Social networking sites will not lead to the death of physical interaction; however it will drastically alter it. While they have enhanced the community or at least convinced it’s participants they are actually apart of one, I would say it still managed to diminish the non-online community. Sometimes people spend so much time online they totally abandon their physical community. The internet has created a more open society by invading privacy. However, this privacy is voluntarily given up, no one is forced to make Facebook or Twitter accounts. People sign up for these free services voluntarily. The internet is the new “Television”; meaning the impact that the television had on the word is comparable to the impact the internet will have.
In Henry Jenkins essay, “TV in the Net-age”, Jenkins split viewers up into three groups, “Zappers”, “Casuals” and “Loyals”.
Zappers-
In the world of television, Zappers are constantly flipping from one channel to the next, looking to be entertained. The second it gets boring they change the channel. These people could be compared to avid Twitter users. Twitter users are a prime example of humanity at it worse. Twitter is about constantly updating your status talking about something or sometimes to yourself. Each tweet is a channel, if you chose to follow that person its like deciding to watch the movie about that person’s life. Also like channel surfing, sometimes you come in on weird parts of the movie and only know parts of the story. Twitter is like the closed caption version of that.
Casuals-
Casuals in the world of television are well…casual. They might watch a certain show when they’re bored, or if there’s nothing else to do. They may watch a show from beginning to end but are more likely to conduct a conversation or not pay that much attention. I would compare these people to the Myspace, Tumblr, etc, users of the world. These people are usually on social networking sites just to keep up. There may be no real dedication to a site, and once the popularity of a site fades so will the casual user.
Loyals-
Loyals in the world of television are more likely to buy merchandise from a series, join fan sites and tape episodes. Loyals are dedicated to their shows; they watch them weekly and buy the DVDs. These users are comparable to Facebook users. Facebook users, devote a lot of time to Facebook, most people check it every day, and use it as a networking tool for business. Facebook is also used to reconnect with family and friends. Because of its popularity, most people are more likely to keep their Facebook accounts after their initial obsession and infatuation with the site fades a little.
Being that Facebook is the most popular social networking site in the world, it is essentially the mold in which all other social networking site will try to follow.
The world has yet to see the major effects of social networking sites. But one major negative effect that we are already seeing is the lack of forgiveness society holds for mistakes. In the New York Times article Jeffery Rosen talks about the impending effects of living in a society where every mistake is recorded and what that means to our society; “Seventy percent of U.S. recruiters report that they have rejected candidates because of information found online, like photos and discussion-board conversations and membership in controversial groups.”
If we thought the job market was competitive before…we haven’t seen anything yet. “Having fun” or doing something “risqué”, being seen at the wrong place or time, has made everyone celebrities and everyone paparazzi. Before social networking sites, celebrities were the only people in the world who had to constantly watch their behavior and fear that their mistakes were being recorded. And while they still are, now average people have to deal with these same fears. The only difference is, we put ourselves in these situations. Celebrities don’t want to be constantly photographed and talked about, but apparently, the average American does. Every day we take pictures of ourselves and post them online. Or post statuses about our lives that let people into our lives who otherwise wouldn’t even know we were alive. This is like a self inflicted pain. But we continue to do it because we have yet to see the major impact on our lives. Similar to the way cigarettes enjoyed years of popularity and success before the effect were discovered and publicized, social networking sites will eventually become regulated.
“Never has a communications system played so many roles in our lives—or exerted such broad influence over our thoughts—as the Internet does today. Yet, for all that’s been written about the Net, there’s been little consideration of how, exactly, it’s reprogramming us. The Net’s intellectual ethic remains obscure.” Nicholas Carr for “The Atlantic”
The modern internet is a relatively new entity and the extreme changes that we’ve seen in the last five years of this decade is turning it into a whole other beast. My generation is the first generation to be raised with the computer in our homes and schools, so the effects of the internet on society will be seen in our actions. The rise of social network sites in this decade speaks volumes on our present values as a society. Social networking takes “keeping up with the Jones’” to the next level. While it can be used for good; the black blogging community has done wonders for black women and their self-esteem by teaching them how to take care of their hair in its perm free natural state, and making it a more acceptable and popular trend. It can also be used for bad; online bullying and the rise of general stupidity. But what’s most unique about the social networking sites is that it’s all based in honest. The content on these websites are created by the people, not buy media execs who want to create an image or sell products, but by regular people who want to connect with and be seen by other people.
In essence, the idea behind social networking sites is very wholesome; make friends, start a group, reconnect with family. But like every other form of media technology, it can and will be used for evil. But I suppose this is just the way humans operate. Every form of media technology has its good and bad. The printing press allowed more people power by being able to read for themselves, but it also allowed anyone to print anything, regardless if it was true or not. While people enjoyed watching films and they could be used to spread knowledge, they were also used to spread propaganda. The radio was truly a device that did a lot for the local community but with the rise of other competing technologies it has become another tool for corporations to force products on consumers. The television, while it can bring the family together, also causes laziness, perpetuates stereotypes and subconsciously influences everything we do. The internet’s effects on our socialization has yet to be truly seen but I’m pretty sure, it will be the most dramatic, being that the internet is the most all encompassing media technology yet. It does everything its predecessors do and much more. And the social networking sites has made the internet truly encompassing, the only thing the internet can’t do for you now is feed you. But I’m pretty sure, there making an app for that.
Jenkins, Henry. 2010 “TV in the Net-Age” Communication in History, Sixth Edition. 2010
Carr, Nicholas. “Is Google making us Stupid” Retrieved December 12, 2010 (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/6868/)
Rosen, Jeffery. “The Web means the end of forgetting” Retrieved December 12, 2010 (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/magazine/25privacy-t2.html?_r=1)
