Since the beginning of this millennium, when the technology wave exploded onto the scene in many areas including schools and corporations, networking Web sites such as Facebook, MySpace and the more recent Twitter have made a serious impact on how many people – especially teens and young adults – communicate.
These lines of communication have become life support systems for the younger generation.
For many of us, if our thumbs aren’t moving at warp speed along QWERTY keyboards or if our eyes aren’t glazed-over from staring at a Facebook page, we tend to feel alienated.
Big businesses and corporations have been introduced to these networking empires, but generally speaking, more traditional executives and supervisors are not always aware of changes that could bring them great improvements.
In today’s modernized and technology-induced society, individuals mainly communicate with each other via cell phones, laptops and BlackBerrys. Students who have knowledge of networking Web sites can provide a business with a great deal of assistance and maybe even innovative relationship techniques.
If a company is too conventional and not up for new ideas on improving its communication, students should reconsider their decision to join the company because it could hinder their chances of career development.
The use of these online social communities, which appear to serve only as outlets for entertainment and socialization, requires a great deal of skill.
For example, MySpace gives users the opportunity to create individual, personalized Web pages, so some knowledge of graphic design is necessary. When a person creates a group for others to join on Facebook, it shows that the student has some level of innovation concerning advertising and event planning.
Students and others using these Web sites are, more often than not, blissfully unaware of how much skill they are applying. Companies – both large and small – that embrace this kind of change look more appealing to prospective employees and have a greater chance of improving their social standings in the corporate world.
Lauren Dansby is a communication sophomore and may be reached at
[email protected]
