Does Social Networking Have Side Effects? February 16, 2013

What's the very first thing you do upon waking up in the morning? Every day, nearly one-third of young Americans (18-34 year olds) check Facebook before getting out of bed! Social networking has powerful and widespread effects. Its side effects deserve close scrutiny.

When we talk about social networks, we're almost always talking about online networks: Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, weblogs. Constantly changing and ever-increasing online media offer us unique ways to connect, collaborate, and express our interests and creativity. Yet, questions have been raised about the widespread use of social networks, revealing a complex picture of the impact these technologies have on diverse issues such as community, tolerance, marketing and promotion, political engagement, and trust. Does social networking isolate people and reduce the significance of their relationships, or are there benefits to being connected to others in this way?

Wonderfest, the Bay Area Beacon of Science, presents five diverse experts in spirited conversation about the promise and the peril of social networking:

Nancy Adler, Professor of Psychology, UCSF
Ed Chi, Staff Research Scientist, Google
Jack Conte, musician & videographer, independent
Dean Eckles, social scientist & statistician, Facebook
Cliff Nass, Professor of Communication, Stanford

Please join us for this compelling exploration of "Does Social Networking Have Side Effects?"

Official Website: http://wonderfest.org/social-networking-side-effects/