Technology And New Media: Facebook Argumentative Essay Example

Introduction

Social media can be defined as a set of internet-based apps that are established on the philosophical frameworks of Web2.0, and enable the building and sharing of user-generated content. Facebook is one of the world’s leading social media websites. Incorporating the conceptual foundations of Web2.0 is critical since is helps to provide the participative characteristics of the individuals in the internet, stresses on the theory of user-generated content, and more specifically, represents whatever the social media platform allows, that is proxy and collective agency expressions (Warburton 39). The emergence and continued adoption of social media technologies, such as Facebook across the world has transformed all aspects of human lifestyle, socially, politically and economically.

Impacts of Facebook on Social Relations and Interactions

The interpersonal relationships being formed via Facebook have compelled communication scholars to reconsider and re-visit the kind of intimacy, individual, and links and the broader issues regarding interactions. The strengths of interpersonal bonds seem to be growing or sustained via new virtual frontiers, no longer arising solely from local or familial backgrounds or exclusively found in spatial societal boundaries. The growth of Facebook as a social networking tool has introduced major transformations in the non-formal rules and trends that govern social contacts. An additional norm is the continuously informal and casual manner of the discussions being done in all forms of linking to oversee contemporary interactions. The concept of friendship appears to have specific resonances with the Facebook network affordance and means of engagement, especially social networking sites. For instance, the form of ties being articulated via the social media platforms like Facebook, are on the rise, and strongly boosting a friendship model (Cambers 41).
Initial and growing enthusiasm concerning the use of Facebook has made it a catalyzing positive symbol of transformation in people’s lives by establishing new forms of social interactions and boosting offline relations. Social media websites like Facebook have restored the communal unity by offering a meeting space for individuals sharing common similar interests and overpowering barriers of space and time. Online Facebook communities have promoted open, democratic discussions, giving room for multiple perspectives, thereby mobilizing collective actions. In as much as previous researches on the impacts of the social media on relationships stressed on the strengthening of online virtual communities, today, a significant number of relations formed via Facebook proceed to the physical space, resulting in new forms of societies typified by an admixture of online and offline links. Furthermore, Facebook interactions fill communication gaps present between face-to-face dialogues. For that reason, Facebook boosts the tendency for many interactions to be non-local, connected by vehicles, airplanes, and today, social networks (Wellman et al. 438).
In as much as the progressing occurrence of non-local communities is possibly most rampant in US, where humans move regularly and, in some cases to far distant lands, and where families, colleagues, previous neighbors, and workmates are detached from each other by many kilometers, Facebook offers the platform for filling this barrier. Those who view the social media as playing a critical role in the daily activities would agree that it improves both offline and online communication. In this regard, social media not only provides the chances of contacting friends and family members at an affordable cost, but it also boosts face-to-face and phone communications as network members become more aware of each others’ needs and catapults their relations. This is done via more regular contacts, sharing of songs, images and other files, as well as making online appointments with the view of meeting the online friends in person and by telephones (Wellman et al. 438).
The use of social media platforms, such as Facebook may also be instrumental in increasing organizational involvements by enhancing the flow of information between face-to-face meetings and organizing such conferences themselves. The overabundance of knowledge present over the Facebook and the ease of using search engines and hyperlinks to seek social groups matching the users’ interests need to allow new users to search, join, and take part in kindred organizations. Therefore, in case the use of Facebook increases social capital, then increased continuing to use it, coupled with more offline interpersonal contacts, organizational participations, and devotion to the entire community, boosts interpersonal communication and relations (Wellman et al. 438).

Effects of Facebook on Depression

In the last ten years, researchers have viewed social networking sites as some of the factors contributing to negative psychosocial existence, such as depression and loneliness. Since the effect of Facebook on depression has attracted a significant number of scholarly studies, they took a keener look at the link between the use of social media and psychosocial wellbeing (Gonzales and Jeffrey 79). However, the use of social media, such as Facebook has, today, been found to reduce depression. Contrary to suppositions developed by scholars who developed the Hyperpersonal model, that the Facebook either diminishes or boosts self esteem respectively, a survey carried out by Gonzales and Jeffrey (79) found that Facebook reduces depression and improves users’ self-esteem.
As opposed to previous studies on OSA, the above researchers found that getting self-aware by viewing one’s own Facebook profile boosts self-esteem instead of diminishing it. Their studies revealed that participants who constantly updated their profiles and viewed their own information reported a higher self-esteem, thereby lending extra support to the Hyperpersonal Model. Such findings indicate that selective self-presentation in the social media that leads to intensified relations, also impacts impressions of the self. As a result, an individual’s depression is lowered (Gonzales and Jeffrey 79).

Impacts of Facebook on US Adolescents

Facebook participation has provided adolescents profound benefits that go beyond social interactions into their impressions of the self, society, and the entire universe. To this end, Facebook has provided opportunities for communal engagement via raising funds for humanitarian activities and taking part in local events such as political philanthropic ones. On top of that, it has enhanced personal and collective creativity and innovativeness via the establishments and exchanging of artistic and musical masterpieces. Also, Facebook has promoted the growth and development of ideas, ranging from the drafting of blog articles, to videos and gaming websites (O'Keeffe and Kathleen 801).
The middle and high school adolescents are constantly utilizing Facebook to link with each other on homework and group projects. For instance, Facebook enables teenagers to organize meetings outside lecture halls to coordinate and share ideas concerning ways in which they can tackle complex assignments. A number of high schools have fruitfully used blogs as educating instruments, which has the advantage of reestablishing language proficiencies, both in oral and written forms (O'Keeffe and Kathleen 801).

Effects on Global Politics

As the communication arena increases in density, complexity and participation, the networked populations are increasingly gathering higher access to information and more chances to take part in public speeches. This further enhances the ability of the public to embark on collective actions. On the political landscape, for instance, the recent impeachment of the Philippines’s head of state is an attestation to the power of social media in politics. To this end, social media networks like Facebook promoted freedom of gathering in the virtual spaces and assist poorly coordinated members of the public to demand political changes. This shows that Facebook has become a reality of life for the civil activist groups in the whole world, which involves players such as citizens, activists, NGOs and communication companies (Shirky 1).

Conclusion

The positive impacts of Facebook on the way humans operate cannot be refuted. As the technology continues to be adopted, what is clear is that it represents the face of social, political and economic change. This is because its emergence and development, and continued adoption across the world has transformed all aspects of human lifestyle, socially, politically and economically

Works Cited

Chambers, Deborah. Social media and personal relationships: online intimacies and networked
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Gonzales, Amy L., and Jeffrey T. Hancock. "Mirror, mirror on my Facebook wall: Effects of
exposure to Facebook on self-esteem." Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social
Networking 14.1-2 (2011): 79-83.
O'Keeffe, Gwenn Schurgin, and Kathleen Clarke-Pearson. "The impact of social media on
children, adolescents, and families." Pediatrics 127.4 (2011): 800-804.
Shirky, Clay. "The political power of social media: Technology, the public sphere, and political
change." Foreign affairs (2011): 28-41.
Warburton, Steven, ed. Digital Identity and Social Media. IGI Global, 2012.
Wellman, Barry, et al. "Does the Internet increase, decrease, or supplement social capital? Social
networks, participation, and community commitment." American behavioral scientist
45.3 (2001): 436-455.