Ecosystem and learn about the organizations and communities that guide the Internet’s operation and development.

 

How Is the Internet Evolving?

What will the Internet look like in the next 10 years? Explore how it's evolving and strategies for helping it grow in the best possible way.

Source: http://www.internetsociety.org/internet (accessed in Feb 2015)

Teens and the Internet: how much is too much?

Most stories about adolescents and the internet underscore the very real dangers of cyberbullies, sexual predators, and on-line scams that imperil unsuspecting, vulnerable teens. Another risk? The teens themselves. Many spend hours on-line, e-mailing, instant messaging, downloading music, and updating Facebook pages, with some visiting game sites, shopping, and gambling on-line. All of this access can be dangerous; those who abuse the internet can become trapped in a cyber riptide of sorts, pulled in further and further as their time on-line increases, their school performance declines, and their family and peer relationships begin to suffer.

Take Melanie (not her real name), a sixteen-year-old Greenwich Village student, who spent up to seven hours a day updating her Face book page and instant messaging with friends. When her previously high grades began to drop, her parents confiscated her desktop, and Melanie threatened to leave home.

"For an entire year I saw nothing but the back of my daughter's head," Melanie's dad explains. "So I took the computer away. When she became inconsolable and accused us of ruining her social life--she couldn't update her Face book page--we knew there was a serious problem."

Turned out, Melanie was down and out over a flirtation with a boy that had gone nowhere. Once she and her parents began to talk about what was bothering her, their home situation improved dramatically.The family worked it out and she stayed put--with the help of intensive outpatient therapy.

Was Melanie's a case of harmless teen tweeting and more, or a sign of a dangerous problem? Many parents wonder, how much on-line activity is too much? Though internet addiction is not yet a bona fide psychiatric diagnosis, psychiatrists and psychologists are calling for more research, so they can include it in future editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel (DSM), the bible and last word on diagnosis and disorders for therapists, hospitals, clinics, and insurers.

Who is at risk?

Experts agree teens who struggle with internet overuse do not fit a single profile. Heavy users can be socially linked-in, popular adolescents who make good grades. They might spend hours chatting online with friends, posting photos and updates on social media sites. On the other end of the continuum are the isolated, socially anxious teens. They might be teased, bullied, and avoid school altogether. Desperate to meet people and connect, they might surf the web and visit chat rooms and game sites to the exclusion of all else.

How to determine if a teen has a problem?

 While all may seem well, overuse of the internet might be hidden behind deeper problems such as depression, anxiety, substance use or eating disorders, and learning or conduct problems.

Often the problem becomes first apparent in the school setting. "Parents might first notice slippage in school performance. They eventually throw up their hands when any attempt to regulate computer use or limit access quickly devolves into defiance and angry outbursts," says Dr. Eric Teitel, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Manhattan, and a faculty member of the NYU School of Medicine.

In older adolescents (18-25), the profile might differ-though just as with a younger adolescent you might first notice absenteeism from work or school. For people in this age group, internet use is frequently intertwined with sex, gambling, eating disorders, or drug problems, as well as depression or anxiety. Others might spend hours playing on-line poker or shopping, and become increasingly single-minded and isolated.

Teens might be on-line because they are already depressed, anxious, and lonely. Or they might become so, if forced to give up their habit. Signs and symptoms of withdrawal anxiety in a child include: difficulty concentrating, pacing, irritable and stressed mood, and fidgeting.

Other signs your child could have a problem with internet overuse? In addition to a decline in school performance and grades, signs might include repeated surfing or e-mailing during class time, difficulty concentrating and falling asleep in class, hours of night-time use, frequent complaints of being tired, school lateness or absenteeism, and withdrawal from all activities such as sports practices, friends, social engagements and music lessons. Racking up bills for such things as on- line gambling or shopping is also a sign a child is spending too much time on-line.

Read the whole article here.

 

Teens concerned about Internet safety

On Monday, FOX 10 told viewers about a security breach involving apps on Facebook. Games like Farmville and Mafia Wars were accused of distributing your personal information to advertisers and Internet tracking companies. A new study shows more teenagers and parents are paying attention to privacy and safety online -- especially when it comes to social websites.

Which teens may be more likely to develop Internet addiction?

CYBER BULLYING

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How Internet Predators Lure Teens

This video, The Exchange, demonstrates how easily teen girls can be lured by internet predators. Video produced by NetSmarts.org, teaching youth how to be safer on- and offline. NetSmartz is The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's award-winning, interactive, educational safety program.