Do social networking sites improve your ability to network in real life?
Your Facebook profile boasts 200 friends. On LinkedIn, you have 50 connections. On your Twitter account, you have 60 followers and you follow 30 people. Your social network is sizable — more than 300 people and growing every day. You feel rather popular. But have you ever wondered if these online connections translate to real life? Staying in touch online is easy. With a few strokes of the keyboard and a few clicks of the mouse, you’re connected. Social networks allow us to keep in touch with each other through the various ways we share information. This information can be personal (digital photos, status updates, funny videos) or professional (linking to industry-specific articles, writing a testimonial for someone on LinkedIn). Well before the Internet became a part of daily life, we used our social networks to get things done. Job hunting? It helps to know “someone on the inside.” Looking for a date? Your friend’s cousin has a single pal. Need a handyman to fix the broken stair? As
