Conference - Workshop "Demythologizing Social Networks"

Conference-Workshop  "Demythologizing Social Networks", by Sergio Luján Mora, Dr in Computer Science. Department of Computing Languages and Systems, UA.

Thursday 17th of May, from 10,00 to 13,00

Place: Rafael Altamira's hall and Computing Classrooms, Venue of Alicante.

[ACCESS TO THE CONFERENCE'S MATERIALS]

Organized by the Permanent University, with the collaboration of the EuConet Club and the Students and Alumni's Association of the UPUA.

Among the strategies to face active aging, the access and use of the new technologies by the older adults is an essential challenge. They need to be able to adapt to the social changes, relate and communicate with others, and have access to the information, in order to avoid social exclusion. That is a good way to slow down aging.

In this scenario   Social Networks  are ways of social interaction, where dynamic exchanges between people, groups and institutions from different contexts take place.  Communication is simplified and open and they involve individuals and groups that have the same needs and problems, who then organize to boost and share their resources.

Social networks are changing completely the way we relate to each other and the way we live our lives, or at least that is what we are told the whole time by the media. We cannot deny that social networks have brought a new dimension into our lives, but each one of us can control up to when we want it to change our lives. Social networks have advantages and disadvantages. There are people who say that it is the greatest step forward of the last decade, and others who say that it brings problems of addiction, loss of privacy and loss of the real meaning of friendship.

Along this Conference –Workshop, we are going to demythologize the concept of the social networks and help the older adults understand it better. We will also show how to access to it and explain that it is true that there can be a loss of privacy, but that depends on the use that each individual makes of it and what he/she publishes on the Social Networks.  

At this presentation we will see that there is no reason to fear social networks. We will talk about the main social networks that exist and go through some of the alternatives that are not so well-known and learn how to use some of them.