Social Networking

Social networking technologies can be used for public and corporate benefit, in Why Is Nissan Mimicking MySpace, the Bloomberg News writer details the how Nissan's in-development social networking site, N-Square, will facilitate global collaboration at record speed. On the site, employees can create profiles, develop company projects while also communicating directly with employees who can provide necessary assistance, as opposed to the previous method of reaching out through multiple others. Nissan's website is set to assist in cost cutting and increase productivity because now, projects and meetings can proceed in lesser spans of time. I think that in a matter of years, nearly every major company will develop similar websites to expedite processes that may slow down productivity and inter-company communication. As well as, this would give the company permanent records and documentation of conduct and performance of its employees.  For those who do not work for Nissan, or any other company, studies have shown that social networks can also boost job recruiting. A global lighting company recruiter, Maureen Crawford-Hentz, simply types keywords into websites like LinkedIn, and finds the best qualified candidates for various positions. Aside from work purposes, social networking can give fans platforms to speak directly to their favorite entertainer or politician while also reconnecting estranged family members and schoolmates. Also, social networking can be the beginning of families, as countless people have found romance, and longtime partnerships on dating sites such as eHarmony and Match.com.

A main benefit of these technologies to society constantly reappears in the readings which discuss their applications. This benefit is the ability to create and connect global communities. Not only can social networks create and incite engagement between diverse populations, but these activities can be done at no cost sometimes. Here one can see that the presence of sites like Twitter and Facebook, only enhance our aptitude for multicultural beliefs, practices, and speech. Additionally, many social network users are encouraged to develop their literacy skills to read and respond to the consistently shared posts, articles, and think-pieces that at times shape the trending topics on Twitter and Facebook. In the past year or so, social networks has helped place a spotlight on acts of police brutality with uploading and sharing of videos that expose wrongdoings by officiers who've filed inaccurate police reports. In the future, I think that law officials will create websites for civilians to submit such videos as anonymous tips. Also, I think that social network companies may begin to develop a filtering option so users cannot instantly submit grossly inappropriate videos or photos on unsuitable platforms.

Despite the many benefits of social networking, there are very tangible negatives about social media. Social network's dark side is darkened by the absence of person-to-person communication. While digital communication can benefit literacy skills, it can also cripple human interaction and socialization. Although some people's jobs may not require them to have face-to-face interaction, many others will need to know how to maintain in-person conversation for job interviews, romantic dates, and classroom participation. Another negative is the availability of numerous platforms. This gives a voice the evil and senseless people who aim to harm others. For instance, last year, a fired news worker recorded himself shooting and killing former co-workers. Certain websites like Twitter allow nearly all forms of content to appear on the site unless it is deemed abusive or harmful, so people can post similarly horrific videos. And this factor can limit certain age groups from participating in the respective social network sites.

Sources:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6522523&sc=emaf
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2007-10-30/why-is-nissan-mimicking-myspace-businessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice