Since I was a sophomore in high school, these so called "networking sites" have blossomed. There have been successful ones like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, but many others like MyYearbook and Classmates.com have popped up as well. I use the former three and used to on the latter, but the big question is: Are these "networking sites" beneficial for our society?
These "networking sites" were originally conceived as a means for people that live long distances away to communicate each other in other ways than e-mail, telephone or letters. MySpace originally nailed this. With simplistic designs and the ability to upload up to nine photos and have a "top 8", the site seemed very manageable for any "Average Joe" to use. However, over the years MySpace has broadened, allowing over 100 photos, games, and videos. What really is the purpose of this? It has become more of a site full of useless hours, trying to maintain the most friends, the most photos, the most hits. MySpace seems to have become more of a contest than anything else.
Facebook, however much I don't like the site, still seems the most relevant for the "networking sites", yet I still don't feel that it is bettering our society. Facebook asks a simple question on the main page, "What's on your mind?" This lets your friends know your status and what you are up to. The site also has a chat function, pictures, videos and more. The useless things, however, pop up as well. The LivingSocials, the games, all this stuff in my opinion is irrelevant for a "network site" that is supposed to be a means of communication.
My biggest peeve though is Twitter. To me, Twitter is the ultimate stalkers website. All you give is a short phrase based on the site's question, "What are you doing?" To me, this is an irrelevant site (yet I do use it) and really is a form off of Facebook's. "What's on your mind?" and MySpace's new status updates.
Why don't they just call these websites what they are? They aren't "networking sites" or they'd be as basic as MySpace's simple format years ago. These websites are really an internet mall. They offer games, music, photos, videos, shopping options, chat rooms and more. Sure its a basis of networking, but it really isn't making our society a better place. It is just keeping them glued to a computer screen.
I personally think Twitter will contribute to growing illiteracy rates...but that's just me...
Yeah, I was a huge critic of Facebook and now I'm on it time to time. And time is a key word here. Facebook (and I'm sure the other networking sites as well) is nothing more than a time waster. A way for people to feel they've got a huge following or more friends than they'd ever need. I could take it or leave it. It's mostly useful to me to get in contact with people--people who are already on Facebook!
Internet mall seems like a good description for me, and with those mind-reading ads that pop up on the sides, even more so.
I refuse to use chat speak on my Twitter as much as possible, and it takes a lot of creativity to get what you want to say into 140 characters or less when using real words. ;-)
I do, however, realize I do not represent the majority of twitter users. At all. I can definitely see where illiteracy will have its chance to flourish.
"What a crazy random happenstance!"
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But I sort of feel like facebook and twitter may contribute to increasing literacy rates. I have nothing to back this us, but I think that anything that encourages kids to read and write is good. Yes, I hate chatspeak, and yes, many, many facebook and twitter users are complete idiots, but think about how stupid they would be if they weren't using the computer every day. Whether they are using proper spelling and grammar or not, at least they are reading something and expressing their thoughts in (sort of) words. They have a huge advantage over similarly unintellgent people who don't have computer access.
"Never go with a hippy to a second location."
~Jack Donaghy
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Yes, but you have to consider if all they speak is chatspeak, how well is their literacy and spelling actually?
If you read "Yo ILY u r so awsme" instead of "I love you. You are so awesome" is it really helping you read? Sure you know what it looks like in chatspeak, but when it comes to schooling and literacy, is it really helping?
Jared Munson
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington
It would be interesting to do a study on this.
Then again, it's easier to believe illiteracy than literacy in the social networking/chat environment. Anyway, you may have a point. I shouldn't be so confident that only a bad result is possible here.
Story time!
I have been to 16+ different schools in my life, have lived literally from coast to coast in the US, as well as abroad. I live over a thousand miles away from where I went to high school, and I know of only one person from my high school who lives relatively near me (about 50 miles away, at the Air Force Academy). I like being able to see what my friends are up to without contacting each one of them individually. I've also connected back with friends I knew in middle school, and have met with some of them because of Facebook.
My parents divorced when I was 5. Just before I turned 7, I moved in with my mom, and my dad hasn't really included me in anything since then. Just this past week, one of my cousins, who I didn't know I had, contacted me on Facebook. She's a little older than me and has a daughter now. My aunt, who I only know by name, is also on Facebook.
It wastes time, yes, but I love it, because I can connect with these people again, without worrying about trying to keep track of their addresses/phone numbers/e-mail addresses.
~C
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with a handful of friends from high school who I never would have known again if it weren't for FB. I love seeing pictures of their kids, and one of them married my first crush :). Crazy world. I love it.
I do agree though that facebook is full of all kinds of trivial and meaningless little games and junk that does make it difficult to really stay on top of peoples' posts of substance. For me, the photos are what makes it wonderful.
My husband's grandmother recently passed away and because of FB my aunt was able to show her pictures of her great grand daughter. That was really special, and important.
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I hate these sites. And yet, even I have a Facebook (that's it though... nothing else). While they are helpful, like for keeping in touch with old friends or people who live far away, a lot of people abuse the sites. It seems like the people who are on these sites for hours a day are insecure and bored, leading to their alienation and idleness.
Sites like this mirror our pointless, vapid society. They crawl with pointless surveys to share with our friends and limit the length of our thoughts to 140 characters, which most people can't fill anyway. It's about what people have to say, not the means that they use to say it.
These "networking" sites expose the pointless banality and trivial amusements that are the basis of most personal relationships. Society and people in general are simple to the point of stupidity and don't rise above the environs they are presented with. Facebook and MySpace display the failings and idiocy of the largest portion of the population.
People are a lot more stupid, banal and useless than you ever thought. The reason you don't like these sites is probably that you are more interesting than the average human being and when presented with the mind-numbing shallowness of the average person you are sickened and repelled.
You can't blame these site for your revulsion. It is people that revolt you, and people that are revolting. These sites just lay it all out there on the table.
“Existentialism means that no one else can take a bath for you” - Delmore Schwartz
"Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real-estate above principles." - George Jean Nathan
Very well put. I try to shy away from looking down on others because of their apathy, ignorance, and shallowness, but I just can't help it. Does that make us "elitists? (as my sister once attacked me for being after I pointed out to her that excessive drinking is merely a way for people to ignore their pathetic, pointless lives). Perhaps that does make me an elitist, but then what's wrong with that?
I enjoyed being an elitist until it got all popular.
"What a crazy random happenstance!"
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Read my Blog!
Elitists are sellouts!
"Never go with a hippy to a second location."
~Jack Donaghy
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Being Elitist is so mainstream these days.
I'll have to find some other reason to look down on people, because nothing is any good if other people like it. I will, however, miss my favorite Elitism Venn Diagram...
"What a crazy random happenstance!"
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Read my Blog!
HA! Diesel Sweeties rocks!
“Existentialism means that no one else can take a bath for you” - Delmore Schwartz
"Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real-estate above principles." - George Jean Nathan
God created Myspace, and everywhere across the world people went woah, this site rocks! You can customize your profile, add whoever you want, play your favorite song, and look at pictures people put up just for you. Sounds like a perfect world, doesn't it? That's just what people try to make on here, a perfect vision of themselves. I suppose everyone wants their dream world. I used to like Myspace a lot better, just for the fun of programming your page and basically an easier way to email people. Now it's becoming clogged up with a bunch of useless, pointless Apps just like Facebook. The sites themselves don't cause people to write stupid surveys or take dirty pictures of themselves. They can do that anywhere. I wish they'd take it back to how it used to be, when the page was a lot simpler and had more user control. Now it's becoming just another advertising field we can't get away from. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Put your best foot forward, just watch what you step in..."
Myspace started with the aps. I remember more than a few friends of mine saying that Facebook was trying to become more like Myspace.
~C
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"Our Iranian brothers and sister are protesting and continuing to organize despite govt shut off of communications. Twitter is the students only resource. Please ask twitter to hold off on their maintenance shutdown. The Center for American Progress just announced that twitter is one of the few sources of info that journalists have right now"
http://twitter.com/tehranelection
"O, I'm sorry you took that, -I meant that for the Devil, and you have stepped in and taken the blow. Don't get between me and the Devil, brother, and the you won't get hurt." --Billy Hibbard