Social Net'g

                  Social Networking is a very interesting phenomenon. It has opened up the exposure one can get for themselves or their business to new heights. It seems as though someone can advertise their thoughts or products within minutes. While a business might choose to do this as a paid service to get "better" exposure, with enough followers on Twitter or Facebook, one can get their message across for free. In the article "Why is Nissan Mimicking Myspace" by Kenji Hall, Nissan is using social networking within their company to help employees communicate easier with fellow employees around the world, helping to get things done quicker and more efficiently, without the hold up of getting approval from bosses who have to get approval from bosses.
                  The way I see it, there is a dark side to everything. Technology can be wonderful if it is used in a positive light. Social networking can very easily have a dark side. In the article "Is Myspace Good For Society" by Stephen J. Dubner, Steve Chazin says it best:

"I believe social networking technology has changed our lives for the better, but at a cost. Social networking tools have made it nearly effortless for me to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues. I can know what’s on their minds (MySpace), who else they know (Facebook/LinkedIn), and even what they are doing at this very moment (Twitter). On the other hand, I’m not sure I need to know any of that."

I believe that social networking can be a great thing but can also take away something essential to a peaceful mind, that is privacy. I do not want someone to know that I just "checked in" to McDonalds, nor am I sure why someone would want anyone to know this. It leads me to believe that maybe social networking is dictating how people should act. It seems that the majority of people who use social networking on a day to day basis are trying to be a new sort of "cool" which takes away another important trait in human beings, genuineness.