Social Media and How It Effects Interpersonal Relationships

Zachary Aichele AP English Brinkerhoff 5/14/2013 Social media platforms are defined as a constructed private or semi-public profile within a bounded system that links other users with whom they share a connection with and the “webs” between friends and family are created (Boyd). Social media platforms are decreasing the value of interpersonal relationships in our youth and this has led to a noticeable nuance in the values of the previous generation and the current one. The history of social networks begins with the formation of the website SixDegrees.com. In 1997 this website opened up the idea for creating a list of users that could interact with eachother on a personal level over the internet. There were many other social network platforms that rose to fame but then quickly declined. The platform Facebook began at Harvard University and was a strictly .edu based platform. The .edu domain is related with education based systems. Facebook was then eventually opened up to all users and allowed for non-edu addresses. Social networking sites have increased their range of access by becoming known worldwide and and fall of popular social networks, their range of access, and how SNS’s became mainstream. (Boyd) Social media reduces the importance of interpersonal relationships by reducing the frequency of physical communications. Physical communications are an important part of modern culture because they help to develop social mannerisms and strengthen the ability to maintain social relationships. This generations youth have also begun to play a much larger part in their own learning experience. Today’s youth have grown up surrounded by advancing technology and that has changed the way they interact with each other and adults. They can have constant access to contact their friends via texting, and mobile phones as well in public ways like Facebook and Twitter. Youth have begun pressing into their interests by searching on Google and

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