The Upsides of Social Networking

In a a previous post, I blogged about how technology strains the physical connections between people.

But I think this video here shows what positive factors can come out of the use of social networking:

A Youtube celebrity named Michael Aranda was visiting England in order to help the band Chameleon Circuit record an album. They visited Paris and on the way back to England, Aranda was denied entrance because of some mishaps on his passport. He told the customs officer that he was to stay in England for six weeks, but the officer wrote six months instead. In pen. So of course, he was, and still is, stranded in Paris. He is also considered a "significant" risk to the UK because of a mark they made on his passport.

He then wrote a message on the social networking site Twitter:
The UK denied me reentry. I'm stuck, alone, in Paris, with nowhere to go or stay. This is good.

A scary situation, I know. But luckily a Parisian fan saw the message and responded to it by telling him that he could stay with her and her family. He is currently residing with the fan and given shelter and food.

I think it's cool how fast information can be spread over the internet, and how easy it is to seek help. Let's say if he were stranded in Paris in the 1950s, where would he get help? Maybe he would have to make a long distance call which I'm sure was pricey back then. Regardless, the world just seems smaller and smaller nowadays as people are connected more than ever through a series of electrical networks.

I also remember reading an article last year about a man who had been taken hostage by terrorists. They had a cellphone and asked him how they were supposed to access the internet, and in turn he introduced them to Twitter. The hostage was able to post a message on Twitter, saying that he was still alive and well. It didn't really help his situation, but it did give some reassurance to his loved ones.

Social networking can become such a nifty tool at times like these, so it shouldn't receive that much criticism.

Also regarding Aranda's situation, Chameleon Circuit members Charlie McDonnell and Alex Day have set up an online petition to get him back into England. So far, it has 29278 signatures and counting. Once they've got enough, Day will present it his local MP. I don't know if it will work, but it really goes to show you how easy it is to connect and reach out to others in this day and age.