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    Social Media in Society

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    Charles Mwangi Waweru
    There is an ever-increasing continuing argument on the impact of social media in our lives. We are left to reexamine its role, that is, whether it has made society stronger in relations or worse. For the sake of brevity and specificity, we focus on Facebook. Why? Facebook is arguably the biggest social media framework that interconnects friends and family. The social function of Facebook various from one social group to another. That is to say, its utility to an elderly couple would vary from a business entity and say, college student. Based on this difference in utility, its impact would inevitably vary across social groups.

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    Social Media in Society

    Uploaded by

    Charles Mwangi Waweru
    50 views6 pages
    There is an ever-increasing continuing argument on the impact of social media in our lives. We are left to reexamine its role, that is, whether it has made society stronger in relations or worse. For the sake of brevity and specificity, we focus on Facebook. Why? Facebook is arguably the biggest social media framework that interconnects friends and family. The social function of Facebook various from one social group to another. That is to say, its utility to an elderly couple would vary from a business entity and say, college student. Based on this difference in utility, its impact would inevitably vary across social groups.

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    There is an ever-increasing continuing argument on the impact of social media in our lives. We are left to reexamine its role, that is, whether it has made society stronger in relations or worse. For the sake of brevity and specificity, we focus on Facebook. Why? Facebook is arguably the biggest social media framework that interconnects friends and family. The social function of Facebook various from one social group to another. That is to say, its utility to an elderly couple would vary from a business entity and say, college student. Based on this difference in utility, its impact would inevitably vary across social groups.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    50 views6 pages

    Social Media in Society

    Uploaded by

    Charles Mwangi Waweru
    There is an ever-increasing continuing argument on the impact of social media in our lives. We are left to reexamine its role, that is, whether it has made society stronger in relations or worse. For the sake of brevity and specificity, we focus on Facebook. Why? Facebook is arguably the biggest social media framework that interconnects friends and family. The social function of Facebook various from one social group to another. That is to say, its utility to an elderly couple would vary from a business entity and say, college student. Based on this difference in utility, its impact would inevitably vary across social groups.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 6

    RUNNING HEAD: Social Media in Society 0

    Social Media in Society

    Name

    Course

    Date
    RUNNING HEAD: Social Media in Society 1

    Introduction

    There is an ever-increasing continuing argument on the impact of social media in our

    lives. We are left to reexamine its role, that is, whether it has made society stronger in relations

    or worse. For the sake of brevity and specificity, we focus on Facebook. Why? Facebook is

    arguably the biggest social media framework that interconnects friends and family. The social

    function of Facebook various from one social group to another. That is to say, its utility to an

    elderly couple would vary from a business entity and say, college student. Based on this

    difference in utility, its impact would inevitably vary across social groups. Ergo, this research

    focuses its impact on persons in the year group eighteen and twenty-six. This year group presents

    persons who are legally defined as adults going through a critical point in their life be it through

    getting through college or getting a job. Moreover, the paper opposes Konnikova’s assertions. As

    such, this paper hypothesizes that “Facebook has been more detrimental to the social construct of

    persons between the ages of eighteen and twenty-six.” Before embarking on the treatise, we

    commence the research with a review of the key literature offered on the subject matter.

    Konnikova (2013) presents a doubled edged sword on the merits and demerits of using

    Facebook. Essentially, she presents arguments supporting the fact the social media utility has

    made its users sadder than what they had hoped to be. Research studies from Ethan Kross,

    Robert Kraut, and Beth Anderson indicate the detrimental nature of using Facebook from

    depression to alienation. On the other hand, the likes of Sebastián Valenzuela, Matthew

    Lieberman, Wendi Gardner and Cindy Pickett suggest otherwise. However, in the ensuing

    arguments, Konnikova asserts that Facebook is used in either an active mode or a passive and

    hence depending on how it is used, it can generate to be a symptom of what our society has come

    to be. It is based on her research that this research seeks to interrogate her assertions.
    RUNNING HEAD: Social Media in Society 2

    In principle, the use of technology is meant to aid means of decreasing the boundaries to

    communication. The key would is aid and not in any way substitute it. Considering the target

    group, they represent those who would typically move away from their community and go to

    college or some football club where they start out their career. Ideally, Facebook should come in

    handy when posting photos to ensure that the family and friends back home know what their

    townsperson is doing away. However, what tends to happen is that the individual gets to be

    consumed in posting his updates and photos and forgets to go back home to interact with their

    community. That being said, the result is that the individual assumes that Facebook suffices in

    keeping in touch. However, they forget that an emotional connection is best served with physical

    presence (O'Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Failing to go to family functions in the four years

    of college or numerous years in a career in football cannot be justified with the connection

    created through Facebook. In other words, what Facebook essentially does is replace the real-

    world connection with a new world, a virtual world, where the individual is master and creators

    of their own destiny.

    Problem Statement

    There is an ever-increasing continuing argument on the impact of social media in our

    lives. We are left to reexamine its role, that is, whether it has made society stronger in relations

    or worse. For the sake of brevity and specificity, we focus on Facebook. Why? Facebook is

    arguably the biggest social media framework that interconnects friends and family. The social

    function of Facebook various from one social group to another. That is to say, its utility to an

    elderly couple would vary from a business entity and say, college student. Based on this

    difference in utility, its impact would inevitably vary across social groups.
    RUNNING HEAD: Social Media in Society 3

    Purpose of the Study

    Based on the indicators from the above problem statement, this research focuses its

    impact on persons in the year group 18-26. This year group presents persons who are legally

    defined as adults going through a critical point in their life be it through getting through college

    or getting a job. Moreover, the paper opposes the Konnikova’s assertions. As such, this paper

    hypothesizes that Facebook has been more detrimental to the social construct of persons

    between the ages of 18-26.

    Methodology

    The research methodology adopted for this research would be the use of secondary

    resources. In particular, the paper will review journals with similar studies. Newspaper articles

    with insights into the social life of the target grouped are an important source of data. Lastly,

    quasi-scholarly websites provide added data that would improve shaping arguments to support

    the thesis.

    There are several reasons as to why research develops a cohesive argument. The research

    offers an opportunity to unearth theoretical frameworks for understanding the claims in the

    thesis. Moreover, the research offers the opportunity to accumulate textual evidence to back up

    the claim especially where the paper intends to oppose several doctoral theses.
    RUNNING HEAD: Social Media in Society 4

    References

    BBC. (2013, August 13). Facebook use 'makes people feel worse about themselves'. Retrieved

    May 3, 2016, from BBC News Technology: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-

    23709009

    Consumer activity in social media: Managerial approaches to consumers' social media behavior.

    (2011). Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 10(6), 356-364.

    Cava, M. d. (2014, February 2). How Facebook changed our lives. Retrieved May 3, 2016, from

    USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/02/02/facebook-turns-10-cultural-

    impact/5063979/

    Curtin, S. (2012, May 18). Facebook Effect: How The Social Network Changed the World.

    Retrieved May 3, 2016, from Yahoo Finance: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-

    ticker/facebook-effect-social-network-changed-world-122656206.html

    Kaplan & Haenlein. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social

    Media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59-68.

    Konnikova, M. (2013, September 10). How Facebook Makes Us Unhappy. Retrieved May 3,

    2016, from The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/how-facebook-

    makes-us-unhappy

    Lawrence, F. (2007). Truth or Fiction”, Sticks and Stones – The Law of Defamation,in

    GUARDING LIFE’S DARK SECRETS: LEGAL AND SOCIAL CONTROLS OVER

    REPUTATION, PROPRIETY AND PRIVACY. California: Stanford University Press.


    RUNNING HEAD: Social Media in Society 5

    McHale, R. (2012). Navigating Social Media Legal Risks: Safeguarding Your Business.

    Indianapolis: Que Publishing.

    O'Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson. (2011, April 1). The Impact of Social Media on Children,

    Adolescents, and Families. Pediatrics, 127(4), 800-804.

    Savitz, E. (2012, November 12). 5 Ways Social Media Will Change The Way You Work in 2013.

    Retrieved May 3, 2016, from Forbes:

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2012/12/11/5-ways-social-media-will-change-the-

    way-you-work-in-2013/

    Shea, A. (2013, February 20). Facebook Envy: How The Social Network Affects Our Self-Esteem.

    Retrieved May 3, 2016, from 90.9wbur: http://www.wbur.org/2013/02/20/facebook-

    perfection

    Zhang, J. (2010). The problems of using social networks in entrepreneurial resource acquisition.

    International Small Business Journal, 28(4), 338-361.

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