Sociology — How Social Norms Transform as a Result of the Information Age
How Social Norms Transform as a Result of the Information Age
Social media is a double-edged sword that has transformed social norms by allowing instantaneous global communications with multiple facets, tools and consequences that can improve, harm or even destroy people’s lives, depending on how it is used. Comparison of online and offline interactions show distinct differences in the way they are conducted and the results of their use. Facebook is a striking example of the Information Age’s social revolution, commencing in 2004 and constantly tweaking communications and expanding its influence up to its current membership of 1 billion. Certain social conventions are still followed on social media such as Facebook, enhancing existing relationships for some members. Nevertheless, social media can prove unduly intrusive on privacy, deceitful and even substantially harmful in ways unavailable in face-to-face transactions.
2. Body
a. The Social Media Platform of Facebook
Facebook is a website for social networking that was started in 2004 by Harvard students. Facebook became popular very early due to the facts that it is free and has unique features that allowed new ways for people to interact. One founder, Mark Zuckerberg, saw a unique way of have an open platform for communications by people who are “transparent” — who really are who they seem to be (Keahey, 2010). Based on that unique idea and a number of communication features, Facebook grew to its current membership of nearly 1 billion (Walker, 2013). In addition, Facebook continues to develop new features to provide interaction. As of today, the Facebook users can find, interact and share with each other through many tools, including pictures, videos, music, real-time chatting, posted text, symbols, links to outside sources of interest, personal timelines, personal biographies, name searches, scanned e-mail contact lists, news feeds, a ticker that lets the user know his/her Facebook friends’ activities on Facebook, and personal status updates (Walker, 2013), live video chats (Hamilton J.R., 2012, p. 171), games that can be played and/or hosted, status updates through Twitter, hiding status updates while seeing the status updates of others, birthday reminders, mass invitations to events, polls, and the use of third-party applications (WebTabLab.com, 2011). As a result of its open platform, transparency and many tools, Facebook has helped change the face of social interactions.
Certain social conventions are also followed on Facebook. These social conventions include: the requirement of becoming a member of Facebook in order to use it; a member’s acceptance of Terms of Service about joining and using Facebook; a member’s accepted ability to put as little or as much information about himself/herself on the website, control who can or cannot see his/her information and interactions, control one’s friends by requiring requests to be “friended,” which the user can allow or ignore, group “friends” to control which groups can see which information and interactions, “unfriend” individuals at will, follow a story, and report posted communications as a story or spam (Walker, 2013). While polite conversation might cause a member to self-filter communications, there is no moral filter imposed by Facebook for vulgar, angry or threatening language. Nevertheless, Facebook does not protect criminal activities conducted on its site simply because someone is a member and has cooperated with the authorities when requested. In sum, certain standard social conventions are followed, other social conventions created specifically for Facebook are followed, but Facebook does not act as a policeman or a co-criminal with members.
b. Social Interaction Via Social Media vs. Face-to-Face Interaction
So far, social media is proving to be a double-edged sword. On one hand, social media such as Facebook is a boon. It helps users maintain and enhance “real life” friendships by sharing news, scheduling plans and staying in touch with distant friends (Lyday, 2012). Users also report that that social media helps their confidence (25%), helps make new friendships in general (26%), helps shy/lonely people in making new friends (83%) and is a good tool for finding long-lost acquaintances (76%) (Lyday, 2012). On the other hand, social media such as Facebook can be a detriment. Worldwide, non-mobile Facebook users spend 10.5 billion minutes per day on Facebook while mobile users spend an average of 441 minutes per month on Facebook (WebTabLab.com, 2011). Some researchers are concerned that spending so much time on social media is harmful to users’ socialization skills in the real world: “We worry whether you can learn to be social if you are not getting a great deal of practice reading faces and listening to voices” (Hamilton J.R., 2012, p. 170). In addition, social media might be making users lonelier: users report that they spend more time in online socializing than offline socializing (39%), would rather communicate online than offline (20%), and are likelier to speak to another person online than offline (33%) (Lyday, 2012). There is also the potential problem of deceit online. The offline and online worlds are basically as good and as bad as the people in them. One difference between the two worlds is that the online world tends to use limited personal communications that allow people to better hide reality and create false impressions. Even Facebook, which was founded on the idea of transparency, has its share of fake accounts created to deceive other users for one reason or another (Keahey, 2010). Consequently, a person we may “know” online can be a very different person or even a nonexistent person. One recent example of the deceit allowed by the limited personal contact of online communications is the embarrassing situation of Manti Te’o, the Notre Dame University linebacker who was duped by another man into believing in and actually establishing a romantic relationship with a young woman who never existed (Eder, 2013). The possible problems created by online deceit can vary from comical to simply annoying to criminal, for example when used by online sexual predators who find and prey on victims through deceit.
c. Potential Dangers and Future Consequences of Creating Digital Profiles of Ourselves on the Internet
Other possible problems may be caused by creating digital profiles of ourselves on the internet and/or by conducting personal business/relationships online. Members may be naive in believing that the personal information and interactions on social media are protected from harmful public viewing. For example, a website such as Facebook, with almost a billion members with personal profiles, is an attractive target for marketing. Marketing companies are certainly aware of the abundance of personal information on Facebook that can be gathered and used to sell products. In fact, marketing researchers are already studying and devising ways to gather, examine and exploit the personal information that Facebook members and other social media users are placing in their profiles and revealing through their online activities (Gummerus, Liljander, Weman, & Pihlstrom, 2012). The so-called personal information in profiles and revealed through online interactions can also destroy a member’s potential employment or even get the member fired from a current job. Fear of these possibilities is not paranoid, as some prospective employers are already asking for applicants’ Facebook login information and some employers have even sought out and misused users’ personal interactions online to fire them from their jobs (Boyden, 2012). Finally, digital profiles and personal information can be used for extremely harmful cyber-bullying. Perhaps the most famous American case of cyber-bullying involves Lori Drew and Megan Meier of O’Fallon, Missouri. Megan was the 13-year-old former classmate of Lori Drew’s daughter. Lori Drew created a fake profile on MySpace as a 16-year-old boy named “Josh Evans,” used a boy’s picture as the profile picture without his knowledge, sought out and flirted with Megan, then told her that “he” was moving away, that he disliked Megan and that the world would be a better place without her. Megan committed suicide on the same day. After Lori Drew learned of the suicide, she deleted the fake account. Lori Drew was convicted of several crimes, some under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, but those convictions were thrown out on appeal (Wu, 2009, p. 3). The judge who threw out the convictions believed that allowing Lori Drew’s convictions to stand would “convert a multitude of otherwise innocent Internet users into misdemeanant criminals” (Hamilton K., 2009). Oddly enough, several people who were outraged by the fact that Drew’s convictions were thrown out then cyber-bullied her (Hamilton K., 2009). In sum, social media has already shown itself to be a double-edged sword that has been used to enhance some lives while damaging and even destroying other lives.
3. Conclusion
Social media is a double-edged sword and perhaps as good and as bad as the people who use it. Facebook, which is one of the most famous social media sites, has grown to nearly 1 billion users through the fact that it is free, its open platform, its transparency and its many tools to enhance social interactions online. A comparison of social interaction via social media and face-to-face interaction shows that social media can be used to enhance the offline lives of its users but can also harm the user’s real-world skills and social interactions, as well as provide tools for harmful online deceit. Furthermore, there are genuine potential dangers and consequences from creating digital profiles and conducting personal business/interactions on the internet. The personal information can be misused and abused by others such as marketing companies, potential employers, current employers and cyber-bullies such as Lori Drew. Analyzing social media shows that it can and has been used to enhance, harm or even destroy people’s lives.
Works Cited
Boyden, B.E. (2012, April 2). Can a prospective employer request Facebook login information? Retrieved on March 18, 2013 from law.marquette.edu Web site: http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2012/04/02/can-a-prospective-employer-request-facebook-login-information/
Eder, S. (2013, January 16). Hoax is revealed as Irish star says he was duped. Retrieved on March 18, 2013 from www.nytimes.com Web site: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/sports/ncaafootball/story-of-manti-teos-girlfriend-is-said-to-be-a-hoax.html?_r=0
Gummerus, J., Liljander, V., Weman, E., & Pihlstrom, M. (2012). Customer engagement in a Facebook brand community. Management Research Review, 35(9), 857-877.
Hamilton, J.R. (2012). The electronic lonely crowd – Patterns and effects of electronic media usage among contemporary adolescents. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 5(3), 165-174.
Hamilton, K. (2009, August 31). Acquitted ‘Cyber Bully’ Lori Drew finds herself a victime of online tormenters. Retrieved on March 18, 2013 from blogs.riverfronttimes.com Web site: http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2009/08/acquitted_cyber_bully_lori_drew_finds_herself_a_victim_of_online_tormenters.php
Keahey, R. (2010, July 3). Book review – the Facebook effect. Retrieved on March 18, 2013 from www.robertkeahey.com Web site: http://www.robertkeahey.com/?p=2492
Lyday, E. (2012, June 16). Is social media making us socially awkward? Retrieved on March 18, 2013 from dailyinfographic.com Web site: http://dailyinfographic.com/is-social-media-making-us-socially-awkward-infographic
Walker, L. (2013). Learn Facebook tutorial – How Facebook works. Retrieved on March 18, 2013 from personalweb.about.com Web site: http://personalweb.about.com/od/howtofacebook/ss/Learn-Facebook-tutorial.htm
WebTabLab.com. (2011). 8 major Facebook features that you will find missing in Google+. Retrieved on March 18, 2013 from webtablab.com Web site: http://webtablab.com/web/8-major-facebook-features-that-you-will-find-missing-in-google/
Wu, G.H. (2009, August 28). United States of America v. Lori Drew. Retrieved on March 18, 2013 from online.wsj.com Web site: http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/0802809drewconvictionrev.pdf
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!
