Pros and cons of social networking sites

In the technology-led and competitive world of today, most individuals are deprived of the opportunity for self-expression and the time for comfort and leisure.

In such an aura of cut-throat competition dominated by “survival of the fittest”, social networking has provided some relief to people. Social networking is the amalgamation of a group of individuals in the same neighborhood, high school and college/university, or in a common workplace.

The basic idea underlying social networking is interaction and self-expression with other members of the community, in ways as diverse as chatting online through networking websites, competing in a gaming arena, or playing golf together in a nearby golf resort.

The most prominent form of social networking occurs through websites like facebook, orkut, twitter, MySpace, etc. These websites are known as social sites.

These social sites allow people from multifarious walks of life to interact on a common footing. They serve as an online community of internet users, where the members share views on topics of mutual interest.

There are some websites which focus on grouping particular individuals and organizations, whereas there are others which do not have a specific focal point and everyone is free to join and search for existing members who share some common views with them. The latter are known as “traditional” social networking sites.

Once you become a member of a social site, you can add your friends, family, and colleagues, share fascinating news and photos with them; create a profile with your personal information and access similar profiles of other members.

Such an extensive network of social interaction, undoubtedly, promotes emotional well-being and ensures strong ties amongst people belonging to the same communities.

The question that has quite often been asked of social networking websites is: Are they safe? This question can be looked at from a number of different perspectives.

One of the concerns of critics is that owners of such websites are only concerned with maximizing their monetary gains and they may resort to exploitation and manipulation to achieve their end.

Such instances have been observed when governments of countries have banned the use of a particular social networking site because of the controversial information published on them.

This concern is valid because if a social networking site is banned from transmitting in a country, members residing in that country have no means of recovering the excessive amount of personal information they have shared on the website.

Owners of these websites have infallible control over all the content published by private users, and they could exploit this content out of sheer self-interest.

Another major concern raised by critics is whether joining social networking sites is really worth risking an individual’s privacy. Inappropriate posts or photos posted by a member out of mere mischievousness may harm his/her own as well as other people’s reputation.

Moreover, websites like facebook allow for a “tagging” feature in photos which may violate the privacy of whoever is being tagged.

A number of these sites have a minimum age limit to create a profile, but younger kids get access to them anyway.

This can be prevented if parents keep a strict check on the activities of their children on the internet, and make sure they fulfill the minimum age criteria for joining these websites.

The most debated cause for concern is what is known as “identity theft”. User of a social networking site can create an account using another person’s name and publish their personal information, if available.

Impersonating someone is a crime, but unfortunately it is almost impossible to identify and differentiate between a member’s real profile and the “fake” one, created by someone else.

How can members of social networking sites protect their privacy? First and foremost, they should avoid publishing unnecessary and excessive personal information on their profiles.

The information should just be enough to let friends identify them, and not so much that another person can impersonate their identity. A second measure is to make all information private, so there is only a specific group of people who can view your profile.

Social networking sites tend to review their privacy policies on a frequent basis, and it is advised that users stay updated with them.

Even if your information is private, it can still be accessed by third parties through friends and applications. Users should be careful to remove any applications that are not currently in use.

Despite all the measures that could be adopted to avoid any unwanted situations on social networking sites, members of these sites should remember that all the information, photos and videos they post are ultimately their own responsibility.

They should weigh the pros and cons before deciding to publish private content. No matter how stringent the privacy policies of a social networking site may be, it is better to trust your own instinct and never assume that everything you publish will be private.

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