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Evaluation Argument: Online Social Networking

Online social networking has gained considerable popularity in the recent times. All across the world, different users can connect and interact using the various social networking platforms available in the market. Certainly, advancement in technology has helped to facilitate fast, convenient, and cheap communication that has also helped to transform the social lives of many people because these platforms enable people that are thousands of miles apart to communicate. Nowadays, people have adopted the use of popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Tumbler, and Twitter, among others. Using laptops, smart phones, i-phones and comfortable devices, people can now contact their friends, loved ones, family and other people, which make their lives much easier and comfortable. These sites have encouraged people to interact more, thereby getting to improve their social lives significantly. Most of these online social sites have gained wide acceptance in both the business and social life, as many schools and businesses are embracing their use. While some people question the effectiveness of online social networking because of the various negative consequences associated with their use, others value them because they offer an uplifting experience (Haigh 7-14).

Certainly, online social networking offers users an uplifting experience. Many users are able to experience the uplifting experience in the sense that the online social interactions with friends, loved ones, or friend that they may not have interacted with for a long time offers an inspiring and heartening experience that enriches the lives of users. The online social platforms enable users to catch up on the various issues of importance in their lives, as well as share their life experiences in a convenient, fast, and affordable manner. Secondly, online social networking is also uplifting in the sense that it enables users to gain useful knowledge that they need in their social, business, and educational lives. The use of online social networking has gained acceptance in most learning institutions because it facilitates easy, fast, and convenient exchange of information. For instance, many businesses are now using sites such as Facebook and Twitter to market their products and services because these sites usually attract many users and are also effective in facilitating communication (Haigh 7-14). Thus, these online social sites have uplifted the lives of many businesspersons in many ways because they have had a positive impact on their performance. Similarly, students use these sites to interact with fellow students on academic matters, which help to improve their academic performance. Lastly, online social networking is uplifting in the sense that users have the prospect of discovering new and innovative opportunities that could help transform their lives. For instance, many users have found lucrative job and business opportunities through LinkedIn, which is also a popular online networking site. Corporate bodies and other organizations with sites such as Facebook and Twitter can offer valuable information to users, thereby creating opportunities for users to uplift their lives significantly.

According to a research study by Wilcox and Stephen (1), online social networking sites have a positive impact on the lives of users. In five experiments, the two researchers show that social networking sites help to enhance self-esteem among users, which shows that when users interact with friends and loved ones, they experience positive experiences that help to boost their self-esteem and well being. Therefore, online social networking sites serve a critical role in improving the social lives of users because they gain by feeling better about themselves and their capabilities. The author demonstrate that this happens, especially for users who interact with close friends and family members, that is, people with whom they have strong ties. Therefore, these sites help to uplift the lives of these users thus enabling them to feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction with their lives.

Numerous research studies have indicated that online social networking sites, such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, can help students become socially and academically integrated as well as enhancing learning outcomes. In a recent study by a team of researcher in Hong Kong and China, social networking sites have contributed a lot in enhancing the educational outcomes of students who use these sites, particularly those who use Facebook. According to the researchers, Facebook usage is quite common among campus students, with 90% of students having that account. Besides, the study also indicated that many educational institutions help new students on how to make the best use of these online social sites to improve both their social experiences, as well as their course outcomes, including their final results. This clearly shows that students who have online social accounts are likely to get better grades, which is one way of uplifting their lives (Tian, Yu, Vogel and Kwok, 264-280).

A research by Buzzetto-More (64) further shows that the current generation of students in learning institutions are highly digital, meaning that they have been raised in a world where technology is appreciated and prioritized. Thus, technologies have played a central role in their lives, with numerous positive benefits. According to the author, learning institutions are encouraging students to embrace the use of technology to improve their learning experiences. As Buzzetto-More (69) notes, “Facebook can provide students with the opportunity to effectively present their ideas, lead online discussions, and collaborate. In addition, Facebook can help you, as an educator, to tap into the digital learning styles of your students.”

However, a research by Kuss and Griffiths (3528) indicate that online social networking is associated with several negative consequences, key among them being addiction to the habit. Most users often spend a considerable part of their time on online social sites, thereby neglecting other duties and activities that deserve their attention. Findings of an online survey conducted in the U.S. involving 131 psychology students showed that 78 percent of them used online social networks, where more than half of them (57 percent), were found to be visiting these sites on a daily basis. Most of these students engaged in reading and responding to other users’ comments, posting on other users’ walls, responding to messages, browsing profiles of other users and inviting friends. These activities were seen as taking up a significant portion of the users’ time because they are addicted to the habit. However, while users spend much of their time on these activities, they gain a lot because they get an excellent opportunity to boost their self-esteem through interactions with friends and loved ones. In addition, they get to improve their educational and business opportunities, including the chances of securing job opportunities. This clearly shows that users are likely to get opportunities for improving their lives while spending time on online social working sites. People with a low self esteem are likely to feel better about themselves when they interact with their friends and loved ones on these sites, which improves their chances of being effective in what they do because they develop a positive attitude. More significantly, users have opportunities for improving their economic situations because through the online social sites, they can advance their education, secure jobs and promote their businesses.

In conclusion, while online social networking may be associated with a few negative consequences such as addiction, the benefits are numerous and outweigh the negative consequences by far. The negative consequences such as addiction only happen in rare cases and they are not likely to affect every user. Besides, most online social sites provide users with numerous ways on having a meaningful and uplifting experience, including ways to operate in a safe and secure manner. Therefore, online social networking platforms provide valuable platforms that promise to fulfill the lives of users in many ways. Certainly, users are bound to have an enhanced self-esteem when they use these sites to interact with their friends and family. In addition, users can now benefit in their school work and businesses because the sites attract many users who contribute positively toward the interests of users. Moreover, these sites promise to provide users with opportunities that many improve their lives such as employment and better business opportunities, which indicates that users have an excellent chance to uplift their lives in many ways.

Works Cited

Buzzetto-More, Nicole A. “Social Networking in Undergraduate Education.” Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management 7 (2012): 64-90. Print.

Haigh, Paul. Social Network Websites: Their Benefits and Risks. London: Optimus Education eBooks. 2010. Print.

Keith Wilcox and Andrew T. Stephen. “Are Close Friends the Enemy? Online Social Networks, Self-Esteem, and Self-Control.” Journal of Consumer Research 40. (2013): Print.

Kuss, Daria J. and Mark D. Griffiths. “Online Social Networking and Addiction—A Review of the Psychological Literature.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 8.9 (2011): 3528–3552. Print.

Tian, Stella Wen, Angela Yan Yu, Douglas Vogel and Ron Chi-Wai Kwok. “The Impact of Online Social Networking on Learning: A Social Integration Perspective.” International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations 8.3/4 (2011): 264-280. Print.