Social networking: advantages and disadvantages

Social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter and even more specialized sites like Flickr and Del.icio.us have changed the way people communicate. The pros of social networking are obvious: getting in touch with old friends; maintaining friendships across large geographic distances; and offering a means to communicate with large numbers of people at the same time. Social networking sites are therefore excellent for promoting small businesses or charitable causes. Ultimately, social networking can be a lot of fun. Sites like Facebook offer games for users to play in addition to the joy of keeping up with friends. Ideally, social networking Web sites can deepen existing friendships via frequent status updates and photos and allow those otherwise shy and withdrawn to express themselves.

However, social networking sites present several drawbacks that should be considered by all users. The most apparent and potentially harmful drawback is the loss of privacy these sites entail. Registered users surrender a great deal of personal information even when privacy settings are set high. Privacy settings on social networking sites are not always easy to understand, and are therefore difficult to change. Moreover, the social networking sites sometimes change the rules governing their privacy agreements. A small rule change that a user misses could mean loss of expected privacy. Setting privacy settings too strongly also weakens the usability of the site, restricting what information a friend can see on a user's profile.

Advertisements on social networking sites are targeted to the individual consumer, based on age, gender, geographic locations, and other parameters including surfing habits. In order for a user to get the most out of social networking sites, truthful information such as name and college attended must be included in a profile. Otherwise, the user would not be able to get in touch with old friends. Revealing personal information not only plays into the hands of marketers but also potential identity thieves.

When sharing photos on sites like Facebook or Flickr, those photos can readily be stolen, manipulated, and used by anyone with access to them. Unwitting users might not understand how to set their security settings in each application, and savvy computer users may be able to override security settings anyway.

Another significant drawback with social networking sites is the way that they impact communication. Some users may find themselves conversing more online than with friends in person, which would only exacerbate social anxiety. Others might divulge too much personal information or reveal inappropriate content about themselves or another user. Social networking sites have the potential to harm as well as heal relationships.

Social networking sites can harm professional relationships or students at school. The individual might reveal information on Facebook that his or her boss can see online. That information could compromise that person's position in the workplace. Thus, social networking sites raise important ethical issues.