How Valuable Are Social Networks?
From Visual Thesaurus
I have a few friends who still insist that the only valuable form of human interaction is through in-person contact. They insist that any form of communication on the computer is going to be sterile, cold, and impersonal. My argument is that may be true for how they communicate, but it sure doesn’t apply to the many millions in the world who have found social networks incredibly social and valuable. In fact, I know people who can’t communicate well in-person or online. The quality of communication doesn’t depend on the medium being used, but rather the people involved in conversation.
Social by definition means there is a strong element of the personal, with the added benefit of connection, interaction, and hopefully friendliness. I know of a lot of people who have reconnected through social networks with people of their past: childhood friends and classmates, coworkers from previous jobs, friends and family who have moved out state or the country, teachers and mentors, old flings, and family that was split through divorce.
In addition, social networks are becoming more specialized, bringing together people from all over the globe to discuss common interests, share similar difficulties and struggles, and to network and share resources. The numbers of registered users in these social networks speaks of the importance these mechanisms have in our global society:
- Facebook has 175,000,000 registered users
- MySpace has 253,145,404
- myYearBook has 5,100,000
- Reunion has 51,000,000
- Multiply has 10,000,000
- Classmates has 50,000,000
More and more social networks are appearing, too many to count. Wikipedia has put a nice list together. Social Networks now also focus on special interest groups such as Moms, people of certain races, travel, photography, dating, business, and art.
If there isn’t a social network to meet your interests or needs, you can also start one of your own. All you need is a web host, and some software, such as the following:
- Mahara – I like how this software also is easily integrated in with other software like Moodle
- elgg – Allows you to set up social networks that allow for profiles, groups, blogs, etc.
Social Networking software will evolve over time, bringing new features, easier ways of connecting with people. We may see a fading away of some certain networks, and the rise of new types. I’ve mentioned the big networks here, but social networks also are great for smaller scale communities such as a club, a large family, small businesses, and groups of friends. Sure you can use a Yahoo or Google group, but social networking software has a lot of other cool features that may be of use, and it’s scalable in case your group gets big.
The value of social networks is in connecting people who are geographically distant, and for connecting people with similar interests who they might not have met in person. Communication is by no means impaired just because it’s taking place through the Internet. And, in fact, many people end up coming together in person after making that initial electronic contact. Let’s face it, it can be hard finding people of the past or across the globe without a computer.
Social Networks have been very valuable for me as a way to keep me connected with friends, with former coworkers, with family, and to meet new people who share my interests. My favorites tend to be Second Life Facebook, LinkedIn, and now I am on Twitter.
Go socialize!