Advantages and disadvantages of social networking

Over recent years, there has been an explosion in the number of people using social networking websites, such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Facebook, for instance, has over 800 million active users, and over a 100 million people use Twitter each day. These sites have brought with them many benefits, but also some downsides. I thought it would be instructive to look at and list the advantages and disadvantages of social networking.

One of the key advantages of social networking is being able to keep in touch with friends and relatives easily. You can keep up to date with what people are doing and also let them know what is happening in your life with minimal effort (once you have got your account up and running).

You can make friends with like-minded people. Social networking makes it easy to make friends online with others who share your particular interests, even if an interest is obscure, or the other people who share the interest live in different parts of the world to you.

You can use social networking sites as a source of entertainment when bored, or just for relaxing. Many people use websites like Facebook for a little light relief during a break from work, or when they are unwinding at home.

You can find out about events going on. Whether it is a new season of your favorite TV show beginning, a new album release by a band you like, details of the latest bargains at the store, or a local amateur theatre performance featuring one of your friends, you can get all the necessary information via social networking sites.

One advantage of social networking that should not be overlooked is that in most cases it is completely free of charge to set up an account and use it.

You can also use social networking sites to promote your own website, blog, or group. Many businesses of all sizes use sites like Twitter to promote their products, brand, and services.

Social networking sites can be used to commit scams, spread computer viruses, or defraud people by stealing their identity.

They can also be tremendous time wasters. Whether it is in work or personal time, people can sometimes spend hours on social networking sites without any obvious benefits coming out of their experience.

There are privacy issues associated with social networking. It is not always clear who is able to read your profile and personal information. An embarrassing photo of you drunk at a party might be seen by a parent or relative, or unguarded comments made about your workplace might be seen by your boss. It is not always clear how secure the host site is either when it comes to looking after your personal information.

These sites can be used for stalking and harassment purposes. It is often possible for unscrupulous people to work out a user’s location and movements from social networking sites, or send them threatening messages anonymously. Younger people can be bullied.

Spam and unwanted advertising can be a constant problem, especially on sites such as Twitter.