Assignment Two
Assignment Two
Assignment Two
Contents Page(s)
Research
Definition of Social Networking 1
Services
Evolution of Social Networking over 2
the past decade
Characteristics of Social Networking 3
Service
Purpose of Social Networking 4
Services
Risks of Social Networking Services 5
Popular Social Networking Services 6
Difference between Social 7
Networking Services and Social
Media
Advantages of Social Networking 8-9
Services
Disadvantages of Social Networking 10-11
Services
Positive Effects of Social Networking 12
Services on Students
Negative Effects of Social 13
Networking Services on Students
References 14-15
Definition of Social Networking Services
Social networks are online spaces and mobile applications that let people and groups interact,
exchange information, connect, and build relationships. Individuals can establish connections
with neighbors, family, friends, and those who share their interests. One of the most significant
uses of the internet in modern times is social networking. (Wright & Yasar, 2022)
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The Evolution of Social Networking Services over the past decade
Over the last decade, social networking has shifted from connecting with people to displaying
what we have for attention or crafting unrecognizable versions of our true selves.
We moved from using up our internet plans and digitally poking friends on Facebook to being
engulfed in an endless sea of memes. The rise of social networking has damaged political
elections and altered the way we communicate, while generating ongoing concerns about
privacy. After more than a decade of scrolling, thumbs-up, swiping, and double-tapping, it's safe
to assume that social networking isn't going away anytime soon. (Today, 2019)
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Characteristics of Social Networking Services
User-generated content, such as photos, videos, and posts that inform other users about
The ability to connect individuals from all over the world, though some platforms
recommend that individuals know one another in real life before connecting online.
They are free. Their business model is based on the breadth of their membership,
therefore charging for use would be counterproductive. The possibility does remain that if
a network grew large and useful enough, charging a fee may be possible.
They connect people with common histories, such as school attendance, work colleagues,
They may help forge and develop relationships between people who share a profession or
business network.
They may be used to help individuals find information, products, services, or resources
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Purposes of Social Networking Services
Social networking connects individuals and businesses by allowing them to share information,
ideas, and messages. Companies also use social networks to create and strengthen brand
recognition, promote products and services, and answer customer queries and concerns. (Kenton,
2024)
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Risks of Social Networking Services
too much personal information can increase your vulnerability. Even with strong security
Personal information you share may be used to launch attacks on you or your associates.
The more information you disclose, the more probable someone may impersonate you
and deceive one of your friends into disclosing personal information, downloading
Predators, hackers, commercial competitors, and foreign state actors scour social
Information obtained from social networking sites may be utilized to construct a unique
assault that does not come via the social networking service. (Kenton, 2022)
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Popular Social Networking Services
1. Facebook
Facebook is a social network that lets users interact with other users, companies, and
groups. Both posting updates and replying to other people's posts are possible.
Photographs and links to web information can be shared between them. Users can upload
2. Instagram
Instagram is a social media platform where users may share visual content, such as
images and videos. Users create a profile and have a news feed, just as on Facebook.
They are able to submit media files that can be geotagged, hashtagged, and altered with
3. X
On the social network X, users can communicate by sending brief messages known as
tweets. The social media site has a character limit of 280 for basic tweets and 25,000 for
premium ones. Posts (formerly known as "tweets") are made by users and may offer
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Difference between Social Networking Services and Social Media
Social media is the participatory use of digital technologies, typically for a large audience.
Conversely, social networking entails fostering personal and professional connections as well as
sustaining an engaged atmosphere with the goal of expanding one's network. (Njogu & Njogu,
2019)
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Advantages of Social Networking Services
1. Social networking gives you a chance to connect with people around the world.
One of the most obvious advantages of using social networking is the opportunity these websites
provide you to reach people from anywhere in the world. As long as there is a connection to the
Internet and a profile created, you can become “friends” or a “follower” of someone and check-
We can stay in touch with each other no matter where we go thanks to social networking. With
today's technology, you can make a call to someone without needing a landline. A letter sent by
regular mail seems to take forever to arrive. You can bypass voicemail or answering machines by
just leaving a comment on someone's page, which will cause them to receive a notification right
away. All we have to do to initiate communication with someone is to pick up our smartphone,
turn on our computer, or open our laptop when we are linked to social networking. No matter
where you are in the world, you may still benefit from these features by using an app that links to
your profile.
Before the Internet, the only ways we could find out what was happening in the world that day
were by watching television news broadcasts or reading the daily newspaper. We still had to sit,
watch, and wait for the stories we wanted to see even after cable news arrived and offered us
24/7 access to stories. Social networking has made it possible for us to view the current event
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4. Social networking creates brand exposure for businesses.
Any kind of business can engage with its present and potential clients by using social media to
interact with them. The majority of platforms let companies sell their goods directly on the social
media platform or by providing a link to their sales page. Making use of these potential one-to-
one relationships through this method facilitates an organization's efforts to reach a wider
audience. Nowadays, a lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners run successful enterprises
that rely almost solely on the content they can provide on social media. Without it, some of the
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Disadvantages of Social Networking Services
When social networks initially emerged, they developed into places where people could engage
meaningfully. You would give the important individuals in your life letters, photos, and videos.
These days, with millions, perhaps billions of individuals using a platform, a lot of background
noise may overpower these discussions. It gets really overwhelming to have all of this
information at a look with all of the political debates, shared links, selfies, and brand videos that
The amount of privacy that the average person has is decreasing daily due to the extensive data
sharing that occurs on current social networks. You may even provide the platform a license to
use your content, including your photos, without attribution by agreeing to the terms of service
If you post your current location on social media, you could become a target. If your company
finds fault with anything you published on your network, they have the right to terminate you. If
you give too much information to the public, issues may arise that are never fully resolved as
You may experience pressure to act or speak in a certain way in order to feel accepted if you
have trouble blending in with your classmates. Although it can affect anyone, teens and young
adults are typically the ones who are most affected by this drawback. Because bullies believe
they can remain anonymous when using a smartphone or sitting behind a screen, it is not
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uncommon for the negative behaviours to be worse online than they are in person at work or
school.
It can take up to twenty-five minutes for someone who has become sidetracked by material on
social media to return to their original task. When you get up in the morning, do you look at your
phone? How frequently do you browse Instagram or Facebook? You may lose up to seventy
hours of productive time a month due to the amount of time you spend on these platforms and
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Positive Effects of Social Networking Services on Students
Socialising
Growing up involves socializing and making friends, which is a crucial aspect. Why is
this important? It is because it helps the children to share their thoughts and learn new
things. The more they interact, the more they understand. This will invariably result in
Sharing Knowledge
It provides a quick and effective way for students to share knowledge. Online data is
open to everyone (unless limits are imposed by those who share). Students may readily
access and learn from the data, as well as change and share it as needed. As a result,
Being Prepared
Social networking technologies are all about showcasing the trends that run around the
world. Students can get an idea of what might be expected out of them in the future by
observing the changes that are being updated, shared, discussed or spoken about on the
Social networking technologies are designed in such a way that students can choose the
group, activity, or person they want to follow for daily updates. Students can follow an
education site, an educator, an institute they want to attend for higher education, or a
technology they want to stay up to date on. There are numerous ways to learn. (Super,
2016)
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Negative Effects of Social Networking Services on Students
Multitasking Lowers Performance: Attempting to study and use social media at the same
Reduced In-person Socializing: Spending too much time on social media reduces face-to-
face encounters.
Weakening Language Skills: Using social media frequently encourages poor grammar
and spelling.
Online Anonymity Misuse: Students publish without thinking about how their posts may
Health Concerns: Anxiety and depression are among the mental and physical health
issues that are linked to frequent usage of social networking sites. (Draper, 2024)
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References
Draper, A. (2024, April 2). Negative Effects of Social Networking Sites on Students [Review
Draper. https://www.business2community.com/social-media-articles/negative-effects-of-
social-networking-sites-for-students
disadvantages-of-social-networking/
Kenton, W. (2022, February 11). Social Networking Service (SNS): characteristics and risks.
Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-networking-service-
sns.asp#:~:text=Key%20Takeaways%201%20A%20social%20networking%20service
%20is,these%20services%20share%20their%20personal%20information.%20More
%20items
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-networking.asp
Njogu, T., & Njogu, T. (2019, April 5). Difference between social media and social networking |
http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-between-social-media-and-
social-networking/
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Super. (2016, March 7). What are the positive effects of social networking on education (Super,
Ed.) [Review of What are the positive effects of social networking on education].
of-social-networking-on-education-008594.html
Today, D. B. U. (2019, December 30). Remember Vine? These social networking sites defined
decade-heres-how-social-media-has-evolved-over-10-years/4227619002/
Wright, G., & Yasar, K. (2022, December 12). social networking. WhatIs.
https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/social-networking
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