CURRENT ISSUE RELATED TO SOCIAL LIFE OVERVIEW & DEFINITION Social issues are matters which directly or indirectly

affect a person or many members of a society and are considered to be problems, controversies related to moral values, or both. Under certain models of political issues, they are seen as distinct from economic issues. A social

life is the time we spend outside our own lifes, inside other peoples. People mostly have social lifes at the weekend when they are finished their mundane jobs. Social life is also what you celebrate, what you eat, what kind of music, etc. Sometimes, it can be difficult to make friends, not to speak of starting a conversation and keeping one going. If you want to build a social life that you're content with, this assignment on social life issue has suggestions for you. On our student foundation level, I shall be looking at current issues related to social life, based on student perspective only. Social Life Social Media Messaging Social Life in Making Friends. Social Life in College

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SOCIAL LIFE IN SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGING - ISSUES

Social Media is the most hyped around buzz word of current times. We all know it; We all understand it; And we all are, well at times, upset about it. In this article we will cover some of the nuances that have been introduced by Social Media in our lives and how to make sure that social media doesnt mess around with your social life.

Problem 1: I spend too much time on Social Media

Ask your friends and family who are using any kind of social media. Ask them how much time they spend checking their Facebook wall or posting some thing on twitter. People are spending way too much time on social networks instead of actually living social. The reason is the contagious nature of the way any kind of Social Media engulfs the user.

Solution 1.A: Learn about Time Management

One of the best ways to make sure you dont end up spending too much time on Social Networks is to first see how much spare time you have in a day. What all you want to do. You can come up with a time slot of the day (say during lunch hour) or while on the bus this is the time you could use to spend on catching up with friends and family via your Social Network. Come up with a time management plan and stick to it.

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Solution 1.B: Define your goals properly

Many people go to Facebook without any aim. How many times do you go to a mall without any aim? Perhaps once in a while. But not every time! However, if you talk with people, youll find most of them dont have any clue why they actually go on Facebook. You dont need to be on top of all your friends activities 24X7! Think of going to Facebook just like going to a mall. Define a goal for yourself. Are you there to share something? Are you there to read something specific or read from some specific people in your group? Anything beyond that will be a pass time activity. Not that its bad; Its just that you must know when your goals have been met and either chose to abandon and do something else or keep logged in and pass time (you could probably read a book or watch a movie instead; so you need to find that line where i n you say OK my todays goals for Social Networking have been met; so let me move on to something else now).

Solution 1.C: Prioritize your activities

Think from the perspective that what all you used to do when you had time and there was no social network. Come on, it wasnt way too back in time. You just need to go back a few years back in time and remember what all you used to do. Perhaps call your friends instead of IMing them; watch a movie; read a book; or listen to music? There are lot of important things that your life is filled with but you ignore them in favor of Social

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Networks. For example, if you were to buy a car, it might make sense to read about the hybrid technology, or a few articles of what are the key differences amongst various models; do some market research, etc. Prioritize your activities and keep Social Networking the bucket of your last but not the least kind of things. Keep in mind that all that social media provides you is another way to communicate; nothing more than that; You could do the same with your cell phone, go back in time with a mail; and go further back in time actually traveling and meeting people.

Problem 2: If I dont use it I feel left alone

Many people just go on their preferred social network every day and every hour just because they think that if they wont do that they will be abandoned by the community as being a non -social person. This fear engulfs them every single minute of the day and they end up messing all other parts of their life just because of this fear.

Solution 2.A: Learn to not follow the herd

One of the hardest things to do is not following the herd. Try not to be online just because you think all your friends are. You have to really plan out all your activities and keep your focus on all the things you need to do every day. You dont have to follow your friends and be available just because they are there. And hey, what if they are there because you are! May be theyll learn from you and start respecting their time too!
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Solution 2.B: Keep clear distinction between real and virtual life

Many people forget that in the end all that any social network does is connect you with your friends. Nothing more. Remember that you dont have keep your virtual life really glamorous and hyped about over the Social Media; Because if thats not true in real life, you will very soon be left alone in the Social Media space too. Keep in mind that social media is just another way to communicate with real people. So if you will keep good focus on making your real life good, your social life will automatically be good

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SOCIAL LIFE IN MAKING FRIENDS - ISSUES

A fairly common social issue people have is that they're not sure how to make friends and put together a social life for themselves. There are quite a few ways someone can find themselves in this situation:

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They've moved to a new city and don't know very many people yet. They've been in a long term relationship and have let their social life wither.

Their old friends have slowly been dropping out of the picture (moving away, busy with work or a new family, etc.) and haven't been replaced by new ones.

They feel like they've grown apart from their current friends and want to make entirely new ones.

In the past they were happy being alone a lot of the time, but now they want to be around people more often.

They never really knew how to make friends and have a lways wished their social lives were better.

Below are my thoughts on how to make friends. I'll cover a basic structure first, then go into some attitudes and principles towards the whole thing that I think are important. I've noticed people who are already good at making friends naturally tend to do most of the things I outline below without thinking about it.

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Bare bones guide on how to make friends

Here are the basic steps to making friends. It seems simplistic, but there can be a lot to each point. People who struggle with their social lives often stumble on one or more of them as well.

1. Find some potential friends

To make friends you first have to find some possible candidates. There are two main ways to do this:

Draw on your current contacts

This won't apply to people who have just moved to a new area and don't know anyone, but often you'll already have the seeds of a social life around you. You don't necessarily have to go out and meet ten strangers to have one. It's often easier to turn existing c ontacts into full-fledged friends than it is to meet new ones.

There are probably a handful of people you already know who could end up becoming part of a new social circle. I'm talking about people like:

Acquaintances you're friendly with when you run in to each other, but who you never see otherwise.

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People at work or in your classes who you get along with. Friends of people you know who you've gotten along with in the past.

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Someone who has shown an interest in being your friend but you never really took up the offer.

People you very occasionally hang out with, who you could see more often.

Friends you've gradually lost contact with who you could call up again.

Siblings and relatives close to your age.

Meet some new people

Getting more out of your current relationships can go a long way, but it doesn't always work. Sometimes you're at a point where you need to meet entirely new people. Not having easy access to potential new friends is a big barrier for many people in creating a social circle. I go into more detail here:

Overall, I'd say the easiest things to do are:

Being in a situation where lots of potential friends are around, and you naturally have to get to know them through your day -to-day interactions. Work and school are the two big ones.

Meeting one or two good people and then getting to know all their friends. If you hang out with fifteen people, you shouldn't have to have met them all individually.

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Being into hobbies or communities where you'll naturally meet a lot of people, ones you already have something common with and a built-in activity to do with them.

Overall, meeting new people may require making an effort to pull out of your day-to-day routine. Also, the easiest way to naturally meet a lot of people is just to live a full, interesting life and run into lots of potential friends as a side effect.

2. Invite potential friends to do something with you

Once you've met some people you get along with, ask them to hang out. This is the most important step in my experience. You can meet all the people you want, and they can think you're great, but if you don't take any actions to do something with them in the future, then you won't form many new relationships. People will stay as the guy you talk to in class, or the girl you chat to at work in the break room.

This seems basic, but lonelier people often hit a wall here. There may be someone they joke around with at work, or chat to in one of their classes, but they won't take the step of inviting them out and taking the relationship to the next level.

If you're on the shyer side, you might be a little hesitant to invite people out too. While it is a little scary at first, and there is some risk of rejection, it's fairly easy to get used to. It's not nearly as bad as asking people out on a date, for example.
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Make a habit of getting people's contact information

There have been plenty of times where I've met someone I got along with, and would have liked to hang out with in the future, but I only saw them a handful of times before they dropped out of the picture. I didn't have their phone number or email address, so I had no way to get in touch with them.

It's a good idea to get into the habit of getting people's contact info fairly early. Ask for their phone number or email address, or ask if they're on Facebook. That way if an opportunity to get together comes up, they'll be easy to reach. Also, if they have your info, then they can get a hold of you if they want to invite you to something.

Have a basic grasp of how to make plans

To hang out with someone you've got to plan it. Sometimes the process is straight forward. You ask them if they want do something, they agree, and you set a time and place.

At other times

trying

to

nail down a plan can be tedious and

unpredictable, especially when more than one other person is involved. Try your best to get used to it. It personally helped me to accept this wasn't a situation where I could perfectly control and arrange everything ahead of time. I had to come to peace with the uncertainty of trying to organize events.

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If inviting people out and arranging plans all seems like a big hassle, it also probably feels that way for them at times. They shouldn't always have to step up and organize things for you. Do some of the lifting yourself at times.

Do your best to accept every invitation

Of course if someone asks you to hang out, then that's even better. If someone invites you to do something, then you should go. Why turn down a free chance to get out there with people? When you've got more friends and different options competing for your time you can be more choosy.

If you're more of a shy or solitary person it's easy to mull over the invitation and rationalize that it won't be that fun and that you don't want to go. Ignore those thoughts and go anyways. You never can be sure how fun something will be until you show up and see how it is for yourself.

Sometimes you'll have to inconvenience yourself for the sake of your social life. You may get invited to a movie you don't particularly want to see, or someone might call you up on Friday evening as you're about to go to bed, asking if you want to go out. Whenever you have two or more people in the equation, you're going to have to compromise sometimes. Again, just being out there outweighs these minor annoyances.

Another thing to consider is that many people will stop inviting someone out to things if they decline too often. They may have nothing against the
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person, but the next time they're planning an event think, "Paul never comes out when I ask him, so no point in letting him know this tim e really."

3. Once you've got some budding friendships, keep in touch, and keep hanging out

Keep in touch with friends through the phone, email, MSN, Facebook, etc. Hang out with them on a regular basis. Basically, enjoy each other's company and let the relationship naturally develop and deepen. Of course, show all the traits of a good friend: nice, reliable, fun, open, trustworthy, etc., etc., etc.

Every friend and acquaintance has a right amount of time you need to spend with them. Some relationships are more casual and you only hang out every month or less. Other people will wonder if you've died if you they don't see you every week. What the amount is for each person tends to naturally work itself out over time. Of course, don't be needy and over rely on one person to fulfil all your social needs.

Some people may not have a problem with meeting people and hanging around them once or twice, but run into trouble in the long run. Don't fall out of touch with your new friends and acquaintances. Various traits can get you at this stage:

You're just too busy or mildly lazy and don't make the time to really establish the friendship as it's getting off the ground.

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You can feel insecure. You'll convince yourself your new friends don't really like you and drop contact with them in response to this imagined slight.

Your lower need to be social may cause you to not want to hang around with them as often as is needed to keep the friendship going.

Shyness may rear up again and make you too wimpy to call them up and make plans.

If you do go a while without talking to someone, it's not really a big deal. You can still get back in touch and catch up. It's not even that awkward. Things tend to pick up where they left off. Don't think you automatically have to throw the friendship away.

Once you know some people, build on this foundation

Once you've made a regular friend or two you've also got a good base to work from. If you're not super social in nature, one or two good buddies may be all you need to be happy. At the ve ry least, if you were feeling lonely and desperate before, having a relationship or two should be enough to take those feelings away.

Sooner or later you'll end up meeting your friend's friends. If you hit it off with them then you can start hanging out wi th them as well. You could also become a member of the whole group with time. You can also continue to meet entirely new people. Having friends will make this easier
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as they'll do things like invite you to parties or keep you company in places where there are new people to potentially meet.

4. Repeat the above steps more often to make more friends

If you join one new club, hit it off with three people there, and end up hanging out with two of them long term, then you've made two new friends. If you stop t here then that's all you'll have. If week after week you're coming up with new ways to meet people, and then following up and attending lots of get together, then you'll have a pile of friends and acquaintances eventually.

It's up to you when you feel like stopping. There's no law that says everyone has to have dozens of people in their social circle either. If you only have a couple of friends and decide you want more though, you can always get out there again.

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SOCIAL LIFE IN COLLEGE - ISSUES

Being an introverted and shy wallflower might be one way to live in High School College. However, once college rolls around and youre left on your own with your own freedoms, in a place youre unfamiliar with, its up to you to be proactive with your soci al life. Whether youre looking to get involved on campus, join a team, or just meet people, there are a number of things you can do to break out of your shell.

1. Start Early: Your First Week at College Defines the Rest of the Year

Even if you consider yo urself to be introverted, be more outgoing than you normally would the first week. Over the first couple of days, try to meet and talk to as many people as you can in your dorm and in class.

The best way to develop a community is to do everything in a grou p the first few weeks. When you attend meetings, invite others to join you. The same goes with lunch or dinnerinvite anyone and everyone. By developing a group, or community, within your dorm, youll form friendships quickly.

Keep the door to your room open. This way people can drop in and say hello at any time.

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Organize a weekly poker game, or a night of pick-up basketball in the rec centre. You can also get people together once a week to watch a favourite television show.

2. Study, Study, Study!

Not only are study groups helpful, but they will also allow you to meet other students in your classes.

Introduce yourself to people around you during the first few weeks of class. When you receive your first assignment, talk to anyone youve met and arrange a date a few days before the assignment is due to get together as a group.

Bonus: Helping others on their homework also helps you solidify your knowledge.

3. Get Involved on Campus

Join, join, join! Your freshman year is the ideal year to join a club or organization. Many schools offer a variety of organizations to choose from and they provide a steady source of new people to meet.

Usually your dorm will have a bulletin board with a list of events and activities going on. Some will be specific to your dorm wh ile others are specific to campus.

You will meet some of your greatest friends by joining a campus organization. How much more motivation do you need?

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4. Root for the Home Team!

Even if youre not into sports, attend the events. It will allow you to meet people and show your school spirit.

Grab a friendor better yet, a group of friendsand hit up the Saturday afternoon football game.

Most schools will give students tickets for free, or at least at a discounted rate. Check with your school for specific offers.

5. Be Part of the Team

Joining an intramural league at school can have numerous benefits, including meeting new people and having fun. And youll keep active playing a sport you love.

Intramurals help take your mind off other things, such as school and work, thus reducing your stress level.

Playing sports can be a great confidence builder and motivator. Look at it as an ego booster.

By doing something physical every week youre getting your heart pumping, which is good for the body and helps keep you healthy.

6. Stay Moving!

Go to your schools rec centre and take it to the weight room, pool, or cardio room. Going to a common place on campus will allow you to meet others doing something you share an interest in.

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Participate in your rec centres yoga class or cycling class. If you can meet people sitting in your Biology 101 class, who says you cant chat up the person on the yoga mat next to you?

7. Earn Extra Cash with an On-Campus Job

If you feel theres time in your schedule for a part -time job, what are you waiting for?

On-campus jobs are generally more flexible than off -campus jobs and allow you to meet people you go to school with.

Consider getting a job in your intended car eer path. If you are studying computer information technology, take up a job in the computer lab. Not only will you get real-world experience, but you will earn extra cash as well.

Did you ever stop to think that an on-campus job could provide you with future networking opportunities? Working a job in your intended career path can give you some great leads when graduation rolls around and youre looking for connections.

8. Go Greek

Its true, Greek life isnt right for everyonebut if youre intrigued by the idea of brotherhood and sisterhood, why not check it out? Attend Rush Week activities and see if theres a group you can envision joining. You might just meet some lifelong frien ds.

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Greek organizations often participate in events in the community, community service programs, and many on-campus activities. Your options for getting involved and meeting people are limitless once you become a member of a Greek organization.

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