BENEFITS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
Mobile Society[/b][/b]
Social networking sites and can also enhance freedom and mobility. They offer the ability to access information and communicate with others at any time and in any place and regardless of the physical location of other people. People can maintain a constant connection with existing friends and family who might live in different regions/countries, or they can form new relationships with other nationalities, regardless of ‘real time’ or separate locations. By forming groups of people with similar interests, social networking sites can create a sense of unity and belonging in people who might have previously felt alienated in society because of an inability to relate to people. Particularly in areas with smaller populations, the chance of discovering others with similar interests is infrequent but by removing these location barriers through online communication, the chance of meeting people with the same interests is greatly increased. Social networking sites give the impression that it is a much smaller world.
Social networking sites also offer the chance of communication in cases where mobility is often a hindrance to social interaction. Elderly people and those with physical disabilities who have an inability to leave their house are able to stay in touch with existing relations and friends, as well as get in touch with people who have similar issues. For some people, interaction with crowds is made easier if they do not actually feel the physical immersion. Such sites also provide those isolated by disability or environment with a rich and fulfilling social life. Many people form support groups through social networking sites to discover and communicate with others who have similar problems or health issues. People find it easier to reach out online because it can be anonymous and it allows people more control over what information they disclose. With online social networking reducing difficulties with limited mobility, time and distance barriers and unacceptance due to stereotyping, people therefore have more access to support and the ability to improve communication with others despite illness or disability.
Feedback System and Recognition[/b][/b]
On sites such as YouTube, people may even give a video response. By allowing such feedback, there is the prospect of conversation, of debate, of sharing information or perceiving new ideas. It is this capability of interaction that makes social networking sites multi-dimensional in communicating, unlike the one-dimensionality of earlier websites and blogs. As such, it also points to the fact that social networking sites are often an extension of ‘real life.’ By coexisting with life offline, communicating in the digital world is therefore no more of a threat than if a person were to join communities and interact with others in the offline world.
One can use social networking sites to feedback on ideas immediately. You can ask questions and get respond with a low turn around time. For example, LinkedIn has a dedicated section for users to post questions to all users. This way the question is not confined to a closed group of people but the entire population of the site.
Global Culture – Removing regional barriers[/b][/b]
One of the advantages that we see is the move towards a global culture. Social networking sites seldom have the bias that exists in the real life. We all have our own set of beliefs, religion, culture and values and these sometimes affect the way we deal with others around us. They sometimes lead to bias, perceptions and stereotypes. The digital world however, knows no such boundaries. The best thing about these sites is that everybody is equal with as good a chance to be someone as others. Your profile is as good as someone else’s. Since these sites encourage free speech, people generally won’t castigate you for expressing feelings that generally are not welcome in the real world.
How often would you talk to or meet people from other regions/countries? How often would one use expensive ISC calls to talk to your friends and relatives based abroad? And how often does this happen now? The beauty of the internet is that it has no nationality, has no religion, and no set culture. Its culture is purely defined by the people who use it. In a world broken up by religion, politics and cultures, there exists one platform which can treat everybody as a global citizen and not as a Muslim or Christian or a Hindu. That’s another reason why an online identity sometimes works better than the real ones. From parents talking to their children or companies conducting online meetings on Skype, we have seen it all. The world is truly becoming a smaller and much more connected place. This is the start of a new global culture it is based on openness, inclusion, acceptance of diversity, and the desire to make the world a better place to live. This movement is driven both by the failure of traditional organizations — media, government, and religious — to cope with the modern world, and the stresses we, as individuals, are confronted with.
If you think about social networking, you’ll find that it tears down the old paradigms of geography, territories and even government. Social networking, along with the Internet, tears down boundaries everywhere. Even Ideologies, governments and politics are challenged or redefined. When we can instantly communicate around the world and things get done or exposed to us at the speed of thought, everything changes. At our fingertips we have all available knowledge, data and information. Common interest groups naturally connect and grow. Today we can connect to people who have a common interest or cause all around the world, whereas before we would not know them. The only way we might come across them in a lifetime is by accident, or if they did something major like wrote a book or were in the news.
Cost Effectiveness[/b][/b]
Mobile phones and email transformed our communication process more than a decade ago. They were fast, convenient and later turned out to be cost effectiveness as well. Forward a couple of years to the advent of social networking sites. Teenagers and young adults are increasing using these sites to pass on messages to the ones they know. SMS and calls cost money so a certain number of users prefer using these sites to communicate with each other. It costs nothing. From an organizational aspect, emails take up a lot of server space and results in high cost. Using such sites could help save cost and free up lots on space on their servers. Advertising and promotions are also popular on such sites as they turn out to be more cost effective that TV or print ads. And they reach more people than all other mediums combined. Social networking sites are also full of data of all sorts. And for companies looking to collect data for research purpose these are excellent free resources to start with.
One Platform[/b][/b]
TV, radio, newspapers, websites is everywhere. Every country has their own and they deliver customized content to the users. Social networking sites, however, are not operated in the same lines. Rest assured there is only one YouTube or Facebook, no matter where you access it from. A global giant wanting to spread awareness about its products throughout the world would usually have to use TV and print advertising in the countries it wants to target. Think about the cost factor. Social networking sites could be a better way to do this. They are a global platform, the same site accessed from anywhere in the world. So if a company is looking to reach a huge population and save costs, we bet that sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Orkut could do a great job.
Mobile Society[/b][/b]
Social networking sites and can also enhance freedom and mobility. They offer the ability to access information and communicate with others at any time and in any place and regardless of the physical location of other people. People can maintain a constant connection with existing friends and family who might live in different regions/countries, or they can form new relationships with other nationalities, regardless of ‘real time’ or separate locations. By forming groups of people with similar interests, social networking sites can create a sense of unity and belonging in people who might have previously felt alienated in society because of an inability to relate to people. Particularly in areas with smaller populations, the chance of discovering others with similar interests is infrequent but by removing these location barriers through online communication, the chance of meeting people with the same interests is greatly increased. Social networking sites give the impression that it is a much smaller world.
Social networking sites also offer the chance of communication in cases where mobility is often a hindrance to social interaction. Elderly people and those with physical disabilities who have an inability to leave their house are able to stay in touch with existing relations and friends, as well as get in touch with people who have similar issues. For some people, interaction with crowds is made easier if they do not actually feel the physical immersion. Such sites also provide those isolated by disability or environment with a rich and fulfilling social life. Many people form support groups through social networking sites to discover and communicate with others who have similar problems or health issues. People find it easier to reach out online because it can be anonymous and it allows people more control over what information they disclose. With online social networking reducing difficulties with limited mobility, time and distance barriers and unacceptance due to stereotyping, people therefore have more access to support and the ability to improve communication with others despite illness or disability.
Feedback System and Recognition[/b][/b]
On sites such as YouTube, people may even give a video response. By allowing such feedback, there is the prospect of conversation, of debate, of sharing information or perceiving new ideas. It is this capability of interaction that makes social networking sites multi-dimensional in communicating, unlike the one-dimensionality of earlier websites and blogs. As such, it also points to the fact that social networking sites are often an extension of ‘real life.’ By coexisting with life offline, communicating in the digital world is therefore no more of a threat than if a person were to join communities and interact with others in the offline world.
One can use social networking sites to feedback on ideas immediately. You can ask questions and get respond with a low turn around time. For example, LinkedIn has a dedicated section for users to post questions to all users. This way the question is not confined to a closed group of people but the entire population of the site.
Global Culture – Removing regional barriers[/b][/b]
One of the advantages that we see is the move towards a global culture. Social networking sites seldom have the bias that exists in the real life. We all have our own set of beliefs, religion, culture and values and these sometimes affect the way we deal with others around us. They sometimes lead to bias, perceptions and stereotypes. The digital world however, knows no such boundaries. The best thing about these sites is that everybody is equal with as good a chance to be someone as others. Your profile is as good as someone else’s. Since these sites encourage free speech, people generally won’t castigate you for expressing feelings that generally are not welcome in the real world.
How often would you talk to or meet people from other regions/countries? How often would one use expensive ISC calls to talk to your friends and relatives based abroad? And how often does this happen now? The beauty of the internet is that it has no nationality, has no religion, and no set culture. Its culture is purely defined by the people who use it. In a world broken up by religion, politics and cultures, there exists one platform which can treat everybody as a global citizen and not as a Muslim or Christian or a Hindu. That’s another reason why an online identity sometimes works better than the real ones. From parents talking to their children or companies conducting online meetings on Skype, we have seen it all. The world is truly becoming a smaller and much more connected place. This is the start of a new global culture it is based on openness, inclusion, acceptance of diversity, and the desire to make the world a better place to live. This movement is driven both by the failure of traditional organizations — media, government, and religious — to cope with the modern world, and the stresses we, as individuals, are confronted with.
If you think about social networking, you’ll find that it tears down the old paradigms of geography, territories and even government. Social networking, along with the Internet, tears down boundaries everywhere. Even Ideologies, governments and politics are challenged or redefined. When we can instantly communicate around the world and things get done or exposed to us at the speed of thought, everything changes. At our fingertips we have all available knowledge, data and information. Common interest groups naturally connect and grow. Today we can connect to people who have a common interest or cause all around the world, whereas before we would not know them. The only way we might come across them in a lifetime is by accident, or if they did something major like wrote a book or were in the news.
Cost Effectiveness[/b][/b]
Mobile phones and email transformed our communication process more than a decade ago. They were fast, convenient and later turned out to be cost effectiveness as well. Forward a couple of years to the advent of social networking sites. Teenagers and young adults are increasing using these sites to pass on messages to the ones they know. SMS and calls cost money so a certain number of users prefer using these sites to communicate with each other. It costs nothing. From an organizational aspect, emails take up a lot of server space and results in high cost. Using such sites could help save cost and free up lots on space on their servers. Advertising and promotions are also popular on such sites as they turn out to be more cost effective that TV or print ads. And they reach more people than all other mediums combined. Social networking sites are also full of data of all sorts. And for companies looking to collect data for research purpose these are excellent free resources to start with.
One Platform[/b][/b]
TV, radio, newspapers, websites is everywhere. Every country has their own and they deliver customized content to the users. Social networking sites, however, are not operated in the same lines. Rest assured there is only one YouTube or Facebook, no matter where you access it from. A global giant wanting to spread awareness about its products throughout the world would usually have to use TV and print advertising in the countries it wants to target. Think about the cost factor. Social networking sites could be a better way to do this. They are a global platform, the same site accessed from anywhere in the world. So if a company is looking to reach a huge population and save costs, we bet that sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Orkut could do a great job.