Week 2- Does Social Media Positively or Negatively Impact Social Credit?

Traditional social networks are comprised of three main components: relationships between a group of people, the rules or norms that govern their expectation of behavior, and the punishments or rewards that are influenced by these norms. These three factors are interdependent in that they interconnect, impact and emphasize each other.

Social Capital encourages bonds shaped from belonging to a group that inspires trust, cohesion, and collaboration among members.

We know that good social media has enormous development potential, positively influencing economic growth, democracy, and relationships, both personal and professional. An unexpected interaction can positively impact socially, emotionally, and sometimes financially for those who regularly engage with others on their social platforms. Social media fosters relationships that otherwise might not have been initiated, resumed, or even developed. Belonging to one or more social media platforms is an increasingly popular and influential form of inclusion and connection among individuals, regardless of distance and circumstances.

 Does social media inspire trust to increase social capital? Being an authentic and sincere individual is tantamount to creating the trust needed to raise social capital. If your social media persona is deemed as fake, have you then decreased your value by being what you perceive other people’s expectations are of you instead of your true authentic self?

Are there norms that one must follow on social platforms? While most social media networks employ some form of community standards, one must consider that often people type things online that they wouldn’t dare to utter to another in a face-to-face situation.

Is social media social consequence equitable both in punishment/reward and in terms of reciprocity? Is the new standard of reciprocity whether your network chose to like your post, so you, in turn, don’t like theirs? Forget to wish someone Happy Birthday or click the wrong emoji, and you may find yourself creating negative equity from a social credit perspective, all unbeknownst to you.

Social media’s methods of exclusion can be just as unforgiving. Disagree with your friend, and you may well find yourself blocked from his or her social network — a social consequence of more significant implications than ignoring your phone calls or texts.

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