How have social networks evolved, what do they do, and what problems do they pose?

In this blog post, we’ll talk about how social networks have evolved, what they do, and what problems they pose.

 

If you look at people in public places, such as the subway or bus, you’ll see them using their smartphones to access social media. Whether it’s liking and commenting on other people’s posts, photos, or videos, sharing photos with friends on their walls, or making friends with new people, everyone is on social media. According to digital research firm Datari Portal, the number of active social media users worldwide surpassed 5 billion as of January 2024. Of these, 60%, or about 3 billion, are Facebook accounts. In just 20 years, it has grown to become the social network that unites the world. Between Facebook and Instagram (2 billion), more than half of the world’s population (8 billion) is using Meta’s apps.
SNS stands for Social Networking Service and refers to a service for building online connections between people who share certain interests or activities. In short, it’s an online medium that connects people to people. There are several different types of social networking services that connect people, including Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace. When did these social networks come into existence and how have they evolved?
According to digital research firm Datari Portal, Facebook has the largest social network share in the world. Although Facebook has only been around since 2004, the concept of social networking has been around for a long time, along with computer network technology. However, it wasn’t until the popularization of smartphones that SNSs really took off. The invention of smartphones and the development of wireless network services in the 2000s made it possible to use SNSs anywhere, which led to a surge in the number of SNS users and made it possible for users to use SNSs anywhere.
People use social media for two main reasons: to make new connections online and to deepen existing ones. To accomplish both of these goals, social networks are essentially about connecting people. Facebook has a feature called Find Friends to help you find new connections, and Twitter allows you to follow people to get updates from those you follow. And social networks allow you to upload your status so that people who are friends with you can see what you’re up to. People who are friends with you can send you feedback, such as commenting on and sharing your posts. Conversely, you can easily see what your friends are doing as well. These features are essential for social networks.
One of the main features of social networks is the ability to spread a significant amount of information very quickly. If someone you’re friends with reacts to a post, you’ll see it. And if they find the post useful, they can pass it on to others by liking the post on Facebook or following the post on Twitter. The virality of social media posts is significant. On Facebook, a post with more than 10,000 likes means that at least 10,000 people have seen it. Some posts on Facebook get more than 10,000 likes because they’re funny videos or photos, while others get tens of thousands of likes because they contain new information or are posted by famous celebrities or politicians. This shows how contagious social media can be.
Nowadays, social networks are not only used for personal connections, but also for commercial purposes. Social networks allow you to see at a glance the people who share certain interests. This has made it easier for companies to conduct customized marketing. In particular, many companies use social media as a medium to advertise to consumers by organizing events. For example, many gaming companies offer free game money for liking their game page. Facebook’s main source of revenue is advertising, so it allows companies to advertise on its pages and tailor ads to the interests of its users. Many companies have taken advantage of Facebook’s ads and have a presence on the site.
You can also get politically active on the social network. If you search for a politician’s name on the social network, you’ll see a lot of politicians in action. In particular, Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential election in the United States is a very famous example of how he used social networks like Facebook and Twitter to gain tons of supporters. In addition, not only politicians, but also political parties, civic organizations, and various public organizations are using social media for political activities. This shows that communication with voters through social media is a very important variable.
However, there are many issues with social media, despite its great influence and number of users. First, there are privacy concerns because people upload their personal information and activities on SNS. According to Wikipedia, Facebook was investigated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for poor privacy practices, which led to regular audits by outside organizations for 20 years. This led to Facebook’s decision to allow users to set their visibility so that they can keep posts they don’t want public and block others. These efforts to protect privacy on social media have somewhat solved the problem of invasion of privacy.
The second issue is the addictive nature of social media. Many people use social media, and some people are addicted to it. Symptoms of social media addiction include uploading a post and then checking in every few minutes to see how people who are friends with you are reacting, or frequently turning on your smartphone to update your social media accounts. Of course, the appeal of social media has allowed it to grow to the size it is today, but many people have become addicted to it and are wasting their time. In fact, according to thestar news, the Ontario government has even blocked Facebook access on government computers to prevent employees from wasting time on the social network.
The third issue is that it distances people from offline relationships. While it’s great to stay in touch with your online connections and meet new people through social media, it can also be insensitive when it comes to meeting people offline. It also has the side effect of making it harder to keep in touch with people who don’t use social media.
The only way to solve these problems is for each individual SNS user to make an effort. If users realize that they shouldn’t post anything that might invade their privacy, and that they should occasionally put their phones away and talk to their closest friends, this would be a good way to use social media.
People use social media to meet, chat, play games, and discuss shared interests with friends. It’s another version of our society online. The things that we do offline, like meeting and talking to people, playing together, and engaging in the same hobbies, are all happening online. Despite its many issues, social media has become an integral part of modern life. It’s a tool that makes us more social animals.