SOCIAL NETWORKING (THE VIRTUAL MEETING PLACE)

Representational Picture

MAN THE SOCIAL BEING IS EVER SEEKING AND EVER WANTING. HE SEEKS THE ATTENTION,COMPANY AND COMPANIONSHIP OF HIS FELLOW BEINGS TO UNBURDEN HIS PROBLEMS,SHARE HIS JOYS AND EXPRESS HIS CONCERNS AS WELL AS TO RELEASE HIS CONCERNS AS WELL AS TO RELEASE HIS PENT UP FEELINGS. HE USED TO  MEET HIS FELLOW BEINGS AT DESIGNATED PLACES MOSTLY AT THE CENTRE OF THE VILLAGE OR TOWN TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES OF DAY-TO-DAY LIFE,GOSSIP  AND TO HAVE FUN AND FROLIC WITH THE ADVENT OF NEW FORMS OF  TECHNOLOGIES.THE DAY-TO-DAY INTERACTIONS WHICH INVOLVED PEOPLE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY SHIFTED FROM REAL WORLD TO VIRTUAL WORLD AND THE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES BECAME THE MEETING GROUND FOR THE INTERACTIONS OF THE PEOPLE.

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE DEFINED BY BOYD AND ELLISON AS “WEB-BASED” SERVICES THAT ALLOW INDIVIDUALS TO CONSTRUCT A PUBLIC OR SEMI-PUBLIC PROFILE WITHIN A BOUNDED SYSTEM, ARTICULATE A LIST OF OTHER USERS WITH WHOM THEY SHARE A CONNECTION, AND VIEW AND TRANSVERSE THEIR LIST OF CONNECTIONS AND THOSE MADE BY OTHERS WITHIN THE SYSTEM.  

THE MAIN TYPES OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SERVICES ARE THOSE THAT CONTAIN CATEGORY PLACES (SUCH AS FORMER SCHOOL YEAR OR CLASSMATES),MEANS TO CONNECT WITH FRIENDS AND A RECOMMENDATION SYSTEM LINKED TO TRUST. POPULAR METHODS NOW COMBINE MANY OF THESE WITH AMERICAN-BASED SERVICES SUCH AS FACEBOOK,GOOGLE+,LINKEDIN,INSTAGRAM,TUMBLR AND TWITTER WIDELY USED WORLD WIDE.

AS OF JANUARY 2012,INDIA HAS THE THIRD HIGHEST FACEBOOK USERS IN THE WORLD. USA OCCUPIES THE FIRST POSITION FOLLOWED BY INDONESIA. THE SOCIAL NETWORKING AS THE ALTERNATIVE MEDIA EMERGES AS A GLOBAL PUBLICE SPHERE,WHERE UPON PEOPLE CAN COMMUNICATE FILTERED AND CENSORED BY THE CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL INTRESTS.THUS THE ALTERNATIVE MEDIA ALSO ENABLES THE PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE A GREATER DIVERSITY OF IDEAS WHICH LEADS TO MUCH MORE DEMOCRATIC STATE OF AFFAIRS

                                                                                                - ZAID SHAH-