Hayley Norris - Social Networking

Published in 2022 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright 2022 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

First Edition

Portions of this work were originally authored by Jared Meyer and published as Making Friends:

The Art of Social Networking in Life and Online. All new material in this edition was authored by Hayley Norris.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing

from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Norris, Hayley, author.
Title: Social networking / Hayley Norris.
Description: New York : Rosen Publishing, [2022] | Series: Be an effective communicator | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021031843 (print) | LCCN 2021031844 (ebook) | ISBN 9781499470291 (library binding) | ISBN 9781499470284 (paperback) | ISBN 9781499470307 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Social networks--Juvenile literature. | Interpersonal relations--Juvenile literature. | Friendship--Juvenile literature.
Classification: LCC HM741 .N67 2022 (print) | LCC HM741 (ebook) | DDC --dc2302.302853
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021031843
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021031844

Manufactured in the United States of America

Some of the images in this book illustrate individuals who are models. The depictions do not imply actual situations or events.

CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #CWRYA22. For further information contact Rosen Publishing, New York, New York at 1-800-237-9932.

CHAPTER 1
FORMING FRIENDSHIPS

CHAPTER 2
INGREDIENTS FOR GREAT RELATIONSHIPS

CHAPTER 3
STRENGTHENING YOUR FRIENDSHIPS

CHAPTER 4
KEEPING UP WITH YOUR FRIENDS

CHAPTER 5
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS FOR LIFE

W ith cell phones, social media, and other modern technologies right at the tips of our fingers, communicating has never been easierbut its also never been more complicated. As long as humans have been alive, theyve been cultivating relationships. Today, the internet allows people all over the world to connect and get to know each other. This creates opportunities to meet likeminded people one might otherwise never cross paths with. It also brings people with vastly different views together.

Some people find online friendships to be satisfying and rewarding. However, socializing with people online will always be different than socializing with people face-to-face. In face-to-face friendships, you can truly share your life with people and you can communicate with them in all sorts of ways. With online friendships, communication may be limited to texting or messaging, and while these can be fast and easy ways to communicate, they can also be complicated and limiting. Words sometimes lose their meaning when expressed strictly through text. However, many people enjoying sharing content, such as memes and funny videos, with their friends across the internet.

Social media websites are also sometimes known as social networks. Social networking has come to be associated with people communicating online, but it really just means creating and maintaining relationships, online or in person.

Social media websites and apps, such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok, are great ways to communicate with friends. But social networking is actually about much more than just the relationships we have with our friends. It is also about learning new things and can even involve forming professional and academic relationships. Social networking opens people to thoughts and opinions of people they may otherwise never hear from. In this way, social networking can help shape a persons worldview.

Of course, whether youre talking to someone online or in person, safety is always important. You should never give out personal information to a stranger. Even if you think youve gotten to know someone, you should not give your personal information out over the internet. Additionally, social media websites and apps often have age restrictions and other rules. This is for your own safety. You should always follow a social media websites rules.

Whether online or in person, developing good relationships is an important key to success. You probably already have lots of meaningful relationships in your life, from family and friends to teachers and coaches. Social networking is a tool you can use to find even more.

W hen you think of your closest friendships, you can probably think of at least a few benefits that have come out of those relationships. Fun experiences and companionship are probably things youve gained from friendships. You may have also learned new things from a friend, met new people, or been exposed to new opportunities. Perhaps a good friend has listened to your feelings or helped you through a difficult time. And perhaps youve done the same for them. Being there for someone can feel good, and it can benefit both yourself and the other person.

You may be familiar with the expression you can never have too many friends. However, its also often said that quality is more important than quantity. Its easy to see that the more connections you have, the less youre able to give everyone an equal share of your time, effort, and focus. The less available you are, the more likely that some of the relationships you maintain wont be as strong as others. Given the amount of time we have in our daily lives, some of our relationships may be more like acquaintances than close friendships. Many people think its better to have a few great friends than many acquaintances. That doesnt mean, however, that there arent benefits to knowing lots of people. After all, thats what social networking is all about.

The overall experience of making friends will be easier to manage and enjoy when you completely understand a few fundamental aspects of friendship. In this chapter, well explore some ways to prepare and protect yourself when connecting with new people.

If you were to categorize making friends like a school subject, it would be more of an art than a science. Maintaining friendships is an art too. There is no one official way to approach friendships. Rather, different types of friendships and relationships fall over a wide spectrum On one end of the spectrum may be people you met just once and havent connected with since. On the other end of the spectrum may be people with whom you have shared consistent, strong, lifelong friendships. These may be the friendships youve had for many years, perhaps since you were a child. Scattered throughout the spectrum, you may find childhood friends whom you have known since you were younger. You may or may not currently be in contact with them. If you do keep in touch, you may not currently be considered very close. Close friends may be thought of as those with whom you consistently keep in touch. These may be the friends whom you care about more than others.

Your best friends may be those people with whom you are currently the closest and share your life experiences with the most. Alternatively, acquaintances may be people you have met only once or twice and with whom you have an inconsistent relationship. These are the type of people who would likely be pretty easy to reach if for any reason you wanted to connect with them. However, even though you could reach them, acquaintances are often people youd more likely run into by chance. They could be friends of friends and you may have a nice time with them occasionally, but you would not consider them part of your main friend group. Finally, connections may be those people whom youve met once and have rarely, barely, or never connected with since the first time you met. A great thing about connections and acquaintances is that there is the potential for them to become closer friends. But even if they never do, there can still be benefits to these types of relationships.