social_impact(Mark)

__The Social Impact of Web 2.0 Technology__

Wikipedia loosely defines web 2.0 as “intersection of web application features that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centred design and collaboration on the world wide web.” (Wikipedia 2012) Simply put, web 2.0 is connecting us instantly , through websites such as twitter, blogger and [|Reddit]. This connection enables us to interact with the world around us as never before.

This aspect of the WWW  is known by many throughout the world, although they may not refer to it as web 2.0. The social aspects of this technology has made its way into the lives of almost every person that has access to the internet. The number of people that are registering on web 2.0 sites grows by the minute as we continue to connect to the world around us. Learning and sharing has never been easier than it is today, with this comes great benefit and areas of concern that we must navigate through.

Some of the positive impacts that web 2.0 has on our social lives are connecting family and friends over great distances, educating and informing many people at once and building a base of knowledge and information  that will be used for generations to come. These aspects of social media have connected us to each other quite easily when compared to communication of the past. 30 years ago, a letter in the mail could take anywhere from 3 days to 6 months to reach a person. Today is is almost instantly.

As wonderful as technology can be there are some aspects that we have to consider as negative. Some of these would include the growing concerns of privacy online, the quality and accuracy of the information that we do find, and the language/communication/social cues that are __ lost __ when typing. There are many 2.0 websites that are attracting different groups of people to it. With all of the information sharing that happens daily, it also attracts those that use this sharing of information maliciously. We are still navigating our way through this misuse of information and accountability. The amount of information can be overwhelming, potentially confusing for those who find it difficult to navigate through the internet. When communicating online, you lose the personal connection that you would have with a person(s) face to face, an //essential// part of the human experience. This can complicate communication between family, friends and colleagues, opening up the possibility for misunderstanding, friction and dispute. It has been said that when people are having a “face to face” conversation that up to 80% of what is being communicated is non verbal, this 80% has yet to be translated online.

These are just a few of the pros and cons of social media, and even though there are things that still need to be considered and addressed, the presence of social media has changed the way that we communicate. The impact that this has on society is unfolding at this moment, and changes from one minute to the next.