Summarization of "Is MySpace Good for Society?" Freakonomics Article

Is MySpace good for society?

Nicole Ellison says that the main concerns of social networking is that we are putting too much of ourselves out there and the main challenges are privacy and safety issues. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

William Reader is saying that as social networking increases, people find more people who have similar interests as them, allowing them to socialize together. Because people are meeting other people that they have things in common with, it is less likely that people will hang out with people more different than them, decreasing diversity in cliques.

Steve Chazin says that while we have received many benefits from social networking, we have also incurred many costs. We as a society have become too dependent on new media technology such that when our internet connection goes down, we feel isolated.

Martin Baily is saying that social networking websites have detracted us from personal face-to-face interaction with other people. Though in some ways, our lives have improved, we have had to change our way of life. He feels that in the end, the world will most likely get a net benefit from social networking. However, in its beginning stages, everyone must be careful and wary of potential abuse of social networking services.

Judith Donath says that social networking has vastly increased our social circle of friends, at the cost of actually “knowing” our friends. While social networking provides us with a low cost way of maintaining connections with people, it is bad in that it devalues of the meaning of a friend. On the other hand, social networking may encourage the tolerance and acceptance of a diverse set of cultures.

Danah Boyd says that social networking has fostered relationships, learning, and creative expression, although media often likes to focus on the negative aspects of it. Danah argues that social networking does not create problems, but often simply makes it more apparent, as it acts like a magnifying glass, showing the good, as well as the bad of society.