Social Media Sites Aren't All That Bad

***This is not one of my better papers, but it's one I did that will be appearing in the Chemeketa Courier soon. I gave a mention to Landen Stiner though, and that's really all I wanted to do.  Obviously I like to write about sports, but this was good to kind of broaden my horizon's.***


                          Social Media Like Facebook Is Changing the Ways People Build Relationships

    There’s this common misconception that social media is bad.  According to socialmediaexaminor.com, 75% of U.S. households have a profile on a social media network.  Many of them have more than one.  Facebook is the most popular of these sites, with over 500 million users worldwide. With so many users online, they can’t all be using it in a bad way, can they?  Sites such as Facebook can be used in a variety of positive ways to strengthen relationships, connect strangers based on mutual interest’s, and be used to bring about change.
    How many stories have you heard of where long lost family members are able to reunite for the first time?  Or maybe childhood friends that lost touch over the years, were able to find each other through Facebook?  How many of you know family members who are scattered across the country, and their only means of communication and keeping in touch with each other is Facebook?  Maybe you’re one of them?  That’s what these sites can do for you.  According to Jeff Hancock, PHD, Director of Graduate Studies in the department of communication at Cornell University, “allowing people to stay in touch in so many ways can strengthen our ability to have close relationships.”  By connecting with friends, or family members on a social networking site, you’re able to keep in touch with family or friends that you otherwise might not have been able too.  You can also make new friends through social networking.
    A shared interest or passion can be the foundation of a cross country friendship with somebody you previously did not know.  For example, you might share a passion with others about a particular sports team, band, movie, or book, and you decide to organize a meeting each month - complete with time and location - in which you will get together and discuss said passion.  The more you communicate online with them, and in person, you’re relationship will grow from being acquaintances to actual friends that you can count on in a time of need.  Such was the case with Jason Stiner, who’s six year old son Landen, is battling Leukemia.
    Jason, a fan of the Oregon Ducks, was able to connect with Duck fans on Facebook he didn’t know.  Word got out that Jason’s son had Leukemia, and almost immediately, idea’s for funds and charities were popping up on Facebook to help Landen.  Them movement spread like wildfire.  A Landen Stiner group  was organized in which, members come up with different ways to raise awareness.  As a result, t-shirts have been made, bumper stickers have been printed, auctions have been setup, bracelets are on the way, a Facebook page for Landen has been created (which you can find a link to at the end of this paper), and an official tailgating destination is set up the week before each game.  Invites are sent out over Facebook, and it’s open to the public.  There are donation jars around the site, and even if you don’t want to donate, you can show up and still have a good time.  Nearly 2,000 people showed up to the last one, including a few celebrities, and was even covered by the local news.
    Social media isn’t all bad, as some people make it out to be.  It can build and strengthen relationships with people you already know, by providing you another way of keeping in touch with them.  It can connect you with strangers based on common interest’s, and that connection can develop into actual friendship, in which you can use in a time of need.  Like many things, if used in the wrong way, it can be bad.  If you’re one of the people that thinks all social media sites are bad, I hope I’ve influenced your decision a little bit.  These are just a few examples that I provided of how, if you look a little closer, you’ll see that social media sites aren’t all that bad after all.

www.facebook.com/LandenStiner