Facebook: The Evolution

Facebook has undoubtedly become the most widely known social network available today.  What started as a social network for college students, has become so widely used that it now has users of all ages, including teenagers, parents, and even grandparents!

At nearly 500 million users today and growing, Facebook has blown Myspace, it's closest competitor, out of the water.  But what has caused such a one-sided phenomenon?

Mark Zuckerberg founded " thefacebook " in 2004 at stanford university as a on-line network to connect with friends,soon it spread to other colleges and to the whole world later on.

In 2004, "thefacebook" was used mainly in the United States.  However, Facebook is now used worldwide.  The reason for it's enormous popularity is because of it's user-friendliness, as well as the conglomeration of it's various competitors sites.  Facebook has taken the different popular aspects of other social networking sites, and has molded all of them into what has now become Facebook. 

Christopher Nicholas gives two great reasons for Facebooks popularity is his Blog:

1. Me, myself, and I — in other words the site is all about YOU (or me rather).  People LOVE to talk about themselves and Facebook capitalizes on that to the extreme. Think it through. You set up a profile featuring…YOU.  Look at YOUR options — edit MY profile, view videos of ME, view photos of ME, what’s on YOUR mind, and write something about YOURSELF to name a few features.

2.Curious George — admit it. You’re a Facebook stalker. Half of your Facebook friends you would never call to chat with, but you don’t mind surfing through their pictures or watching their videos or reading their wall posts.

If that's not enough, This Youtube video features a story from CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg that talks about what brings all the great things in Facebook together.

Facebook is used for personal communication, business advertising, and just about about everything inbetween.  It's a fact, humans are socially inclined.  We constantly want to know what is going on around us, and who is doing what.  

CyberBULLYING

Bullying is something we are all familiar with.  It's easy to recall witnessing an act of bullying, as I can think of countless examples I witnessed throughout my Middle and Highschool days.  Whether or not you played the part of the victim or the attacker, it's played a role in each of our lives.  Most cases used to consist of physical bullying, or verbal/emotional bullying, but what is this new concept of Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying as defined as:

"The willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices."- Hinduja & Patchin

With today's generation of youth's becoming so technology oriented, bullying has moved from the physical and emotional harassment on the playground and has taken on new mediums such as Email, Text Messages, Social Networking Sites, etc. 

According to a 2011 Article by Karen Sudol: 

“Cyberbullying” has become the latest and most pervasive method of meanness in the already tough world of teens. Cellphones, computers, social-networking sites — all can be used to great effectiveness by those intent on harassing, threatening or humiliating their peers.

The impact of Cyberbullying is much more intense today, as victims cannot escape the harrassment because it follows them from school, to their home, and anywhere they go. 

The graph at right shows how Cyberbullying

 victims felt after exposed to online Bullying.



Social Networking Sites and Cell Phone text messages account for the most vicious examples of Cyberbullying, because of their ease to spread a message to such a large audience in a short ammount of time. 
Just as with traditional bullying, teens are targeted online for many reasons: sexual orientation, weight, attractiveness, intelligence, even hobbies. (Sudol, 2008).

Steven Goldstein tells us why Cyberbullying is much more devastating that face-to-face bullying with his explanation: “When I was bullied as a kid, my bullies would have to look at me in person and see the tears in my eyes, which is not an easy thing to do,” Goldstein said. “It’s easy emotionally [now] because you don’t have to deal with the emotions of a person being bullied face to face.”

Cyberbullying has led to several deaths amongst youths in the past decade, including the death of Ryan Halligan, a 13 year old boy who was relentlessly bullied in school and also online.  Below is an emotional interview from Frontline of Ryan's father.

In order to prevent Cyberbullying from continuing, people need to be informed just how serious an issue this is.  After the death of Ryan Halligan, his father went on the speak at over 100 schools, where he told his story and asked students to be more aware are respectful with what they are doing.  Parents need to talk with their kids, and students need to find the courage to stand up for each other when they witness Cyberbullying, rather than sitting back and letting it pass.  If this is done, it may be possible to prevent future stories like that of Ryan Halligan from occuring.

Social Networking: Identity Theft

It's a concern that we should all be aware of.  Today more than ever, people have the ability to abuse the power of social networks in dangerous ways.  Some cases can be more extreme than others, with the most minor examples consisting of making simple alterations to an online profile to make themselves more appealing to others.  Unfortunately however, some are much worse.  Extreme examples of people mis-representing themselves online includes credit card scammers, and identity theives--which will be the topic of this post. 

It's more common that you think!  In fact, the reason I'm writing on this topic is because of a personal experience.  Just last week one of my Facebook contacts messaged me with the claim that they were stuck overseas, where they had been mugged of their cash, credit cards, and passports.  She then proceeded to ask that I wire her and her family money that she assured me would be payed back upon their return.  Sure enough I called her, and not-so-surprisingly found out it was all a scam.

Robert Siciliano, an internet security analyst gives us insight as to why it's so easy to be hacked in social networks in his July 2009 Article:

"There's a lot of excessive trust in the Facebook world. People have entirely dropped their sense of cynicism when logged on. Apparently, they see no reason to distrust. Generally, your "friends" are people who you "know, like and trust." In this world, your guard is as down as it will ever be. You can be in the safety of your own home or office, hanging with people from all over the world, in big cities and little towns, and never feel that you have to watch your back."

Siciliano has also been interviewed regarding social network identity theft by well-known news broadcasting stations, including FoxNews, two of which are shown below.  Here we are informed of several other reasons that we need to be careful when dealing with social networks.

There are several websites available that can provide helpful tips to avoid social network identity theft.

A few of these sites are listed here:

Identity Theft Fixes

Huffington Post

Federal Trade Commission

I hope you find this post informational, and that it makes you think twice when using your social networking sites in the future.

Today's Top Social Networking Sites: Which one fits your purpose?

The abundance of Social Networking sites in today's society gives the consumer countless options to communicate with other people.  The question is: Which website suits your best for your intentions?  Are you looking for a SNS (Social Networking Site) to simply talk with friends?  Expand a Business?  Network your own business? Or follow your favorite celebrities?

Here i'm going to walk you through the top five social networking sites, elaborate on their pro's and con's and help you decide which fits you best!

Facebook is ranked number one for all around quality and popularity by both Top Ten Reviews Website, as well as eBiz.  Which doesn't come as a surprise to most of us.  As college students we use facebook primarily to keep in touch with friends- both new and old aquaintances, as well as distant family members.  However, facebook has become a great tool from a business perspective as well!  The ability to create a "Fan Page" on facebook gives companies great opportunities to keep in touch as well as inform their clients of special offers at a very affordable (free) cost.

I'm sure your shocked to find that Twitter ranks in as the second most popular social networking site.  Although limited to only 140 characters for a "tweet", Twitter has become an extremely popular tool for communication, especially in more suburban areas.  If you are into celebrity gossip, Twitter is a social networking site that you need to get familiar with, if your not already.  Much like a facebook newsfeed, twitter is a way to constantly know what's on people's minds, and even what they had for lunch for some of the more serious Twitter addicts.  Don't count Twitter out on the business aspect quite yet! Twitter can be just as great, if not better for keeping your consumer's informed of whats happening with your business!-- Also reaching a different audience than facebook alone.

According to Brad Franklin on Search Warp, "Use of MySpace works well for younger people who don’t use e-mail very often but enjoy instant messaging".  My space likes to credit themselves for being the first large-scale SNS.  Originating in 2003, MySpace kept it's lead over facebook until 2007, according to an MSNBC Article, but has now been surpassed by the explosion of facebook.  MySpace started as a place for highs school students and even middle school students to keep in touch with each other, and it seems as though that's where it stands today, with no word of and expansion in the near future.

LinkedIn is a relatively new social media site.  According to their LinkedIn Learning Center, "LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 80 million members and growing rapidly. LinkedIn connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals."  LinkedIn is a great SNS for college students as well as young professionals looking to pursue a career, or move up in the business world.  LinkedIn exceeds the limitations of Facebook and Twitter as far as career opportunities, as it's sole purpose revolves around the business world, rather than social networking between friends.  See THIS LINK for a YouTube video explaining more.

Ning comes in at number 5 according to the eBiz article on the "Top 15 Most Popular Social Networking Websites".  Ning is actually a SNS site used to MAKE a Social Networking Site.  Used heavily by political parties, celebrities, and talk-show hosts, Ning.com is a way for anyone to get the word out on what they are doing, where they are performing, or when their next social appearance will be.

I hope you found this helpful, and encourage you to check out these Social Networking sites to see what they can offer you!

Social Networking: A Positive Experiences

It is no secret that Social Networks play a vital role in interpersonal relationships in today's society.  Many benefits arise from online relationships, whether it's for emotional support, or creating ties for similar interests.

Various Studies have been conducted to research these effects and what they have discovered may surprise you!

First, we'll start with the role that social networking plays for emotional support
Critics often state that restricting your communication with others online will decrease our abilities to have legitimate offline conversations.   The fact is however, that it's quite the contrary.

According to Sharon Jayson's article in USA Today, "Being a part of a social network is good for you".
She goes on to say that these social networks offer benefits such as "resilience to greater life satisfaction to reducing the risk of health problems". 

This may be tough for some of us to swallow.  But as Nicholas Christakis, a Harvard Sociologist puts it, "In many ways, human beings behave like flocks of birds or schools of fish,".  What he means by this is that many people find "flock" together in groups with similar characteristics, such as body size, or beliefs or certain subjects.  They find a sense of belonging with other people who share these same beliefs, and are therefore more happy with their lifestyle and more accepting of the way they look. 

There are countless support groups available online today.  Whether it's support for depression, widows, alcoholism, etc.  You can find help with just about anything in todays web of social networks.

Daily Strength is a website dedicated to such online support groups, giving much needed help to those who need it most.

Another example is Racing for Recovery, a support group for substance abuse.  Youtube clip below:

These are just two of many support groups available.

Lets look at another benefit: Simlar Interests Offline

We must also consider the fact that many social networking sites give us communication opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to us offline.  Factors such as geographic location make it difficult for us to speak with someone face-to-face, but online contact with these people make it easy to keep in touch or find new opportunities. 

From personal experience, i've had the opportunity to make friends online that have benefitted me for my interests.  For example, this past fall I was able to go on a 8-day trip to Canada on an outdoor hunting adventure with guys from Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.-- All of whom I met through social networking.

Below is a picture of us from the first day of our trip!

Many people can relate to my example, and the people that you meet through these networks may just form a long-lasting offline friendship.

Take advantage of the opportunities that these networks provide, I doubt you will be disappointed with your decision.

Facebook for Business

Its a fact, today's high-speed ease and exchange of information over the internet is revolutionizing the way business is done.  The day's of the self-proclaimed Mom and Dad's type stores will, if not already, diminish into a thing of the past. 

 The quick and efficient online marketing opportunities have opened up doors to cheap, efficient, and target advertising with facebook at its core.

The benefits of using facebook to enhance your business or increase clientele are larger today than ever before.

According to Bells and Whistles, a full Social Media service in Australia, the top five business benefits of Facebook are:

Benefit 1: BRANDING: Facebook is great for creating your bran and instilling it into people’s ideas about you. Creating a brand allows you to be more recognisable in the heavily occupied business world so it is important to be able to stand out.

Benefit 2: CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT: Entice, engage and invite customers to your business with a variety of marketing initiatives—promotions, contests, events, sales, special offers—which can all be advertised on your Facebook page.

Benefit 3: DRIVE WEB TRAFFIC: By including a link to your website on your Facebook page you are encouraging fans, friends or interested parties to visit your website, therefore increasing your web traffic—remember the more people to your website the better.

Benefit 4: REPUTATION MANAGEMENT: Having a Facebook account not only allows you to “speak directly” to your customers but it also allows you to see what they think of you, your business and may offer suggestions for improvement.

Benefit 5: ACQUISITION OF NEW CUSTOMERS: Find consumers who you may never have had contact with previously. Facebook has the ability to open up a new world of customers to you.

(The remainder of the list 6-15 can be found HERE.)

Besides what's listed above, the greatest benefit of all is the fact that Facebook is FREE!  Yes, it costs you as a business owner/entrepreneur absolutely no costs to create a Facebook page for your company.  There are not limits to the number of times you reach out to your fans on facebook informing them of upcoming sales, specials, etc.  There is also no limit to how many people you are able to reach through facebook.  You can gather as many fans as you'd like (if they'll accept), and your not charged for anything!

If you like what you've read, and would like to take advantage of this new and excpetional marketing tool, it's not hard to get started. 

Hubspot.com has a great tutorial that can easily get you started on your own business fan page.  Just click the following link: Getting Started

 

To the left is another video explaining the benefits, and will also walk you through the process of how to enter the correct information for your business.

I encourage any small business owner to give this a try!  After all, what is there to lose? 

Privacy Settings

There are certain things that should not be shared over social networks.  Whether its personal information such as phone numbers, home mailing adresses, or your social security number.  Although most people are aware of this, some are slightly ignorant of the fact that there are people in today's society who will feed off your personal information and make your life a living hell. The majority of social networking sites today have an extensive list of privacy settings that can assist with this. The video below explains the importance of keeping YOUR information to YOURSELF!

Although social networks can increase your "circle of friends" in can also invite people with less than friendly intentions.  OnGuard Online is a website that also describes the negative aspects of social media and the people that are looking to do more than be your "Friend".

As i've stated in my previous blog's, there are many reasons that we shouldn't share personal information with people.  We should also beware of who we add as friends on these networks.  Employers and college professors should be on the DON'T ADD list, for several reasons.  Becoming friends with professors could have a negative affect on your college career.  They may see pictures of you participating in extracurriculars such as drinking, which will give them a negative perception.  Same goes for employers, it's no secret that employers will look at your profile to find out what kind of person you are.

Social Networking as a School Distraction

The modern technology available to college students today can be either greatly helpful and beneficial, or it can be a detrimental distraction.  For the sake of this argument we are going to elaborate on the later of the two.  The portability that a laptop computer offers gives it potential to be a great tool for students.  At the same time however, it gives the students easy access to other sources that are not exactly dealing with the “curriculum”.  Whether it’s Social Networks, YouTube, Email, etc., students have a tendency to get off track during college lectures.  Here is a great link to an article that elaborates more on this issue.

In many college campuses , Professor's encourage students to use their laptop’s to take notes and turn in assignments.  This is not only because of today’s environmentally safe practices, but also because of how much more quickly and efficiently work can be done this way.  What these universities are not accounting for is the ease of a student to be checking his/her Facebook profile instead of typing notes on the lecture.  This creates a mentality amongst students that they don’t need to listen in class.  They know that they can get the class notes later from a friend or off of a campus oriented website such as Blackboard like we have here at NDSU.  This leads to another problem; Cramming for exams.  With all the course materials online, students don’t necessarily have to retain any information prior to the exams.  Students will study for a couple nights before the exam, and once the exam is over, the information is forgotten.  This is one of the primary reasons that college students have proven the inability to retain and learn and significant amount of information.  To the right is a great graph showing the increase in use of Social Networks from college students

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that we change back to pre-laptop college campuses. That being said, there are a few things that can be done to improve the statistics for college students.  The first is that Professors should not put there notes online (with the exception of online classes).  Instead, it should be the student’s responsibility to get the notes from a classmate if they don’t attend class.  Second, an increase in the amount of “pop-quiz’s” would make the student cover the material more diligently than just studying when they know they have a quiz. Overall, I believe there needs to be a better use of computers in the classroom, which will in turn increase class participation. 

Social Networking and the Workplace

Social networking has exploded within the last decade.  Many can relate on feeling the need to constantly be up to date on whats happening with family and the friends we surround ourselves with.  I will be the first to admit that I am just as guilty as the next person when it comes to this.  However, when it comes to job searching and relationships with others in a workplace, we need to watch what we say!!

The use of social networks in the workplace has been a controversial issue.  By now we as students have all heard the horror stories of how future potential employers will use fake names to either add you as a friend on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. in order to see what kind of a person you are.  On that same note, we have all been warned to be cautious about what we allow people to see on our own such social networking sites.  As college students, it is crucial that we think about what we are saying before we post a comment for hundreds, if not thousands of people will have the ability to see it.

When the opportunity presents itself and we are established within a career, the importance of keeping our negative thoughts to ourselves about our Superiors in the workplace in detrimental.  "Trashing" your boss is sure to have a negative affect on your career path.

Another major issue with social networking in the workplace pertains to relationships with other employees.  Intimate relationships within the company are often frowned upon, and rightfully so.  There are many negative examples of how such relationships complicate your job. 

If things go wrong withing these relationships, one of the worst things a person can do is make it a public affair.  By this I'm talking once again about using social networks to talk badly about the other person in the relationship.  A PRIME EXAMPLE of this can be found on CNN's website where a man has relationships with several employees within his office.  After things went wrong he felt the need to go public with them and chaos followed.  We would think that by now it's common sense to keep such issues to ourselves, or in the very least not on the internet for everyone to see.