Assignment 9

Patton, C. (2009). The social networking express. Professional Safety, 54(11), 5.

           

            Social networking, it’s all around us, it’s in the doctors office, it’s on the bus, it’s even in our classrooms. Today social networking can be accessed on any number of technological devises such as smartphones, tablets, book readers, computers, and even music devises. The reality of the situation is that social networking has come, conquered, and it’s here to stay. With social networking the idea of networking has been presented itself greater then ever before. At one time you had to physically meet a person before you found out all the mutual friends you may share, today it’s just a simple click away, it’s instantaneous.  From a source I found, which was located in an issue of Personal Safety talked about exactly this.

For you and for ASSE (American Society of Social Engineers), social media presents tremendous opportunities for networking, collaborating, sharing best practices, communicating and connecting to a nearly unlimited pool of people with similar needs and wants, as well as to information that may benefit you. The world truly is getting smaller. Instead of reaching out to single contacts, you can now create networks of hundreds or thousands of people located around the globe—and you can do so almost instantaneously.

         When first viewing this passage I simply viewed it for what it was. Talking about getting connected with people. However after further review I have found that there are so many things within this three-sentence paragraph in which I can pull out, and bring to attention within my research paper later on.

         The first part of this passage that stuck out to me ever so much was the sentence where author Chris Patton says, “The world truly is getting smaller.” Due to the large popularity of social networking sites, information travels much faster, whether good or bad. Also the chance of knowing other people in which someone knows is extremely popular. You may meet someone, and add him or her on a social networking site, such as “Facebook”, and before even doing so you can see the “friends” that the two of you have in common. Often times these are the people you would least suspect knowing each other, and somehow you have found yourself knowing both, in return closing in your world, and making it that much smaller then you ever thought of it before.

            The joy of social networking is within its instantaneousness. Having the ability to connect with people within a matter of seconds, being able to share something as soon as it happens, this is what the world of social networking has allowed us to do. This article only looks at the bright side of social networking and instantaneous contact and updating. By seeing these aspects as a way to connect, and a better way to get in contact with people as a good thing.

            When reading this article, and this passage I am able to see the positive aspects of social networking that Patton is talking about. The opportunities that people are able to receive with the use of social networking. As I talked about before, the opportunity to connect with people instantaneously as well as seeing mutual “friends” is a positive to social networking, however it isn’t the only way in which it is valuable. Social networking isn’t just for friends trying to connect with each other and pass along information. When on a social networking site like “Facebook” it is also a great way for people to advertise and grow a business, by simply getting their name out there. Whether it’s an advertisement on the side bar, or having a profile page in which people can then “like” to show that they have been and approve of that institution.

            One of the many, and personal joys of social networking is being able to see others that have similar interests that I do. This article has helped me to see the many things that I feel are good about my social networking addiction I have with “Facebook”. Having the ability to see what my “friends” are up too, sharing pictures, updating statuses or adding family to the “family” section on a profile (Facebook). As Patton talked about within his article, the information viewed on social networking sites typically benefits the user, whether it is a comment, a picture or another other feature that appears on one of these sites.

            No matter what you use a social networking site for, or whether you view them to be a positive or negative to today’s society, they are here to stay, and it has became harder and harder to resist connecting to those you know from such a site.