Social Networking? More like Antisocial.

[Ultraviolence]

I've seen this happen alot of sites like Facebook and Formspring, so I was wondering on other people's opinions.

On Facebook, it seems that some people use it to have a go at people without having to do it to their faces, e.g, "OMG YOU ARE SOOOOO STUPID" (I couldv'e done better but yeah.) Then people comment saying "who's this about, inbox me?". It's infuriating when someone does it to you and they don't tag you, or even just say it to your face.

Formspring is worse. You have the power to annonymusly ask questions. While it's obviously the choice of the person the question is asked to delete or answer it, it also shows that many people will not say thing to your face and do anything to humilate you online.

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, I think this should belong in Media & Culture, but I forgot.

 

[Oryx]

One of the problems is just having so many friends. They're dramatic irl, but being dramatic publicly is the new trend. I know I have people on Facebook I wouldn't talk to face-to-face, so for popular people that's even more so the case. Formspring is just annoying to me though - just another place for drama to grow. It requires two people for drama to be created, one person rude enough to ask and another to reply when they're baited.

 

[Blue Nocturne]

On Facebook, it seems that some people use it to have a go at people without having to do it to their faces, e.g, "OMG YOU ARE SOOOOO STUPID" (I couldv'e done better but yeah.) Then people comment saying "who's this about, inbox me?". It's infuriating when someone does it to you and they don't tag you, or even just say it to your face.

You might be able to do better, but many of the walls I've seen on facebook cannot!

As someone who doesn't like to go out and is generally a lot more confident talking to people on the internet than in real life, I find facebook to be quite a handy little tool. Through facebook I started talking to someone really awesome in the year above me at school, something that wouldn't have happened in the real world, now we're essentially boyfriends! I don't get out nearly as often as I should, without facebook or twitter my communication with quite a few of my friends (one of whom is in Vancouver, another in... Morden, about 30 mins ^-^) would be limited, especially during summer vacation.

As for keyboard warriors, I am generally a little nicer online. If I have something vile to say, which is becoming increasingly rare, I'd rather say it to their face than not even have the balls to post it on their wall.

 

[U.Flame]

Internet socializing can be good, but bad if the person pays no attention to real life. Social live on the internet is almost as healthy as real socializing because it involves communication with real people. If it's not overdone, I see no problem with it.

 

[Domo Genesis]

The good thing about social networking is that it allows you to easily connect and communicate with people. The bad thing is that it consumes people's perception on "friends" or "communicating". At the end of the day, it's just better to go and talk to someone head-on and straight to their face. It give me more of a human feeling, at least.

 

[Guy]

The way I look at social networking sites, they're just a way of keeping updated with your friends' lives and what they're doing at the current moment when you're not around or near them as well as keeping them informed about yourself. It especially comes in useful for when they're all the way in one college, and you're far away in another. Or in the case of having distant family members who you can't frequently come face-to-face with. However, in today's society where technology has become so popular, people are taking advantage of social networking sites and pour a majority of their social time on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and the rest. So, it has become somewhat more than its intended purpose I guess. At least, that's how I see it. I don't like the idea of wasting my time on Facebook. I find it rather boring actually and probably visit it a couple times in a month. If I had to say which social networking site I was on most often, it would be Twitter because it's so simple and fast to use. Other than that, if you count PokéCommunity as another social networking site, then here's another place I spend more time on than the likes of Facebook. Google+ is slowly becoming something I like because it's integrated with my e-mail, but with it being on a beta run at the moment, it's not something I'm drooling over and I doubt I ever will.

I'm a person who would rather communicate with people face-to-face most of the time. I feel like I can connect with a person more that way. I mean, I have no issue with social networking and chatting with people online; I do it quite frequently and even have some really close friends that I've made online. However, if it came down to it, then I'd take spending time offline with someone than socializing on some website like Facebook.

Also, Formspring what? Lol

Oh, and I'm pretty sure this belongs in Life, The Universe, and Everything. So, moving this there!

 

[Zet]

Who joins a website with the sole purpose of anonymous comments and doesn't expect to get insulted? Some people wouldn't have committed suicide if they didn't join formspring.

 

[Deenaa]

^I can't help but feel that's victim blaming, somewhat. It reminds me of being bullied in primary school for liking Pokemon, and said bullies saying 'if you didn't like that stupid cartoon, people wouldn't pick on you'.

Social networking sites have the potential for abuse like anything else, especially sites like Formspring. However, just because there's a chance doesn't mean that they deserve it should it happen. Expecting it and being aware of it is important, but it's absolutely vital to point the blame at the bullies themselves.

Personally, I believe in stronger penalties for abuse via the internet, and for kids today to be taught how to handle online interaction as a mandatory class. Social networking is practically a staple of our society these days, and I'd be happier if kids went in prepared.