Social Networking: Positive and Negative Aspects

By Kathy Fernandes

Social Media and Social Networking sites are taking the internet by storm. Social media serves as a great platform to interact with friends, relatives or make new friends and meet new people online. Social Media sites are technologically advanced web interfaces offering content-exchange via short-messaging services, email or chat. In spite of its growing popularity, social media faces threats of hacking.

Although people find social media essential for retaining ties, it poses threat of vulnerabilities. Since social media consists of personal information, the users must be extremely careful while providing confidential information to these sites. Though some famous social networking sites, such as, Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Google and Orkut, etc are extremely popular, they too face the threats to its users who are oblivious to safe internet practices. It is better not to give out passwords very easily, too much information sharing can often be counter-productive. It is advisable not to reveal your future travel plans on a social media site, your profile viewer with malicious intentions may plan to commit burglary in your apartment!

Therefore, privacy concerns must be of primary importance in networking. It is true that social networking provides an opportunity to develop inter-personal relationship, one need to be aware of the possible security threats. Especially, students often post detailed and specific information, on Facebook, Friendster, MySpace, etc, they can be more easily traced by strangers and even acquaintances!

Often they violate the school policy or the code of conduct by posting inappropriate pictures or information on their social networking profiles, so they are held accountable when the school administrators further investigate the matter. Moreover, other disadvantage is that students are often turned down job offers because of their information employers are finding out about students on their social networking sites! The employers take these images the students portray on these sites very seriously because it depicts the reflection of personal character!

Well, keeping aside the dangers of socializing on the net, it can be a good way to communicate with friends and relative, also to make connection to people with similar tastes, interests and goals! Thanks to social networking sites, because often meeting people personally has become the thing of the past. Thus, staying connected with classmates and colleagues is a major benefit of social networking sites!

It helps to stay connected with different cultural program, events listing and other information related to campus culture. What a great way to stay understand and stay connected to your campus community as a whole! Most importantly, these sites offer students the opportunity to create a positive self image.

Last but not the least, if you want to stay safe on the net, evaluate your profile account and postings frequently.Do not post your personal information, address or cell number. You can utilize and adjust your privacy settings so as to control who has the access to your personal information.

As it is said, everything has both bright and dark sides, we should be careful in using social networking sites constructively rather than destructively! So, enjoy, happy networking!

The Author Kathy Fernandes is a freelance writer in local newspaper and magazines covering topics like networking and social media.
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