Social Networking
I
must say that after spending days of researching social media, I almost
became sick of it. Before this project I checked Facebook for updates
multiple times throughout the day-oh wait, I still do that! Even after
completing this project and learning much more about the harm that
social networking can do, I cannot seem to resist the lure of my news
feed. So much for a learning experience!
Though it had
little influence on my current social networking habits, this project
effectively opened my eyes to the true prevalence of social networking
in our lives today, and the potentially dangerous path it is leading us
down. As students, we supposedly hear all the warnings about monitoring
what you post on your profile and even what your friends post on
theirs, but do we actually listen? It is far too easy to believe
that no one but our friends and family look at our Facebook accounts on
a regular basis, but it is quickly becoming more and more popular for
potential employers to look at them, too. This poses a somewhat
controversial question of privacy. Should employers have the right to
access employee Facebook accounts? Is it going too far to request
Facebook passwords at job interviews? Is it considered discrimination
to not follow up with an applicant who refuses to supply his/her
password? These heavy questions are exactly the questions facing our
generation right now.
Social media isn't only
influencing the future job market, though. It is invading every aspect
of our lives. How many people actually know their friends' birthdays
without checking a profile? The scary truth is that social media sites,
like Facebook, make it extremely easy to create and practically live
your life online. One can meet new friends, connect with old friends,
and keep in touch with current friends all with the click of a button.
Status and relationship updates occur within seconds. Pictures, places,
interests, "likes" are what defines a person. I think a new degree of
shallowness has been reached.
Another aspect of this
issue involves the prevalence of advertisements. I cannot even remember
the last time I saw a commercial or ad for a product or business that
did not include the Facebook icon and phrase "like us on Facebook".
Clearly, the marketing world has recognized that in order to succeed in
this day and age, a connection with social networking is a must.
In
reflecting on it as a whole, though this multimedia project was both a
fun and enjoyable experience, the most important part I took away from
it cannot be described by either of those words.
The issue of social networking is a serious one, one that is truly worth looking into and questioning for future value!
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