Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Abstract
Social networking sites, over the years have changed from few user based sites into a phenomena that has become a platform for huge number of users. However, the growth and development of social networking sites have brought great concerns on parents and educational authorities with respect to potential risks that are facing the university students as they use online social networking frequently for gathering information. The risk associated with social networking sites when used for oral communication rather than face-to-face communication results in damaging interpersonal communication among the users. Although social networking brings convenience in connecting with people far away, it causes addiction and establishes a feeling of loneliness, insensitivity and disconnection with the real world. It is significant to choose the social networking site prior creating our profile and entering personal details for the risk of privacy. Hence, the present study discusses the usage of social networking sites and its prospects and challenges for university students of Tamil Nadu. The use of social networking sites among the university students requires much attention with increasing number of students creating profile and feeding their personal information into the sites. The increasing activity on the sites by student community can negatively impact the normal activity of students’ life. This can also become a hindrance to the academic development as well as social engagement of students. Therefore, there is a need to study, assess and evaluate the issues revolving the usage of social networking sites among the student community.