What is social media used for?
Social media indicates the web pages and applications where people around the globe share content (news, picture, video, etc.) instantly, effectively, and in real-time. This is a communication tool that started with computers and these days, a large number of people use social media apps on their smartphone. People use social media for their business growth too such as, retailers use it for the marketing strategy to get measurable results.
Importance of social media
A large number of traffic (people) visit social media websites daily which is enough for anyone to know the influence and power of social media. It is not only limited to the cyber world, but businesses, professionals, and organizations get a bigger identification and recognition at a very reasonable price. In the fast world of today, where no one has time for another person, social media plays a vital role. Below are some of the characteristics that make social media so important.
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- The major percentage of the total social media user population consists of the younger generation, teenagers and middle-aged people.
- Social media is comfortably available, and all the internet savvy people meet on this platform.
- It opens opportunities for a direct meeting to clients without involving any third-party or agents.
- Advertising is very economical through social media as compared to other media such as TV, newspaper.
- It is also helpful in the ranking of the organization’s websites through search engine optimization.
Social Media List
Below are some of the most popular social media websites that are being used around the globe.
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- YouTube
- TikTok
- Snapchat
- Tumblr
- Flickr
Just like anything that can be used as good and bad, social media also have both sides to it. By using the power of social media, it is entirely in the hand of a user how he/she is going to use it. Let’s go through various social media pros and cons that are detailed below.
Positive Impact of Social Media / Social Media Advantages
The technology is growing rapidly. There are more and more people who are grasping their benefits. Every nation (from developing nations to developed countries) is making use of social media to upgrade life. It brings a lot of advantages.
Connectivity
The foremost advantage of social media is connectivity. Any person from any part of the world can connect with another person, irrespective of the place and religion. It also plays an important role to learn new things and share thoughts with others.
Education
There are many positive effects of social media on students and teachers. Many professionals and experts today use this platform to educate others. Anyone can follow others to learn from him/her and upgrade their knowledge on any subject. Irrespective of location and education background, people can educate themselves without even paying for it.
Information
People can update themselves with the latest information and happenings around the world. Just by doing some research, any information or facts can be collected through social media.
Assistance
People share their problems with the community to get help. It can be related to advising or guidance.
Promotion
Social media is being used by many businesses (offline/online) to promote their product and services. The world is open to everyone on social media hence it makes these organizations more profitable and less expensive. The organizations can further develop relations with their consumers by connecting with them.
Noble Cause
There are many people who use social media websites to donate needy people or promote NGO activities.
Helpful to Government
Social media is very useful for Government security agencies to keep an eye and catch criminals to fight against crime.
Awareness to Youth
There are positive effects of social media on youth as well. They can be made aware of the society and the world. They can be grown as socially responsible citizens through cultural and political awareness. With social media sites talking about the world happenings, the youth can step in and make their opinions and thoughts too.
Negative Impact of Social Media / Social Media Disadvantages
Social media has also affected society in a negative way. Below are some of the disadvantages.
Relationship Problems
The impact of social media on relationships are alarming. It has been one of the known and widely spread problems of social media. Social interactions are not only starting new relationships but ending many as well. People are addicted to their phones and computers and spend countless hours on social media platforms that lead to relationship problems.
These days, how social media destroys relationships is not hidden to anyone. More than half of the population on social media admitted that it has affected their personal or work relationship to a great extent. Below are some of the negative effects commonly found because of the excessive usage of social media.
Unhappy Relationship
People have admitted that they find it really difficult to stop when browsing the internet, thereby losing time to spend with their family and partners. This results in unhappiness in their personal lives. Several studies were conducted where it was found that many happy couples got trouble in the relationship because of social media and ultimately, got separated.
Losing the “Us Time”
The moment that should be spent together is replaced by each one scrolling down the pages of social media. It obviously creates a gap. In research, it was found how partners get distracted by their mobile phones while spending time together.
Unfaithfulness
Partners after marriage often find new friends, sometimes their exes on social media that makes the other partner doubt. It also contributes to marriage conflict, and sometimes separation.
Addiction
Social media is very addictive and can disturb personal as well as social lives. There are plenty of negative effects of social media on teenagers, especially. They get involved in this so extensively that they cut off from the family and society completely. People waste their time on social media platforms which can be utilized in doing some productive tasks.
Health Issues
There is a negative impact of social media on health People use social media excessively thereby leading to a negative impact on their health. The research has proved that the use of social media can affect the health badly such as, people become lazy with the overuse of social media which neglects their interest in physical activities.
Cyberbullying
It is a big problem these days. Many children have become victims of Cyberbullying. Since social media is open to everyone, people create fake accounts and harass each other publicly. They create chaos in society by sending threat messages or rumors. This is one of the most common negative effects of social media on society.
Hacking
Anyone’s privacy or personal information can easily be hacked and shared on social media. It leads to a loss in personal life as well as financially. There have been instances in the past where several personal Facebook and Twitter accounts were hacked, and hackers shared different materials that impacted the personal lives of those users. Therefore, it is advisable to keep the account and personal information safe.
Fraud
In the past, fraud and different scams were done through social media. Hidden URLs and Charges, Phishing Requests, Chain Letters, and Cash Grabs are some of the examples.
Security / Privacy Issues
These days, security agencies keep an eye to all the social media accounts of people that compromise the privacy part. Any investigating officer can inquire an individual if he or she committed any mistake on the internet, knowingly or unknowingly.
Reputation
This is one of the dangerous disadvantages of social media since anyone can create a false story about others and share it on the internet thereby ruining that person’s reputation. The organization also get impacted because of bad reputation being spread about their products and services.
Causes of Death
People see and follow crazy stunts being shared on social media. For instance, bikers or car lovers performing unnecessary stunts and teenagers also try to perform which can lead to accidents or even death. There are people who continuously share such stunts on the internet which makes others see and follow it.
Harm to Student’s Education
This is one of the most negative effects of social media on students. These days, students are actively involved in all online communities but let’s take a look at the type of effects that students are facing because of it.
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- Students rely on the information which is available on social media sites as well as the internet to get their answers. This makes them a lesser focus on learning and retaining information. It also leads to a reduction in learning and research capabilities.
- Students are spending much time on social media and lesser time on socializing a person. It reduces their communication skills. Because of this, they are not able to communicate in person in an effective way.
- Students who overuse social networking sites on a regular basis tend to have more sleeping problems, body aches, as well as depression. Such students also display aggressive behavior. Thus, family, friends, and teachers play a vital role in making them understand and aware.
- Students get involved in social media sites while studying which result in a reduction of their concentration into studies. This leads to low grades and poor academic performance.
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Conclusion
Social media is a great way to connect with the ones we haven’t seen from long and helps in keeping contact with family, colleagues, and friends. However, it has negative effects, especially when it comes to relationships. People should be conscious of how to use social media. They should avoid spending too much time on it and live life with their partner and family.
Technology will stay with the people and no one can blame it. Someone has rightly said that people need to fall in place with technology rather than it is falling in place with people. Technology should be used in such a way that it can enhance the quality of our lives.
