We all love our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook right?
I often hear people say things like: “I love social networking.” There are also those who say: “social networking is a waste of time.”
FALSE!
You can say these things… you can say whatever you want (duh).
But doing so suggests confusion about the differences between social media and social networking. Love or hate for social media sites does not necessarily imply love or hate for social networking. A lack of understanding about the distinction between social media and social networking is fairly common. This week, Her Campus Boise State is going to clear up the confusion.
First, social media is a way to transmit material to a wide-ranging audience. You can develop a persona/personality on social media. This creates a platform from which specific types of material can be broadcasted– to the world! Everyone has the option to create and deliver material– with Internet connection, of course. The communication style is quick-fire, rapid, and often informal in style: update format.
Social networking, on the other hand, involves groups of people with common interests building interpersonal connections, often via social media. There is an emphasis on two-way communication and relationship-building. The target audience is narrower; it is not so much broadcasting as exchanging information. You can expand your social networking circle by joining groups and interacting with others on a variety of different platforms– the number of platforms and the means of interaction is constantly increasing. The best way to look at it is this: conversations are at the core of social networking, and through them relationships are developed.