Social Networking’s Influence on Socialization

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As the world changes so rapidly, so have the ways we communicate. Technology now plays an enormous part of how we converse and socialize as a culture. As we continue to progress as a civilization, it is significant to preserve the basic principles of socialization. Socialization helps us acquire necessary habits, beliefs and knowledge of society from our environment through home, school, community and the legal system. The development of these social skills begins in infancy to adulthood for the purpose of functioning in society. Values, norms and culture are essential for society’s survival. Roles and standards give groups within a society structure and allow members to know what’s expected of them, socially.

As a teacher, parent or leader of a group, you’re expected to teach the group to be conventional and conform to society. It is basic human nature to have the desire to pass on our own values, norms and culture to our kids and/or those who we are in command of. We often resort to educating them based on values we’ve been taught by society. Social networking has now introduced an innovative way of attaining these norms through virtual communities on the Web.

Socialization prepares us for our life experiences. It can be considered a reverential foundation for society. We may not agree to some rules in society, but without socialization a civil society would cease to exist. In addition, any influences on the socialization process have a profound effect on how we function as a community with some of the more notable discovery’s being email and instant messaging. Electronic or “virtual” socializing has proved to be exceedingly more popular than the preceding face to face social interaction like dating, church and ...

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