Social Network = Social Nightmare?

Before I start, I am quite sure that there has been a lot of debates about this from various sources, both on the professional level as well as more closer to home. Let me defend new media technology and social networking by saying this, at least:

NMT (New Media Technology) has allowed us to expand our social horizons, and not only that, it allowed us to get into contact with people we otherwise would have no way of contacting, save for climbing on a plain and flying to different countries in order to get into contact with them. Also, it allowed for opinions to truly be put out there and be heard by others (blogs..statusses..) so it also supports freedom of speech and information. NMT is marvelous, but unfortunately it tends to be abused in such a way, that it becomes more a tool to become anti-social than it does to promote healthy social behaviour amongst people.

This comes from not only being too involved in the virtual world, but also from marking yourself ‘victim’ to potential online criminals.

So, without keeping you further, dear reader, let me highlight a few points on why I think social networking could be more negative than positive, if not used correctly (with a sane mind….):

It has already been established that social networking and the new media technology has a lot of advantages. Unfortunately, there is also a darker, more sinister side to social networking.

By this, one is not only referring to the potential dangers such as having your personal information collected by unknown people online. One is also referring to a possible loss in identity as well as possibly posting damaging information unknowingly and creating a disability to speak and function ‘normally’ in the ‘real world’.

Referring to the first point, where one can post too much information online where people can use and abuse this information as they please. Many times it has been published about an unfortunate victim who was tracked down in ‘real’ life after posting too much personal information in the ‘virtual’ world.  Not only can physical crimes be committed due to over-sharing, but more ‘silent’ crimes as well such as identity theft.  Ways to prohibit this from happening is by informing and warning online users of these dangers, either with a notice on the website or by having people come out to the schools and discuss matters like this, since children are more prone to experiment online and are of course, the most vulnerable. It is important to do so in good taste, as to not scare them off from participating in social networking altogether, but to at least be more careful and aware that everything is not as safe as it seems.