Critical Thinking: the Different Faces of Social Networking Sites

A social networking site is a form of social network service created to encourage social relations among people with the use of the World Wide Web. It was created to be able to connect with friends easily and more comfortably, since we are now in a generation where internet is prevalent. We have been using these sites as it is part of our social norm. Although, do these social networking sites still serve its purpose, which is to motivate social relationships? Or do these sites only promote a form of narcissistic disorder to the users, including myself? For my paper, I will discuss: the different types of social networking sites available, the history of these sites, different issues surrounding these sites and, the focus of my paper, the different psychological effects (concentrating on the negative aspects) that social networking sites produce. I will also focus on the “digital narcissism” that these sites create among the users. Lastly, I will also discuss my own experience in my seven years of using the different types of social networking sites.

I think that's a great intro ... Now that you put it in prospective, I think these type of sites are not for everyone. Unfortunately everyone has access to these sites and major psychological crutches are born. We as people begin to rely on the convenience and false sense of freedom these sites promote. The digital cyberspace (dream world) that we tend to create to fill and or feed our own insecurities and shortcomings. We begin to lose the one thing that defines us as human beings and that being direct physical interaction. How does one truly express himself or herself to another if there are social networking crutches like these sites to rely on to express ones views? You don't ... You only get a digital glimpse of one's personality/character and not the true essence that defines a person. Healthy relationships or more like dysfunctional beginnings destined to fail