What do you think are the upsides of social networks?

I don't really know. I never use them because, in my opinion, they're stupid. They were meant for long-distance families but ended up being for trolls and fangirls.

They were meant for long-distance families but ended up being for trolls and fangirls.

No, they weren't meant for that.

Social media for me is significant and delightful to use. I can easily check up on sports news, political events, or my friends. Contrary to what people think, it doesn't harm your relationships if you use it in the right way. It's utter tosh to think that you'll just coop up at home and communicate via phone once you have social media. If we're going out, we're going out, and tweeting 140 characters can't buy that, not for a price.

Social media let's me come into contact with people I can't meet, strangers I'll never see, but share common interests with. I can discuss and follow other football fans which I normally won't even dream off. People from all around the globe. That is precious.

And more importantly, it let's me maintain contacts with close foreign friends.

Before anyone thinks about bashing social media, think about the use of profiles here on AG.

Not much I think I can add to this; Nicho nailed it IMO.

I'm able to communicate with distant relatives and old friends.

That's about it, I don't use it for news related things. I prefer other, more reliable sites for that. As for strangers/people I've met on the internet, don't think I'd ever add them to a social network. Two different parts of my life, I don't want an internet friend being able to see a lot of stuff that goes on in my personal life, I don't *really* know them after all.
Besides, I'm fine with other ways of communicating with them. Such as email or private messaging on another site.

I'm able to communicate with distant relatives and old friends.

Same. I mean come on GOM. You said exactly what I was going to say.

But aince I got my FB account I have reconnected with some old friends I moved away from.

I don't have a Facebook account (I do, but I don't use it.)

Most people I know I see in person everyday-every other day, I also have their phone numbers in the event I really need to talk to them.

Social networking is really just for sitting around saying nothing. I doubt if Facebook will be looked back upon in 1000 years as something that contributed anything positive to society.

No, they weren't meant for that.

Facebook was, originally.

Facebook was, originally.

It was originally meant for Harvard college students to get connected.

Social networking is really just for sitting around saying nothing. I doubt if Facebook will be looked back upon in 1000 years as something that contributed anything positive to society.

Yes it will. It doesn't just connect you even more to people you know, but to people you would almost never have known.