Connections Built in Space: The Pros and Cons of Social Media

We live in the digital age. Today, you don’t need to go to the nearest postal office to send a letter via snail mail or use a telephone to get in touch with loved ones or colleagues. Building and maintaining connections, personal or professional, is done over the Internet via social media.

What is social media?

Social media is a cluster of cloud-based applications that allows people to connect with each other online. It not only promises creation and exchange of information, but also ascertains real-time interaction with people.

In addition to this, social media allows people to easily access and share different kinds of content, like simple text, graphics, videos, and other audiovisual presentation. It has definitely changed how people around the world share and consume information.

Some examples of social media are Internet forums, online magazines, social networks, blogging, podcasts, photographs, and social bookmarking.

Access to social media is made even more convenient through social media apps found in mobile devices.

Social Media Pros

  • Social media is a boon to businesses and organizations. Private businesses and government agencies are able to create online services for their customers all over the world through this popular tool. In fact, social media also brought about the rise of micro businesses that use it for product display, marketing, and payment.

    Moreover, writers, journalists, and other media practitioners find it both convenient and expedient to broadcast and publish their works over social networking sites.

  • Social media makes it easier to reach the people we love. We can just say hello to our Facebook friends via the site’s messenger to know how they are doing, or just view their profile in their social media accounts to see their timelines.
  • Social media gave unknown talented artists the opportunity to show the world what they got without the help of conglomerates. Justin Beiber is just one of these artists. Even the fans of musicians and actors can easily connect with their idols through social media.
  • Social media made it easier for teachers and students to collaborate through chat rooms and forums. Education is made more dynamic through social media as forums and chat rooms make scholarly discussions possible, even if members of the class don’t meet personally. The use of a basic business phone for transactions may soon be obsolete, as technological advances like social media allows easy and free information, and convenient feedback exchange.

Social Media Cons

  • People can be addicted to social media. Notable universities report different addictions associated with the excessive use of social media. The “addicts” opt to spend a lot more time logged into these networks rather than have actual personal interaction with family and friends. Extreme Internet log-in hours can also have adverse effects on health. Exercise, the right diet, and even proper eye care measures may be neglected because of social media addiction, resulting in serious illnesses.
  • Social media undermines privacy. A Huffington Post article talks about the link between divorces and the social media culture. The post cites various divorced couples who separated because of too much social media immersion.
  • Social media makes it easier to steal identities. The more you share personal information online, the easier it is for cybercriminals to steal your identity. By simply posting your kid’s name on your tweet, you could be giving hints about your account passwords. It’s also possible to allow someone else to reset your password and thus gain access to your personal email, banking or other online accounts by posting too much information online.

Image Credit: Justin

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11 comments

Hyptia July 16, 2013 - 4:53 am
Social media is that kind of platform from where you can make your popularity like that which will present yourself and your work in front of the world. But on other hand you know very well how much competition is going in online marketing so always ready to learn new things in that.
Go Designing July 16, 2013 - 5:53 am
Social media is an essential part of our business as well as life. Your shared pros and cons of social media are very important and based on truth. The most important point from pros is "Social media makes it easier to reach the people we love" it is an easy source to read millions of people in same time which is an easy source of marketing and advertising any brand, product or services. The most import point from cons is "People can be addicted to social media". To be honest i am also addicted of social media sites, especially twitter. However everything have pros and cons but in social media case i think pros are much important then cons.
ZK July 17, 2013 - 2:56 pm
Two sides to every story :)
Social Media Marketing Services Los Angeles July 16, 2013 - 2:10 pm
For Social Media & SEO to be of value, it must be done properly. Low cost services and questionable SEO strategies are one of the most damaging things we see being practiced.
ZK July 17, 2013 - 2:58 pm
A lot of businesses have used social media very effectively, its important to start building a community on social media if you have nt yet
Social Media Marketing Services Los Angeles July 30, 2013 - 5:39 am
Yes, exactly. Thanks for replying back.
Valentine Belonwu July 16, 2013 - 3:22 pm
A very interesting article. We all know that anything that is good also have some bad sides of it and social media is not exceptional. I also agree with you that social media has indeed has reshaped our definition of personal interactions. Thanks for sharing this with the bizsugar community. Val
Brian Rich July 16, 2013 - 4:48 pm
I completely agree with this. The main con of social media is that parents allow their children to have a facebook and one day they will come to regret their one post about smoking pot or something stupid that employers will see and turn them down because of something they did as a child.
Martin July 19, 2013 - 3:26 am
Social media is a great private investigators, employers, landlords, IRS, or anyone who what to know your personal business. Youfriend people you don't know just because they say they know you or one of your friends. I think it is great and proves how dumb people really are. I've used it to screen out bad tenants, send the county sheriff to arrest someone in hiding posting their location (with pictures), and even used peoples posts against them in a court of law. Post pictures of things that will slap you in the face years from now. Tweet away my naive friends.
Lavindra July 22, 2013 - 4:29 am
A very attention-grabbing article. we have a tendency to all recognize that something that's smart even have some dangerous sides of it and social media isn't exceptional
packers movers banglore July 31, 2013 - 6:12 am
Social Media Sites plays very important role for our business promotion. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc
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