essay about social network site

Social Networking Sites Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on social networking sites.

Social networking sites are a great platform for people to connect with their loved ones. It helps in increasing communication and making connections with people all over the world. Although people believe that social networking sites are harmful, they are also very beneficial.

Furthermore, we can classify social networking sites as per blogging, vlogging, podcasting and more. We use social networking sites for various uses. It helps us greatly; however, it also is very dangerous. We must monitor the use of social networking sites and limit their usage so it does not take over our lives.

Advantage and Disadvantages of Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites are everywhere now. In other words, they have taken over almost every sphere of life. They come with both, advantages as well as disadvantages. If we talk about the educational field, these sites enhance education by having an influence on the learners. They can explore various topics for their projects.

Furthermore, the business field benefits a lot from social networking sites. The companies use social networking sites to connect better with their potential clients and business partners. Moreover, people in search of jobs use the sites to connect better with employers and firms. This gives them a great opportunity to seek better jobs.

Read 500+ Words Essay on Social Media here.

On the other hand, the disadvantages of social networking sites are also very high. They give birth to cybercrimes like cyberbullying , sexual exploitation, money scams and more. It is very harmful to kids as people make them victims of pornography and more. It also gives easy access to the pedophiles of children’s information.

Most importantly, social networking sites are very addictive. They drop the productivity levels of people. Students waste their time using it and get distracted easily from their studies. Moreover, it makes them inactive and limits their physical activities.

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Famous Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites have created a massive presence in today’s world. While there are many types of these sites, some are more famous than the others.

For instance, Facebook is the largest social networking site. It has more than 1 billion users which keep increasing every day. Moreover, it also helps you promote your business or brand through ads.

Secondly, there is Instagram. It is owned by Facebook only. Similarly, this app allows you to share photos and videos with your followers. It gives users a lot of filters to beautify your photos.

Furthermore, Twitter is also a great social networking site. It is mostly used by celebrities. This site allows you to post short messages called tweets to share your thoughts. Twitter is a great platform to convey your message in limited words.

Moreover, we have LinkedIn. This is one of the most sought after sites which allow professionals to locate and hire employees. Subsequently, it is available in more than twenty languages to give a user-friendly interface.

Finally, we have WhatsApp. Though it entered the game quite late, this instant messaging app made a place for itself instantaneously. Facebook acquired this app as well. It allows you to share text messages, images, videos, audios, documents and more.

In short, social networking sites are a bane and a boon. It depends on us how we use to. Anything in excess is harmful; likewise, social networking sites are too. Use them for your benefit and do not let them control your life.

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Social Networking Essay | Sample Essays About Social Networking

March 16, 2023 by Prasanna

Social Networking Essay Introduction: Social networking essay is a topic commonly asked in examinations, hence, to write an engaging essay, students should have in-depth knowledge about social networking. The concept itself is rather easy to understand, hence, it will not be a hassle to comprehend. Moreover, social networking is a powerful tool for learning as it can enable information and knowledge sharing.

However, social networking has more than a few definitions provided by various experts in the industry. But most definitions state social networking as an interaction over a social platform between individuals who may or may not share similar interests, activities, or other connections. The end goal of social networking is to build relationships or to gather information. The following are some essential tips and tricks to keep in mind when writing an essay on social networking or any other topic. Read on to find more about Advantages and Dis-Advantages of Social Networking Essay.

Social Networking Essay – Important Points

To write an engaging social networking essay, the following points are to be noted:

• Ensure that the essay has an introductory paragraph
• Unless the topic is technical, reduce the use of jargons
• Express in points wherever possible
• Content must be broken up into digestible chunks
• If possible, use dates, names or other specifics that are relevant to the topic.
• End the essay with a conclusion
• If time permits, read through the essay to ensure that there are no grammatical issues or factual errors.

Last, but not least, ensure that you do your research. Read through online journals, refer to online websites or watch any related media to help generate content for the essay.

“Social Networks represent the digital reflection of what humans do: we connect and share”

Social Networking Essay – Sample 1 (200 words)

Social networking, in its most basic form, is the interaction of individuals with common interests over an online platform. This concept is a marvel of modern technology, enabling people around the globe to connect and interact.

However, the concept is not new; for centuries, people have gathered at major towns for the purpose of socialization. So, social networking can be seen as a modern extension of this age-old tradition. But the foundation for social networking wasn’t laid until the invention of the internet. The first iterations of the world wide web is a far cry from what we see today, nonetheless, it was a milestone in its own terms. Notable precursors to social networking sites emerged in the late 1990s. One of the very first social networking sites to gain traction in India is Orkut, and it hit peak popularity by 2008.

Today, the world is interconnected through social networks, helping people communicate without any hassles. As helpful as it sounds, social networking is not without its flaws. There are many downsides, ranging from online security and child safety to piracy and cyberbullying. Essentially, social networking is a double-edged sword. Therefore, measures need to be taken to prevent such events.

100 Words Essay on Social Media

Social Networking Essay – Sample 2 (500 words)

The world we live in is ever more connected, with people living across various geographic regions interacting in real-time without ever stepping outside their house. It is one of the marvels of modern technology, culminating years of progress and growth in the field of information and technology.

Social networking, in the most literal sense, can be defined as the interaction between individuals that share common interests over an online platform created to facilitate this activity. Though this concept has emerged within the last 50 years, the original idea dates back even further. The gathering at a village market, for the purpose of information or to talk about events, can be considered as a precursor to offline-networking. The limitations during those days were obvious, communication technology was almost non-existent and traveling half-way across the world was not feasible for most.

During the 1950s, a “typical” computer was the size of a small room and it used to weight at least 20-30 tons. Several decades later, the computer was feasibly small and affordable enough for the masses to buy. Therefore, the emergence of personal computers set the stage for the emergence of social networking. Another crucial component required for social networking is the internet . Initially, the internet’s very first iteration was called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), a project of the United States Defence. Hence, it was not accessible to the general public. As technology progressed, this concept became what we now know as the modern-day worldwide web.

The very first precursors to social networking platforms on the world wide web emerged during the 1990s. Geocities, Tripod.com, and Theglobe.com had many of the functionalities now common in social networking platforms. These sites encouraged users to interact with others through chat rooms. Newer generations of social networking sites emerged in the early 2000s, with Orkut being the most well-known. It was launched in 2004 and gained a lot of popularity by 2008. In India, Orkut was one of the first social networking sites to have gained traction before the emergence of Facebook. Sites such as Linkedin is another type of social networking site that is employment-oriented but used many of the same features as other traditional social networking sites.

Today, social networking is an integral component of society. From being a strategic component of modern businesses to an important tool for teachers and students, social networking has immeasurable implications. However,  in the wrong hands, social networking sites can cause privacy and safety concerns. One of the biggest risks associated with social networking is cyberbullying. It can have disastrous repercussions on the morale of affected individuals.

Social Networking Essay Conclusion

Children are especially at risk since continuously monitoring their activities may not be feasible. Another major downfall of social networking is it absolutely kills productivity. It can waste valuable time and encourage procrastination. Strangely, social networking can also lead to domestic crimes such as burglary; posting about a trip on social media, check-in details and other information would provide would-be burglars with the information telling them when to strike. There are also reports of individuals who have had negative professional outcomes due to irresponsible action of social networking platforms.

The key takeaway here is, social networking is a powerful tool, and care must be taken to ensure no negative repercussion occurs.

FAQ’s on Social Networking Essay

Question 1. What is social networking?

Answer: Social networking is defined as the interaction between individuals over an online social platform who may or may not share common interests.

Question 2. What is the end goal of social networking?

Answer: The end goal of social networking is to build relationships or to maintain existing ones. Relations can be professional or among acquaintances, friends or family.

Question 3. Which was the first and most popular social networking site in India?

Answer: Orkut was the very first social networking site to gain traction. However, it is not the first social networking site.

Question 4. Is social networking important?

Answer: Social networking is an important element in today’s world. However, it has the potential to be misused.

Question 5. Give a few examples of social networking sites.

Answer: Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch, Twitter, etc.

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Essay on Effects and Impact of Social Networking Sites in 700+ Words

• Updated on  
• Mar 5, 2024

Social networking sites are platforms where people can connect, socialise, learn and entertain. These platforms are now a part of the modern world. The first social networking site was SixDegrees, launched in 1997. Today, there are 4 billion users on social networking sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Whatsapp, etc. 

However, social networking sites have given rise to cybercrimes and online frauds, to which youngsters have fallen victim. Recently, Mark Zuckerburg, the CEO of Meta, was slammed by the New Mexico District Attorney for failing to protect children from sexual predators on Facebook and Instagram. 

Table of Contents

• 1.1 Facebook
• 1.2 YouTube
• 1.3 Instagram
• 2 Positive Effects
• 3 Negative Effects
• 4 Impact of Social Networking Sites on Our Health
• 5 Advantages of Not Using Social Networking Sites
• 6 Essay on Effects and Impact of Social Networking Sites PDF

Master the art of essay writing with our blog on How to Write an Essay in English .

Popular Social Networking Sites

Also Read: Essay on Peer Pressure in 100, 200 and 350 Words

Positive Effects

• Social networking sites help us connect with our loved ones and distant friends.
• Social networking sites valuable sources of information and keep us updated on the latest trends. 
• Social networking sites can also used for educational purposes. These platforms contain educational content, discussions, and resources that support learning and skill development.
• Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook help businesses and individuals in networking, job searching, and career development.
• Social networking sites allow for real-time communication through features such as instant messaging, video calls, and live streaming.

Negative Effects

• Social networking sites are like addiction. They are designed to be engaging and use algorithms to keep users hooked. Once you start scrolling, you are presented with a constant stream of information, and notifications, and this desire for social validation can create addictive behaviours.
• Social networking sites have given birth to cybercrimes like cyberbullying, sexual harassment, hacking, malware and ransomware, spoofing, etc.
• Constant exposure to idealised representations of other’s lives on social media results in low self-esteem as we try to compare ourselves with others.
• The personal information users share on social networking sites raises concerns about privacy breaches and data misuse by hackers or third parties.
• Excessive use of social networking sites leads to time wastage and decreased productivity. Because of this, we are not able to focus on real-world tasks.
• Excessive use of social media also affects our mental health, as it results in anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances.
• Not everything we see on social networking sites is true. Social networking sites are a breeding ground for fake news, misinformation and rumours. 

Impact of Social Networking Sites on Our Health

• Studies have shown that there is a strong link between excessive use of social networking sites and our health.
• Staying late on social sites and constantly looking at computers or mobile devices results in weakened eyesight and headaches.
• Prioritising online interactions over face-to-face relationships can result in social isolation.
• Falling victim to cyber crimes can result in stress, anxiety and other mental issues.
• Addictive behaviour towards social networking sites can result in sleeping disturbance and mood swings.
• Social networking sites can contribute to the fear of missing out (FOMO). It can lead to feelings of anxiety or dissatisfaction with our own lives.

Advantages of Not Using Social Networking Sites

• One of the best advantages of not using social networking sites is that your data is secured. Your private information is private.
• Not using social networking can alleviate comparison, fear of missing out (FOMO), and the pressure to curate a perfect online persona.
• Without the constant distraction of social media, we will be able to build meaningful relationships.
• Continuous scrolling on social networking sites results in time wastage. We can save a lot of our precious time and indulge in quality work.
• Reducing social media presence can lead to improvements in mental health, including reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
• Avoiding social sites and cell phones at night can result in better sleep quality.

Essay on Effects and Impact of Social Networking Sites PDF

Ans: Social networking sites are platforms where people can connect, socialise, learn and entertain. Social networking sites help us connect with our loved ones and distant friends, can keep us updated on the latest trends and can also used for educational purposes. However, social networking sites are like addiction.  They are designed to be engaging and use algorithms to keep users hooked. Once you start scrolling, you are presented with a constant stream of information, and notifications, and this desire for social validation can create addictive behaviours.

Ans: Social networking sites can lead to addiction, time wastage, and cybercrimes like cyberbullying, sexual harassment, hacking, etc. The personal information users share on social networking sites raises concerns about privacy breaches and data misuse by hackers or third parties.

Ans: One of the best advantages of not using social networking sites is that your data is secured. Your private information is private. Not using social networking can alleviate comparison, fear of missing out (FOMO), and the pressure to curate a perfect online persona.

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Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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Essay on Social Networking Sites Pros And Cons

Students are often asked to write an essay on Social Networking Sites Pros And Cons in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Social Networking Sites Pros And Cons

Social networking sites: pros and cons.

Social networking sites are online platforms where people can connect with friends, family, and even strangers who share similar interests. They allow users to share photos, videos, and updates about their lives, and to communicate with others through instant messaging and video calls.

Stay Connected: Social networking sites help people stay connected with friends and family who live far away, or who they don’t get to see very often. They also provide opportunities to reconnect with old friends and classmates.

Share and Learn: Social networking sites allow users to share their thoughts, ideas, and experiences with others. They can also learn about different cultures, perspectives, and ideas by connecting with people from all over the world.

Entertainment: Social networking sites offer a variety of entertainment options, such as games, videos, and music. Users can also follow their favorite celebrities, influencers, and brands for updates on their activities and interests.

Cons of Social Networking Sites

Addiction: Spending too much time on social networking sites can lead to addiction. People may find themselves constantly checking their feeds, even when they should be doing other things, such as working or studying.

Cyberbullying: Social networking sites can be a platform for cyberbullying, where people are harassed or threatened online. This can have serious consequences for victims, including depression, anxiety, and even suicide.

Privacy Concerns: Social networking sites collect a lot of data about their users, including their personal information, browsing history, and even their location. This data can be used for targeted advertising, or it can be hacked and used for identity theft or other crimes.

250 Words Essay on Social Networking Sites Pros And Cons

Benefits of social networking sites.

Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have become a big part of our daily lives. One major benefit is that they help us stay connected with friends and family, no matter where they are in the world. We can share photos, videos, and thoughts with just a click. These platforms also make it easier for people to find and join groups that share their interests, which can be great for making new friends or learning new things.

Learning and Opportunities

Another advantage is the opportunity for learning and discovering. Many educational resources and news articles are shared on these sites, making it simple for students to find useful information for their studies or personal growth. Plus, businesses use these platforms to offer jobs, which means you can find job postings and career advice easily.

Downsides of Social Networking Sites

On the other side, these sites have some downsides too. Spending too much time on them can lead to less face-to-face interaction with family and friends, which is very important for our well-being. There’s also the risk of cyberbullying, where people might receive mean comments or messages. Lastly, privacy is a big concern because personal information can sometimes be shared without permission, leading to safety issues.

In conclusion, while social networking sites have their benefits like keeping us connected and offering learning opportunities, they also come with risks like reduced personal interaction, cyberbullying, and privacy issues. It’s important to use them wisely and safely.

500 Words Essay on Social Networking Sites Pros And Cons

What are social networking sites.

Social networking sites are online platforms that allow people to connect with each other and share information. They’ve become increasingly popular, bringing both benefits and drawbacks.

Benefits of Social Media

1. staying connected, 2. learning & sharing.

Social media platforms offer a wealth of information and learning opportunities. You can find news, articles, and videos on just about any topic. You can also share your own knowledge and experiences with others.

3. Entertainment

Social media can also be a great source of entertainment. You can find funny videos, games, and other content to keep you amused. You can also connect with people who share your interests and join online communities.

Risks of Social Networking Sites

1. privacy concerns, 2. cyberbullying.

Another risk of social media is cyberbullying. This is when someone uses electronic devices to bully or harass another person. Cyberbullying can have a devastating impact on the victim, leading to depression, anxiety, and even suicide.

3. Addiction

Social media can also be addictive. The constant stream of notifications and messages can make it hard to pull away. This can lead to problems at school, work, and in relationships.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Social Media Essay: Benefits and Drawbacks of Social Networking Sites

The advent of various social media channels has revolutionized the internet landscape by introducing us to global networking. Today, an individual can connect with another in a completely different part of this world just in a matter of seconds. We will take you through various notions and opinions associated with social media and how they impact our everyday lives. Also, there are some incredible tips to give you a better insight into how to write a social media essay.

Sep 03 2020 ● 8 min read

Table of Contents

What is social media essay, how do you write a social media essay, structure of social media essay, various tones of a social media essay, incorporate an attractive topic.

As you know, an social media essay is a piece of writing that is used to introduce an essential topic to the world with its underlying advantages and disadvantages. These aspects are driven solely by facts and should not contain the opinions of the writers. It is drafted to give others a better understanding of the subject in hand.

No matter which subject it pertains to, an essay ends with a conclusion where the writers are permitted to give their opinion after weighing the advantages and disadvantages.

Similarly, a social media essay is written to appreciate the positive aspects and highlight the negative impacts of social media in this time and day. The conclusions include the analysis of the two elements by the writers in their own lives and give an open-ended point of view. Depending upon the essay writer or paper writing service , the decision can be decisive, too, but that is not encouraged.

Today, the use of social networks, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or LinkedIn, has increased exponentially. An average millennial spends 2 hours and 58 minutes per day on social media platforms like Facebook. While some say that the platform is super-informative, others argue that all the information gathered on this platform is trivial and doesn't justify long hours invested in the use of social media.

The above arguments make using social media by individuals with a debatable issue, and this is why a lot of students are required to write an essay on social media. So, here are some incredible tips to help you out in writing an essay on social media even if you don't have marketing skills .

A classic essay consists of 3 parts – the introduction, main body, and the conclusion.

• The Introduction

As you introduce the main topic, always begin with how it is relevant to the current scenario. You can do this by providing some background information. The information can be made richer by adding some reliable stats and data . Once you have established the topic, you need to give a strong thesis statement of the hypothesis on which your essay is based.

The thesis statement in your essay should be precise and debatable. If not, the arguments that you are going to put forward in the essay would make no sense.

The main body of your text should consist of logical arguments in relevance to your hypothesis. Make sure you put forward one statement in one paragraph and start a new one with another section. This will make your essay look more organized.

Also, when developing ideas, only include the ones you can write clearly about. If not, avoid them. Make sure that the essay develops coherently.

To conclude the essay about social media, bring back your hypothesis, and state how the aspects you discussed earlier support or nullify it. Make it a point to summarize all ideas, but do not start adding more ideas when you are about to conclude. You can now give an, ideally, open end to your essay.

A great conclusion is the one that provokes thought and will make your readers question the use of social media in their everyday lives.

Also, remember that essays do not have to include pros and cons always. They can either be full of pros or cons or both, depending upon your hypothesis. Just ensure they are relevant.

You might believe that an essay is an essay, and two of them would be similar, but that's a misconception. Different essays have varying tones depending on how the author is treating the thesis statement through the main body of the text. Here are a few examples of essays on social media in different tones.

• Sample of a Persuasive Essay

If you are asked to write an academic paper about the effects of social media on the mental health of teenagers and young adults, you should make it persuasive. For this, just writing about the topic is not enough. It would help if you had an impactful thesis, followed by powerful arguments to support or question your theory.

The perils associated with social media addiction are forcing parents and "grown-ups" to throw their benefits in bad light today. In the race to become best in academics and non-academic activities, people are losing their grip on how social networks bring people together. They empower individuals with knowledge about various cultures and languages, which might not have been possible otherwise.

Social media sites can be addictive, and students might waste their formative years scrolling through the trivial feed and gain nothing but superficial knowledge. But that is just because neither parents nor the school is encouraging positive social media behavior. If these institutions start offering tips to students to limit and utilize their time on social media , one would be amazed to see their achievements.

Is social media a catalyst for the downfall of student life? Well, social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and more are teeming with inspirational achievers and content creators who go the extra mile to share their stories and inspire students. If the children are taught to see their access to social media as an opportunity to grow rather than a competition for likes and followers, they are bound to work harder and achieve goals that seemed insurmountable earlier.

• Sample of Negative Essay about social media

If you have been asked to highlight the negative aspects of social media, your teacher does not mean that you have to cross all limits to present the use of social media in a bad light. Instead, what they are asking for is some logical and believable arguments that tell us why social media is harmful to society.

Social media is destroying family links by creating a virtual shell for each individual, which dissociates them with their own parents and siblings. The kids are adversely affected by increased access to social media if parents are always indulged in their devices and ignore them. Eventually, even kids start using tools to connect to other people, ignoring their family members.

Since kids and teenagers are the most impressionable age groups, they start believing that everything that glitters on social media platforms is gold, and they become materialistic. Their lives start revolving around likes, comments, and followers/subscribers. No matter whether their minds are prepared for such exposure or not, social media exposes them to the best and the worst about this world, which might turn them into rebels. They start valuing their online friends more than their offline lives and go to unimaginable extents to keep them entertained.

So, parents and elders need to pay attention to their children and limit their social media use so that they can learn to form real relationships and values.

• Weighing the pros and cons

Another way in which you can present your social media essay is by comparing the positive and negative aspects associated with it. In such essays, the conclusion is better left open for the readers to decide their own take on social media.

One cannot argue that social media has taken the world by storm by allowing like-minded individuals to connect and share their experiences with the world. You can use these platforms to make new friends and discover the ones who have lost touch. You can talk to everyone on your friend list and share your content on these channels to become a part of the creators' community. There is no dearth for talent on social media and its admirers.

On the other hand, if you use social media sites for long stretches of time in one go, you run the risk of addiction. Gradually, a social media addict starts to build a cocoon for themselves, which they find hard to step out of. This leads to a disconnect between you and the family you already have and love. One might feel too confined yet comfortable in their space that they have no urge left to step out, pushing them towards social seclusion, or worse – depression.

When you flip the coin again, you will discover that social media has become an incredible platform for small businesses to grow and earn good profits . The grass-root companies do not have to invest much for advertising and promotion or even own an establishment. All they have to do is to create a grassroots marketing strategy for themselves, and their brand will start selling in no time!

In the end, social media is a game-changer on the World Wide Web. It allows people to connect with the virtual world with the risk of disconnecting with the real world. Then again, businesses are doing well on these platforms. There are indeed two sides to social media, one positive and another negative, and it is up to you which one you lean towards more.

• Argumentative social media essay

A challenging but equally exciting type of essay on social media you should know about is an argumentative essay. It is often written when you are tasked with altering the point of view of the reader, which is of a completely opposite belief. Here is a sample for your better understanding.

Social networks have an uncertain future with the string impression they leave on users, especially the younger generations. Parents panic with the first mention of social media sites by their children and learning about their presence on these platforms because they are afraid of cyberbullying. They do not want their children to get cat-fished by some stranger on Reddit when they are not around.

Moreover, social media platforms are the reason why several individuals are losing their confidential data every day to corporate houses. These businesses are using the information to bug users with ads about stuff they do not want to buy.

If such instances carry on, the day is not far when the government will start to keep checks on the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other channels. Massive surveillance will be imposed on these sites to prevent malicious minds from harming innocent teenagers physically or by hacking into their systems. So, before you get a chance to ask " have I been hacked ", know that someone is taking care of it.

Having an attractive topic for your social media essay does not mean using poetic words in it. You should have an issue relevant to the current scenario. In the process of selecting a fascinating topic, do not forget to keep it within the extents of your knowledge. If it becomes too complicated for you to write about, you will be stuck when coming up with arguments and ideas.

The perfect topic would be the one which offers good potential for research and is interesting for the readers too. Even if you present profound arguments about such topics, they should be in a logical, comprehensible, and readable format for people to understand easily.

Writing a social media essay is no cakewalk, whether you are a high-school student or university student. All you need to do is, structuralize it properly, be clear with the ideas and arguments you are planning to present, pick the tone of your essay, and began writing. Do not forget to top your essay up with a catchy topic so that your entire hard work doesn't fall flat.

Published on Sep 03 2020

Gintaras is an experienced marketing professional who is always eager to explore the most up-to-date issues in data marketing. Having worked as an SEO manager at several companies, he's a valuable addition to the Whatagraph writers' pool.

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• Social Networking Sites Essay

Essay on Social Networking Sites

Vedantu provides Essays on various topics to provide students with an understanding of how to write essays in the exam. Essay writing has many benefits: it allows students to have a strong grip on language, improves sentence formation and grammar. Download an essay on the topic Reading is a Good Habit on Vedantu’s site.

Social Networking Sites

Social media is an online platform for communication and the exchange of data. Social media platforms create a virtual world that can be accessible by the internet. One can also define social media as a social network that keeps the entire world connected. Even the world’s richest person Bill Gates suggested to the young entrepreneur the extraction of capitative income from social media in his conference through his quote, “If I was down at the last dollar in my marketing budget, I’d spend it on PR!” PR is nothing but ‘Public Relation’. And PR has a tremendous impact on social networking sites.

Earlier there were post offices to deliver letters from one place to the other. The process was long and tedious. Even for delivery of 30-50 km, at least 7-8 days was minimum awaited. Then the world got a boost with technology. The world started moving at the speed of it. Everything merged up and compacted in this virtual world.

Social networking sites contain connecting websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp and many lesser-known platforms. These websites assist a person to get connected with people who are a thousand miles away. Communication routes are pretty much easier for the messages. It plays a leading role in providing new employment avenues. Many new and lucrative job opportunities have come up due to the rise of social media marketing. Also, job seekers can now submit their resumes or directly communicate with the company owners about their qualities. We can create our profiles online with our business details which assist in promoting businesses. Some businesses are already running on social sites; blogging is most popular amongst all. With the advancement of social media technology, news can spread in a matter of minutes.

A widely popular social media platform is YouTube. YouTube started as a channel for funny videos but it has established itself as a social media website. Platforms like YouTube allow new artists to showcase their talent and earn popularity and money.

Every coin has two sides. On one side where there are so many benefits of such sites, on the other, there are many negative repercussions. Many criminals have the lion’s share in fake accounts. Hacking and other malicious practices have become a common menace. Frequent FIR’s are submitted about money-related frauds. Moreover, women’s safety feels endangered. If proper care is being taken in advance, nothing is going to harm us at all.

Vedantu’s Guidance on structuring Social Networking Sites Essay

The beauty of writing an essay is in the amount of freedom a writer is offered while writing and structuring it. But if you find it difficult to structure Social Networking Sites Essay, we suggest you stick to the basic pattern followed throughout which is as follows:

Introduction: This will be the first paragraph of your essay where you can introduce the idea of social media and talk about some daily life examples to enhance your point further.

Body: This will be the part of your essay wherein you will put forward your main idea and content. Here you can talk about the emergence of social media, some pioneering social media sites, facts and data, changing marketing dynamics, effects of social media on society, and a lot more.

Conclusion: This is where you will give your final thoughts about social media and try to provide a well-balanced ending note which is optimistic. You can also suggest a few way-forwards.

This is a very basic outline for writing an essay that is universally approved. You can modify this structure as per your writing style to include additional points. Also, remember to stick to the word limit mentioned in the question.

FAQs on Social Networking Sites Essay

1. Which are some of the famous social networking sites available today?

Some of the famous social networking sites are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp etc. Facebook is the largest social media site with more than two billion users. All these sites provide a different way to connect to the digital world. These websites not only provide a forum to share and connect but also plays an extensive role in digital marketing and advertising. They have also become a source of news and learning.

2. What are some of the benefits of social networking sites?

Social Media provides a way of connecting with the digital world. Everyone can find new people, make friends and communicate with their loved ones all over the world using social media platforms. It also provides a way for students to widen their knowledge by connecting to teachers and professors all around the globe. It provides a platform to increase the business through advertising and provides a creative way of doing business. People can attend meetings and sign deals sitting in the comfort of their homes.

3. Where can students avail a free essay on the topic ‘Social Networking Sites’?

Students can avail themselves of a free essay on the topic ‘Social Networking Sites’ on online learning platforms like Vedantu. Vedantu is a premier learning platform where students can avail free study materials. Online resources like essays on various topics are written by experts to help students understand how to write impressive essays.

4. What are the important points to mention while writing an essay on the topic ‘Social Media Sites’?

Some of the important points to mention while writing an essay on the topic ‘Social Media Sites’ are:

It should contain the advantages and disadvantages of Social Media.

It should briefly explain Social media.

It must contain information about some of the widely used Social Media Platforms.

It must contain knowledge about its effect on the younger generation and common people around the globe.

5. How should I approach Social Networking Sites Essay?

Approaching an essay is a challenge for many students, this usually happens due to a lack of understanding of the topic. For writing an essay on Social Networking Sites you first begin with thinking about the structure for your essay. Then you can shift your focus towards collecting data, facts and numbers. You should also try to include your own experiences and observations. This will bring a unique perspective to the essay which will be of your own. After all this exercise, you can progress towards writing the essay.

6. Why is Social Networking Sites Essay an important topic for an English essay?

Social Networking Sites Essay is a very expected topic in any English exam as it is very relevant in contemporary times. As the times are changing so are our ways of interacting with people in general. Social media has affected every part of our lives. Due to pandemics, human to human interaction has been reduced thus the world has started using social media for connecting. Businesses, meetings, learning, shopping, etc. everything has moved online and everyone is trying to create a presence on social media sites. This has provided ample opportunities but also brought with it a new set of challenges. Due to all of these reasons, an essay on social media is very much expected.

7. I find it difficult to express my thoughts while writing Social Networking Sites Essays. How do I tackle this problem?

The thinking process of every student differs and we understand it perfectly. To express your thoughts while writing Social Networking Sites Essays, you can try to fit in your own experience and observation. Try to recall how your childhood was when social media sites were less prevalent and how it has changed now. You can also try to visit a few social media sites and see how they operate and how it is beneficial for businesses and customers. While doing this exercise keep noting your observations then try to fit these in your essay. You may refer to Vedantu's guide to writing an essay to structure your essay. Also, you may read the above essay for your reference and then start working on your ideas.

8. Do I need to memorise Social Networking Sites Essays word by word for the exam?

No, not at all. There is no need to memorise Social Networking Sites Essay or for that matter, any English essay present on Vedantu’s website. You only need to focus on the structuring of the essay, content to be covered in each part, technical terms and keywords. With these, you will be well equipped to write an entire essay on your own in the exam. Practising a few essays from Vedantu's website will boost your confidence and will prepare you to write an essay on any given topic in the exam hall on the day of the exam.

9. How should I show that social media has various benefits while writing a Social Networking Sites Essay?

You need to highlight the benefits of social media while writing Social Networking Sites Essays. To cover this theme in the essay, you can talk about how social media has changed the world and society for good by bringing people close to each other. Today customers can get access to international businesses, consumers can get access to international products, common people can showcase their talents on various social media sites, a wide variety of educational content is available on these sites, lectures are conducted online for students to attend, etc. 

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Social Networking Sites

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Social networking, most known social networking sites (spencer 2017).

• Facebook - This is easily the biggest social networking site in the world and one of the most widely used. It was possibly the first that surpassed the landmark of 1 billion user accounts.
• WhatsApp - It reached on the scene much later than Facebook, but has been capable to capture the imagination of millions of people around the world by giving them the ability to communicate and share instantly with individuals and groups.
• Tumblr - Tumblr serves as a social media with micro-blogging platform that can be used to find and follow things that you like. You may also use it to post anything, together with multimedia, to a short-form blog.
• Instagram - Instagram was launched as an exceptional social networking platform that was completely built for sharing photos and videos. This photo sharing social networking app thus allows you to capture the best moments of your life, with your phone’s camera or any other camera, and transform them into works of art.
• Twitter - This social networking site enables you to post short text messages which are called tweets, containing a limited number of characters, to convey your message to the world.
• Skype – Skype is owned by Microsoft, and it is one of the most popular communication-based social networking platforms. It enables you to connect with people through voice calls, video calls (with the use of a webcam) and text messaging. You can even conduct group conference calls.
• Viber – Viber is a multi-lingual social platform, which is available in more than 30 languages. It is known for its instant text messaging and voice messaging capabilities. You can also share photos and videos and audio messages through viber.
• Snapchat - This is an image messaging social platform that allows you to chat with your friends by using pictures.
• Pinterest - Pinterest is a photo sharing and visual bookmarking social media site or app that allows you to find new ideas for your plans and save them.
• Youtube - YouTube is the world’s largest video-sharing social networking site that enables users to upload and share videos, view them, comment on them and like them.

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Article Contents

Introduction, social network sites: a definition, a history of social network sites, previous scholarship, overview of this special theme section, future research, acknowledgment, about the authors.

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Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship

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danah m. boyd, Nicole B. Ellison, Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication , Volume 13, Issue 1, 1 October 2007, Pages 210–230, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x

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Social network sites (SNSs) are increasingly attracting the attention of academic and industry researchers intrigued by their affordances and reach. This special theme section of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication brings together scholarship on these emergent phenomena. In this introductory article, we describe features of SNSs and propose a comprehensive definition. We then present one perspective on the history of such sites, discussing key changes and developments. After briefly summarizing existing scholarship concerning SNSs, we discuss the articles in this special section and conclude with considerations for future research.

Since their introduction, social network sites (SNSs) such as MySpace, Facebook, Cyworld, and Bebo have attracted millions of users, many of whom have integrated these sites into their daily practices. As of this writing, there are hundreds of SNSs, with various technological affordances, supporting a wide range of interests and practices. While their key technological features are fairly consistent, the cultures that emerge around SNSs are varied. Most sites support the maintenance of pre-existing social networks, but others help strangers connect based on shared interests, political views, or activities. Some sites cater to diverse audiences, while others attract people based on common language or shared racial, sexual, religious, or nationality-based identities. Sites also vary in the extent to which they incorporate new information and communication tools, such as mobile connectivity, blogging, and photo/video-sharing.

Scholars from disparate fields have examined SNSs in order to understand the practices, implications, culture, and meaning of the sites, as well as users’ engagement with them. This special theme section of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication brings together a unique collection of articles that analyze a wide spectrum of social network sites using various methodological techniques, theoretical traditions, and analytic approaches. By collecting these articles in this issue, our goal is to showcase some of the interdisciplinary scholarship around these sites.

The purpose of this introduction is to provide a conceptual, historical, and scholarly context for the articles in this collection. We begin by defining what constitutes a social network site and then present one perspective on the historical development of SNSs, drawing from personal interviews and public accounts of sites and their changes over time. Following this, we review recent scholarship on SNSs and attempt to contextualize and highlight key works. We conclude with a description of the articles included in this special section and suggestions for future research.

We define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site.

While we use the term “social network site” to describe this phenomenon, the term “social networking sites” also appears in public discourse, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. We chose not to employ the term “networking” for two reasons: emphasis and scope. “Networking” emphasizes relationship initiation, often between strangers. While networking is possible on these sites, it is not the primary practice on many of them, nor is it what differentiates them from other forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC).

What makes social network sites unique is not that they allow individuals to meet strangers, but rather that they enable users to articulate and make visible their social networks. This can result in connections between individuals that would not otherwise be made, but that is often not the goal, and these meetings are frequently between “latent ties” ( Haythornthwaite, 2005 ) who share some offline connection. On many of the large SNSs, participants are not necessarily “networking” or looking to meet new people; instead, they are primarily communicating with people who are already a part of their extended social network. To emphasize this articulated social network as a critical organizing feature of these sites, we label them “social network sites.”

While SNSs have implemented a wide variety of technical features, their backbone consists of visible profiles that display an articulated list of Friends 1 who are also users of the system. Profiles are unique pages where one can “type oneself into being” ( Sundén, 2003 , p. 3). After joining an SNS, an individual is asked to fill out forms containing a series of questions. The profile is generated using the answers to these questions, which typically include descriptors such as age, location, interests, and an “about me” section. Most sites also encourage users to upload a profile photo. Some sites allow users to enhance their profiles by adding multimedia content or modifying their profile’s look and feel. Others, such as Facebook, allow users to add modules (“Applications”) that enhance their profile.

The visibility of a profile varies by site and according to user discretion. By default, profiles on Friendster and Tribe.net are crawled by search engines, making them visible to anyone, regardless of whether or not the viewer has an account. Alternatively, LinkedIn controls what a viewer may see based on whether she or he has a paid account. Sites like MySpace allow users to choose whether they want their profile to be public or “Friends only.” Facebook takes a different approach—by default, users who are part of the same “network” can view each other’s profiles, unless a profile owner has decided to deny permission to those in their network. Structural variations around visibility and access are one of the primary ways that SNSs differentiate themselves from each other.

Timeline of the launch dates of many major SNSs and dates when community sites re-launched with SNS features

After joining a social network site, users are prompted to identify others in the system with whom they have a relationship. The label for these relationships differs depending on the site—popular terms include “Friends,” “Contacts,” and “Fans.” Most SNSs require bi-directional confirmation for Friendship, but some do not. These one-directional ties are sometimes labeled as “Fans” or “Followers,” but many sites call these Friends as well. The term “Friends” can be misleading, because the connection does not necessarily mean friendship in the everyday vernacular sense, and the reasons people connect are varied ( boyd, 2006a ).

The public display of connections is a crucial component of SNSs. The Friends list contains links to each Friend’s profile, enabling viewers to traverse the network graph by clicking through the Friends lists. On most sites, the list of Friends is visible to anyone who is permitted to view the profile, although there are exceptions. For instance, some MySpace users have hacked their profiles to hide the Friends display, and LinkedIn allows users to opt out of displaying their network.

Most SNSs also provide a mechanism for users to leave messages on their Friends’ profiles. This feature typically involves leaving “comments,” although sites employ various labels for this feature. In addition, SNSs often have a private messaging feature similar to webmail. While both private messages and comments are popular on most of the major SNSs, they are not universally available.

Not all social network sites began as such. QQ started as a Chinese instant messaging service, LunarStorm as a community site, Cyworld as a Korean discussion forum tool, and Skyrock (formerly Skyblog) was a French blogging service before adding SNS features. Classmates.com , a directory of school affiliates launched in 1995, began supporting articulated lists of Friends after SNSs became popular. AsianAvenue, MiGente, and BlackPlanet were early popular ethnic community sites with limited Friends functionality before re-launching in 2005–2006 with SNS features and structure.

Beyond profiles, Friends, comments, and private messaging, SNSs vary greatly in their features and user base. Some have photo-sharing or video-sharing capabilities; others have built-in blogging and instant messaging technology. There are mobile-specific SNSs (e.g., Dodgeball), but some web-based SNSs also support limited mobile interactions (e.g., Facebook, MySpace, and Cyworld). Many SNSs target people from specific geographical regions or linguistic groups, although this does not always determine the site’s constituency. Orkut, for example, was launched in the United States with an English-only interface, but Portuguese-speaking Brazilians quickly became the dominant user group ( Kopytoff, 2004 ). Some sites are designed with specific ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, political, or other identity-driven categories in mind. There are even SNSs for dogs (Dogster) and cats (Catster), although their owners must manage their profiles.

While SNSs are often designed to be widely accessible, many attract homogeneous populations initially, so it is not uncommon to find groups using sites to segregate themselves by nationality, age, educational level, or other factors that typically segment society (Hargittai, this issue), even if that was not the intention of the designers.

The Early Years

According to the definition above, the first recognizable social network site launched in 1997. SixDegrees.com allowed users to create profiles, list their Friends and, beginning in 1998, surf the Friends lists. Each of these features existed in some form before SixDegrees, of course. Profiles existed on most major dating sites and many community sites. AIM and ICQ buddy lists supported lists of Friends, although those Friends were not visible to others. Classmates.com allowed people to affiliate with their high school or college and surf the network for others who were also affiliated, but users could not create profiles or list Friends until years later. SixDegrees was the first to combine these features.

SixDegrees promoted itself as a tool to help people connect with and send messages to others. While SixDegrees attracted millions of users, it failed to become a sustainable business and, in 2000, the service closed. Looking back, its founder believes that SixDegrees was simply ahead of its time (A. Weinreich, personal communication, July 11, 2007). While people were already flocking to the Internet, most did not have extended networks of friends who were online. Early adopters complained that there was little to do after accepting Friend requests, and most users were not interested in meeting strangers.

From 1997 to 2001, a number of community tools began supporting various combinations of profiles and publicly articulated Friends. AsianAvenue, BlackPlanet, and MiGente allowed users to create personal, professional, and dating profiles—users could identify Friends on their personal profiles without seeking approval for those connections (O. Wasow, personal communication, August 16, 2007). Likewise, shortly after its launch in 1999, LiveJournal listed one-directional connections on user pages. LiveJournal’s creator suspects that he fashioned these Friends after instant messaging buddy lists (B. Fitzpatrick, personal communication, June 15, 2007)—on LiveJournal, people mark others as Friends to follow their journals and manage privacy settings. The Korean virtual worlds site Cyworld was started in 1999 and added SNS features in 2001, independent of these other sites (see Kim & Yun, this issue). Likewise, when the Swedish web community LunarStorm refashioned itself as an SNS in 2000, it contained Friends lists, guestbooks, and diary pages (D. Skog, personal communication, September 24, 2007).

The next wave of SNSs began when Ryze.com was launched in 2001 to help people leverage their business networks. Ryze’s founder reports that he first introduced the site to his friends—primarily members of the San Francisco business and technology community, including the entrepreneurs and investors behind many future SNSs (A. Scott, personal communication, June 14, 2007). In particular, the people behind Ryze, Tribe.net , LinkedIn, and Friendster were tightly entwined personally and professionally. They believed that they could support each other without competing ( Festa, 2003 ). In the end, Ryze never acquired mass popularity, Tribe.net grew to attract a passionate niche user base, LinkedIn became a powerful business service, and Friendster became the most significant, if only as “one of the biggest disappointments in Internet history” ( Chafkin, 2007 , p. 1).

Like any brief history of a major phenomenon, ours is necessarily incomplete. In the following section we discuss Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook, three key SNSs that shaped the business, cultural, and research landscape.

The Rise (and Fall) of Friendster

Friendster launched in 2002 as a social complement to Ryze. It was designed to compete with Match.com , a profitable online dating site ( Cohen, 2003 ). While most dating sites focused on introducing people to strangers with similar interests, Friendster was designed to help friends-of-friends meet, based on the assumption that friends-of-friends would make better romantic partners than would strangers (J. Abrams, personal communication, March 27, 2003). Friendster gained traction among three groups of early adopters who shaped the site—bloggers, attendees of the Burning Man arts festival, and gay men ( boyd, 2004 )—and grew to 300,000 users through word of mouth before traditional press coverage began in May 2003 ( O’Shea, 2003 ).

As Friendster’s popularity surged, the site encountered technical and social difficulties ( boyd, 2006b ). Friendster’s servers and databases were ill-equipped to handle its rapid growth, and the site faltered regularly, frustrating users who replaced email with Friendster. Because organic growth had been critical to creating a coherent community, the onslaught of new users who learned about the site from media coverage upset the cultural balance. Furthermore, exponential growth meant a collapse in social contexts: Users had to face their bosses and former classmates alongside their close friends. To complicate matters, Friendster began restricting the activities of its most passionate users.

The initial design of Friendster restricted users from viewing profiles of people who were more than four degrees away (friends-of-friends-of-friends-of-friends). In order to view additional profiles, users began adding acquaintances and interesting-looking strangers to expand their reach. Some began massively collecting Friends, an activity that was implicitly encouraged through a “most popular” feature. The ultimate collectors were fake profiles representing iconic fictional characters: celebrities, concepts, and other such entities. These “Fakesters” outraged the company, who banished fake profiles and eliminated the “most popular” feature ( boyd, in press-b ). While few people actually created Fakesters, many more enjoyed surfing Fakesters for entertainment or using functional Fakesters (e.g., “Brown University”) to find people they knew.

The active deletion of Fakesters (and genuine users who chose non-realistic photos) signaled to some that the company did not share users’ interests. Many early adopters left because of the combination of technical difficulties, social collisions, and a rupture of trust between users and the site ( boyd, 2006b ). However, at the same time that it was fading in the U.S., its popularity skyrocketed in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia ( Goldberg, 2007 ).

SNSs Hit the Mainstream

From 2003 onward, many new SNSs were launched, prompting social software analyst Clay Shirky (2003) to coin the term YASNS: “Yet Another Social Networking Service.” Most took the form of profile-centric sites, trying to replicate the early success of Friendster or target specific demographics. While socially-organized SNSs solicit broad audiences, professional sites such as LinkedIn, Visible Path, and Xing (formerly openBC) focus on business people. “Passion-centric” SNSs like Dogster (T. Rheingold, personal communication, August 2, 2007) help strangers connect based on shared interests. Care2 helps activists meet, Couchsurfing connects travelers to people with couches, and MyChurch joins Christian churches and their members. Furthermore, as the social media and user-generated content phenomena grew, websites focused on media sharing began implementing SNS features and becoming SNSs themselves. Examples include Flickr (photo sharing), Last.FM (music listening habits), and YouTube (video sharing).

With the plethora of venture-backed startups launching in Silicon Valley, few people paid attention to SNSs that gained popularity elsewhere, even those built by major corporations. For example, Google’s Orkut failed to build a sustainable U.S. user base, but a “Brazilian invasion” ( Fragoso, 2006 ) made Orkut the national SNS of Brazil. Microsoft’s Windows Live Spaces (a.k.a. MSN Spaces) also launched to lukewarm U.S. reception but became extremely popular elsewhere.

Few analysts or journalists noticed when MySpace launched in Santa Monica, California, hundreds of miles from Silicon Valley. MySpace was begun in 2003 to compete with sites like Friendster, Xanga, and AsianAvenue, according to co-founder Tom Anderson (personal communication, August 2, 2007); the founders wanted to attract estranged Friendster users (T. Anderson, personal communication, February 2, 2006). After rumors emerged that Friendster would adopt a fee-based system, users posted Friendster messages encouraging people to join alternate SNSs, including Tribe.net and MySpace (T. Anderson, personal communication, August 2, 2007). Because of this, MySpace was able to grow rapidly by capitalizing on Friendster’s alienation of its early adopters. One particularly notable group that encouraged others to switch were indie-rock bands who were expelled from Friendster for failing to comply with profile regulations.

While MySpace was not launched with bands in mind, they were welcomed. Indie-rock bands from the Los Angeles region began creating profiles, and local promoters used MySpace to advertise VIP passes for popular clubs. Intrigued, MySpace contacted local musicians to see how they could support them (T. Anderson, personal communication, September 28, 2006). Bands were not the sole source of MySpace growth, but the symbiotic relationship between bands and fans helped MySpace expand beyond former Friendster users. The bands-and-fans dynamic was mutually beneficial: Bands wanted to be able to contact fans, while fans desired attention from their favorite bands and used Friend connections to signal identity and affiliation.

Futhermore, MySpace differentiated itself by regularly adding features based on user demand ( boyd, 2006b ) and by allowing users to personalize their pages. This “feature” emerged because MySpace did not restrict users from adding HTML into the forms that framed their profiles; a copy/paste code culture emerged on the web to support users in generating unique MySpace backgrounds and layouts ( Perkel, in press ).

Teenagers began joining MySpace en masse in 2004. Unlike older users, most teens were never on Friendster—some joined because they wanted to connect with their favorite bands; others were introduced to the site through older family members. As teens began signing up, they encouraged their friends to join. Rather than rejecting underage users, MySpace changed its user policy to allow minors. As the site grew, three distinct populations began to form: musicians/artists, teenagers, and the post-college urban social crowd. By and large, the latter two groups did not interact with one another except through bands. Because of the lack of mainstream press coverage during 2004, few others noticed the site’s growing popularity.

Then, in July 2005, News Corporation purchased MySpace for $580 million ( BBC, 2005 ), attracting massive media attention. Afterwards, safety issues plagued MySpace. The site was implicated in a series of sexual interactions between adults and minors, prompting legal action ( Consumer Affairs, 2006 ). A moral panic concerning sexual predators quickly spread ( Bahney, 2006 ), although research suggests that the concerns were exaggerated. 2

A Global Phenomenon

While MySpace attracted the majority of media attention in the U.S. and abroad, SNSs were proliferating and growing in popularity worldwide. Friendster gained traction in the Pacific Islands, Orkut became the premier SNS in Brazil before growing rapidly in India ( Madhavan, 2007 ), Mixi attained widespread adoption in Japan, LunarStorm took off in Sweden, Dutch users embraced Hyves, Grono captured Poland, Hi5 was adopted in smaller countries in Latin America, South America, and Europe, and Bebo became very popular in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. Additionally, previously popular communication and community services began implementing SNS features. The Chinese QQ instant messaging service instantly became the largest SNS worldwide when it added profiles and made friends visible ( McLeod, 2006 ), while the forum tool Cyworld cornered the Korean market by introducing homepages and buddies ( Ewers, 2006 ).

Blogging services with complete SNS features also became popular. In the U.S., blogging tools with SNS features, such as Xanga, LiveJournal, and Vox, attracted broad audiences. Skyrock reigns in France, and Windows Live Spaces dominates numerous markets worldwide, including in Mexico, Italy, and Spain. Although SNSs like QQ, Orkut, and Live Spaces are just as large as, if not larger than, MySpace, they receive little coverage in U.S. and English-speaking media, making it difficult to track their trajectories.

Expanding Niche Communities

Alongside these open services, other SNSs launched to support niche demographics before expanding to a broader audience. Unlike previous SNSs, Facebook was designed to support distinct college networks only. Facebook began in early 2004 as a Harvard-only SNS ( Cassidy, 2006 ). To join, a user had to have a harvard.edu email address. As Facebook began supporting other schools, those users were also required to have university email addresses associated with those institutions, a requirement that kept the site relatively closed and contributed to users’ perceptions of the site as an intimate, private community.

Beginning in September 2005, Facebook expanded to include high school students, professionals inside corporate networks, and, eventually, everyone. The change to open signup did not mean that new users could easily access users in closed networks—gaining access to corporate networks still required the appropriate .com address, while gaining access to high school networks required administrator approval. (As of this writing, only membership in regional networks requires no permission.) Unlike other SNSs, Facebook users are unable to make their full profiles public to all users. Another feature that differentiates Facebook is the ability for outside developers to build “Applications” which allow users to personalize their profiles and perform other tasks, such as compare movie preferences and chart travel histories.

While most SNSs focus on growing broadly and exponentially, others explicitly seek narrower audiences. Some, like aSmallWorld and BeautifulPeople, intentionally restrict access to appear selective and elite. Others—activity-centered sites like Couchsurfing, identity-driven sites like BlackPlanet, and affiliation-focused sites like MyChurch—are limited by their target demographic and thus tend to be smaller. Finally, anyone who wishes to create a niche social network site can do so on Ning, a platform and hosting service that encourages users to create their own SNSs.

Currently, there are no reliable data regarding how many people use SNSs, although marketing research indicates that SNSs are growing in popularity worldwide ( comScore, 2007 ). This growth has prompted many corporations to invest time and money in creating, purchasing, promoting, and advertising SNSs. At the same time, other companies are blocking their employees from accessing the sites. Additionally, the U.S. military banned soldiers from accessing MySpace ( Frosch, 2007 ) and the Canadian government prohibited employees from Facebook ( Benzie, 2007 ), while the U.S. Congress has proposed legislation to ban youth from accessing SNSs in schools and libraries ( H.R. 5319, 2006 ; S. 49, 2007 ).

The rise of SNSs indicates a shift in the organization of online communities. While websites dedicated to communities of interest still exist and prosper, SNSs are primarily organized around people, not interests. Early public online communities such as Usenet and public discussion forums were structured by topics or according to topical hierarchies, but social network sites are structured as personal (or “egocentric”) networks, with the individual at the center of their own community. This more accurately mirrors unmediated social structures, where “the world is composed of networks, not groups” ( Wellman, 1988 , p. 37). The introduction of SNS features has introduced a new organizational framework for online communities, and with it, a vibrant new research context.

Scholarship concerning SNSs is emerging from diverse disciplinary and methodological traditions, addresses a range of topics, and builds on a large body of CMC research. The goal of this section is to survey research that is directly concerned with social network sites, and in so doing, to set the stage for the articles in this special issue. To date, the bulk of SNS research has focused on impression management and friendship performance, networks and network structure, online/offline connections, and privacy issues.

Impression Management and Friendship Performance

Like other online contexts in which individuals are consciously able to construct an online representation of self—such as online dating profiles and MUDS—SNSs constitute an important research context for scholars investigating processes of impression management, self-presentation, and friendship performance. In one of the earliest academic articles on SNSs, boyd (2004) examined Friendster as a locus of publicly articulated social networks that allowed users to negotiate presentations of self and connect with others. Donath and boyd (2004) extended this to suggest that “public displays of connection” serve as important identity signals that help people navigate the networked social world, in that an extended network may serve to validate identity information presented in profiles.

While most sites encourage users to construct accurate representations of themselves, participants do this to varying degrees. Marwick (2005) found that users on three different SNSs had complex strategies for negotiating the rigidity of a prescribed “authentic” profile, while boyd (in press-b) examined the phenomenon of “Fakesters” and argued that profiles could never be “real.” The extent to which portraits are authentic or playful varies across sites; both social and technological forces shape user practices. Skog (2005) found that the status feature on LunarStorm strongly influenced how people behaved and what they choose to reveal—profiles there indicate one’s status as measured by activity (e.g., sending messages) and indicators of authenticity (e.g., using a “real” photo instead of a drawing).

Another aspect of self-presentation is the articulation of friendship links, which serve as identity markers for the profile owner. Impression management is one of the reasons given by Friendster users for choosing particular friends ( Donath & boyd, 2004 ). Recognizing this, Zinman and Donath (2007) noted that MySpace spammers leverage people’s willingness to connect to interesting people to find targets for their spam.

In their examination of LiveJournal “friendship,” Fono and Raynes-Goldie (2006) described users’ understandings regarding public displays of connections and how the Friending function can operate as a catalyst for social drama. In listing user motivations for Friending, boyd (2006a) points out that “Friends” on SNSs are not the same as “friends” in the everyday sense; instead, Friends provide context by offering users an imagined audience to guide behavioral norms. Other work in this area has examined the use of Friendster Testimonials as self-presentational devices ( boyd & Heer, 2006 ) and the extent to which the attractiveness of one’s Friends (as indicated by Facebook’s “Wall” feature) impacts impression formation ( Walther, Van Der Heide, Kim, & Westerman, in press ).

Networks and Network Structure

Social network sites also provide rich sources of naturalistic behavioral data. Profile and linkage data from SNSs can be gathered either through the use of automated collection techniques or through datasets provided directly from the company, enabling network analysis researchers to explore large-scale patterns of friending, usage, and other visible indicators ( Hogan, in press ), and continuing an analysis trend that started with examinations of blogs and other websites. For instance, Golder, Wilkinson, and Huberman (2007) examined an anonymized dataset consisting of 362 million messages exchanged by over four million Facebook users for insight into Friending and messaging activities. Lampe, Ellison, and Steinfield (2007) explored the relationship between profile elements and number of Facebook friends, finding that profile fields that reduce transaction costs and are harder to falsify are most likely to be associated with larger number of friendship links. These kinds of data also lend themselves well to analysis through network visualization ( Adamic, Buyukkokten, & Adar, 2003 ; Heer & boyd, 2005 ; Paolillo & Wright, 2005 ).

SNS researchers have also studied the network structure of Friendship. Analyzing the roles people played in the growth of Flickr and Yahoo! 360’s networks, Kumar, Novak, and Tomkins (2006) argued that there are passive members, inviters, and linkers “who fully participate in the social evolution of the network” (p. 1). Scholarship concerning LiveJournal’s network has included a Friendship classification scheme ( Hsu, Lancaster, Paradesi, & Weniger, 2007 ), an analysis of the role of language in the topology of Friendship ( Herring et al., 2007 ), research into the importance of geography in Friending ( Liben-Nowell, Novak, Kumar, Raghavan, and Tomkins, 2005 ), and studies on what motivates people to join particular communities ( Backstrom, Huttenlocher, Kleinberg, & Lan, 2006 ). Based on Orkut data, Spertus, Sahami, and Buyukkokten (2005) identified a topology of users through their membership in certain communities; they suggest that sites can use this to recommend additional communities of interest to users. Finally, Liu, Maes, and Davenport (2006) argued that Friend connections are not the only network structure worth investigating. They examined the ways in which the performance of tastes (favorite music, books, film, etc.) constitutes an alternate network structure, which they call a “taste fabric.”

Bridging Online and Offline Social Networks

Although exceptions exist, the available research suggests that most SNSs primarily support pre-existing social relations. Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe (2007) suggest that Facebook is used to maintain existing offline relationships or solidify offline connections, as opposed to meeting new people. These relationships may be weak ties, but typically there is some common offline element among individuals who friend one another, such as a shared class at school. This is one of the chief dimensions that differentiate SNSs from earlier forms of public CMC such as newsgroups ( Ellison et al., 2007 ). Research in this vein has investigated how online interactions interface with offline ones. For instance, Lampe, Ellison, and Steinfield (2006) found that Facebook users engage in “searching” for people with whom they have an offline connection more than they “browse” for complete strangers to meet. Likewise, Pew research found that 91% of U.S. teens who use SNSs do so to connect with friends ( Lenhart & Madden, 2007 ).

Given that SNSs enable individuals to connect with one another, it is not surprising that they have become deeply embedded in user’s lives. In Korea, Cyworld has become an integral part of everyday life— Choi (2006) found that 85% of that study’s respondents “listed the maintenance and reinforcement of pre-existing social networks as their main motive for Cyworld use” (p. 181). Likewise, boyd (2008) argues that MySpace and Facebook enable U.S. youth to socialize with their friends even when they are unable to gather in unmediated situations; she argues that SNSs are “networked publics” that support sociability, just as unmediated public spaces do.

Popular press coverage of SNSs has emphasized potential privacy concerns, primarily concerning the safety of younger users ( George, 2006 ; Kornblum & Marklein, 2006 ). Researchers have investigated the potential threats to privacy associated with SNSs. In one of the first academic studies of privacy and SNSs, Gross and Acquisti (2005) analyzed 4,000 Carnegie Mellon University Facebook profiles and outlined the potential threats to privacy contained in the personal information included on the site by students, such as the potential ability to reconstruct users’ social security numbers using information often found in profiles, such as hometown and date of birth.

Acquisti and Gross (2006) argue that there is often a disconnect between students’ desire to protect privacy and their behaviors, a theme that is also explored in Stutzman’s (2006) survey of Facebook users and Barnes’s (2006) description of the “privacy paradox” that occurs when teens are not aware of the public nature of the Internet. In analyzing trust on social network sites, Dwyer, Hiltz, and Passerini (2007) argued that trust and usage goals may affect what people are willing to share—Facebook users expressed greater trust in Facebook than MySpace users did in MySpace and thus were more willing to share information on the site.

In another study examining security issues and SNSs, Jagatic, Johnson, Jakobsson, and Menczer (2007) used freely accessible profile data from SNSs to craft a “phishing” scheme that appeared to originate from a friend on the network; their targets were much more likely to give away information to this “friend” than to a perceived stranger. Survey data offer a more optimistic perspective on the issue, suggesting that teens are aware of potential privacy threats online and that many are proactive about taking steps to minimize certain potential risks. Pew found that 55% of online teens have profiles, 66% of whom report that their profile is not visible to all Internet users ( Lenhart & Madden, 2007 ). Of the teens with completely open profiles, 46% reported including at least some false information.

Privacy is also implicated in users’ ability to control impressions and manage social contexts. Boyd (in press-a) asserted that Facebook’s introduction of the “News Feed” feature disrupted students’ sense of control, even though data exposed through the feed were previously accessible. Preibusch, Hoser, Gürses, and Berendt (2007) argued that the privacy options offered by SNSs do not provide users with the flexibility they need to handle conflicts with Friends who have different conceptions of privacy; they suggest a framework for privacy in SNSs that they believe would help resolve these conflicts.

SNSs are also challenging legal conceptions of privacy. Hodge (2006) argued that the fourth amendment to the U.S. Constitution and legal decisions concerning privacy are not equipped to address social network sites. For example, do police officers have the right to access content posted to Facebook without a warrant? The legality of this hinges on users’ expectation of privacy and whether or not Facebook profiles are considered public or private.

Other Research

In addition to the themes identified above, a growing body of scholarship addresses other aspects of SNSs, their users, and the practices they enable. For example, scholarship on the ways in which race and ethnicity ( Byrne, in press ; Gajjala, 2007 ), religion ( Nyland & Near, 2007 ), gender ( Geidner, Flook, & Bell, 2007 ; Hjorth & Kim, 2005 ), and sexuality connect to, are affected by, and are enacted in social network sites raise interesting questions about how identity is shaped within these sites. Fragoso (2006) examined the role of national identity in SNS use through an investigation into the “Brazilian invasion” of Orkut and the resulting culture clash between Brazilians and Americans on the site. Other scholars are beginning to do cross-cultural comparisons of SNS use— Hjorth and Yuji (in press) compare Japanese usage of Mixi and Korean usage of Cyworld, while Herring et al. (2007) examine the practices of users who bridge different languages on LiveJournal—but more work in this area is needed.

Scholars are documenting the implications of SNS use with respect to schools, universities, and libraries. For example, scholarship has examined how students feel about having professors on Facebook ( Hewitt & Forte, 2006 ) and how faculty participation affects student-professor relations ( Mazer, Murphy, & Simonds, 2007 ). Charnigo and Barnett-Ellis (2007) found that librarians are overwhelmingly aware of Facebook and are against proposed U.S. legislation that would ban minors from accessing SNSs at libraries, but that most see SNSs as outside the purview of librarianship. Finally, challenging the view that there is nothing educational about SNSs, Perkel (in press) analyzed copy/paste practices on MySpace as a form of literacy involving social and technical skills.

This overview is not comprehensive due to space limitations and because much work on SNSs is still in the process of being published. Additionally, we have not included literature in languages other than English (e.g., Recuero, 2005 on social capital and Orkut), due to our own linguistic limitations.

The articles in this section address a variety of social network sites—BlackPlanet, Cyworld, Dodgeball, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube—from multiple theoretical and methodological angles, building on previous studies of SNSs and broader theoretical traditions within CMC research, including relationship maintenance and issues of identity, performance, privacy, self-presentation, and civic engagement.

These pieces collectively provide insight into some of the ways in which online and offline experiences are deeply entwined. Using a relational dialectics approach, Kyung-Hee Kim and Haejin Yun analyze how Cyworld supports both interpersonal relations and self-relation for Korean users. They trace the subtle ways in which deeply engrained cultural beliefs and activities are integrated into online communication and behaviors on Cyworld—the online context reinforces certain aspects of users’ cultural expectations about relationship maintenance (e.g., the concept of reciprocity), while the unique affordances of Cyworld enable participants to overcome offline constraints. Dara Byrne uses content analysis to examine civic engagement in forums on BlackPlanet and finds that online discussions are still plagued with the problems offline activists have long encountered. Drawing on interview and observation data, Lee Humphreys investigates early adopters’ practices involving Dodgeball, a mobile social network service. She looks at the ways in which networked communication is reshaping offline social geography.

Other articles in this collection illustrate how innovative research methods can elucidate patterns of behavior that would be indistinguishable otherwise. For instance, Hugo Liu examines participants’ performance of tastes and interests by analyzing and modeling the preferences listed on over 127,000 MySpace profiles, resulting in unique “taste maps.” Likewise, through survey data collected at a college with diverse students in the U.S., Eszter Hargittai illuminates usage patterns that would otherwise be masked. She finds that adoption of particular services correlates with individuals’ race and parental education level.

Existing theory is deployed, challenged, and extended by the approaches adopted in the articles in this section. Judith Donath extends signaling theory to explain different tactics SNS users adopt to reduce social costs while managing trust and identity. She argues that the construction and maintenance of relations on SNSs is akin to “social grooming.” Patricia Lange complicates traditional dichotomies between “public” and “private” by analyzing how YouTube participants blur these lines in their video-sharing practices.

The articles in this collection highlight the significance of social network sites in the lives of users and as a topic of research. Collectively, they show how networked practices mirror, support, and alter known everyday practices, especially with respect to how people present (and hide) aspects of themselves and connect with others. The fact that participation on social network sites leaves online traces offers unprecedented opportunities for researchers. The scholarship in this special theme section takes advantage of this affordance, resulting in work that helps explain practices online and offline, as well as those that blend the two environments.

The work described above and included in this special theme section contributes to an on-going dialogue about the importance of social network sites, both for practitioners and researchers. Vast, uncharted waters still remain to be explored. Methodologically, SNS researchers’ ability to make causal claims is limited by a lack of experimental or longitudinal studies. Although the situation is rapidly changing, scholars still have a limited understanding of who is and who is not using these sites, why, and for what purposes, especially outside the U.S. Such questions will require large-scale quantitative and qualitative research. Richer, ethnographic research on populations more difficult to access (including non-users) would further aid scholars’ ability to understand the long-term implications of these tools. We hope that the work described here and included in this collection will help build a foundation for future investigations of these and other important issues surrounding social network sites.

We are grateful to the external reviewers who volunteered their time and expertise to review papers and contribute valuable feedback and to those practitioners and analysts who provided information to help shape the history section. Thank you also to Susan Herring, whose patience and support appeared infinite.

To differentiate the articulated list of Friends on SNSs from the colloquial term “friends,” we capitalize the former.

Although one out of seven teenagers received unwanted sexual solicitations online, only 9% came from people over the age of 25 ( Wolak, Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 2006 ). Research suggests that popular narratives around sexual predators on SNSs are misleading—cases of unsuspecting teens being lured by sexual predators are rare ( Finkelhor, Ybarra, Lenhart, boyd, & Lordan, 2007 ). Furthermore, only .08% of students surveyed by the National School Boards Association (2007) met someone in person from an online encounter without permission from a parent.

Acquisti , A. , & Gross , R . ( 2006 ). Imagined communities: Awareness, information sharing, and privacy on the Facebook . In P. Golle & G. Danezis (Eds.), Proceedings of 6th Workshop on Privacy Enhancing Technologies (pp. 36 – 58 ). Cambridge, UK : Robinson College .

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O’Shea , W . ( 2003, July 4-10 ). Six Degrees of sexual frustration: Connecting the dates with Friendster.com . Village Voice . Retrieved July 21, 2007 from http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0323,oshea, 44576, 1.html

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danah m. boyd is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Information at the University of California-Berkeley and a Fellow at the Harvard University Berkman Center for Internet and Society. Her research focuses on how people negotiate mediated contexts like social network sites for sociable purposes.

Address: 102 South Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720–4600, USA

Nicole B. Ellison is an assistant professor in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University. Her research explores issues of self-presentation, relationship development, and identity in online environments such as weblogs, online dating sites, and social network sites.

Address: 403 Communication Arts and Sciences, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA

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Essay on Social Networking Sites for Students in English [Easy Words]

January 6, 2021 by Sandeep

Essay on Social Networking Sites: Social media offers user-friendly platforms to connect, interact, share happiness and remain updated with our group of friends. Children need to be supervised thoroughly by adults to ensure social networking sites’ right usage. Business people connect with their clients and partners through social networking sites. We should also be careful with cybercrimes, hacking and exploitation.

Essay on Social Networking Sites in 500 Words

We have provided Social Networking Sites Essay in English, suitable for class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10.

Social networking is one of the simplest means of connecting, exchanging and receiving information. This has evolved tremendously in recent years and continues to expand with every moment. It has been part and parcel of our everyday lives. Any platform that lets us communicate and socialise locally or globally is a social network. Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp are popular social networking sites.

The social impacts of each tool are essential. Likewise, social networking sites are not far away and have a significant influence, both positive and negative, on our society. Moreover, though it may seem weird, social networking sites can also impact people’s health.

Advantages of Social Networking Sites

• One of the most significant and amazing benefits of social networking sites is that it helps you to communicate with people throughout the world.
• We do not need to search for news on different blogs, and news can be found on popular social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
• Social networking sites are one of the world’s best marketing channels. Social media marketing is the term used on websites or networks such as Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube and more for Advertising Technologies.
• Social networks maintain awareness and change the way people work. This is life on the web that helps people to discover new, innovative things that can improve their lives.
• Social networking platforms such as Facebook have features such as group sharing and document sharing. You may create a community with a particular purpose and begin to exchange ideas and knowledge. Social networking sites are immensely useful in collecting feedback and opinions on new concepts.

Disadvantages of Social Networking Sites

• Due to social network sites such as Facebook, Instagram, etc., the compulsive behaviour developed leads to detrimental effect. Chicago University researchers have found that dependency on social networking sites can be higher than cigarettes and drug dependence.
• Social networking sites have been associated with increased risk of problems of mental health such as depression, anxiety and loneliness.
• Across many social networking sites, there are billions of fake profiles on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Within six months, Facebook deletes over three trillion fake accounts and five percent of the monthly active Facebook profiles.
• Fake and misleading news on social media platforms can be viral in no time. More than 80 percent of those who respond to the link do not read the whole article or post on Facebook. That is so many publishers, and spammers are using the sites to exploit the information they exchange.
• Because anyone can access social networking sites to share things, plenty of us use them to convey hatred and violence. The general public is also the victim of cyber bullying.
• Many social networking web users do not learn entirely about the security steps to be taken by using social networking sites. Users on social networking platforms exchange thoughts, personal memories, images etc. These details will help hackers access social media, e-mails, or even their phone to access your accounts.

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Social Networking

Aakanksha M.

Checked : T. M. H. , Vallary O.

Latest Update 19 Jan, 2024

Table of content

There are pros and cons of using social media

However, there are some disadvantages of using social networks.

Social networks have become the essential part of private and professional life of many people all over the world. Research shows that the most popular sites worldwide are Facebook with 2.38 billion monthly active users, You Tube (2 billion users),WhatsApp (1.6 billion users). Six-ranked photo-sharing app Instagram has 1 billion monthly active accounts. About 2 billion Internet users are using social networks and these figures are expected to grow. The majority of social networks with 100 mln. users originated in America.

One of the most obvious benefits of using social networks is that you can keep in touch with your friends easily, quickly and cheaply. Besides, it’s a good way of making new acquaintances, communicating with people from different countries, discussing various topics, sharing photos and videos. Apart from this, many people use combined profiles in social media for business and private networking. Also, social networks give a great opportunity for many companies to make a market research and to   develop new products   and services. Monitoring social media you get direct and fast access to your customers’ interests, opinions and problems. Social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are excellent ways to communicate with customers. Some large international companies are working with project wikis, project blogs and have global virtual teams. They are already using file sharing, collaborative platforms for project teams. Social media are a platform for podcasts and webinars to show your customers how your product works. What is more, finding a job has become easier because employers update pages with the job descriptions and candidates can apply online.

One negative aspect lies in the fact that some teenagers spend so much time online. As a result of it , children suffer from the lack of live communication. They can become Internet addicts. Cyberbullying is a serious problem. According to statistics, about 37% of teenagers between the ages12 and 17 have been bullied online, most of them on the platform of Instagram. The people who experience cyberbullying are at a great risk for suicidal behavior.

Another problem is connected with hackers. They can get into our computers and use personal information for identity theft. We are worried by increasing cases of fraud. Scams are prevalent on popular social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. That is why it is highly recommended not to include your personal data such as your home address or phone number into your public profile. You should check and regularly update privacy settings on your social media accounts.

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All in all, we cannot disagree with the fact that social networks made our lives much easier. However, I think that social media will never replace real-life communication. I am convinced that blended networking, the combination of on-line and offline networking, is the way forward.

I agree with the statement: “People should lift their heads from their computer and phone screens and start living life”.

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Opinion Guest Essay

Will We Have to Pump the Great Lakes to California to Feed the Nation?

Credit... Alma Haser

Supported by

By Jay Famiglietti

Dr. Famiglietti is a professor at Arizona State University and the director of science for the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative.

• Aug. 5, 2024

This essay is part of What to Eat on a Burning Planet, a series exploring bold ideas to secure our food supply. Read more about this project in a note from Eliza Barclay, Opinion’s climate editor.

Driving north through California’s Tejon Pass on Interstate 5, you spill down out of the mountains onto a breathtaking expanse of farm fields like few others in the world. Rows of almond, pistachio and citrus trees stretch as far as the eye can see, dotted by fields of grapes. Truckloads of produce zoom by, heading for markets around the country.

The Central Valley of California supplies a quarter of the food on the nation’s dinner tables. But beneath this image of plenty and abundance, a crisis is brewing — an invisible one, under our feet — and it is not limited to California.

Coast to coast, our food producing regions, especially those stretching from the southern Great Plains across the sunny, dry Southwest, rely heavily and sometimes exclusively on groundwater for irrigation. And it’s disappearing — fast.

What happens to the nation’s food production if the groundwater runs out altogether? Unless we act now, we could soon reach a point where water must be piped from the wetter parts of the country, such as the Great Lakes, to drier, sunnier regions where the bulk of the nation’s food is produced. No one wants unsightly pipelines snaking across the country, draining Lake Michigan to feed the citrus groves of the Central Valley. But that future is drawing closer by the day, and at some point, we may look back on this moment and wish we’d acted differently.

For over a century, America’s farmers have overpumped groundwater, and now, as the world warms and the Southwest becomes drier, the situation is only growing more dire. Rivers are slowing to a trickle, water tables are falling, land is sinking, and wells are drying up. Each year, roughly 25,000 more farmers fallow their fields, putting both food and water security in the United States at risk.

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The Effects of Social Networking Sites on an Individual’s Life Research Paper

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Introduction

Effects and impacts, works cited.

Social networking can be termed and described as the groping of individuals. This is done into specific groups. In this case, it should be known that social networking is most popular online than in any other place. We can not rule out the existence of social networking in other places like workplace and schools but it has been more popular on the internet and this is a fact that we all need to agree to.

The internet is filled with millions of people who are looking for new experiences as far as meeting others and making friends is concerned (Kelsey 13). Other aspects of sharing information have also picked up in recent years and this means that social networking has brought about a new approach to human beings relationships. This means that it has come with various impacts that need to be evaluated and looked at.

Such impacts and effects can be looked at from different perspectives depending on what we expect to see and evaluate. As much as social networking often involves grouping individuals together for a common goal, we need to critically evaluate the social networking sites that have been shaping the whole aspect of socializing as time goes by.

This therefore brings us to the important topic and aspect of social networking sites. In this case, a social networking site lays more emphasis on building social relations (Powers 21).

This can be amongst people who share different interests or have some specific characteristics that they can be distinctly identified with. Social networking sites have also been known to provide a virtual community that revolves around specific aspects. In this case, people with common and shared interests can communicate without any problem.

Social networking sites

It should be known that social networking sites have had various effects on individuals’ lives. This paper will therefore focus on the effects of social networking sites on an individual’s life. This is because social networking sites have been know to have a number of effects depending on the user.

For example, social networking sites can affect a students learning in a brood way. On the other hand, social networking sites can also have an impact on an individuals work life (Kelsey 19).

These are the effects that this paper seeks to analyze and evaluate. It should be known that social networking sites have positive and negative effects. It is therefore important that such aspects are looked at for long term sustainability.

Social networking sites have various impacts on the society, individuals, relationships, the youth, students, teenagers, communication and others. These sites have changed our lives in a broad and they will continue to change the way we relate as time goes by. We are described as social animals and this is based on our ability to form social groups.

Face book, YouTube, My space, Twitter and others have enabled individuals to form clusters that have revolutionized their interaction. With this kind of services around us, you can be sure that they will ultimately change the way we relate with each other (Baron 9).

Social networking has enabled people to meet with others without necessarily having to travel to different locations. This can be a long lost friend or school mate whom you have not seen in a while.

In this case, you can connect and re-connect with a number of lost friends. This is as far as students and workmates are concerned. Social networking sites have brought confusion about our weak ties and strong ties. In this case, there is no distinction between genuine friends and other acquaintances and this should be a worrying trend as far as individuals’ lives are concerned.

It should be known that most individuals take time to maintain relationships with people that they have never seen. In this case, they waste a lot of efforts to maintain these relationships yet they have never known each other personally (Barham 17). Social networking sites have led to electronic relationships and this has made people to misrepresent themselves.

Most individuals struggle and strive to show their best side and this is a bad precedent. There are individuals who maintain anonymity on social networking sites and this can be dangerous. It should be known that social networking sites have a high connectivity and these changes the way individuals react to other people.

This topic can be squarely focused on individual students and workers who are on social networking sites (Wilson 27). In this case, the impact and effects of social networking sites can be in the classroom and at work.

The dependency on social networking sites has increased in recent years and this is not good as far as the social aspect of individuals is concerned. Most individuals and students lack social skills because they are generally anti-social.

Social networking sites have affected and reduced productivity in the workplace and this cane be proved beyond reasonable doubt. These sites create distraction in the workplace and they have cost various organizations a lot of money. In this case, individuals will spend their time networking instead of being productive as far as their work is concerned.

There has been an argument that most employees spend almost an hour at work on social networking sites and this time can be used on something else (Baron 34).

Social networking sites have become part of employees’ lives and organizations should come up with better ways of approaching this issue. A business can only benefit from social networking sites as far as promoting their business is concerned. This is because it offers a large platform to promote businesses and this should be capitalized on.

Most employees face low performance scores because of social networking sites and this should be evaluated. Students are the most active lot on social networking sites and this means that they have been affected in a broad way. Students have been addicted to these sites and this has affected their concentration both in class and at home.

There is an argument that if you have not talked to a person for a year, you can tell his/her life by following his page or updates (Kelsey 25). Most students indicate and imply that there is a big relationship between satisfaction and social networking sites. In this case, they are implying that students who use such sites are more satisfied with their lives than those ones who do not use them.

It has been noted that most students use social networking sites to follow on specific topics that are even beyond their age. This is a bad precedent in the society because such students have ended up knowing things that they are not supposed to be aware of.

Most people do not read traditional newspapers because they can access them on social networking sites and this has an impact on the normal business traditions.

It has been proven that the general understanding of the term social networking has been misrepresented by individuals as time goes by and this needs to be well understood (Powers 37). Misleading and misunderstandings on social networking have brought a lot of problems in our society and this should be demystified.

Chatting does not translate to sharpening of social skills and this means that individuals have been doing it all wrong. Most individuals are highly dependent on technology to interact and this affects their personality in a broad way. Individuals should interact with the world around them and this can not be enhanced through social networking in any way.

As much as they provide an outlet for people to express themselves this can always be abused because there are certain ethics that have not been adhered to (Wilson 36). Other people use abusive language on social networking sites and this can be very disturbing. In this case you can not control what others say on such social networking sites.

People have different personalities as far as social networking sites are concerned. In this case, an individual can present a different personality online than what he/she is well known for. This will therefore cause chaos when the two personalities interact in any way. An example is the escalation of crimes that have increased because of social networking sites.

Online dating has been increasing as time goes by and the negative effects are mostly seen when couples meet face to face for the first time (Barham 37).

This is because an individual can be disappointed in what she or she is seeing as they can meet a different person from what they were meant to believe is the true picture. We all agree that it is easier to type the information that somebody wants rather than what you truly stand for and this is bad.

These are some of the effects that social networking sites have had on individuals’ lives. In this case, you can easily cheat about your true character and this has duped people and led them into serious problems. Some teenagers have met people who can harm them online.

In fact, there are cases where a teenager can meet with somebody online and then go on to be impregnated yet she does not know his other life (Powers 27).

Some individuals post nude and bad pictures on social networking sites and this has been disturbing to other users. It should be known that most users disregard their privacy and this has always exposed them to predators. Managers can easily stalk on an individuals profile ands this can open a new window of conflict on an employees life.

Students and workers have been lazy because of social networking sites and this is a fact that we have all faced in our lives. It should be known that the use of social networking sites can provide a good learning experience if they are used well. In this case, they can easily inspire themselves as time goes by.

Most students who rely on social networking sites lack learning skills and this is a worrying trend (Barham 32). We have seen that social networking sites have negative and positive effects on an individuals’ life. This topic is likely to generate a lot of debate in coming years because the use of social networking is likely to gain pace as time goes by.

Barham, Nick. Disconnected: Why our kids are turning their backs on everything we thought we knew. New York: Ebury Press, 2004. Print.

Baron, Naomi. Always on: language in an online and mobile world . New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print.

Kelsey, Todd. Social Networking Spaces: From Facebook to Twitter and Everything In Between . New York: Springer-Verlag, 2010. Print.

Powers, William. Hamlet’s Blackberry: A practical philosophy for building a good life in the digital age. New York: Harper, 2010. Print.

Wilson, Charles. Child porn ‘social networking site’ busted by feds . New York: Associated Press, 2010. Print.

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IvyPanda . "The Effects of Social Networking Sites on an Individual's Life." May 28, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-effects-of-social-networking-sites-on-an-individuals-life/.