How Social Networking shapes Interpersonal Relationships

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How Social Networking shapes Interpersonal Relationships
Research has shown that nowadays social networking sites such as Face book and Twitter are affecting the sexuality (intimacy), identity and autonomy aspect in adolescents who use the sites. This is because, according to psychologists, during puberty most youth are in the stage where they are trying to identify themselves (self-identity). This is influenced by cognitive changes and the perception of social classes, gender and other variables also augment the shaping of interpersonal skills in these adolescents. Research indicated that in these adolescents, the perception of the actual and the computer-generated world is narrow and the technological devices are molding their behavior.
As the world becomes increasingly digitized, work, play and socialization activities have become ubiquitously connected to technological devices. Questions have been raised as to whether; the development of the social networking sites is essentially replacing real interpersonal relationships. While this is ostensibly true, whether these social networks augment or dissipate interpersonal relationship is subject to debate. Some scientist and psychologists believe that the technology augments social behavior especially for introverted persons. These persons who are less socially interactive will tend to spend more time online on the social networking sites. Some psychologists however argue that spending most of their time socializing online than offline actually escalates their introvert behavior.
Certain researches have indicated that users of social networking sites tend to have larger social circles compared to non-users and those that perceive their networks as supportive thus engage more in political and social scenes. It is a common believe that the social networking sites have lowered the people’s expectations of the future as users of these sites are living in the instant/now moment attributed to the instantaneous nature of the internet. Person’s interactive behavior has changed since they don’t have to meet face to face, so is the shopping tendencies and intimate relationships. While the sites were initially a preserve of the younger generation, it is now increasingly apparent that the older generation is steadily increasing in their use of the networking sites. Relationships too are progressively being valued in match-making through the social sites as people find friends and mates who connect and correspond ...