Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media

Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media

Introduction

            In the contemporary world, most people rely on social media for entertainment, news, advertisements and so on. Now days a one can use the social media and get any form of data that he or she requires. The use of social media has transformed the society into a global village where people can interact freely within a span of a second. However, most people focus on the benefits of social media without considering it’s drawbacks. Social media has several advantages such as easy access of data, free interaction, and so on. On the other hand, it has various disadvantages such as, lack of privacy, fraud, theft and so on. This primary focus of this paper is the advantages and disadvantages of social media as given.

            The use of social media has many disadvantages of easily obtainable data, such as searching things, services and the ability to download things. The internet provides many businesses means to aid service customers today. In the modern world, instead of mailing bills, a person just needs to sign into the web and deliver the payment with just a single click, or even carry out some shopping without leaving home (Clarke, 2010). This result in looking for things, thousands of institutions and groups moving to online, most of the groups becoming aggressive in promoting their existence through the use of search engines, banner advertisements and email lists. Also, an individual is capable of downloading games, movies, and watch favorite television shows for free.

            Though the advantages of social media seem great, there are disadvantages associated with easily obtainable data through the internet. Some of them are viruses, personal information, theft and accuracy (Dewing, 2010). When a person is searching for things on the internet or online, he or she may be asked his or her personal information like social security number, name and address or credit card number. When one enters such information, it offers a chance for hackers to acquire information about the person and utilize it for their own benefits. Moreover, going on web pages looking for things exposes a computer for viruses. Manywebsites, send viruses and aware as well as malicious programs that can slow the processor of the computer and some cases harm it. Likewise, accuracy is required because not everything in the social media is reliable and accurate. Any individual can post anything on the internet making it hard for some people to acknowledge reliable sources.

            The issue of credibility is another thing that most people worry about because of the success of the social media. Any person is capable of getting or posting anything that he or she want in the social media. Moreover, there is no open standard for posting data online and digital data may be easily modified, misrepresented, false and plagiarized. Unless an individual acknowledges the credibility of the sources, he or she may get illegitimate information. Nevertheless, the social media enhance the link between people’s all over the world (Clarke, 2010). Itenables a person to have a chance to meet and interact with people in other areas and share similar goals, beliefs or interest. It is similar as keeping one in touch with the people around. As a matter of fact, military people use social media to acknowledge what is happening around them instead of waiting for contacts. Social media is also free and any person can join about any web page without paying anything out of pocket. Such process is advantageous for small business that want to establish their identity in the market.

            Social media is somewhat impersonal. A person can have social drama and at the same time danger (Coiera, 2008). Besides, everything about social media is online, thus an individual does not have a chance to get to talk to another person either face to face or through the phone. This makes it tranquil for some people to fake things or make other people think they are something that they are not, which ties to the aspect of danger. Most people have pretended to be others in social media so as to acquire trust from other people and then turn against them.

            In conclusion, it is good for people to acknowledge both the advantages and disadvantages of social media because they can aid take the essential steps to enjoy the social media and be on the safe side of the negative impacts of the social media. If people acknowledge what is happening within the social media, they get a clear view of what to anticipate and whether or not it is something that would want or would do without it. Social media has become part of the peoples lives. People’s cannot escape from the disadvantages of the social media as long they continue using it without a clear view about it. It is all about the direction an individual select and on how to go about it. Nevertheless, social media plays a significant role in the society as well as all over the world, and with the increasing growth of technology, it is likely that social media grow with it. Thus, it is good to consider the advantages and disadvantages of social media since its activities will probably increase in future.

References

Clarke, A. (2010). Social media. Ottawa: Library of Parliament.

Coiera, E. (2008). Social networks, social media, and social diseases.BMJ, F3007-F3007.

Dewing, M. (2010).Social media. Ottawa: Library of Parliament.