SOCIAL NETWORKING-HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH ? (ESSAY)

A social networking service is a platform to build social networks or social relations among people who, share interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections. A social network service consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his social links, and a variety of additional services. Social networking is web-based services that allow individuals to create a public profile, to create a list of users with whom to share connection, and view and cross the connections within the system. Common social networking sites are Facebook ,Twitter , Google Plus+,Tumblr, Instagram etc.

The advent of social networking platforms may also be impacting the way(s) in which learners engage with technology in general. Social networks and their educational uses are of interest to many researchers. Educators and advocates of new digital literacies are confident that social networking encourages the development of transferable, technical, and social skills of value in formal and informal learning. In a formal learning environment, goals or objectives are determined by an outside department or agency. Tweeting, instant messaging, or blogging enhances student involvement.

Students who would not normally participate in class are more apt to partake through social network services. One other use that is being discussed is the use of social networks in the science communities. In fact, researchers use social networks frequently to maintain and develop professional relationships. Overuse of social networking may also make children more susceptible to depression and anxiety. Some students may tend to use to these social networking sites till mid night or even more which can obviously lead to health related problems.

Some students may spend time in social networking through which they lack to spend time with their family members. Some students may provide detailed information like phone numbers, address which is very dangerous because they can easily tracked down by strangers.

A common misuse of social networking sites such as Facebook is that it is occasionally used to emotionally abuse individuals. Such actions are often referred to as trolling. It is not rare for confrontations in the real world to be translated online. Trolling can occur in many different forms, such as (but not limited to) defacement of deceased person(s) tribute pages, name calling, playing online pranks on volatile individuals and controversial comments with the intention to cause anger and cause arguments.

Social networking can also be a risk to child safety in another way; parents can get addicted to games and neglect their children. One instance in South Korea resulted in the death of a child from starvation. As social networking sites have risen in popularity over the past years, people have been spending an excessive amount of time on the Internet in general and social networking sites in specific. This has led researchers to debate the establishment of Internet addiction as an actual clinical disorder. Social networking can also affect the extent to which a person feels lonely.

According to a study by JCA, an institution that specializes in personal and social developments, 500 teachers have concluded that students with the poorest grades were far more active in social networking. Claims are made that students are even using internet slang as a substitute to proper English grammar. With the unstoppable growth of Social Media, it is no doubt that it's influence will continue to shape students and their educational behavior in schools. As it grows this worrying trend could become a dire issue indeed.