A Social Networking Site (SNS)

Introduction

Any online platform that enables users to build public profiles on the website and communicate with other users who access their profiles through the website is referred to as a social networking site (SNS). They enable the development of online connections between people from various ancestries and locales. Social networking websites have the overall goal of developing community-based online platforms, offering online chat rooms, and giving online discussion forums for users (Allais, 2014).

The Rise of Social Networking Sites

The rise of social networking sites, which allow people from distant continents to communicate freely and swiftly, is credited with helping the globe transform into a global village during this period of technical advancement. For this reason, societies have significantly embraced social networking thereby creating a new tribe of online users (Thompson, Hickey, & Thompson, 2016).

How Sociological Perspectives Affect SNS

Conflict Theory

Social networking sites connected people on a global scale, regardless of their social status, level of education and religious or ethical background. For this reason, there has been competition among online users mainly the millennials, trying to outdo each other by flaunting their wealth online. Users of SNS compete by displaying and posting pictures of their material things, pictures of their new travel destination etcetera and comparing who gets the most views, likes, visits and followers on the social sites. Commanding many likes and a huge following is perceived to be a sign of influence and power. People with huge online following and those who amass many likes on their posts view themselves as online demigods. This explains the upsurge in the number of socialites, both young and old, since technological evolution (Lindsey, 2015).

On the other hand, there is a group of Social Networking Sites who are not from affluential backgrounds and who have little to flaunt. This comprises the largest number of internet users whose posts and pictures do not amass huge public attention. They are deemed inferior in the online arena and do not command a huge following (Allais, 2014).

Social Networking Sites, have created a rift of an online social class which creates a distinction in the users on a global scale. Common online users have taken to using SNS as tools of activism to protest against oppression by the influential lot. Twitter is popularly known for trending topics which call for online mass actions. For example, "Black Lives Matter" is an online activism tool used to end killing of blacks (Thompson, Hickey, & Thompson, 2016).

Interactionism Theory

The primary reason for the creation of social networking sites, is to satisfy the need for people to interact all round the world on the same platform by eliminate distance barriers. For this reason, social networking sites have been evolving to provide for more avenues of communication, from chat box, to video conferencing and video calls, audio calls and recently instant stories. The upscaling need to interact on a social scale has led to the creation of many different social networking sites (Lindsey, 2015).

People use social networking sites because everybody believes it is the current trend and being off social networking sites is perceived as being outdates, mainly for the youth. For this reason, almost every youth in the world is registered with a social networking site (Allais, 2014).

When people go to social sites such as Facebook, they make comments on posts. For this reason, when one gets many likes and positive reactions to a post or amasses a huge online following, they feel superior and affluential since they are convinced they have won the hearts of many people. The selection of what to read, who to connect with, and what to share defines peoples' personality online. By picking a post and leaving another, one expresses what they give meaning to and what their interests are in life. When people post pictures dressed in a certain manner and in certain places, it portrays how they view themselves and how they want the world to view them (Thompson, Hickey, & Thompson, 2016).

Functionalism Theory

The main function of social networking sites is to connect people on a global scale. It is for this reason that the world has become a global village. Through social networking sites, other parts of the society receive global social support. People round the world are able to share knowledge and education by posting content online which are accessible to everybody in the world. The platform to share knowledge has greatly facilitated the exchange of ideas leading to a global evolution in sectors of entrepreneurship and technology (Allais, 2014).

Social networking sites are being used as trade avenues where businesses are displaying their products which are viewed all round the world instantly thereby creating a global market. Scientists are also using social networking sites to collect big data for analysis of large sums of information. The information is then used by other sectors of the economy such as production sector to relay adverts, and statistics to perform analysis to find facts about a study (Thompson, Hickey, & Thompson, 2016).

Political ideologies and ideas are being discussed online through social networking sites and political authorities are able to hold press conferences by video call thereby easing strain of mobility and providing a reliable means of communication over vast geographical areas. Social networking sites have also created an avenue where people can write and display pictures of injustices by authorities, and where people can rise up to mock a government that is not protecting the rights for people. For example, through twitter people are able to raise campaigns against bad governance (Lindsey, 2015).

Conclusion

A Social Networking Site (SNS) is any online platform that creates an avenue for people to create a public profile and interact with other people from all round the world through the same website.

Interactionism theory is most applicable to social networking sites. This is because people who sign up to social networking sites go there with an agenda to interact with other people. The global belief is that social networking sites are online places where people go to meet new people and to get updates on what is happening around the world.

References

Allais, S. (2014). A critical perspective on large class teaching: the political economy of massification and the sociology of knowledge. Higher Education (00181560), 67(6), 721-73.

Lindsey, L. L. (2015). Gender roles: A sociological perspective. Routledge.

Thompson, W. E., Hickey, J. V., & Thompson, M. L. (2016). Society in focus: An introduction to sociology. Rowman & Littlefield.