Social Networking

Whether in a corporate, social, or educational setting, society has been undoubtedly reaping the benefits of Social Networking technologies for some time now. These services are only getting more advanced and universal as the demand for their use is growing exponentially. My generation has seen Facebook blossom into a multi-billion dollar powerhouse; I believe much of this success is achieved through the sites' practicality and compatibility. Facebook now functions in tandem with many other services such as Pandora and ESPN, to name a few. This functionality is valuable to the user as his likes and interests are diffused over several mediums by means of only one input (Facebook). This resource is also valuable to to other business' as they are able to target their demographic easily and accurately.
Education has garnered the benefits of Social Networking technologies as well. Last semester, my Management professor constructed an aspect of the course called "Blogging in the Classroom". This was a great way for the students to connect through another medium to reflect on our daily lectures and activities. I found the peer to peer feedback very useful as all of the different opinions allowed you to see the material from a different perspective. Additionally, Twitter hasn't been an uncommon name in the realm of education. By means of micro-blogging, twitter aids in higher education by allowing for an easy medium of communication among students and staff. Twitter is also a useful resource in job placement as you can "follow" desired companies and get a better grasp of their business.
Though small, there is a dark side to all of these handy technologies. I think that social skills are on the decline Since people are becoming increasingly accustomed to socializing via the internet and through tweets and text messages rather than face to face communication. This is especially evident in the younger generation as for many of them, e-socializing is all they know. I think that one way these technologies can evolve in the future is by seeing more involvement from government agencies. Bureau's such as the IRS and DEA are often difficult to get a hold of and they seldom make any updates to their websites. With the creation of a Facebook page, for example, these agencies can open two way communication with the public, conveying pertinent information on a timely basis.



http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/06/08/50-ways-to-use-twitter-in-the-college-classroom/