Social media is a term used to describe a variety of Web-based platforms, applications and technologies that enable people to socially interact with one another online. Some examples of social media sites and applications include Facebook, YouTube, Del.icio.us, Twitter, Digg and other sites that have content based on user participation and user-generated content. These networks engage people. They bring a very large world together in a simple and easy way. No matter how we use them, each of us likely are using at least one social network.
Social media and social networking seem to play an imperative part of peoples lives around the world. Social media is a rising trends in the world today. Social media networking allows for a communication outlet. It is being utilized by students, parents, businesses, and religious organizations. It is being used in many forms by many different platforms for many reasons. There are social media sites that have millions of members allowed to share photos, videos, text messages, and more on a regular basis. There are a large number of advantages and disadvantages of using such sites that leave us wondering if we are better off without it.
Advantages of social media include the ability of users to conveniently stay in touch with friends and family who live far away, connect with like-minded people, and expand business contacts, usually for free. An important feature of social media is real-time information sharing. Social networking has revolutionized the speed of the news cycle. Social networking platforms like Reddit and Facebook Groups offer people ways to discuss their passions in an all-digital environment. Social networks provide a fantastic forum for businesses and individuals who want to create an identity and present it to a wide audience.
With the rising growth of social media networking, businesses are turning to it as a means of advertisement. It allows businesses and organizations to reach millions of users on a platform they are using on a daily basis. Another advantage of online campaigns over print is that online advertisements are viewable to customers as long as businesses wish them to be with time periods lasting from days to years where advertisements purchased in newspapers and magazines have a limited effective exposure period. Social networking is the digital face of a company.
For all the positives and strengths that these online communities are able to provide, however, social networks are certainly not without their shortcomings. The risks associated with using social networks are well-documented. Privacy has been become a rising issue in social media. The information posted on the Internet is available to almost anyone who is clever enough to access it.
The main pitfall of social media is that social media is making us less social and more aggressive. Comments on social media sites are often more blunt than the statements would be if they were made face-to-face. Online social networking can also contribute to a sense of isolation in real life, as users may disengage from real human interaction face-to-face in favour of virtual interactions. The scene of people staring at their smartphones at dinner instead of talking with the other people at the table is a familiar one.
Social media can have negative effects on kids through cyber bullying and unwanted exposure. Younger people are using mass communication without realizing the consequences. The very nature of social networks can also lend itself to trolling or stalking, the act of intentionally posting mean or provocative messages purely to upset or anger other users. This could be due in part to perceived anonymity on the internet. Social media is a time-waster as most of the people are admitted to wasting time on social media.
However, The positive impact on communication definitely overcomes the negative and makes it very beneficial. When using any social media platform, it is important to take responsibility for our own safety and never join a group just because it is trendy or all our friends are doing it. Social networking, like any other technological tool, is as good as a user makes it. Communication has improved greatly by emerges and continual growth of social media. The ease of access and growth makes it very beneficial to everyone from pastors to politicians. As social media evolves, communication will improve and continue to soar to new heights. So, in todays world, social media seems really important.