Milestone One: Critical Analysis Portfolio and Presentation Proposal

IDS 403 Milestone One: Critical Analysis Portfolio and Presentation Proposal

Southern New Hampshire University

Critical Analysis Portfolio and Presentation Proposal

In this paper, I will discuss how social networking has impacted society by examining social networking via the history lens; its impact on relationships between people via the social science lens; its role in the development of STEM-related disciplines via the natural and applied sciences; and its expression of cultural values via the humanities lens;.

Social media and social networking have been instrumental in many major events around the world. It is fair to say that social networking is a subcategory of social media. Many people think that social media and social networking are one and the same and therefore can be used interchangeably. That is a misconception .

Lens Connections

The Social Sciences

Studying society, culture, and human relationships will lead us to an understanding of how people live and how to improve our lives . The main purpose of social networking is to connect with other people. The foundation of social networking is basically the human side. You fill in your profiles on social media channels and people interact with you based on the personal details that they read about you. Many strong relationships exist as a result of social networking online. Social networking is about mutual communication.

History

History is the study of events that occurred in the past . How did people network before social networking? They went to seminars or conferences. Perhaps they went to see someone give a speech and if they were lucky were able to get to speak to them in person. Social networking should not take the place of in person events, but it has certainly opened up the sharing of information in a way that historically had geographic limitations. In the past, if you wanted to talk with others in your field and exchange ideas, you needed to gather together in person, and this might not always have been possible for a variety of reasons.

The Natural Sciences

Natural science is the study of the physical world and includes fields such as chemistry, biology, and physics, as well as other STEM-related disciplines like technology and mathematics . Connections are possible through social networking that weren’t possible before and this is especially important when it comes to the scientific community. The ability for scientists or mathematicians to connect with others around the world to discuss findings in their chosen field opens up a wealth of information with immediate access. They can get together to discuss theories with others globally and gain insight into new thoughts, ideas and findings.

The Humanities

The humanities are the study of cultures around the world and give us the opportunity to discuss similarities and differences between these cultures . It would be a wonderful world if everyone in it could travel, and not only travel, but also want to learn about the people and cultures of the places they were visiting. Even in the United States, if everyone lived a year or two in different parts of the country they might find that although we may have some differences due to our regional upbringing, that doesn’t make us bad people. They might find that we are a lot more alike than we realize. Social networking has given us that capability without ever having had to leave our houses. Take online classes for example. One student may live in Massachusetts, another in Kentucky, and third in Arizona. Through online discussions, they might find they have some unique perspectives but that they also have common ground.