In the recent years, social networking sites have achieved great recognition in internationally. They have attracted a considerable fraction of the online community because of the opportunities they offer people to connect to each other in a simple and well-timed manner and to exchange and share a variety of information. On the other hand, these social networking also restrict users' mobility and eventually, their chances for finding and building new relationships and taking advantage from various networking services (Bortoli, Bouquet & Palpanas).
¶ … Online Social Networking Sites
The Impacts of Online Social Networking Sites on Self-Image and Relationships
In the recent years, social networking sites have achieved great recognition in internationally. They have attracted a considerable fraction of the online community because of the opportunities they offer people to connect to each other in a simple and well-timed manner and to exchange and share a variety of information. On the other hand, these social networking also restrict users' mobility and eventually, their chances for finding and building new relationships and taking advantage from various networking services (Bortoli, Bouquet & Palpanas).
A social network can be simple defined as "a structure of individuals interdependent on each other based on one or more elements of commonality -- for instance, kinship, friendship, financial ties, hobbies, likes, dislikes, knowledge, work, career, and beliefs" (Simpson 2011). In the same connection, online social networking is the online contact and communication with others with whom one shares elements of cohesion. A social networking site is, in fact, an internet website that makes it possible for an individual to identify his/her self and bond with other people. If simply put, social networking sites influences an individual's life by providing him/her the opportunities to interact with people, share his/her interests and make durable relationships in due course (Simpson 2011).
There has been a great deal of theories and assumptions about the impact of social networking sites on the lives of their users. Many people believe that such sites have the power to shrink human relationships and contact and may possibly increase social segregation. On the other hand, some believe that all-encompassing technological connectivity "will add to people's stores of social capital and lead to other social payoffs" (Hampton, Goulet, Rainie & Purcell 2011).
Impacts and Benefits of Social Networking Sites
Primarily, social networking sites make the significance of geographic and time difference hurdles smaller that might get in the way of a relationship. Online social network forums make it possible for their users to bond with friends and family from far and wide and stay in touch through interactive information. Secondly, a majority of social networking sites let their members to state their areas of interest and connect with other members sharing the same interests. Twitter is the best example of such a site as it allows its users to identify various interests and to bond with other users who share their interests. Moreover, online social networking provides the users the opportunities to connect with others that are not possible otherwise. It is an untold secret that online social networking has changed the way people interact with each other. If considered carefully and used wisely, social networking sites and the habits of interaction can lead an individual to elevated self-image and personal satisfaction (Simpson 2011).
Social networking websites, may offer opportunities to the youth for expressing themselves and interact with others. Especially to those young users who experience behaviors that weaken their independence and relatedness from their parents. For instance, such young users "have more time online to think about and compose messages to others than they might have in face-to-face interactions" (Szwedo, Mikami & Allen 2010). Consequently, they become more at ease with the content they make known online as compared with personal conversations. In addition, youth may be allowed relief from concerns on social networking websites that the ideas they present will be discarded in an instant. According to research, it has been found out that "individuals who find in-person interaction uncomfortable are more likely than individuals without such discomfort to prefer the increased controllability of online communication and feel more disinhibited online, leading to greater self-disclosure" (Szwedo, Mikami & Allen 2010).
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