Social networking grows up through crises

The conflict in Libya is the latest of a series of regionalevents that proved to have far-reaching implications. In recentmonths, natural disasters, civil unrest, and reports of human rightsviolations unfolded around the world as the global community watchedand reacted. Although the results and impact of each of these worldevents are still being quantified, one thing is clear: socialnetworking has definitely grown up.

For many years, social networking was known as the onlineplayground for the youth. But the child of innovation and society,and the youngest of her siblings - computers, the Internet, andmobile technologies - social networking has finally matured. She wasborn in 1997 with the advent of AOL Instant Messaging, which allowedindividuals to communicate in real-time or "chat" via the World WideWeb. The dot-com bubble burst of 2000 delayed her development, butby 2002, she had learned to walk, run and socialize in cyberspacethrough a website called Friendster, which provided a place forusers to connect online with real-life acquaintances. By 2003 herpopularity surged through the online hangout called MySpace, wherehundreds of millions of young people met, "friended" each other, andbecame virtual groupies of their favorite bands and celebrities.

During the 2004 election season, social networking caught the eyeof the occasional politician who proved only interested in her forher access to young voters and for how contemporary she made themseem. It was through these failed relationships and her rapid growthbeyond the exclusive group of techno-savvy teens and young adultsthat social networking began her journey of self-awareness andacknowledgement of her potential.

First, she embraced the concept of associating with people beyondher immediate social circle and expanded her connections throughwebsites such as LinkedIn, a site created to groom and developprofessional contacts. Next, she articulated her positions throughWeb logs or "blogs," written commentaries that ranged from causalmusings to guttural calls to action.

By 2006, she was also engaging in personal expression through theproduction of original videos that were shared on YouTube, a websitefor uploading user-generated content that can become "viral" byreaching millions of viewers around the world in a matter of days.

The next time the politicians came looking for her assistanceduring the 2008 elections, social networking had her demands: thecollective voices of those who spoke through her would be heard,acknowledged and respected. The political figures who honored herrequirements were rewarded with millions of galvanized young, first-time voters willing to harness their social networking connectionsto motivate, mobilize and organize others.

But just as self-actualization has a way of both shaping andrevealing character, crisis can also convert one's potential intopurpose. In January 2010, Haiti experienced a catastrophicearthquake that leveled the frail infrastructure of the country.Over the coming weeks, staggering numbers of death, injury andhomelessness were reported.

Haiti relief interest groups were created and joined by millionson popular social networks including Facebook, a successor toMySpace with double the number of users.

Just months ago, a revolution swept through the Middle East. Thecampaign of civil resistance fueled by political, economic, andhuman rights issues inspired young people in Tunisia, Egypt andother Arab nations. The Egyptian government attempted to imposeInternet censorship to marginalize communication to the world. Butprotesters, armed with their global networks, used mobiletechnologies to raise awareness for the grassroots movement onFacebook, post videos of the protests and sporadic military clashesto YouTube, and keep supporters updated with announcements onTwitter, a website that allows users to send short, publicly visiblemessages called "tweets."

More recently, an earthquake measuring 8.9 in magnitude shiftedthe ocean's floor off the coast of Honshu and triggered an aquaticforce that leveled entire cities, claimed thousands of lives anddisplaced countless survivors. News of Japan's tsunami arrivedaround the world even as the events were still unfolding. Theearliest news sources received updates from officials andinterviewed survivors using Skype, a website that allows users tovideo chat. Relatives searched for each other through sites such asMixi, the largest social networking website in Japan.

Clearly, social networking has made her mark on society. Nolonger can she be ignored or dismissed as a novelty for the youth.What we have learned from the recent tragedies is that the movementsthat were facilitated and the collective voices that were amplifiedwith the help of social media have validated her as a viable andimportant form of communication.

Teshia Young Roby, Ph.D., is founder of the OPUS Collective andan assistant professor in the College of Education and IntegrativeStudies at Cal Poly Pomona.