Social Networking Sites - Should they be blocked in colleges?

The moment, we think about internet, the first thing that crosses our mind is the social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, You Tube etc. The social networking sites have gained a huge popularity across the globe.

The Internet user's of India spend one in every four minutes online on social networks. More than 2 users sign up for LinkedIn every second.

On one hand, where the social networking users are on an increasing rate, many of the colleges are blocking these sites on the other hand.

Let's take a look on whether social networking sites should be blocked in colleges or not.

Yes – Social networking sites should be blocked.

1. Distraction – Using social networking sites in colleges may loose the focus of the students in their studies. It creates a lot of distraction among the students as they tend to check the Facebook or Twitter accounts every minute or hour. This may affect their class work or they may loose the attention from the lecture.

2. Misuse – There are a students who misuse the social networking sites when they get an opportunity by posting abusive comments or post or unwanted images. In such cases, if they do it on a college owned system, the management would be held responsible for such a crime.

3. Health Conditions – Too much usage of Facebook or other social networking sites in college premises is harmful as students put their entire focus into it. This may cause headache or other irritation for them when they are back to the lecture or studying environment.

4. Reputation – Apart from the management, the students are also responsible for the good image of their educational institute. In India, it is a common myth among the parents that colleges which do not block social networking sites is a frequent place for cyber crime scenes.

No – Social Networking sites should not be blocked. 

1. Source of news – Students keep themselves tuned to Facebook as it is also a news provider. It provides pages such as NDTV or Times Now which keeps on updating about the current news and happenings. This may help a student to keep themselves updated about the happenings around the world while sitting in a class.

2. Collaboration – Social networking sites like Facebook can give a chance to a student to work with the other students and teachers while sitting in a classroom. They can clarify their doubts with the renowned teachers who may be their friends on Facebook. They can also share their thoughts or participate in discussions and this process can be carried out even after the class hours.

3. Unique approach to assignment – Social networking sites can help a student as it acts as an unique approach to assignments even during the class hours. A student can conduct a survey a online through the help of social networking sites and take the views and opinions of their online friends. This can speed up their online assignments.

4. Share thoughts – A student can share a thought immediately on Facebook or Twitter after he/she gain it from a classroom session. They can post a thought and can invite a lot of comments and opinions. This may help them to widen their knowledge about a specific topic.

5. Technology recess – Apart from having a playground recess, students can now have a technology recess, wherein, students can access social networking sites. They can take an interesting break by chatting with their friends or playing games on Facebook or tweeting or watching to videos on You Tube.

6. Industry Connections - Being on Linked In or Twitter allows to the students to build up a lot of industry connections which can help them get to know about the corporate world, ways to work and grow in the industry.

Conclusion

People should adapt to the environment with the change in technology. Most of the colleges and offices in India have blocked the social networking sites with the fear of losing the concentration of students or employees from their aim. To achieve a global position, India must change such a concept.