Social Networking

The main purpose for social networking is to connect with individuals. Whether they are friends, family, or coworkers, social networking sites are made for connection. These sites give people a presence in the virtual world, a second life that many individuals dream of having. Imagine being unimportant in the real world when it comes to sports or news but online you are the voice of reason and everyone wants to be your friend or possibly even a business partner. Some companies create their own groups or pages to get followers involved with them. Some individuals even use these pages to apply for jobs or attend events that will help them attain a job. In Tweeting Your Way To A Job, individuals are creating posts about their jobs like Amanda Casgar who is constantly posting wine in hopes of a job opportunity. She even filmed a video resume in order to impress her employers.

Movies and celebrities post tons of events where regular people have a chance to meet stars or get freebies. These sites are beneficial because they are able to keep you up to date on what's going on whether or not you see these certain individuals or companies everyday or possibly never. Though sites have great qualities there is a dark side to them. Sometimes putting too much information can hurt individuals on these sites especially when employers can see them. In Obama, Kanye West, and the Trouble With Twitter, Barack Obama made a degrading comment about Kanye West antics at the Video Music Awards. This comment was supposed to be off the record but it appeared on ABC News who tweeted about it. It was very embarrassing and shows that privacy is a concern. Thankfully social networking sites are constantly reminding individuals to be mindful of what they say and are able to eliminate the predators that lurk online. Social networking sites are the here and now it is possible that many individuals might just live their lives through these sites without ever leaving home. Maybe in the future, we can enter these sites virtually with almost a lifelike feel where we can talk and connect on the internet and play sports or poker while not even leaving the comfort of our homes.

Sources:

"Tweeting Your Way to a Job," by Laura M. Holson, The New York Times, May 20, 2009. Available from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/fashion/21whiz.html

"Obama, Kanye West and the trouble with Twitter", by Matea Gold, Los Angeles Times, September 16, 2009. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-et-abctwitter16-2009sep16,0,3179288.story

Picture:http://cdn.theurbandaily.com/files/2009/09/kanye_west_-_obama000x0432x324.jpg

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