Pros and Cons of Social Networking

Jessica UrchFarron Neoh

Communicating in a Network

• Physical togetherness is not required• Many different forms of communication

offered.• Reply from anywhere• Instantaneous

Communication

• Facebook: – Chat– Messaging– Video chat– Wall Posting

Communication

• Twitter– Tweets– Direct Message– Directed Tweeting

Communication

• Google+– Hangouts– Google Chat– Messaging

Indirect Communication

• Status Updates/Tweeting• Photo Posting• Video Posting• Tagging

“The biggest point of overlap is in sharing news and other content online. Each site provides a mechanism for sharing the latest headlines with [one’s] friends and colleagues.”

– Jeff Caruso

Information Sharing

Information Sharing

Applications

• Keeping in Touch

“teens plan to stay connected to their friends through college – and maybe forever.”

– Jan Farrington• School

“It lets you bring your identity with you wherever you go online […] it’s also a way to project information about the actions you take on those sites back to your […] friends […] [This] could turn into a universal Internet log-in.”

– David Kirkpatrick (305)

Universal Internet Log-in

Dangers of Social Networking

• Cyber-Bullying• Gossip• Identity Fraud

“That is no accident.”– David Kirkpatrick (305)

“Or should I tell you I am a fifty-seven-year-old husband of an artist, father of a teenage girl, sometime poet, and former union activist?”

“Do I want you to know that I am a longtime Fortune magazine journalist who covers technology and is now writing a book about Facebook?”

“On my single Facebook profile, pretty much

all is revealed.”

Privacy

“Up to now, depending on the social context, I would most likely have presented one or the other of these identities to you.”

Privacy

“You have one identity.”

“Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity.”

“The level of transparency the world has now won’t support having two identities for a person.”

– Zuckerburg (qtd. in Kirkpatrick)

Suspicious Privacy

• Terms of use Policy• “And people have really gotten comfortable, not

only sharing more information and different kinds but more openly and with more people. And that social norm is just something that has evolved over time. And we view it as our role in the system to constantly be kind of innovating and be updating what our system is to reflect what the current social norms are” (Flatow)

Your Future

• Colleges and Employers are allowed access to see your Facebook.

• The ability to “change your mind”.

Identity Theft

• Something as simple as a birthday date and an email address could be enough to crack a social security number.

• Prevention?• It’s the responsibility of Facebook to protect

users.

Information Isn’t Forced

• The ability to opt out• Timeline

Why don’t we just cancel our profile?

“Approximately 44 percent of individuals said if they discovered that a social media provider did not adequately protect their privacy or security, they would continue to use the site” (Irvine)

– Maslow’s Hierarchy

Hooked

• Still use social networking despite the “dangers”.• Great method of communication.• Alternatives