Online Networking Social Capabilities

The Downside of Online Networking: The Facebook Environment

With the technology available in today’s society, the social possibilities are almost endless. Programs like eHarmony, YouTube, and Twitter allow almost instant sharing of ideas, videos, personalities, and lives. With this social boom, the idea of online networking has exploded onto the online world, with Facebook being a powerful tool in this environment. However, a networking site like Facebook can actually end up hurting the lives of the user who indulge in it, especially when potential careers and lives are at stake. The collegiate audience is at particular risk, as Facebook creates three distinct networking problems. Facebook as an application can cause intense social anxiety, put a strain on personal space in a parental and educational sense, and cause a hindrance or possible loss of career paths due to monitoring by corporations. Facebook is a wonderful social tool, but the scale that it has grown too has become too dangerous for young adults to enjoy.

Facebook is used by millions of people every day. Pictures are added, walls are posted, videos are watched, and games are played. All of this can extremely fun, until one day a girl or guy finds a picture posted of them that they do not like. It could be anything from them throwing up at a party, or being arrested by the cops, or any of the other myriad of possibilities. The problem now is that any of their “friends” on Facebook can now see this picture. When that information is processed, and the person realizes that thousands of people are viewing this embarrassing visual, it can create intense anxiety. Friends can also post comments about the picture, send it to their friends, and so on. Pictures or videos that cause social harm to a person end up causing unneeded stress, which can end up affecting school work and social functioning, as well as destroying self-esteem, as even if the picture is asked to be taken down, someone else can put it...