Social Networking : Effective or Destructive?

Social networking has now taken over the lives of people all over the globe. It is fast, convenient and simple to use to communicate among each other anytime, anywhere. A lot of people are able to connect with new friends and reconnect with old ones, so it can be said that social networks are platforms to bring people together. Marshall McLuhan has described the internet as a ‘Global Village’ where people congregate and pass information with speed and precision, and social networking sites works exactly that way apart from residing on the internet itself.

Despite its effectiveness, there are several downsides to using social networks as a mean of communication. Instead of bringing people together, there are cases where social networking has broken bonds and the numbers are rising. Also, some discussed that social networking has destroyed true communication as people nowadays prefer to communicate over the internet instead of meeting each other and having a more intimate face-to-face communication. This paves the way for lies and deceit, as people on social networking sites are free to either be themselves, or adapt a different personality than they actually are in real life. Items and statements posted on social networking sites have also caused misunderstandings that lead to arguments and the falling out of relationships.

           

So, is it really effective or is it actually destructive? Does it build or burn bridges? Think about it.