Social Networks: Good or Bad for Society?

Social networks have become one of the main means of communication and interaction in the globalized world and this has been mainly because of the fact that a large number of individuals have access to them. The easy access to social networks has led to a situation where it is possible for people from all over the world to interact and share ideas despite the fact that they come from different backgrounds and cultures. Because they do not need physical contact between those individuals who are communicating, social networks have become among the cheapest means of communication since all one has to do is to log onto a network using a mobile device in order to gain full access. Social networks have become such a common and basic feature of the society today that it has become hard to picture a world without them. However, while social networks have enabled easier interaction between individuals across the world, they have both positive and negative influences on their users.

Social networking sites have, since their conception, developed on the internet and these have come to have an immense influence on the lives of the people who use them. These networks have become so influential that quite a large number of people in the world, especially the younger generations, use these sites in their daily lives. Social networks have made the interaction between people in different parts of the world easier, because there is no longer any need to have physical contact for communication to take place. Instead, they have made communication to become non-physical, with more people subscribing to the use of social network sites to communicate every day. Because of this easier means of interaction, it has become the norm for individuals to share ideas and while most of these ideas tend to be extremely helpful, there are some cases where the information shared between individuals through social networks, can be extremely negative and even dangerous (Bateman, et al 79). This is especially true of the spread of terrorism where jihadist and terrorist groups have created accounts in social networks which are used for the purpose of recruiting young people to go and fight wars in parts of the world away from their homes. In addition, these terrorist groups have come to use social networks as a means of ensuring that they secure the necessary financial support from potential donors, using propaganda, so that they can continue to run their activities. This use of social networks is therefore not good for the society an has to be strictly monitored by law enforcement agencies to ensure that the users, especially the younger generation, does not fall victim to the dangerous propaganda spread through these networks.

Social networks are based on the ability of individuals who use them to socialize because without the socialization aspect, it would be impossible for these networks to continue their existence. Therefore, social networks have effectively ensured that the need for human beings to socialize has been satisfied, as well as enabling those individuals who use them to be able to communicate with large numbers of people at the same time. Because of the easier means of socialization, it has become possible for individuals to interact with one another from the comfort of their homes, making it possible for them not to have to interact physically. This negation of physical interaction has become unhealthy for certain individuals, especially when one considers the fact that a large number of people, because of spending most of their time on social networks, neither have the time nor the inclination to participate in physical exercise (Park, et al 896). The lack of physical exercise has led to the development of health problems in the society such as obesity and diabetes; conditions which are very harmful to the human body. The existence of these medical conditions is increasingly becoming a matter of concern which have been for the large part blamed on the increasing dominance of social networks on the lives of individuals. Moreover, it has become the culture for many individuals in the society, especially at work, to spend more time in social networks than on their work, and this has created a situation where the work output of employees has decreased in recent years.

Businesses have also come to take advantage of the social networks as a means of promoting themselves among their potential customers. Companies have used this opportunity to ensure their customers get information through social networks such as Facebook and MySpace and this has enabled customers to communicate with the producers expressing their opinions on specific goods and services. Social networking sites have not only managed to fulfill the need for individuals to communicate with one another, but they have also created a situation where companies have come to rely on them to interact with their customers (Grossberg 4). The fact that a large number of companies have come to market and sell their products through social networks has enabled the latter to become ever more useful features of global commerce because without them, a large chunk of the global economy would become redundant. However, these networks have become the means through which companies promote their products in a way which appeals to the vanity of their customers and not based on any truth. Therefore, some products which are not even credible have come to be marketed through social networks and these have come to make individuals spend on products which are not up to standard; losing their money in the process.

In conclusion, as has been discussed above, social networking sites have, since their conception, developed on the internet and these have come to have an immense influence on the lives of the people who use them. In addition, social networks are based on the ability of individuals who use them to socialize because without the socialization aspect, it would be impossible for these networks to continue their existence. Moreover, businesses have also come to take advantage of the social networks as a means of promoting themselves among their potential customers. All of these have been found to have one negative consequence or another on the society and this is the reason why social networking sites are not good for our society.

Schedule 5 and Schedule 7 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (Cth)

The current co-regulatory scheme established under Schedules 5 and 7 is extremely important because it promotes the idea that both government and industry have a responsibility to make sure that illegal or offensive material online is controlled. As a result, it has become essential for the industry to take responsibility in ensuring that there is more classification of content and development of classification codes. This is especially considering that there is need for the industry to promote the maintenance of the relative independence of action that it has been granted through actively seeking to bring about a level of moderation in the content that it transmits to the Australian public. The classification of content and development of classification codes is therefore an important step that can be taken by the industry because it allows for greater self-regulation as well as actions which are able to bring about a significant level of public protection from offensive material. Such an action would also be important in the achievement of transparency within the industry because it would allow it to cooperate with government in promoting the public interest while at the same time safeguarding itself from potential problems that might end up having a negative effect on its activities. It is through the active participation of industry in classification of content that the intended purpose of the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act 1999 to strike a balance between the interests of industry and those of the wider Australian community will be achieved without any serious friction with government regulatory bodies or need for further legislative action to regulate the industry.

One of the most significant aspects of the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act 1999 is that it seeks to block illegal and offensive material from overseas. The need to do so, while extremely important, is a task that can be considered to be difficult especially considering that for the most part, government would have to strike a balance between ensuring the freedoms of the internet and the need to protect its citizens. However, the industry can be considered to be more capable of self-censorship especially through the requirement that it ensures more classification. The major fear of such a situation is that the industry, despite its best intentions, might not be able to achieve a high level of self-censorship that would significantly prevent illegal material from reaching the Australian community. The result is that there is need to promote the advancement of legislation to enforce the industry’s role in promoting classification as a means of promoting the interests of all Australians. Without legislative pressure, it is likely that the industry will not have the incentive needed to bring about the development of faster, better, and cheaper ways of achieving the outcomes that are desired by the government for the purpose of protecting its citizens. The industry has to make sure that it creates classifications that advances the interests of citizens by enabling them to take control over the standards of content that they wish to accept in their media because that it one of the most important ways through which it will be able to bring about a level of censorship of offensive material.

Despite the need for the government to have a role in regulation through the implementation of legislation, the industry has a greater role to play. This is especially considering that the government only has jurisdiction over content that is made and distributed within Australia and has limited control over overseas content; which is often the majority of what is consumed locally. Therefore, industry has a crucial role to play in classification because it is the both a service provider as well as a beneficiary of the content that is transmitted. Moreover, it is only through the direct involvement of industry in both classification and coding that it becomes possible to ensure that there is a level of cooperation with government in securing the interests of citizens while at the same time advancing its own interests. Through the co-regulatory scheme, the industry has become an essential player in regulation and because it has greater access to content than the government, it is better placed to promote safe content to citizens. This is especially considering that through working with government, the industry will be able to create desired classifications which will enable content diversity while at the same time bringing about a high level of control over illegal content.

Does the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code was submitted to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) provide adequate community safeguards?

One of the most significant aspects concerning telecommunications contracts is that Australian consumers might end up finding it difficult to provide fully informed consent. This is especially the case considering that for the most part, consumers are not made aware of the products that they are to expect and end up signing contracts out of certain expectations. While this may be the case, it is important that the ACMA come to understand informed consent from the perspective of consumers because this is one of the most important ways through which it can be able to advance their interests. Because most consumers tend to end up giving consent as a result of their not being given any other choice, they are not often satisfied with the services that they are provided. Therefore, when it comes to telecommunications contracts, it is important that they be involved throughout the process of finding out what they are to expect so that when the time comes for them to give their consent, they do so in a manner that ensures their satisfaction. Therefore, the TCP is an important code because it ensures that consumers are consulted when before contracts that are in their interests are formulated. Furthermore, it is as a result of its seeking to advance consumer interests that it has sought to find out the opinions that consumers have concerning telecommunication contracts. Moreover, this report is important because it seeks to advance the idea that consumers should be able to access information on these contracts in a timely manner so that they can make a decision concerning what they believe is their best option.

One of the most important aspects of the report is that it seeks to promote the independence of consumers especially when it comes to taking responsibility for protecting themselves. Additionally, it is essential that consumers be provided with greater independence when it comes to cases where there are substantial finances involved in addition to when detailed information is required of the individuals as well as when the company offering the contract is not well known. In this way, it became possible to make sure that there is the advancement of the interests of consumers through their being provided with the information that they believe is essential before making a decision concerning providing their consent on telecommunication contracts. Because telecommunication contracts tend to be among the ones that most commonly demand that consumers provide consent, it was found to be essential that consumers be given an opportunity to ensure that they were able to advance their own interests through having enough knowledge concerning the contract itself and the services that they were to expect before making a decision concerning whether or not to provide their consent. One of the most fundamental aspects of the report is that it identifies that Australians are constantly aware of the risks that are involved in providing consent under any circumstances and it is for this reason that it has become essential for them to make sure that they are able to have a level of control over the consent that they are providing through having all information concerning the product to which they are consenting.

Thus, while informed consent is important for advancing the interests of consumers, the report identified that most telecommunications companies tend not to provide full information to consumers. This is one of the reasons why consumers end up giving their consent in contracts and receiving a lower standard of services than expected. Furthermore, there was recognition that consumers tended not to consider all information provided before giving their consent and this was found to be essentially difficult for a number of them especially when they ended up not receiving the services that they expected. The laxity among both consumers and telecommunications companies concerning information before consumer consent lay at the root of the problem. Therefore, the report recommends that consumers be provided with all the information that they need while at the same time promoting the ability of the latter to ensure that they take all information that they are provided seriously before providing their consent. This report is, therefore, important in the advancement of consumer interests especially considering that it allows for an analysis of consumer behavior and the motivations behind their giving of consent when it comes to telecommunications contracts. In this way, the ACMA will be able to have a more advanced understanding of consent issues when dealing with them in future while at the same time being able to provide advice to stakeholders on the expectations of consumers.