Social Networks –
- an online community of people with a common interest who use a website or other technologies to communicate with each other and share information,resources, etc.
- a website or online service that facilitates this communication.
“social network”. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 24 Mar. 2016. <Dictionary.comhttp://www.dictionary.com/browse/social-network>.
Social networking, in my own personal experience, has a negative impact on forming strong face-to-face bonds with family, friends, and colleagues. While I appreciate being able to see pictures of the newborn baby belonging to my second cousin twice removed, I have found that time spent sorting through these rather meaningless posts deducts time that I could be spending building relationship with my children, my husband, and my friends. Also, social networking leads me to question the validity of the relationships being established through online interaction. Simply because I know what you had for dinner last night does not mean that we have a meaningful relationship. I think it would be wiser to invest more time and effort into those people that are standing right in front of us; to look into their eyes and listen as they share their day with us in order to form the types of bonds that will endure the ups and downs of life.