Implications of Social Networks on One’s Professional Life

Social networking is one of the most exciting activities in the lives of human beings and this is due to the fact that the proper functioning of the human body is mainly dictated by its social status. An individual who is socially stable tends to perform well in most or rather all of his or her undertakings in life while those people who have social issues tend to perform poorly in their daily accomplishments. A social network can be defined as a structure that is composed of individuals or associations which are technologically termed as nodes and these associations are linked by a single or several kinds of reliance.

The individuals who link may be having a common interest, may be friends or relatives, or may be just connecting for the sake of it or rather for the spirit of adventure. The structures formed after social networking are normally very complex in nature and according to technology, the nodes are the individuals who participate in networking and the ties are the relations that result after networking. It is again essential to note that the nodes and ties that result after networking are numerous and they operate on various levels from the most basic which is the family to the most complicated which may be states or nations.

Social networking dictates the way individuals ought to live their lives in terms of problem solving, how to run their daily errands whether at home or at work and what to do in order to achieve in life. Despite the simplicity of a social network, it also assists in determining the benefits that individuals get from this activity thus a large number of people engage in this activity. Although social networking is conducted in many areas such as at the work place, at home and in learning institutions, the concept is most common online and this is because millions of people access the internet. These individuals who access the internet have many reasons why thy do so and for instance, for some, it might be for the purposes of research while others do it in order to meet and relate with new people.

There are several social sites that are used for the purpose of networking and some of them include face book, my space, twitter and several others. These sites operate like an online community and most members have similar interests in many entities such as politics and religion thus once an individual is able to access a particular social site, he or she can commence networking.

Social networks however have various implications on an individual’s professional life and many debates have been conducted on the implications of social networks on people’s professional lives. It should again be noted that social sites are not only accessed by young people but adults as well who have the same motives for instance meeting new people or just for excitement. Employers in organizations have argued that some employees spent most of their time on these social sites and forget the sole purpose of their work thus the rate of production in some organizations has reduced.

The idea is that employee’s waste a lot of time on these sites doing what employer’s term as “a lot of sweet nothings” which at the end of the day affects performance. Cases have been reported where teachers have been denied licenses because their accounts on social sites were in appropriate in that they had posted indecent pictures and that they were setting a bad example to their students. This indeed could be true because there are millions and millions of inappropriate pictures that individuals post on their accounts or even in some cases, pictures of other people have been posted without these peoples knowledge.

Nevertheless, some people may argue that everyone has a right to do what he or she feels like but it ought to be noted that when it comes to professionalism, great caution has to be taken especially for those who have accounts on these social sites. A site like face book for instance, consists of different kinds of ties and these ties range from family to colleagues and so on hence individuals ought to be careful with what they post. Individuals have lost their careers due to misuse or abuse of these social sites and in such cases; professionals are normally warned from accessing these sites for the sake of their career.

This does not entirely mean that these social sites only have negative implication but some individuals have made good use of them and they have improved their relationships with other people. Associations such as school boards have encouraged teachers or instructors to make proper use of online social networks since many students access them and this may improve their relationship with their teachers. Social networks have also increased supplementary activities in that many students join groups that have been formed on these social sites and actively participate in events that are advertised on these particular sites.

Important thoughts and topics have also been shared on these sites and the formal setting of these sites is also appreciated by many individuals especially in this current generation of technological advancement. Although some people may be skeptical with valid reasons, social networks have had a positive implication on entities such as organizations or businesses hence most professionals have resorted to these social networks in most of their operations.

It should be understood that most professionals use social networks to make links that enhance the performance at work but not those that endanger productivity. Social networking has from the past received a great deal of negative connotations but some professionals have taken it upon themselves to improve the tinted image. Conferences have been held on the significance of social networks to professionals and for instance teachers have admitted how these networks have assisted them to share significant materials with their students. They have been able to share articles, make connections and consultations and even research on employment opportunities thus the sites are excellent spaces to keep a breast of new ideas.

A vigorous population is the key to meaningful networking since social networks can only be good if the conversations that take place within them is meaningful and fruitful and educators for instance have admitted that the discussions that used to take place in staffrooms or hallways are now occurring online. The conversations about work have steadily increased and they have contributed greatly to the development of specific professional interests and innovation as well.

Small business owners have also benefited form social networking in the sense that promotions and marketing have been conducted on these sites for instance business people have advertised their products on face book and so far the results have shown immense positivism. Some business owners have even resorted to work from home and this is due to the flexibility of these social networks hence an individual is able to work at home and at the same time spent time with his or her family.

Conversely, those who have chosen to work at home have been advised to maximally make use of social networks and realize their important in order to achieve success in their businesses. Social networks have assisted business people to connect with different individuals who have eventually turned out to be potential clients and customers and this has benefited most stay at home mothers and fathers.

Business people have in the past found it cumbersome interacting face to face with customers hence social networks have greatly changed the manner in which business owners operate. Business owners have had the chance to interact with people all over the world and these networks have enabled them to expand their businesses which in turn have increased profitability. The concept of social media advertising has become one of the best ever growing trends among entrepreneurs online currently and a small business owner has continued to benefit as well.

The fact that anyone can join regardless of status or gender, is what makes social media marketing through these social networks so striking hence with millions of lively users continuously on these social sites, a small business owner has definitely a lot of potential customers to conduct business with. Another interesting thing is that most of these social networking sites are free of charge; therefore, individuals do not have to pay anything to sign up but to simply create an account and keep on updating the social networking pages.

According to research, interactions conducted online have proved to improve real life social skills through the provision of a common environment and the facilitation of social connections. It is true that the current world is changing and this does not mean that the collective and communication skills are being windswept and these networks are only meant to enhance an individual’s professional and social life but not to diminish it.

Most people especially have viewed social sites to be time wasters but studies have indicated otherwise and argued that using these social networks may just improve efficiency at work. These studies have also indicated that those employees or workers who access social networks produce quality work as compared to those who do not access these social sites. The argument is quite tricky because one wonders how such sites that divert an employee’s concentration and attention, can indeed increase productivity at the work place. Researchers explain that these social networks provide employees with what they call brain gasp which is essential for any worker between working hours and even after work.

Studies indicate that an individual’s brain needs a break after a tiring activity and this applies to employees who are constantly writing reports, or doing academic research or any other activity at work. The notion that social networking is a waste of time has consumed most organizational officials and some have even gone ahead and blocked these sites in their systems so that employees can concentrate on their work. There is actually no permanent solution to any of the challenges that may be facing employers in relation to social networking sites and even if internal control is used, it is not easy to control what these employees post at home.

Banning employees form accessing these social networks may be the solution but at the same time these employees may feel that they are being suffocated and that these approaches may be heavy handed. A heavy handed approach could have diverse impacts on employee performance thus the best approach for employers might be to allow access but on a limited level. Social networking is a personal decision and since no human is perfect, it is upon professionals to examine and evaluate themselves on whether these social networks are beneficial to them not just at the work place but also as an individual, then they can make a decision on whether to use them or not.