Social Networks and Real World Relationships
What kind of effect have social network’s had on people’s interactivity? A question similar to this was brought up on G4’s Wired for Sex show. Yeah, I was watching it and found it pretty interesting. Growing up using social networks, ok maybe not my entire life, I feel comfortable about tackling this question. First off are my thoughts on social networks, they are a waste of time. They are not a waste of time all of the time, when you log in multiple times a day thats wasting your time.
When it comes to real world relationships there are both positives and negatives, at least that is my feeling. The positives can also be negatives depending on how you look at them. First social networks provide people who usually wouldn’t have real world relationships have them. But when you look at it the other way, are the social networks really hindering them from making those “real” relationships? I can’t answer that question, but they are probably hindering them. A positive that does not have a negative is the ability to keep in touch with people. It is easier to just call or text them but for sharing things it is usually easier over a social network.
The negatives start off with the way people can be on social networks. You can have friends in real life who you like but when added to your friends list are total jerks. Ok, maybe this does not happen to everyone but the next one might happen more often (it has to me at least). Social networks can create drama or people being jerks. There is a friend or someone you used to be close with and they constantly/sometimes use their profile/friends/pictures to do things to make you angry. Personally drama is really annoying, stressful, and something I don’t like being included in.
So how does the negative part factor in with the real world? It is more to do with the extra stress/annoyances that they add to life. Plus, sometimes people spend way to much time social networks (I know that most of my time spent on them is not productive).
This was actually pretty interesting for me so I may write more about social networks in the future. Re-reading this it is kind of a rant on my part, but I enjoyed writing it.
