Social Networking and Privacy

On any given day, you are guaranteed to encounter multiple students texting on their way to class or bobbing their heads to the beat of an iPod. Our generation is known for instant communication through the touch of a screen and impatience in receiving responses; many would say we have become a technologically dependant generation.

   Both cell phones and computers allow talking with people through instant messages, Facebook, and text messages to be quick and simple. The concept of instant communication also allows for speedy research and homework assistance. Communication has evolved dramatically in the past five years. With access to websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and YouTube, word spreads like rapid fire. Social networking unleashes constant access to the lives of millions of people across the world; most people you will likely never meet. Yet you have access to their daily routines by means of tweets and status updates. Clearly, social networking has allowed for broader access to the lives of strangers or mere acquaintances. This is seen as a pro and con. Many people enjoy staying in touch with people whom they cannot see daily and live across the country. It has made long distance relationships easier through the use of “face time” and  Skype.

   On the other hand, social networking has broken down barriers of privacy and has caused various complications. All of your so called “friends” have access to tagged pictures of you and access to your latest adventures. You may not want others see to these pictures, but they are available for viewing unless you specifically change your privacy settings. I have encountered such problems when I prefer to keep friendly hangouts from public view but they manage to end up on Facebook. To avoid such occurrences, I have simply changed my privacy settings to stricter limitations. I prefer to use Facebook to keep in touch rather than exposing my life to all of my friends.

   I personally spend about an hour or less a week on social networking sites that include Facebook and Twitter. I use these sites to remain updated on the on goings of my friends’ lives and Twitter specifically for the latest information on sports teams and news. I access these sites through my laptop and smart phone. I admit that having access to the internet throughout campus has increased my usage of social networking sites. When walking to class, I take that time to catch up on my Facebook news feed and twitter updates. However, I am not constantly checking these sites and can survive days at a time without access. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for many of my friends. I do text daily but only to communicate with family and friends when necessary. It does not serve as my source of entertainment and is something that I prefer to keep limited.

   I believe that our generation should spend less time glued to social networking sites and their cell phones, but they do have their positives. We have better access to scholarly information on the net and receive instantaneous updates on worldly affairs. I know that I enjoy the plethora of information available on the world wide web which allows for easier and streamlined research. At the end of the day, the positives of social networking and internet access outweigh the negatives.